Author: DMX
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 0060934034
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 354
Book Description
The dark journey of a boy who became a man, the man who became an artist, and the artist who became an icon. A talent for rhyme saved his life, but the demons and sins of his past continue to haunt him. This is the story of Earl Simmons.
My Infamous Life
Author: Albert "Prodigy" Johnson
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1439103194
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 320
Book Description
"A memoir about a life almost lost and a revealing look at the dark side of hip hop's golden era ... a story of struggle, survival, and hope down the mean streets of New York City" --
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1439103194
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 320
Book Description
"A memoir about a life almost lost and a revealing look at the dark side of hip hop's golden era ... a story of struggle, survival, and hope down the mean streets of New York City" --
Rap Music and Street Consciousness
Author: Cheryl Lynette Keyes
Publisher: University of Illinois Press
ISBN: 9780252072017
Category : Music
Languages : en
Pages : 340
Book Description
In this first musicological history of rap music, Cheryl L. Keyes traces the genre's history from its roots in West African bardic traditions, the Jamaican dancehall tradition, and African American vernacular expressions to its permeation of the cultural mainstream as a major tenet of hip-hop lifestyle and culture. Rap music, according to Keyes, is a forum that addresses the political and economic disfranchisement of black youths and other groups, fosters ethnic pride, and displays culture values and aesthetics. Blending popular culture with folklore and ethnomusicology, Keyes offers a nuanced portrait of the artists, themes, and varying styles reflective of urban life and street consciousness. Drawing on the music, lives, politics, and interests of figures including Afrika Bambaataa, the "godfather of hip-hop," and his Zulu Nation, George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic, Grandmaster Flash, Kool "DJ" Herc, MC Lyte, LL Cool J, De La Soul, Public Enemy, Ice-T, DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, and The Last Poets, Rap Music and Street Consciousness challenges outsider views of the genre. The book also draws on ethnographic research done in New York, Los Angeles, Detroit and London, as well as interviews with performers, producers, directors, fans, and managers. Keyes's vivid and wide-ranging analysis covers the emergence and personas of female rappers and white rappers, the legal repercussions of technological advancements such as electronic mixing and digital sampling, the advent of rap music videos, and the existence of gangsta rap, Southern rap, acid rap, and dance-centered rap subgenres. Also considered are the crossover careers of rap artists in movies and television; rapper-turned-mogul phenomenons such as Queen Latifah; the multimedia empire of Sean "P. Diddy" Combs; the cataclysmic rise of Death Row Records; East Coast versus West Coast tensions; the deaths of Tupac Shakur and Christopher "The Notorious B.I.G." Wallace; and the unification efforts of the Nation of Islam and the Hip-Hop Nation.
Publisher: University of Illinois Press
ISBN: 9780252072017
Category : Music
Languages : en
Pages : 340
Book Description
In this first musicological history of rap music, Cheryl L. Keyes traces the genre's history from its roots in West African bardic traditions, the Jamaican dancehall tradition, and African American vernacular expressions to its permeation of the cultural mainstream as a major tenet of hip-hop lifestyle and culture. Rap music, according to Keyes, is a forum that addresses the political and economic disfranchisement of black youths and other groups, fosters ethnic pride, and displays culture values and aesthetics. Blending popular culture with folklore and ethnomusicology, Keyes offers a nuanced portrait of the artists, themes, and varying styles reflective of urban life and street consciousness. Drawing on the music, lives, politics, and interests of figures including Afrika Bambaataa, the "godfather of hip-hop," and his Zulu Nation, George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic, Grandmaster Flash, Kool "DJ" Herc, MC Lyte, LL Cool J, De La Soul, Public Enemy, Ice-T, DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, and The Last Poets, Rap Music and Street Consciousness challenges outsider views of the genre. The book also draws on ethnographic research done in New York, Los Angeles, Detroit and London, as well as interviews with performers, producers, directors, fans, and managers. Keyes's vivid and wide-ranging analysis covers the emergence and personas of female rappers and white rappers, the legal repercussions of technological advancements such as electronic mixing and digital sampling, the advent of rap music videos, and the existence of gangsta rap, Southern rap, acid rap, and dance-centered rap subgenres. Also considered are the crossover careers of rap artists in movies and television; rapper-turned-mogul phenomenons such as Queen Latifah; the multimedia empire of Sean "P. Diddy" Combs; the cataclysmic rise of Death Row Records; East Coast versus West Coast tensions; the deaths of Tupac Shakur and Christopher "The Notorious B.I.G." Wallace; and the unification efforts of the Nation of Islam and the Hip-Hop Nation.
