Audiobooks narrated by Rodney Gardiner

50 Oscar Nights: Iconic Stars & Filmmakers on Their Career-Defining Wins

"An exclusive look behind the scenes of the Academy Awards as top stars and filmmakers discuss their Oscar wins and tell never-before-told tales of Hollywood's biggest night, in a collection of original interviews with Turner Classic Movies host and entertainment media journalist Dave Karger. For almost a century, movie fans have been riveted by the Academy Awards and the stars who have won Oscars. 50 Oscar Nights takes readers behind the scenes of Hollywood's most storied awards show through new and exclusive interviews with dozens of A-list actors, filmmakers, and craftspeople spanning sixty years of the Oscars. Here these artists reflect on their winning work and recount all the details of how they got ready, how they felt when they heard their name and got up on stage to accept their award, what they wore, how the entire experience impacted their life, and more. Some interviews bring to light fun stories like why Hilary Swank decided to celebrate her Academy Award at the Astro Burger in West Hollywood, or insight into the work as Elton John explains why he was convinced he won his Best Original Song award for the wrong tune. Other interviews illuminate why for some honorees, such as Julia Roberts, John Legend, and Octavia Spencer, the day remains a life highlight to be treasured, while for Marlee Matlin, Mira Sorvino, and Barry Jenkins, complex emotions cloud what most think would be a purely celebratory moment. Filled with more than 150 photos of red-carpet moments, emotional acceptances, and after-party play, 50 Oscar Nights is both a stunning record of cinema glamour and a must-read for any movie lover. Full list of interviewees: Nicole Kidman, Elton John, Jennifer Hudson, Steven Spielberg, Jane Fonda, Barry Jenkins, Halle Berry, J. K. Simmons, Julia Roberts, John Legend, Rita Moreno, Martin Scorsese, Marlee Matlin, Dustin Hoffman, Hannah Beachler, Cameron Crowe, Mira Sorvino, Kevin O'Connell, Sally Field, Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, Eddie Redmayne, Lee Grant, Louis Gossett Jr., Hilary Swank, Clint Eastwood, Jessica Yu, Michael Douglas, Catherine Martin, Francis Ford Coppola, Allison Janney, Mel Brooks, Emma Thompson, Peter Jackson, Marcia Gay Harden, Mark Bridges, Sofia Coppola, Joel Grey, Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, Olivia Colman, Rob Epstein, Whoopi Goldberg, Alan Menken, Melissa Etheridge, Sissy Spacek, Keith Carradine, Estelle Parsons, Geoffrey Fletcher, Octavia Spencer, Aaron Sorkin, Meryl Streep "

Dave Karger (Author), Dave Karger, Greg D. Barnett, Janina Edwards, Katherine Littrell, Liz Morey, Matthew Lloyd Davies, Rodney Gardiner (Narrator)

Audiobook

Sidney Poitier: The Great Speeches of an Icon Who Moved Us Forward

"The speeches of film legend Sidney Poitier-given at commencement addresses, awards shows, memorials, and more, on topics ranging from entertainment history to filmmaking, civil rights, and parenthood-come to vibrant life in this inspirational and stunningly packaged volume from the Poitier estate that sheds new light on the trailblazing artist's life and culture of the past century. Sidney Poitier represented strength, good looks, and above all dignity at a time when Black representation on the screen was so often relegated to servile parts. He broke ground as the top box-office draw in Hollywood at the peak of his career, and was the first Black actor to win the Best Actor Oscar, for his performance in Lillies of the Field (1963). Poitier-who narrowly escaped illiteracy after rising up from an impoverished childhood and the massive obstacles he faced as a Black man in mid-twentieth century America-was also one of the most articulate and sought-after speakers of his day. This book is a one-of-a-kind collection showcasing the wise, witty, and deeply personal speeches Poitier gave at awards ceremonies, family events, memorials, and more. His salutes to artists such as Dorothy Dandridge, Spencer Tracy, Stanley Kramer, and Denzel Washington offer fresh insight on icons of our time. Poitier's unforgettable cadence and voice are clear as day on the page, sometimes with careful edits and additions written in his own hand. Compiled by his wife, Joanna Poitier, and illustrated by dozens of professional and family photos, this collection stunningly captures all that was remarkable about the man through his own words; archives moments in the history of entertainment, culture, and civil rights; and offers a uniquely inspirational perspective on career, family, art, and life."

