I Never Walked Alone: The Autobiography of an American Singer - Hardcover
I Never Walked Alone: The Autobiography of an American Singer - Hardcover
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by Shirley Verrett (Author), Christopher Brooks (Author)
An inspiring self-portrait of a world-renowned African American vocal artist
This is a fascinating account of a gifted woman's coming of age and rise to success at a time when black classical musicians faced barriers at every turn. Shirley Verrett possessed a talent and ambition so dazzling she could not be denied?and she became one of the most celebrated artists of her time. I Never Walked Alone draws the reader into the world of this graceful, fiery artist, dramatically telling the story of her childhood and her brilliant international career. The book is filled with behind-the-scenes tales of this diva's great performances, roles, and collaborations, offering insight into her stormy personal relationships as well as her private struggles and critical decisions. Featuring forewords and afterwords by such figures as Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo, Zubhin Mehta, and Claudio Abbado, this richly detailed book paints a vivid picture of a magnificent survivor and an indelible artist known around the world as the black Maria Callas.
Shirley Verrett (Ann Arbor, MI, and New York, NY) is currently Professor of Voice at the University of Michigan School of Music.
Christopher Brooks is a biographer and award-winning musicologist.
Front Jacket
What does it take to become one of opera's most acclaimed and beloved stars? Shirley Verrett knows. Gifted with a divine voice and stunning physical beauty, she has electrified audiences as Carmen, Aida, Tosca, Desdemona, Norma, and a galaxy of other heroines in a brilliant career that spanned more than four decades. But the road to fame is never easy-even when you have exceptional gifts. Verrett reinvented herself time and time again. Now, in her own words, we can trace her path. With unblinking candor, I Never Walked Alone exposes layer by layer a multifaceted life.
Born in segregated New Orleans, Verrett came of age under the strict watch of devout, Seventh-Day Adventist parents. Her father, astounded by her talent, determined she would follow in the footsteps of legendary recitalists Marian Anderson and Dorothy Maynor. Nineteen years later, Shirley out-performed more than fifty other aspiring singers to win the coveted Marian Anderson award.
Her career soared, seemingly effortlessly. Delving behind the scenes, Verrett takes us into her intimate world. We are eager observers year by year as she hones her craft, the critics rave, and popular demand mounts. With each groundbreaking performance, she adds to her laurels. Despite racial prejudice, moral dilemmas, professional rivalries, devastating illness, and controversy, Verrett survives, triumphs on her own terms, and goes on to make history.
Always forthright, Verrett shares her ups and downs freely with us, along with indelible images of other major twentieth-century singers-from her inspiration Maria Callas to contemporaries such as Montserrat Caballe, Leontyne Price, Grace Bumbry, Jon Vickers, and many others. The result is a virtual master class in the art of opera performance, as well as the art of living fearlessly.
Cherished as a wife, mother, humanitarian, teacher, and warm friend, Verrett moved easily between the stage and an abundant life of authentic spiritual depth. Here is the proof-the autobiography of a radiant little girl who grew up with wit, fiery will, and unmistakable grace to become, in the words of Placido Domingo, "a treasure in the world of opera."
Back Jacket
One of the great artists of our time.
--Luciano Pavarotti
"A treasure in the world of opera."
--Placido Domingo
"We are fortunate to have this book about an artist whom it has been my great honor to have known and worked with since my youngest days. Not only will Verdi's Lux aeterna remain imbedded in my musical memories forever as Shirley Verrett first sang it in Los Angeles, but so will our last music-making together, the recording of Il Trovatore. It seemed to round off a perfect relationship between two friends who have musically complemented each other for years."
-Zubin Mehta
"My collaboration with Shirley Verrett dates back to when I conducted Verdi's Don Carlo at Covent Garden and she sang her first Eboli with resounding success. Another even more difficult Verdi role brought her an even greater triumph. It had taken me some years to persuade her to try Lady Macbeth, and she electrified Europe as she sang the part for the first time at La Scala di Milano. After the opening, the crowd was so enthusiastic that we thought Shirley might have to spend the night at the theater, signing autographs. These are only highlights. Shirley Verrett is a wonderful musician, a great artist, and a dear friend. It gives me great pleasure to add these few words to celebrate her autobiography."
-Claudio Abbado
Author Biography
SHIRLEY VERRETT (soprano) has been acclaimed for her starring roles at the Metropolitan Opera, La Scala, the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, the Bolshoi Opera, the Paris Opera, the San Francisco Opera, the Vienna Staatsoper, and the Lyric Opera of Chicago, among others. She is the James Earl Jones Distinguished University Professor of Music at the University of Michigan.
