A cacophonous poem of democracy and greed, like the streets of New York themselves.

Confessions of a Failed Southern Lady is Florence King's classic memoir of her upbringing in an eccentric Southern family, told with all the uproarious wit and gusto that has made her one of the most admired writers in the country. Florence may have been a disappointment to her Granny, whose dream of rearing a Perfect Southern Lady would never be quite fulfilled. But after all, as Florence reminds us, "no matter which sex I went to bed with, I never smoked on the street."

This book features by-decade rankings of music singles and albums, in six different genres, covering the first half of the 20th century. The decade of the 1890s is also included. The rankings pertain to U.S. music charts, wherein a typical week's chart would be based on sales, radio airplays, jukebox plays, and-or a combination of one or more of these. The genres include children's, classical, country, instrumental, popular, and rhythm & blues music. Short biographies on a selection of artists are located throughout the book. The artists index includes some vital statistics.