We look forward to seeing you on your next visit to the library. Find a location near you.

Hollywood Park: A Memoir
(OverDrive MP3 Audiobook, OverDrive Listen)

Book Cover
Average Rating
5 star
 
(7)
4 star
 
(1)
3 star
 
(1)
2 star
 
(0)
1 star
 
(2)
Published:
Macmillan Audio 2020
Status:
Available from OverDrive
Description

This program is read by the author, and includes original music from the Airborne Toxic Event album, Hollywood Park
Hollywood Park is a remarkable memoir of a tumultuous life. Mikel Jollett was born into one of the country's most infamous cults, and subjected to a childhood filled with poverty, addiction, and emotional abuse. Yet, ultimately, his is a story of fierce love and family loyalty told in a raw, poetic voice that signals the emergence of a uniquely gifted writer.
We were never young. We were just too afraid of ourselves. No one told us who we were or what we were or where all our parents went. They would arrive like ghosts, visiting us for a morning, an afternoon. They would sit with us or walk around the grounds, to laugh or cry or toss us in the air while we screamed. Then they'd disappear again, for weeks, for months, for years, leaving us alone with our memories and dreams, our questions and confusion. ...
So begins Hollywood Park, Mikel Jollett's remarkable memoir. His story opens in an experimental commune in California, which later morphed into the Church of Synanon, one of the country's most infamous and dangerous cults. Per the leader's mandate, all children, including Jollett and his older brother, were separated from their parents when they were six months old, and handed over to the cult's "School." After spending years in what was essentially an orphanage, Mikel escaped the cult one morning with his mother and older brother. But in many ways, life outside Synanon was even harder and more erratic.
In his raw, poetic and powerful voice, Jollett portrays a childhood filled with abject poverty, trauma, emotional abuse, delinquency and the lure of drugs and alcohol. Raised by a clinically depressed mother, tormented by his angry older brother, subjected to the unpredictability of troubled step-fathers and longing for contact with his father, a former heroin addict and ex-con, Jollett slowly, often painfully, builds a life that leads him to Stanford University and, eventually, to finding his voice as a writer and musician.
Hollywood Park is told at first through the limited perspective of a child, and then broadens as Jollett begins to understand the world around him. Although Mikel Jollett's story is filled with heartbreak, it is ultimately an unforgettable portrayal of love at its fiercest and most loyal.
A Macmillan Audio production from Celadon Books
Praise for Hollywood Park:
"Musician Mikel Jollett is the tender voice of this harrowing memoir of a tumultuous coming-of-age...Listeners will hang on every word, especially in the early chapters, which take place during his childhood. Jollett is very giving as he presses on in a raspy voice, sharing details of poverty, deprivation and drugs. Fans of his music will appreciate the short bursts at the beginnings and ends of chapters. The musical interludes soften the harsh realities he recounts as listeners celebrate his resilience." — Audiofile Magazine
"Mikel Jollett, the front man of indie band Airborne Toxic Event, chronicles his tumultuous life...What comes through the pages is a story of fierce love and family loyalty. This moving and profound memoir is for anyone who loves a good redemption story."— Good Morning America, 20 Books We're Excited for in 2020
"The frontman of rock band Airborne Toxic Event chronicles, in gorgeous and exacting lyricism, his harrowing coming-of-age within (and eventual escape from) the Church of Synanon, a violent religious cult." O, The Oprah Magazine, The 30 Most Anticipated Books of 2020 (so Far)

Also in This Series
Formats
OverDrive MP3 Audiobook
Works on MP3 Players, PCs, and Macs. Some mobile devices may require an application to be installed.
OverDrive Listen
Need Help?
If you are having problem transferring a title to your device, please fill out this support form or visit the library so we can help you to use our eBooks and eAudio Books.
More Like This
Other Editions and Formats
More Copies In LINK+
Loading LINK+ Copies...
More Details
Format:
OverDrive MP3 Audiobook, OverDrive Listen
Edition:
Unabridged
Street Date:
05/26/2020
Language:
English
ISBN:
9781250754592
Reviews from GoodReads
Loading GoodReads Reviews.
Citations
APA Citation (style guide)

Mikel Jollett. (2020). Hollywood Park: A Memoir. Unabridged Macmillan Audio.

Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation (style guide)

Mikel Jollett. 2020. Hollywood Park: A Memoir. Macmillan Audio.

Chicago / Turabian - Humanities Citation (style guide)

Mikel Jollett, Hollywood Park: A Memoir. Macmillan Audio, 2020.

MLA Citation (style guide)

Mikel Jollett. Hollywood Park: A Memoir. Unabridged Macmillan Audio, 2020.

Note! Citation formats are based on standards as of July 2022. Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy.
Copy Details
LibraryOwnedAvailable
Shared Digital Collection118
Staff View
Grouped Work ID:
a363fa44-6c96-c794-a482-d9791d497aeb
Go To Grouped Work
Needs Update?:
No
Date Added:
May 27, 2020 11:04:41
Date Updated:
Dec 09, 2020 21:00:23
Last Metadata Check:
Mar 26, 2024 08:30:41
Last Metadata Change:
Feb 08, 2024 18:18:36
Last Availability Check:
Mar 26, 2024 08:30:43
Last Availability Change:
Mar 17, 2024 21:42:24
Last Grouped Work Modification Time:
Mar 29, 2024 02:17:20

OverDrive Product Record

images
    • cover:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-100/1493-1/{2811D43D-ED8D-46B1-AF90-ADFB424E311C}Img100.jpg
        • type: image/jpeg
    • thumbnail:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-200/1493-1/{2811D43D-ED8D-46B1-AF90-ADFB424E311C}Img200.jpg
        • type: image/jpeg
    • cover150Wide:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-150/1493-1/281/1D4/3D/{2811D43D-ED8D-46B1-AF90-ADFB424E311C}Img150.jpg
        • type: image/jpeg
    • cover300Wide:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-400/1493-1/281/1D4/3D/{2811D43D-ED8D-46B1-AF90-ADFB424E311C}Img400.jpg
        • type: image/jpeg
formats
      • identifiers:
            • type: ISBN
            • value: 9781250754592
            • type: 8
            • value: macmillan_audio#9781250754592
      • name: OverDrive MP3 Audiobook
      • id: audiobook-mp3
      • identifiers:
            • type: 8
            • value: macmillan_audio#9781250754592
            • type: ISBN
            • value: 9781250754592
      • name: OverDrive Listen
      • id: audiobook-overdrive
mediaType
Audiobook
primaryCreator
    • role: Author
    • name: Mikel Jollett
title
Hollywood Park
dateAdded
2020-05-27T12:37:00-04:00
contentDetails
      • href: https://link.overdrive.com/?websiteID=141&titleID=5101597
      • type: text/html
      • account:
          • name: Sacramento Public Library (CA)
          • id: 1151
sortTitle
Hollywood Park A Memoir
crossRefId
5101597
subtitle
A Memoir
id
2811d43d-ed8d-46b1-af90-adfb424e311c
starRating
3.8