Ice
Author: Ice-T
Publisher: One World
ISBN: 0345523296
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 274
Book Description
He’s a hip-hop icon credited with single-handedly creating gangsta rap. Television viewers know him as Detective Odafin “Fin” Tutuola on the top-rated drama Law & Order: SVU. But where the hype and the headlines end, the real story of Ice-T—the one few of his millions of fans have ever heard—truly begins. Ice is Ice-T in his own words—raw, uncensored, and unafraid to speak his mind. About his orphan upbringing on the gang-infested streets of South Central, his four-year stint in the U.S. Army, his successful career as a hustler and thief, and his fateful decision to turn away from a life of crime and forge his own path to international stardom. Along the way, Ice shares never-before-told stories about friends such as Tupac, Dick Wolf, Chris Rock, and Flavor Flav, among others. And he offers up candid observations on marriage and monogamy, the current state of hip-hop, and his latest passion: mentoring at-risk youths around the country. With insights into the cutthroat world of the street—and the cutthroat world of Hollywood—Ice is the unforgettable story of a true American original.
Publisher: One World
ISBN: 0345523296
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 274
Book Description
He’s a hip-hop icon credited with single-handedly creating gangsta rap. Television viewers know him as Detective Odafin “Fin” Tutuola on the top-rated drama Law & Order: SVU. But where the hype and the headlines end, the real story of Ice-T—the one few of his millions of fans have ever heard—truly begins. Ice is Ice-T in his own words—raw, uncensored, and unafraid to speak his mind. About his orphan upbringing on the gang-infested streets of South Central, his four-year stint in the U.S. Army, his successful career as a hustler and thief, and his fateful decision to turn away from a life of crime and forge his own path to international stardom. Along the way, Ice shares never-before-told stories about friends such as Tupac, Dick Wolf, Chris Rock, and Flavor Flav, among others. And he offers up candid observations on marriage and monogamy, the current state of hip-hop, and his latest passion: mentoring at-risk youths around the country. With insights into the cutthroat world of the street—and the cutthroat world of Hollywood—Ice is the unforgettable story of a true American original.
The Motherlode
Author: Clover Hope
Publisher: Abrams
ISBN: 1683358058
Category : Music
Languages : en
Pages : 451
Book Description
An illustrated highlight reel of more than 100 women in rap who have helped shape the genre and eschewed gender norms in the process The Motherlode highlights more than 100 women who have shaped the power, scope, and reach of rap music, including pioneers like Roxanne Shanté, game changers like Lauryn Hill and Missy Elliott, and current reigning queens like Nicki Minaj, Cardi B, and Lizzo—as well as everyone who came before, after, and in between. Some of these women were respected but not widely celebrated. Some are impossible not to know. Some of these women have stood on their own; others were forced into templates, compelled to stand beside men in big rap crews. Some have been trapped in a strange critical space between respected MC and object. They are characters, caricatures, lyricists, at times both feminine and explicit. This book profiles each of these women, their musical and career breakthroughs, and the ways in which they each helped change the culture of rap.
Publisher: Abrams
ISBN: 1683358058
Category : Music
Languages : en
Pages : 451
Book Description
An illustrated highlight reel of more than 100 women in rap who have helped shape the genre and eschewed gender norms in the process The Motherlode highlights more than 100 women who have shaped the power, scope, and reach of rap music, including pioneers like Roxanne Shanté, game changers like Lauryn Hill and Missy Elliott, and current reigning queens like Nicki Minaj, Cardi B, and Lizzo—as well as everyone who came before, after, and in between. Some of these women were respected but not widely celebrated. Some are impossible not to know. Some of these women have stood on their own; others were forced into templates, compelled to stand beside men in big rap crews. Some have been trapped in a strange critical space between respected MC and object. They are characters, caricatures, lyricists, at times both feminine and explicit. This book profiles each of these women, their musical and career breakthroughs, and the ways in which they each helped change the culture of rap.