CHRISTOPHER BROOKS, who collaborated with Ms. Verrett, is Associate Professor of African American studies at Virginia Commonwealth University. A biographer, he holds a doctorate in anthropology/ethnomusicology from the University of Texas at Austin.
Comic Book Preorder Policy
Comic Book Preorder Policy
Golden Apple Comics Comic Book Preorder Info
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A preorder is an order placed for an item that has not yet been released. For comic books and collectibles, we offer preorders to allow customers to reserve their copies in advance. This ensures they will receive the item they want and eliminates the worry of it selling out before they have a chance to buy it.
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A comic book pull list is similar to preordering books in advance, but with a few key differences. Preorders offer more flexibility, whereas a pull list can be harder to adjust. Since pull lists are typically set months in advance, adding or removing titles can be tricky. On the other hand, preorders can be placed closer to the release date— even the week of release— as long as stock is available. While there are differences, preorders can still function much like a traditional subscription pull, allowing you to secure the books you want ahead of time.
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On the homepage of www.goldenapplecomics.com, we offer a dropdown menu organized by release date for both current and past preorders. A new catalog is uploaded around the 3rd or 4th weekend of each month once it becomes available. Cover sets and CGC offerings are typically added within a few days of the catalog’s release.
Does Golden Apple Comics offer discounts on preorders?
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If you place a preorder containing items with multiple release dates, your order will ship after the latest release date in the order. We typically ship new preorders within 5–10 business days of their release. However, delays can occur due to late arrivals, damages, or other unforeseen issues. We make every effort to secure replacements for damaged books, but this process can extend the turnaround time by several weeks.
Can I combine multiple orders into a single shipment?
Yes, Golden Apple Comics offers a combined shipping option for buyers with multiple orders. This allows you to add additional orders at discounted shipping rates. You’ll pay our standard shipping rate on your first order, and for subsequent orders, you can select the combined shipping option to reduce costs.
Please note that when choosing combined shipping, delivery times will vary depending on the number of books, the latest release date in your order, and how frequently you place orders.
HOW TO USE GOLDEN APPLE COMICS COMBINED SHIPPING
What grade is guaranteed on preorder books?
For preorder books, we strive to ship copies that are Near Mint (NM) 9.4 or better. While we understand collectors seek the highest grades, we cannot guarantee 9.8s on every book, as this is not always realistic. Printing imperfections and production variances make it impossible for every book to achieve a 9.8 grade.
What cover is gauranteed on preorder books?
Our listings use stock photos provided by publishers. These images may display unfinished artwork—such as sketches or virgin covers (without trade dress or logos). If a cover is a virgin variant, it will be clearly stated in the title.
If the title does not mention a virgin cover, the final product will include logos and trade dress.
It is industry standard for publishers to provide preview images to retailers before release. These previews often do not include logos, but the final printed product will.
Do you ship preorder books bagged and boarded?
Yes, all standard-sized comic books are shipped bagged and boarded. However, exceptions include items such as hardcovers, trade paperbacks, manga, and large-format or oversized books.
What if my preorder book is damaged?
We take great care in screening all books for damage and packing them securely to ensure they arrive in the best possible condition. However, despite our best efforts, a small number of books may still sustain damage during transit. If you encounter any issues, please email us at gappleorders@gmail.com, and we will be happy to assist you.
Can I cancel or return my preorder?
We do not accept cancellations, returns, or refunds on presale items. Any item sold before its official release date is considered a presale. All sales are final.
Hardcover (HC), Trade Paperback (TP), Softcover, Manga and Book Preorder Policy
Hardcover (HC), Trade Paperback (TP), Softcover, Manga and Book Preorder Policy
Items including but not limited to Hardcovers (HC), Trade Paperbacks (TPB/TP), Softcover (SC), Manga, Graphic Novels (GN), box sets are ordered at the time when a customer places an order. They will be shipped after they arrive from the publisher. We do not guarantee ship dates on HC, TPB, SC, GN, Manga or Box Sets. Typical turnaround time on these books is 1 - 3 weeks after the order is placed on nonpreorder items. On preorder items the release date is stated in the title and items will ship after that stated date.
Orders for these items are not refundable.
Refunds Policy
Refunds Policy
If you have a problem with your item that is damaged or missing please email us. We can offer a refund or exchange if we have stock. Refunds will be issued within 5 business days back to the account you paid with Paypal, Credit Cards, Bank Account etc. Refunds cannot be sent to alternate accounts.
We do not accept returns for any of the following:
No cancellations, returns or refunds on PRESALE items. Any items sold BEFORE the release dates are considered PRESALE. We will not refund ratios (IE 1:10, 1:15, 1:20, 1:25, 1:50, 1:100, 1:200, 1:500 or any other type of ratio) for any reason. We will not refund any other PRESALE books. We place orders based on your orders. If you are ordering presale books we are paying for your books months in advance to secure copies specifically for you and we cannot return them for a refund. If you are ordering signed books, CGC/CBCS graded items that are preorder, please do allow plenty of time for delivery.
