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The Contender Essays

The Contender is a book about a young black boy named Alfred Brooks, growing up in a poor part of New York. Alfred is faced with a struggle inside himself to become a better person. Alfred does not want to be just another “good little slave”, but he doesn’t want to find himself in trouble with...

Enviornment Shapes Character A person's environment isn't just the concrete things aroung them. Someone's environment is the physical and mental conditions that surround them. The envoirnment that someone is exposed to shape and defines his/her character. Alfred Brooks, in The Contender by Robert...

-"Who doesn't want a shortcut to greatness" ? President Jackson Evans- In this paper I will clearly explain Senator Hansen's loom from the movie "The Contender" in dealing with the scandal, balance and similarity Senator Hanson's scandal with Jack Ryan also his brief U. S. Senate candidacy, judge...

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?The Contender The contender by Robert Lipsyte is an exciting novel with each chapter having something new to learn about the book. Lipsyte does a good job describing the characters and showing their emotional and physical feelings. The protagonist of the novel is a black seventeen-year-old man...

Matt Souvigney Ms. Boggio English 9-1 March 29 2012 The Contender Character Influences The character Alfred in the contender is influenced by many other characters in the book. Alfred is influenced a lot by the characters Henry, Major, and Mr. Donatelli. Alfred’s friend Henry influences him a lot...

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— Page 189 — “It's the climbing that makes the man. Getting to the top is an extra reward.” — Robert Lipsyte, The Contender

One of my most Important accomplishments occurred during my senior year of high school when my team and I won the cheerleaders fall states. There were many obstacles that as a team we had to overcome. There was an extreme amount of effort, hard work, and passion that had to be Involved to take...

Rising to one beocme one of the most powerful men in American politics, John Edgar Hoover directed the Federal Bureau of Investigation for forty-eight years. Appointed as director under the Coolidge administration in 1924, Hoover presided over the Bureau until his death on May 2, 1972. Hoover was...

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Read an Excerpt From Ann Leary's Book That Made Husband Denis Leary Laugh 'So F---ing Loud' (Exclusive)

The bestselling author's new essay collection, 'I've Tried Being Nice' spans family, fame, recovery and learning not to be a people-pleaser

Angela Weiss/WireImage; Marysue Rucci Books

Lots of husbands would be embarrassed to read a book their wife had written that covers — among other things — that time they almost got divorced, disastrous ballroom dancing lessons and their social snafus as they learned to navigate fame, family and all that comes with it.

But Denis Leary isn't that kind of husband.

His wife Ann Leary is brutally honest in her newest book, I've Tried Being Nice , out June 4 — but not at anyone's expense.

"Anything that I write about my family, they get to see before it's published anywhere, because if they don't like it, I don't wanna publish it," the author, 61, tells PEOPLE in a joint interview with Denis, 66. "Writing essays, you have to be so careful about people's feelings, like your husband's and your children's and your parents'. You have to tell your truth, but I like to be mindful of the privacy of people in my life."

The book spans a range of topics from serious to borderline-slapstick, mostly centered around the author's family, marriage, their life together and trying to be less of a people-pleaser.

The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now !

"I do touch on my childhood a little bit in one of the early essays, but most of it is about our family, being married to Dennis, having our great children and trying not to embarrass them too much by describing our lives," the author adds.

Running like an undercurrent to the laughs, as happens in so many of Ann's books, comes a sneaky dose of wisdom.

"I kind of explored the difference between being nice, which is actually a very good trait, and being a people-pleaser, which is more of like being insecure," she explains. "And it doesn't really come from a place of of altruism or kindness, or a higher level of emotion. It comes from selfish angst and fear."

Her husband, who Ann calls "my kindest critic ... and my biggest cheerleader-fan," says that it's "always exciting when I get to read whatever draft I'm allowed to read of something." He got an early look at these essays before publication, in pretty much the same form the reader will see them.

"I'm proud of her, but it's not the kind of writing I can really do, so a lot of times I'm just sort of in awe of how she could take something and turn it into something so funny or beautiful," Denis says. "I was laughing so f---ing loud at so many things, especially in the newer essays that I didn't know. But, man, this book! It really made me laugh."

The couple, who share children Jack, 34, and daughter Devin, 32, have always liked to laugh — together and, occasionally, in good-natured fun at each other.

"You have to laugh," Ann says, of what gets her through the tough stuff. "I'm actually annoyed when people don't have a sense of humor, I actually find it personally offensive."

Below, in an exclusive excerpt shared with PEOPLE, read a case of mistaken identity with endearing results.