Hiding in Hip Hop
Author: Terrance Dean
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1416579389
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 457
Book Description
“If you’re a fan of the hit show Empire and its characters Cookie, Lucious, Hakeem, Jamal, and Andre, then you have to check out Terrance Dean’s provocative memoir Hiding in Hip Hop. Dean writes a compelling story about black gay men in Hip Hop and Hollywood, and what it takes for them to make it the entertainment industry.” – JL King, New York Times bestselling author of On The Down Low Celebrated blogger and former MTV insider Terrance Dean reveals a hidden side of Hollywood and hip hop in this explosive and illuminating memoir. Terrance Dean worked his way up for more than ten years in the entertainment industry from intern to executive and has lived the life of glitz and bling along with Hollywood and Hip Hop’s most glamorous heavy hitters. As a gay man immersed within the world of the famous and the fabulous, Dean knows well the industry’s secrets and the façade that is kept, that for men, promotes machismo and heteronormative behavior. Most of what Dean unveils in this book is fascinating and salacious, but all of it is true. He also shares his own secrets, and an account of the pain of his mother’s addiction, and the poverty and molestation he experienced as a child. Hiding in Hip Hop is not a traditional tell-all. It’s personal. It’s poignant. It’s a provocative and honest look at stardom and sexuality.
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1416579389
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 457
Book Description
“If you’re a fan of the hit show Empire and its characters Cookie, Lucious, Hakeem, Jamal, and Andre, then you have to check out Terrance Dean’s provocative memoir Hiding in Hip Hop. Dean writes a compelling story about black gay men in Hip Hop and Hollywood, and what it takes for them to make it the entertainment industry.” – JL King, New York Times bestselling author of On The Down Low Celebrated blogger and former MTV insider Terrance Dean reveals a hidden side of Hollywood and hip hop in this explosive and illuminating memoir. Terrance Dean worked his way up for more than ten years in the entertainment industry from intern to executive and has lived the life of glitz and bling along with Hollywood and Hip Hop’s most glamorous heavy hitters. As a gay man immersed within the world of the famous and the fabulous, Dean knows well the industry’s secrets and the façade that is kept, that for men, promotes machismo and heteronormative behavior. Most of what Dean unveils in this book is fascinating and salacious, but all of it is true. He also shares his own secrets, and an account of the pain of his mother’s addiction, and the poverty and molestation he experienced as a child. Hiding in Hip Hop is not a traditional tell-all. It’s personal. It’s poignant. It’s a provocative and honest look at stardom and sexuality.
Let's Talk About Pep
Author: Sandy Denton
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1439126607
Category : Music
Languages : en
Pages : 228
Book Description
From Sandy “Pepa” Denton—rap legend and outspoken star of VH1’s smash-hit reality show—comes the juicy tell-all in which she talks about sex, music, life, love, fame, and so much more. The spiciest ingredient in the legendary rap group Salt-N-Pepa, fans know Sandy Denton as Pep, or Pepa, the fun-loving half of Salt-N-Pepa. But behind the laughs and the smiles is a whole lot of pain, and for the first time in Let’s talk About Pep, she candidly talks about her troubled childhood, surviving abuse, her first encounters with Cheryl “Salt” James, instant success, her failed marriages and escape from domestic abuse, and her triumphant comeback on reality shows like The Surreal Life and The Salt-N-Pepa Show. Filled with surprising insights, outrageous anecdotes, and celebrity cameos—including Queen Latifah, Martin Lawrence, Janice Dickinson, Missy Elliott, L.L. Cool J, Ron Jeremy, Lisa “Left Eye” Lopez, and many others—Let’s Talk About Pep offers a fascinating glimpse behind the fame, family, failures, and success...and into the faithful heart of a woman who will always treasure the good friends she found along the way. Every bit as captivating and provocative as her Grammy Award-winning music, this story reveals the real Pepa—upfront, uncensored, unstoppable—a true pioneer, survivor, and inspiration to women everywhere.