Joanna Poitier, Sidney Poitier (Author), Joanna Poitier, Morgan Freeman, Oprah Winfrey, Rodney Gardiner, Sydney Tamiia Poitier Heartsong (Narrator)

Audiobook

Come and Get These Memories: The Genius of Holland-Dozier-Holland, Motown’s Incomparable Songwriters

"Brian Holland, Edward Holland, and Lamont Dozier, known as Holland-Dozier-Holland or H-D-H, were the greatest songwriting team in American pop music history. Seventy of the songs they wrote reached the Billboard Top 40, with fifteen of these reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart. No other songwriting team or individual has come close to equaling—let alone surpassing—this record. They’ve been inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. As tunesmiths for the legendary Motown Record Corporation, and for their own corporations, Invictus Records and Hot Wax Records, they wrote and produced hits for Diana Ross and the Supremes, including “Baby Love,” “Stop! In the Name of Love,” “Where Did Our Love Go,” “You Keep Me Hangin’ On,” “You Can’t Hurry Love,” “I Hear a Symphony,” “Come See about Me,” “Back in My Arms Again,” and “Reflections.” Now the legendary composers are ready to reveal the inspirations and stories behind their chart-topping hits, providing millions of fans with the first complete history of their songwriting process, and detail the real-life experiences that led them to write each of their most famous tunes. They will also reveal their creative and intimate relationships with Motown’s biggest stars."

Brian Holland, Eddie Holland (Author), Kevin Kenerly, Rodney Gardiner (Narrator)

Audiobook

Good Idea. Now What?: How to Move Ideas to Execution

"We all have ideasthings we want to do or createbut only some of us will do what it takes to see those ideas come to pass. In the world of ideas, theres no shortage of passion. But passion without an actionable plan will eventually end up dead. The good news is that there are proven ways to help your ideas become reality. Idea-makers who are able to actualize their concepts year in and year out live with passion and intention. Its not enough to just be creative and inspired. Whether youre a creative or the leader of an organization, if you want to change your life and maybe even the world with your ideas, you must figure out how to create a process and infrastructure for implementation. In Good Idea, Now What? readers will be led through essential values and principles that successful idea-makers follow, from the importance of the physical space to dealing with resistance and setbacks, to collaborating with intention and communicating your ideas well. Good Idea, Now What? chapters include: Life After Inspiration Moving Forward Without Moving Elements of a Good Idea Why Branding Matters Getting Your Idea Out There"

Charles T. Lee (Author), Rodney Gardiner (Narrator)

Audiobook

Because They Marched: The People's Campaign for Voting Rights that Changed America

"In the early 1960s, tired of reprisals for attempting to register to vote, Selma's black community began to protest. The struggle received nationwide attention when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. led a voting rights march in January, 1965, and was attacked by a segregationist. In February, the shooting of an unarmed demonstrator by an Alabama state trooper inspired a march from Selma to the state capital of Montgomery. The march got off to a horrific start on March 7 as law officers attacked peaceful demonstrators. Broadcast throughout the world, the violence attracted widespread outrage and spurred demonstrators to complete the march at any cost. On March 25, after several setbacks, protesters completed the fifty-four-mile march to a cheering crowd of 25,000 supporters."

Russell Freedman (Author), Rodney Gardiner (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Souls of Black Folk

"A cornerstone of African-American literary history, The Souls of Black Folk is a classic work by W. E. B. Du Bois. Originally published in 1903, it contains many essays on race and equality, but is also a piece of seminal history as laying the groundwork for the field of sociology. Some of the essays in the novel were even previously published by the Atlantic Monthly magazine. When writing, Du Bois drew from his personal experiences as an African-American in America to highlight the issues of prejudice that were still going on into the 20th century."