Never miss a story — sign up for  PEOPLE's free daily newsletter  to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer , from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 

Marysue Rucci Books

Years ago, at a dinner party, I was seated next to a very sweet, nebbishy-looking guy who seemed a little out of his element. Ali Wentworth and George Stephanopoulos were also at our table. They had been dating for less than two weeks. Now their daughters are in college, but how can that be? This party seems like it was yesterday. The thing about humiliating situations is that they always seem so fresh. Memories of my finer moments such as … well … none come to mind right now, but they all seem to fade. Shameful moments have a way of crystallizing in my memory, perfectly intact, forever.

My shy dinner companion at that party was concerned that there wouldn’t be anything for him to eat, as he was vegan. He was so quiet and unassuming. He didn’t seem to know anybody, and I assumed that he was somebody’s plus-one. A famous actor’s cousin, maybe visiting from out of town. 

I realized he was overwhelmed by the dazzling luminaries in the room, so I decided to take him under my wing. I asked one of the waitstaff to prepare him a salad, and then I explained to him who all the important people were. On his other side was a very famous actress. I told him that he shouldn’t be shy—he should introduce himself to her. He told me he already had.

At one point I asked him what he did for work. He told me that he was a musician. 

“Wow, that’s really cool,” I said, imagining him in an orchestra pit, his upper lip quivering above a flute, or perhaps on a subway platform strumming on a mandolin. 

When we left the party, Denis and I shared a ride with Jon Stewart and his wife, Tracey . 

“What was Moby like?” Tracey asked me when we were all in the back of the car. Denis and Jon leaned in toward me with expectant smiles. 

“Moby was there?” I asked. “I love Moby!” 

I’d been listening to a Moby playlist all summer; it was pretty much all I listened to that summer. I guess I’d never seen his photograph, because — yes, Moby had been my sweet, shy dinner companion. 

I began confessing to the others, in a voice rising hysterically, that I had just schooled Moby on the ins and outs of fame. I had just promised Moby that if he had a sample CD of one of his songs, I would personally make sure my husband Denis listened to it. 

“Denis Leary,” I’d said to him, with a humble little laugh. I don’t like name-dropping. 

Then I said, and my face is flaming now just typing these words: “I can’t promise anything, but if he likes one of your songs — who knows, maybe he’ll use it on his show.” I think I even offered some wisdom about how, in show business, it’s not what you know, it’s who you know. 

God bless Moby. He didn’t laugh in my face and tell me he’d never heard of Denis Leary or his damn TV show. He thanked me for my thoughtfulness. He asked me about myself. 

This reminds me of something else I’ve learned on the sidelines of fame. Famous people have an undeservedly bad reputation as a group. They’re always accused of being entitled, stupid, selfish and narcissistic. Many are.

But the most entitled jerks at the Emmys or the Golden Globes or even celebrity-filled dinner parties tend to be actors who people besides me don’t recognize, along with lawyers, agents and certain publicists. These jerks will snatch a seat away from an elderly woman with a walker because she doesn’t belong in the VIP area. They push and shove their way to the front of the press line where nobody wants to take their picture. 

The most talented celebrities, in my experience, tend to be the most generous and kind. I’m talking about Michael J. Fox and Tracy Pollan , now. I’m talking about Morgan Freeman , Meryl Streep , Robert DeNiro — and all the other gentle giants of the celebrity kingdom. They’re thoughtful and kind, they wait their turn in line. They offer their seat to the pregnant or elderly. They turn away from the famous actress at a dinner party to say to the awkward, bumbling actor’s wife — the nobody seated next to them —“Tell me about yourself.” 

Excerpted from I’VE TRIED BEING NICE: Essays by Ann Leary. Copyright © 2024 by Ann Leary. Reprinted by permission of Marysue Rucci Books, a Division of Simon & Schuster, LLC.

I've Tried Being Nice: Essays by Ann Leary is out June 4 from Marysue Rucci Books, and is available for preorder now, wherever books are sold.

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The Pennsylvania governor's past is under the microscope, as the pro-Palestinian wing of the Democratic Party believe his past statements on Palestinians and 'volunteer service' in the Israeli army should disqualify him as a contender for vice president

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THE CONTENDER

book summaries and study materials

Study Help Practice Projects

1. Create a Web site to introduce The Contender to other readers. Design pages to intrigue and inform your audience, and invite other readers to post their thoughts and responses to their reading of the novel. 2. Choose a scene from the novel and dramatize it for other classes. The […]

Study Help Essay Questions

1. Discuss the friendship between Alfred and James. Consider its limitations as well as its history and future possibilities. 2. Analyze Spoon’s character and his influence on Alfred. Refer to specifics of his life and to conversations between the two characters. 3. As a sportswriter for the New York Times, […]