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1439126607
Category : Music
Languages : en
Pages : 228
Book Description
From Sandy “Pepa” Denton—rap legend and outspoken star of VH1’s smash-hit reality show—comes the juicy tell-all in which she talks about sex, music, life, love, fame, and so much more. The spiciest ingredient in the legendary rap group Salt-N-Pepa, fans know Sandy Denton as Pep, or Pepa, the fun-loving half of Salt-N-Pepa. But behind the laughs and the smiles is a whole lot of pain, and for the first time in Let’s talk About Pep, she candidly talks about her troubled childhood, surviving abuse, her first encounters with Cheryl “Salt” James, instant success, her failed marriages and escape from domestic abuse, and her triumphant comeback on reality shows like The Surreal Life and The Salt-N-Pepa Show. Filled with surprising insights, outrageous anecdotes, and celebrity cameos—including Queen Latifah, Martin Lawrence, Janice Dickinson, Missy Elliott, L.L. Cool J, Ron Jeremy, Lisa “Left Eye” Lopez, and many others—Let’s Talk About Pep offers a fascinating glimpse behind the fame, family, failures, and success...and into the faithful heart of a woman who will always treasure the good friends she found along the way. Every bit as captivating and provocative as her Grammy Award-winning music, this story reveals the real Pepa—upfront, uncensored, unstoppable—a true pioneer, survivor, and inspiration to women everywhere.
Diary of a Madman
Author: Brad "Scarface" Jordan
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 0062302663
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 159
Book Description
One of Rolling Stone’s Best Music Books of 2015. “As complete a self-portrait of the intensely private MC that we’re ever likely to get.” —Houston Press From Geto Boys legend and renowned storyteller Scarface, comes a passionate memoir about how hip-hop changed the life of a kid from the south side of Houston, and how he rose to the top—and ushered in a new generation of rap dominance. Scarface is the celebrated rapper whose hits include “On My Block,” “Mind Playing Tricks on Me” and “Damn It Feels Good to Be a Gangsta” (made famous in the cult film Office Space). The former president of Def Jam South, he’s collaborated with everyone from Kanye West, Ice Cube and Nas, and had many solo hits such as “Guess Who’s Back” feat. Jay-Z and “Smile” feat. Tupac. But before that, he was a kid from Houston in love with rock-and-roll, listening to AC/DC and KISS. In Diary of a Madman, Scarface shares how his world changed when he heard Run DMC for the first time; how he dropped out of school in the ninth grade and started selling crack; and how he began rapping as the new form of music made its way out of New York and across the country. It is the account of his rise to the heights of the rap world, as well as his battles with his own demons and depression. Passionately exploring and explaining the roots and influences of rap culture, Diary of a Madman is the story of hip-hop—the music, the business, the streets, and life on the south side Houston, Texas. “A remarkable personal memoir.” —Los Angeles Review of Books
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 0062302663
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 159
Book Description
One of Rolling Stone’s Best Music Books of 2015. “As complete a self-portrait of the intensely private MC that we’re ever likely to get.” —Houston Press From Geto Boys legend and renowned storyteller Scarface, comes a passionate memoir about how hip-hop changed the life of a kid from the south side of Houston, and how he rose to the top—and ushered in a new generation of rap dominance. Scarface is the celebrated rapper whose hits include “On My Block,” “Mind Playing Tricks on Me” and “Damn It Feels Good to Be a Gangsta” (made famous in the cult film Office Space). The former president of Def Jam South, he’s collaborated with everyone from Kanye West, Ice Cube and Nas, and had many solo hits such as “Guess Who’s Back” feat. Jay-Z and “Smile” feat. Tupac. But before that, he was a kid from Houston in love with rock-and-roll, listening to AC/DC and KISS. In Diary of a Madman, Scarface shares how his world changed when he heard Run DMC for the first time; how he dropped out of school in the ninth grade and started selling crack; and how he began rapping as the new form of music made its way out of New York and across the country. It is the account of his rise to the heights of the rap world, as well as his battles with his own demons and depression. Passionately exploring and explaining the roots and influences of rap culture, Diary of a Madman is the story of hip-hop—the music, the business, the streets, and life on the south side Houston, Texas. “A remarkable personal memoir.” —Los Angeles Review of Books