W. E.B. Dubois (Author), Rodney Gardiner (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Uncommon Marriage Adventure: A Daily Journey to Draw You Closer to God and Each Other

"Marriage is an adventure unlike any other. At times, you and your spouse may feel so close, connected, and in love that you're ready to take on the world together. But other times, things grow distant, and you wonder where all the joy and excitement has gone. What is the secret to a happy, healthy, God-honoring marriage—one that will last through anything that comes your way? Join Tony and Lauren Dungy in The Uncommon Marriage Adventure, a series of daily reflections for couples. With transparency, wisdom, and humor, the Dungys share what they've learned over thirty years of marriage about faith, teamwork, conflict, communication, and more. Through each day's reading, you and your spouse will go deeper in loving, understanding, and learning to serve each other. Dare to embark on your own marriage adventure—and discover how to make your relationship truly uncommon."

Lauren Dungy, Tony Dungy (Author), Adenrele Ojo, Rodney Gardiner (Narrator)

Audiobook

Assault on Sunrise

"A fast-paced, cinematically explosive dystopian thriller by the author of The Extra Less than a hundred years in the future, pollution, economic disaster, and the rapacious greed of the corporate oligarchy have brought America to its knees and created dystopian urban nightmares, of which Los Angeles may be the worst. Curtis, Japh, and Jool are film extras, who—with the help of a couple of very gutsy women—survived being anonymous players in a 'live-action' film in which death on-screen meant death in real life. Surviving the shoot made them rich enough to escape the postapocalyptic hell that LA has become. But their survival was not what Panoply Studios CEO Val Margolian had in mind, especially since it cost his company millions. Now he's taking his revenge. After several plainclothes police are found dead in the former extras' new home of Sunrise, California, the entire town is subjected to Margolian's own invidious plan to punish them … and make a fortune doing it. Margolian has created toxic, murderous, mechanical, wasp-like creatures to set upon the people of Sunrise, while his film crew captures the carnage in what promises to be the bloodiest live-action film yet. With their haven besieged by the deadly assault, the exiles from LA are faced with a grim task: defeat the creatures and take back their town and their freedom. Their story is a saga of courage and sacrifice in a world gone mad."

Michael Shea (Author), Rodney Gardiner, Tom Taylorson (Narrator)

Audiobook

Down in the Chapel: Religious Life in an American Prison

"A bold and provocative interpretation of one of the most religiously vibrant places in America—a state penitentiary Baraka, Al, Teddy, and Sayyid—four black men from South Philadelphia, two Christian and two Muslim—are serving life at Pennsylvania's maximum-security Graterford Prison. All of them work in Graterford's chapel, a place that is at once a sanctuary for religious contemplation and an arena for disputing the works of God and man. Day in, day out, everything is, in its twisted way, rather ordinary. And then one of them disappears. Down in the Chapel tells the story of one week at Graterford Prison. We learn how the men at Graterford pass their time, care for themselves, and commune with their makers. We observe a variety of Muslims, Protestants, Catholics, and others at prayer and study and song. And we listen in as an interloping scholar of religion tries to make sense of it all. When prisoners turn to God, they are often scorned as con artists who fake their piety, or pitied as wretches who cling to faith because faith is all they have left. Joshua Dubler goes beyond these stereotypes to show the religious life of a prison in all its complexity. One part prison procedural, one part philosophical investigation, Down in the Chapel explores the many uses prisoners make of their religions and weighs the circumstances that make these uses possible. Gritty and visceral, meditative and searching, it is an essential study of American religion in the age of mass incarceration."

Joshua Dubler (Author), Rodney Gardiner (Narrator)

Audiobook

Finally Free: An Autobiography

"One of the most talented and polarizing athletes of our generation, Michael Vick’s stunning story has captured news headlines across the nation. From his poverty-stricken youth, to his success on the field in high school and college, to his rise to NFL stardom and his fall from grace, Finally Free shows how a gifted athlete’s life spiraled out of control under the glare of money and fame, aided by his own poor choices. In his own words, Vick details his regrets, his search for forgiveness, the moments of unlikely grace — and the brokenness that brought his redemption on the way to his celebrated return to the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles."

Michael Vick (Author), Rodney Gardiner (Narrator)

Audiobook

Audiobooks Narrated by Rodney Gardiner