Study Help Full Glossary for The Contender

attache cases flat, rectangular cases, as for carrying documents; briefcases; here, referring to the cases being carried by businessmen going to the fight. big cats here, other African American men. boardwalk a walk, often made of wood and elevated, placed along a beach or seafront. Brooklyn a borough of New […]

Critical Essays Style Enhances Substance in The Contender

Lipsyte’s writing style enhances the substance of his story in The Contender. He reveals Alfred’s life primarily through his own eyes. Lipsyte’s occasional similes and metaphors are particularly apt; his dialogue and imagery are powerfully effective. For the most part, Lipsyte uses a third-person narrative, limited to insight into Alfred’s […]

Critical Essays Major Themes in The Contender

The Contender is a coming-of-age novel, and its major themes are universal. They do not apply just to Alfred or to boxing or to Harlem. The themes of The Contender inform all of us about life, which is Mr. Donatelli’s point from the moment that he first talks with Alfred. […]

Critical Essays Setting as Symbol in The Contender

Essential to a full appreciation of The Contender is an understanding of Lipsyte’s use of setting. The world in which Alfred lives is Harlem, a predominantly black community on the northern end of Manhattan in New York City. Within the context of the novel, Lipsyte introduces various aspects of Harlem […]

Robert Lipsyte Biography

Personal Background Robert Michael Lipsyte was born January 16, 1938, in New York, New York, the son of Sidney I. and Fanny Lipsyte. He grew up in Rego Park, a neighborhood in Queens. Lipsyte’s father was a school principal, his mother a teacher. Young Robert devoted his childhood to books […]

Character Analysis Lou Epstein

Lou Epstein is one of three brothers who own the store where Alfred works as a grocery clerk. Although the brothers have given Alfred a job, they come to distrust him after the attempted burglary by Major and the gang. The Epsteins know that Alfred and James were friends, and […]

Character Analysis Aunt Dorothy and Uncle Wilson

Pearl’s sister and her family live in the suburban community of Jamaica in the borough of Queens. They represent the flight of the black middle class from Harlem after World War II. Whenever given half a chance, Uncle Wilson articulates the theory that a black man’s best interest is served […]

Character Analysis Aunt Pearl

Aunt Pearl Conway provides a home and a moral context for Alfred. At least initially, she may be the difference between Alfred’s hope and James’ despair. She works hard for the white Elversen family, setting an example of effort that Alfred follows. A good Christian woman who tries her best, […]

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Guest Essay

The Republican Strategists Who Have Carefully Planned All of This

By Thomas B. Edsall

Mr. Edsall contributes a weekly column from Washington, D.C., on politics, demographics and inequality.

Republican leaders are now adopting increasingly autocratic measures, using the police powers of government to impose moralized regulations, turning private citizens into enforcement officers and expelling defiant elected Democrats just as county Republican parties, particularly in Western states, are electing militia members, Christian nationalists and QAnon believers to key posts.

Here’s one example. Last November, the Republican Party of Clackamas County in Oregon chose a new vice chairman, Daniel Tooze, a Proud Boy from Oregon City, and Rick Riley, the head of the county chapter of Take Back America, which denies the results of the 2020 presidential election, as chairman. Oregon Public Broadcasting reported that in central Oregon’s Deschutes County, the local Republican Party chose Scott Stuart, “a member of the county chapter of People’s Rights, a nationwide network of militia groups and anti-government activists founded by conservative firebrand Ammon Bundy.”

In June 2022, two of my Times colleagues, Patricia Mazzei and Alan Feuer, reported that “at least a half-dozen current and former Proud Boys ” had secured seats on the Miami-Dade Republican Executive Committee, including two facing criminal charges for participation in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol:

The concerted effort by the Proud Boys to join the leadership of the party — and, in some cases, run for local office — has destabilized and dramatically reshaped the Miami-Dade Republican Party that former Gov. Jeb Bush and others built into a powerhouse nearly four decades ago, transforming it from an archetype of the strait-laced establishment to an organization roiled by internal conflict as it wrestles with forces pulling it to the hard right.

“On the right, support for violence is no longer a fringe position,” Rachel Kleinfeld , a senior fellow in the democracy, conflict and governance program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, wrote in a November 2022 Politico essay, “ How Political Violence Went Mainstream on the Right .”

Those joining violent political events like the Jan. 6 insurrection, Kleinfeld continued,

are more likely to be married middle-aged men with jobs and kids. Those most likely to support violence on the right feel most connected to the Republican Party. This is not a marginal movement: It is people who see violence as a means to defend their values, an extension of their political activity.