Self-Care for New and Student Nurses, Second Edition
Author: Dorrie K. Fontaine
Publisher: Sigma Theta Tau
ISBN: 1646481704
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 477
Book Description
“The authors have created a brilliant, reader-centric, practical, powerful, and evidence-based guide designed for new and student nurses, yet effective for preceptors and faculty alike. Imagine a resource so engaging and effective you turn to it time and time again to inform and support your whole-person well-being.” –Teri Pipe, PhD, RN Richard E. Sinaiko Professor in Health Care Leadership School of Nursing Core Faculty, Center for Healthy Minds Distinguished Fellow, National Academies of Practice University of Wisconsin-Madison “This extraordinary book will be the voice in the ear of every young nurse who reads it throughout their career, sustaining them through the hard times and providing what it takes to be the skillful, compassionate nurses they dreamed of being.” –Bonnie Barnes, FAAN Doctor of Humane Letters (h.c) Co-founder, The DAISY Foundation “This is an astonishingly rich and relevant text that truly should be required in every nursing program. If widely adopted, this text has the potential to transform the profession.” –Mary Jo Kreitzer, PhD, RN, FAAN Director, Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing Professor, University of Minnesota School of Nursing As a nursing student, you’re taught to expect a variety of challenges while caring for your patients and juggling competing priorities as you begin your career. And, though you may know better, your personal well-being can become the last thing you consider in your hectic student or new-nurse life. This second edition of Self-Care for New and Student Nurses equips you to confidently face stressors now and in the future. No matter where you are in your nursing career, this book offers you multiple strategies to prioritize your own mental, physical, and emotional health. Authors Dorrie K. Fontaine, Tim Cunningham, and Natalie May showcase a group of strong contributors whose valuable tips and exercises will help you: · Find joy and a sense of mattering at work · Manage anxiety, loneliness, and depression · Address imposter syndrome, practice self-compassion, and thrive during clinicals · Cope and seek help with racial tensions, substance abuse, suicide risks, and other traumas · Spot the stressors that lead to burnout · Prioritize sleep, exercise, and nutrition · Build a toolkit of self-care techniques, including in-the-moment practices for an ideal workday · Develop a resilient mindset · Establish boundaries TABLE OF CONTENTS Section 1: Fundamentals Chapter 1: The Fundamentals of Stress, Burnout, and Self-Care Chapter 2: The Fundamentals of Resilience, Growth, and Wisdom Chapter 3: Developing a Resilient Mindset Using Appreciative Practices Section II: The Mind of a Nurse Chapter 4: Self-Care, Communal Care, and Resilience Among Underrepresented Minoritized Nursing Professionals and Students Chapter 5: Self-Care for LGBTQIA+ Nursing Students Chapter 6: Racial Trauma and Healing Chapter 7: Narrative Practices Chapter 8: Self-Care and Systemic Change: What You Need to Know Chapter 9: Strengths-Based Self-Care: Good Enough, Strong Enough, Wise Enough Section III: The Body and Spirit of a Nurse Chapter 10: Reclaiming, Recalling, and Remembering: Spirituality and Self-Care Chapter 11: Sleep, Exercise, and Nutrition: Self-Care the Kaizen Way Chapter 12: Reflections on Self-Care and Your Clinical Practice Section IV: The Transition to Nursing Practice Chapter 13: Supportive Professional Relationships: Nurse Residency Programs, Preceptors, and Mentors Chapter 14: Healthy Work Environment: How to Choose One for Your First Job Chapter 15: Self-Care for Humanitarian Aid Workers Section V: The Heart of a Nurse Chapter 16: Mattering: Creating a Rich Work Life Chapter 17: Integrating a Life That Works With a Life That Counts Chapter 18: Providing Compassionate Care and Addressing Unmet Social Needs Can Reduce Your Burnout Chapter 19: Showing Up With Grit and Grace: How to Lead Under Pressure as a Nurse Clinician and Leader Chapter 20: Coaching Yourself When Things Are Hard