No Cancellations or refunds if you select our combined shipping option and do not qualify for a free shipment. Please review our SHIPPING POLICY for more details. Minimum purchase for free shipping is $100. Combined shipping orders must total over $100 to qualify for a free shipment. If your order is less than $100 you will be billed for our flat rate shipping - $6.99.
No cancellations on in stock books. Any in stock books that cannot be shipped immediately due to them being in orders with PRESALE items will not be refunded. In stock books with no PRESALE items in the order will ship ASAP when the order is ready to fill.
No refunds or returns on accurately described items. Books without a stated grade will be offered as NM 9.4 or better with no guarantee of 9.8s. We use industry standards to grade including Overstreet, CGC and CBCS standards. Not familiar with grading check out the following references:
Overstreet Comic Grading Standards
We will not accept returns or exchanges any book with out a stated grade where they would be NM 9.4 or better books. We cannot promise 9.8s on every book, that's not realistic. Printing is imperfect and does not allow for every book to be 9.8.
If the entire print run has similar defects like minor spine dings, bindery issues etc then you will be shipped what we receive unless there is a reprint announced in a timely manner by the publisher. Then you will be given the option to receive the reprint. In the cases where the entire print run has defects we only promise 9.2 or better.
Please note that the following defects may be allowed in NM 9.4 as long as there is not an accumulation of defects.
bindery defects like minor to moderate corner tears, white along the edge of the spine, covers that are offset from the pages (common on cardstock covers) - bindery defects may not affect the grade much if at all
printing defects like a slight color rubs on the back covers, small wrinkles in the paper that were present on the paper rolls prior to the books being printed, paper that is "wavy" from the printing process
printer lines or grooves, they some times run the entire length of the cover or just part of the length. These are from print rollers. Usually on cardstock or foil covers.
2 - 3 small color breaking spine dings or minor non color breaking spine dings
This specific photo example was also a line wide issue, every copy had the same problem.
Shipping Policy
Shipping Policy
PRESALE ITEMS - All PRESALE items have release dates stated in the title of the listing. These items will only be available to ship AFTER the item has been released and is in hand. Presale release dates are subject to change without notice. We do not guarantee release dates set by publishers or manufacturers. If you purchase multiple presale items your order will not ship until after the last item is in stock. Presale items will ship within 5 - 10 days of us receiving them if your entire order is ready to fill.
IN STOCK ITEMS - All in stock items will ship with in 5 - 10 business days of the order being placed in most cases. If you place an order for a presale item that is going to be released or the release of the presale items has been delayed that will delay your shipment. If your order contains both PRESALE and IN STOCK items, your order will not ship until after the last item is in stock.
PREORDER BOOKS INCLUDING TPB, HC, SC, GN, Manga and Box Sets - Items including but not limited to Hardcovers (HC), Trade Paperbacks (TPB/TP), Softcover (SC), Manga, Graphic Novels (GN), box sets are ordered at the time when a customer places an order. They will be shipped after they arrive from the publisher. We do not guarantee ship dates on HC, TPB, SC, GN, Manga or Box Sets. Preorders for these items are not refundable.
COMBINED SHIPPING - Golden Apple Comics offers buyers a combined shipping cost option across multiple orders. Our combined shipping option allows you to add additional orders with free shipping. There is a 30 book, montly minimum for combined orders. This amounts to approx $120 - 150 minimum to get a free shipping. Please only use this option if you plan to place multiple orders.
You pay our standard shipping on your first order. On orders after that you can select our combined shipping option to combine your orders and get free shipping.
When you select combined shipping, shipping times will vary based on the number of books, the final release date for an order, and frequency of orders.
HOW TO USE GOLDEN APPLE COMICS COMBINED SHIPPING
SPLIT SHIPMENTS - Split shipments are done as a courtesy or as part of our combined shipping system. If you do not qualify for a split shipment you will be subject to shipping charges. Please email us to request a split shipment.
IN STORE PICK UPS - Local pick ups will be filled as the items are available. We will email customers when the pick ups are filled, and let them know the items are being sent to the shop. We will partially fulfill your in-store pick-ups so you do not need to wait for the entire order to be available to receive items from your order. Please allow 48 hrs from the fulfillment email for your order to arrive at the shop for pick up.
INSURANCE - Orders are shipped with insurance for both parties protection.
SIGNATURE CONFIRMATION - Orders may be shipped with signature confirmation at our discretion based on both our insurance and payment processors requirements to be covered and insure delivery to the customer.
Please see our RETURNS AND REFUNDS policy for more details.