Democrats are not driving today’s political violence, Kleinfeld argued,

but they are at least partly responsible for driving many people into the arms of the far right. Fear is a major cause of violence. As America undergoes immense change, from a fourth industrial revolution to remaking the concept of gender, many Americans are struggling to understand why they feel unmoored, anxious and behind. Snake-oil salesmen like Tucker Carlson offer the racist great replacement theory as an explanation. Rather than provide a better story, the progressive left calls people names if they can’t march to a radically new tune fast enough. No wonder that even people of color moved in 2020 toward a right that offers understanding and a sense of community.

At the same time, Republican leaders are showing a growing willingness to disempower both Democratic officials and cities run by Democrats if they defy Republican-endorsed policies on matters as diverse as immigration, abortion and gun control.

The expulsion of two Black state representatives by the Republican majority in Tennessee received widespread publicity this past week. (One has already been reinstated by local officials, and the other may be soon.) But their expulsion, as spectacular as it was, is just the most recent development in a pattern of attempts by Republicans to fire or limit the powers of elected Democrats in Florida, Mississippi, Georgia and elsewhere. This includes Gov. Ron DeSantis’s decision in August 2022 to suspend Andrew H. Warren, the elected Democratic state attorney of Hillsborough County, who had signed a statement saying he would not prosecute those who seek or provide abortions.

In defiance of public opinion, 22 Republican attorneys general and 67 Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives filed amicus briefs that called on Matthew Kacsmaryk, a Federal District Court judge in Amarillo, Texas, to invalidate the Food and Drug Administration’s 23-year-old approval of the abortion pill mifepristone, which he promptly went ahead and did last week. A February Ipsos poll found that by three to one (65 versus 21 percent), American adults agree that “medication abortion should remain legal in the United States,” including a healthy plurality (49 versus 35 percent) of Republicans.

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Harris campaign vetting at least 7 Dems for VP, including Whitmer, Cooper, Kelly, Shapiro

REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. – Vice President Kamala Harris' presidential campaign has requested vetting materials from at least seven Democrats under consideration to be her vice presidential running mate, USA TODAY has learned from a source familiar with the process.

Those being vetted for the job include North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

The Harris campaign has also requested vetting materials from one Democrat whose name has received much less attention as a vice-presidential contender: Cedric Richmond, a former congressman from Louisiana who served as a top aide in the Biden White House and on his campaign.

"I would color that doubtful," Richmond told a New Orleans TV station.

Whitmer also tried to take herself out of the running on Monday, telling a local TV station on Monday that she's "not leaving Michigan."

Notably missing from the Harris vice president vetting list that was shared by the source are Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. Both have been speculated as running mate possibilities for Harris, with Beshear telling MSNBC on Monday that he had spoken with the vice president since Biden dropped out of the 2024 race.

The source familiar with the Harris vice president vetting process told USA TODAY other Democrats not included in the group of seven being vetted could still emerge as contenders but are not currently on the Harris campaign's radar.

Sure enough, ABC News reported on Tuesday that Beshear is indeed among those who has been asked for vetting material.

Former Obama-era Attorney General Eric Holder, who endorsed Harris this week, and Dana Remus with the law firm, Covington & Burling LLP, are leading the vetting process, according to the source familiar with the vetting effort.

Remus served as White House Counsel in the Biden administration, and led the vetting process for U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson ahead of her mid-2022 Senate confirmation.

The Harris campaign declined to comment.

Fast-paced 'veepstakes' underscores tiny window

Harris  is moving swiftly to build up a team that took shape after President Joe Biden's stunning departure from the 2024 campaign trail.

In less than 48 hours, she raked in more than the needed 1,976 delegates to become the party's presumptive presidential nominee ahead of the first round of voting at the August national convention in Chicago. Vice presidential candidates run separately, which means whoever Harris picks will receive a separate vote on the convention floor.

With roughly 100 days until the election, experts say the short timeframe means this group being vetted could be the only round of contenders.

"If we were in a normal situation, this would be a process that would play out over a couple of months," David Hopkins, a political science professor at Boston College, told USA TODAY.

"They don't really have that kind of time, because the convention is coming up in a few weeks," he added.

Critical choice to 'balance' ticket, contrast with Trump, Vance

All of the names being floated bring their own strengths and weaknesses, experts say, as they are auditioning to join the brand new Harris ticket. The choice will first center on who best complements Harris.

Hopkins said the vetting list suggests Harris' team is thinking about who would be best at helping the ticket appeal to a different segment of voters as it tries to cobble together a new coalition that can help them defeat Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump in November.

