Last Night At The Viper Room

In Last Night at the Viper Room, acclaimed author and journalist Gavin Edwards vividly recounts the life and tragic death of acclaimed actor River Phoenix—a teen idol on the fast track to Hollywood royalty who died of a drug overdose in front of West Hollywood’s storied club, the Viper Room, at the age of 23. Last Night at the Viper Room explores the young star’s life, including his childhood in Venezuela growing up under the aegis of the cultish Children of God. Putting him at the center of a new generation of leading men emerging in the early 1990s— including Johnny Depp, Keanu Reeves, Brad Pitt, Nicolas Cage, and Leonardo DiCaprio—Gavin Edwards traces the Academy Award nominee’s meteoric rise, couches him in an examination of the 1990s, and illuminates his lasting legacy on Hollywood and popular culture itself.

For readers of Dopesick and In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts, a celebrated cannabis attorney's personal look at the War on Drugs and what comes next for the drug legalization movement Getting high is something most of us do, and in many cases do safely--yet drugs remain a singular public enemy. In a ranging blend of memoir, pop culture, policy critique, and social analysis, LA-based criminal defense attorney Allison Margolin explores why--and what we can do about it. Informed by Margolin’s experiences as a drug user, advocate, and the daughter of California’s most renowned (and infamous) cannabis attorney, Just Dope offers a look at where our current drug policy fails. It exposes the true history of drug prohibition in the United States, sharing why it started, how it evolved, and where it stands now. And it looks unflinchingly at the false dichotomy between “good” drugs and “bad” drugs and Margolin’s experience with programs like D.A.R.E that misguidedly ask you to “Just Say No.” For readers of All Day is a Long Time and In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts, Just Dope is an experiential tour-de-force of personal essay and whip-smart policy critique—and a vital call to knowledge and action.

"A classic country song come to life.” - Inked Avenue Book Blog, 5 star review When Felicity Wilde arrives in Nashville, she’s not looking for fame — she just wants a safe place to hide from the ghosts of her past. And for a while, starting fresh seems possible. She lands a job at a local music hotspot, collects her tips, and keeps her head down. Until one night, he steps on stage. Ryder Woods is a rising star. Everyone knows he’s destined for bigger things — it’s only a matter of time before he lands a record deal and heads for Los Angeles without looking back. He has no interest in getting stuck in Nashville, like all the other washed-up musicians who’ve never quite made it. But once he spots the quiet girl working behind the bar — the one with haunted eyes, who sings the most heartbreaking lyrics he’s ever heard in his life — Ryder’s suddenly not in such a hurry to leave. As Felicity and Ryder begin to make music together, their connection only deepens… but with demons of Felicity’s past circling closer, and the demands of Ryder’s future finally coming to fruition, they’ll find themselves at an undeniable crossroads… They always say fame comes with a price... But what if that price is the love of your life? FADED is the first installment of an angsty, addictive new contemporary romance duet about two star-crossed musicians. From the dark streets of Nashville to the bright lights of Los Angeles, Ryder & Felicity's story is a whirlwind of bandmate drama, steamy romance, and original song lyrics. Part two of the duet is now available for purchase in ebook and paperback. Please note: due to sex, drugs, and rock & roll, this duet is recommended for readers ages 16 and up.

Modern screen acting in English is dominated by two key figures: Method acting guru Lee Strasberg—who taught the “the art of experiencing” over “the art of representing”—and English theater titan Laurence Olivier, who once said of the Method’s immersive approach, “try acting, it’s so much easier.” This book explores in detail the work of such method actors as Al Pacino, Ellen Burstyn, Jack Nicholson and Jane Fonda, and charts the shift away from the more internally focused Strasberg-based acting of the 1970s, and towards the more “external” way of working, exemplified by the career of Meryl Streep in the 1980s.

His obsession with rock and roll gave the shy lad from Derby, the impetus to form a beat group in the 50s. An experience that prepared him for life in Hollywood as a film director. It didn't, however, prepare him for his return to the band nearly 40 years later. This story, spans six decades, and goes from the Midlands to Tinsel Town, and back.

A tribute to and exploration of the magic behind one of Hollywood's most legendary and unknowable stars, Keanu Reeves, and the profound lessons we can learn from his success There can be no doubt: Keanu Reeves is a phenomenon. He’s at once a badass action star, a hunky dreamboat who People magazine has called “the Internet’s boyfriend,” a vintage motorcycle enthusiast, a niche art book publisher, a living meme, and a legend. He seems to upend every rule governing celebrity in the 21st century. But how? In Keanu Reeves: Most Triumphant, cultural critic Alex Pappademas attempts to address Keanu’s unmatched eternality and the other big questions raised by his career arc. Sharp, funny, deeply researched, and fully celebratory of the enigmatic actor, this is the first book to take Keanu’s whole deal as seriously as it deserves. Yes, even Johnny Mnemonic, where Keanu mind melds with a dolphin. Along the way, Pappademas reveals the lessons we can learn from Keanu about Hollywood, our broader culture, and even life itself.