Publisher: Sigma Theta Tau
ISBN: 1646481704
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 477
Book Description
“The authors have created a brilliant, reader-centric, practical, powerful, and evidence-based guide designed for new and student nurses, yet effective for preceptors and faculty alike. Imagine a resource so engaging and effective you turn to it time and time again to inform and support your whole-person well-being.” –Teri Pipe, PhD, RN Richard E. Sinaiko Professor in Health Care Leadership School of Nursing Core Faculty, Center for Healthy Minds Distinguished Fellow, National Academies of Practice University of Wisconsin-Madison “This extraordinary book will be the voice in the ear of every young nurse who reads it throughout their career, sustaining them through the hard times and providing what it takes to be the skillful, compassionate nurses they dreamed of being.” –Bonnie Barnes, FAAN Doctor of Humane Letters (h.c) Co-founder, The DAISY Foundation “This is an astonishingly rich and relevant text that truly should be required in every nursing program. If widely adopted, this text has the potential to transform the profession.” –Mary Jo Kreitzer, PhD, RN, FAAN Director, Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing Professor, University of Minnesota School of Nursing As a nursing student, you’re taught to expect a variety of challenges while caring for your patients and juggling competing priorities as you begin your career. And, though you may know better, your personal well-being can become the last thing you consider in your hectic student or new-nurse life. This second edition of Self-Care for New and Student Nurses equips you to confidently face stressors now and in the future. No matter where you are in your nursing career, this book offers you multiple strategies to prioritize your own mental, physical, and emotional health. Authors Dorrie K. Fontaine, Tim Cunningham, and Natalie May showcase a group of strong contributors whose valuable tips and exercises will help you: · Find joy and a sense of mattering at work · Manage anxiety, loneliness, and depression · Address imposter syndrome, practice self-compassion, and thrive during clinicals · Cope and seek help with racial tensions, substance abuse, suicide risks, and other traumas · Spot the stressors that lead to burnout · Prioritize sleep, exercise, and nutrition · Build a toolkit of self-care techniques, including in-the-moment practices for an ideal workday · Develop a resilient mindset · Establish boundaries TABLE OF CONTENTS Section 1: Fundamentals Chapter 1: The Fundamentals of Stress, Burnout, and Self-Care Chapter 2: The Fundamentals of Resilience, Growth, and Wisdom Chapter 3: Developing a Resilient Mindset Using Appreciative Practices Section II: The Mind of a Nurse Chapter 4: Self-Care, Communal Care, and Resilience Among Underrepresented Minoritized Nursing Professionals and Students Chapter 5: Self-Care for LGBTQIA+ Nursing Students Chapter 6: Racial Trauma and Healing Chapter 7: Narrative Practices Chapter 8: Self-Care and Systemic Change: What You Need to Know Chapter 9: Strengths-Based Self-Care: Good Enough, Strong Enough, Wise Enough Section III: The Body and Spirit of a Nurse Chapter 10: Reclaiming, Recalling, and Remembering: Spirituality and Self-Care Chapter 11: Sleep, Exercise, and Nutrition: Self-Care the Kaizen Way Chapter 12: Reflections on Self-Care and Your Clinical Practice Section IV: The Transition to Nursing Practice Chapter 13: Supportive Professional Relationships: Nurse Residency Programs, Preceptors, and Mentors Chapter 14: Healthy Work Environment: How to Choose One for Your First Job Chapter 15: Self-Care for Humanitarian Aid Workers Section V: The Heart of a Nurse Chapter 16: Mattering: Creating a Rich Work Life Chapter 17: Integrating a Life That Works With a Life That Counts Chapter 18: Providing Compassionate Care and Addressing Unmet Social Needs Can Reduce Your Burnout Chapter 19: Showing Up With Grit and Grace: How to Lead Under Pressure as a Nurse Clinician and Leader Chapter 20: Coaching Yourself When Things Are Hard