"When you have a someone from California who's a woman of color and has experience in Washington, then the obvious way to sort of balance it is to think about someone from a different part of the country, or from a battleground state," he said.

The other thing a Harris running mate could be used for is serving as an attack dog against Trump, particularly in contrast with his running mate, Sen.  JD Vance , R-Ohio, who has championed his upbringing in rural Ohio.

During an appearance Tuesday on "Morning Joe," for instance, Walz, the Minnesota governor, took direct swings at Vance, who is thought to be a lunch pail messenger to working class voters.

"What I know is people like JD Vance know nothing about small-town America," Walz said.

"He gets it all wrong, it's not about hate, it's not about collapsing in," he added. "The golden rule there is mind your own damn business. Their policies are what destroyed rural America. They've divided us. They're in our exam rooms. They're telling us what books to read."

Other rumored Harris contenders, such as Buttigieg and Beshear, launched similar attacks aimed at Vance earlier in the week.

Michael Traugott, an emeritus research professor of political studies at the University of Michigan, said Harris' entry resets the 2024 race and that this represents her first major test as the Democratic standard bearer. Her pick also will signal to voters much about the vice president's thinking on the White House campaign that has a little more than 100 days to go.

"It's a little hard to figure precisely because we're short on the polling of assessing the actual Democratic team against Trump and Vance," he said. "But it's still a very closely contested race, and most of the action takes place in the battleground states, so I would probably consider at the top of that list governors of battleground states."

Journal of Materials Chemistry C

Alkyl modification to optimize the ferroelastic properties in molecular crystals.

Ferroelastics, as an important member of ferroic materials, have significant value in the application of the shape memory, mechanical switches, intelligent sensors, etc. With the development of the technology, ferroelastics with single property have certain limitations in expanding their further applications, and it is still a challenging topic to reasonably find multifunctional ferroelastics, especially those with multi-dielectric response and fluorescence properties. Here, under the guidance of the strategy of alkyl modification, (EMP)PbBr3 (EMP=N-ethyl-N-methyl-3-pyrroline) (compound 2) was obtained successfully by modifying the parent compound (DMP)PbBr3 (DMP=N,N-dimethyl-3-pyrroline) (compound 1). Of note, compound 2 was improved to triple dielectric response compared with double dielectric response of compound 1, and both ferroelastic phase transition temperature and photoluminescence quantum yield of compound 2 were improved. Such changes make compound 2 potentially application in smart electronic devices. This work provides some insights into the search for multifunctional ferroelastics.

• This article is part of the themed collection: Journal of Materials Chemistry C HOT Papers

Supplementary files

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• Supplementary movie MP4 (19306K)
• Supplementary movie MP4 (18732K)
• Crystal structure data CIF (4856K)

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Z. Li, M. Zhu, F. Zhang, K. Ding, H. Ni, M. Lun, Y. Zhang and D. Fu, J. Mater. Chem. C , 2024, Accepted Manuscript , DOI: 10.1039/D4TC02784A

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Carlos Yulo delivers clutch routine for historic floor exercise gold medal

Picture by 2024 Getty Images

Carlos Yulo has finally capitalised on his otherworldly ability.

The history-making Filipino gymnast wrote his name in the record books once again Saturday (3 August), claiming the gold medal in the men's floor exercise final at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 .

Yulo earned a 15.000 after he stuck his three-and-a-half twist dismount cold. Savoring the moment on the podium, he pumped both his fists before presenting the judges, later saluting the fans in the audience and putting his hands to his heart.

"I'm so overwhelmed. I'm feeling grateful for having this medal and for God. He protected me, as always," he said afterward. "He gave me the strength to get through this kind of performance and perform this well."

Tokyo 2020 champion Artem Dolgopyat of Israel took the silver (14.966), with Great Britain's Jake Jarman (14.933) claiming bronze.

It's the first medal of any colour for the Philippines in gymnastics and just their second Olympic gold ever after Hidilyn Diaz won the Women's 55 kg event in weightlifting in Tokyo.

The triumph comes as the 24-year-old has struggled in recent years, including at the last Games in Tokyo, with consistenty and delivering in the most important moments.

For every breakthrough - including his first gold on the floor exercise at the 2019 Worlds - there have been heartbreaks, like last year's World Championships where he finished last in the all-around during qualifications, counting a 0.000 on the vault.

*"*I'm grateful for the people who really supported me. I could not do it without them," said Yulo.

• Japan captures Paris 2024 men's team gold medal in improbable comeback - Team USA clinches bronze
• Paris 2024 Olympics: Max Whitlock basks in glow of final Games
• Filipino Carlos Yulo is “shooting for the stars.”

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