OverDrive MetaData

isPublicDomain
False
formats
      • duration: 11:50:08
      • fileName: HollywoodPark_9781250754592_5101597
      • partCount: 11
      • fileSize: 338506854
      • identifiers:
            • type: ISBN
            • value: 9781250754592
            • type: 8
            • value: macmillan_audio#9781250754592
      • rights:
            • type: PlayOnPC
            • value: 1
            • type: PlayOnPCCount
            • value: -1
            • type: BurnToCD
            • value: 1
            • type: BurnToCDCount
            • value: -1
            • type: PlayOnPM
            • value: 1
            • type: TransferToSDMI
            • value: 1
            • type: TransferToNonSDMI
            • value: 1
            • type: TransferCount
            • value: -1
            • type: CollaborativePlay
            • value: 0
            • type: PublicPerformance
            • value: 0
            • type: TranscodeToAAC
            • value: 1
      • name: OverDrive MP3 Audiobook
      • isReadAlong: False
      • id: audiobook-mp3
      • onSaleDate: 5/26/2020
      • samples:
            • source: Part 1
            • formatType: audiobook-mp3
            • url: https://excerpts.cdn.overdrive.com/FormatType-425/1493-1/5101597-HollywoodPark.mp3
            • source: From the book
            • formatType: audiobook-overdrive
            • url: https://samples.overdrive.com/?crid=2811d43d-ed8d-46b1-af90-adfb424e311c&.epub-sample.overdrive.com
      • duration: 11:45:08
      • fileName: HollywoodParkAMemoir-3785
      • partCount: 0
      • fileSize: 338468775
      • identifiers:
            • type: ISBN
            • value: 9781250754592
            • type: 8
            • value: macmillan_audio#9781250754592
      • name: OverDrive Listen
      • isReadAlong: False
      • id: audiobook-overdrive
      • onSaleDate: 5/26/2020
      • samples:
            • source: Part 1
            • formatType: audiobook-mp3
            • url: https://excerpts.cdn.overdrive.com/FormatType-425/1493-1/5101597-HollywoodPark.mp3
            • source: From the book
            • formatType: audiobook-overdrive
            • url: https://samples.overdrive.com/?crid=2811d43d-ed8d-46b1-af90-adfb424e311c&.epub-sample.overdrive.com
keywords
      • value: heartbreaking
      • value: rock star
      • value: growing up
      • value: Drug Addiction
      • value: Coming of age
      • value: Fatherhood
      • value: Cult
      • value: horse racing
      • value: true story
      • value: Poverty
      • value: orphan
      • value: family memoir
      • value: musician biography
      • value: esquire magazine
      • value: indie band
      • value: book on tape
      • value: Airborne Toxic Event
      • value: church of synanon
      • value: amazon best books of the year 2020
      • value: best biographies 2020
      • value: audiobook audio book
creators
      • role: Author
      • fileAs: Jollett, Mikel
      • bioText: Mikel Jollett is the frontman of the indie band The Airborne Toxic Event. Prior to forming the band, Jollett graduated with honors from Stanford University. He was an on-air columnist for NPR's All Things Considered, an editor-at-large for Men's Health and an editor at Filter magazine. His fiction has been published in McSweeney's.
      • name: Mikel Jollett
      • role: Narrator
      • fileAs: Jollett, Mikel
      • bioText: Mikel Jollett is the frontman of the indie band The Airborne Toxic Event. Prior to forming the band, Jollett graduated with honors from Stanford University. He was an on-air columnist for NPR's All Things Considered, an editor-at-large for Men's Health and an editor at Filter magazine. His fiction has been published in McSweeney's.
      • name: Mikel Jollett
publishDate
2020-05-26T00:00:00-04:00
edition
Unabridged
isOwnedByCollections
True
title
Hollywood Park
fullDescription

This program is read by the author, and includes original music from the Airborne Toxic Event album, Hollywood Park
Hollywood Park is a remarkable memoir of a tumultuous life. Mikel Jollett was born into one of the country's most infamous cults, and subjected to a childhood filled with poverty, addiction, and emotional abuse. Yet, ultimately, his is a story of fierce love and family loyalty told in a raw, poetic voice that signals the emergence of a uniquely gifted writer.
We were never young. We were just too afraid of ourselves. No one told us who we were or what we were or where all our parents went. They would arrive like ghosts, visiting us for a morning, an afternoon. They would sit with us or walk around the grounds, to laugh or cry or toss us in the air while we screamed. Then they'd disappear again, for weeks, for months, for years, leaving us alone with our memories and dreams, our questions and confusion. ...
So begins Hollywood Park, Mikel Jollett's remarkable memoir. His story opens in an experimental commune in California, which later morphed into the Church of Synanon, one of the country's most infamous and dangerous cults. Per the leader's mandate, all children, including Jollett and his older brother, were separated from their parents when they were six months old, and handed over to the cult's "School." After spending years in what was essentially an orphanage, Mikel escaped the cult one morning with his mother and older brother. But in many ways, life outside Synanon was even harder and more erratic.
In his raw, poetic and powerful voice, Jollett portrays a childhood filled with abject poverty, trauma, emotional abuse, delinquency and the lure of drugs and alcohol. Raised by a clinically depressed mother, tormented by his angry older brother, subjected to the unpredictability of troubled step-fathers and longing for contact with his father, a former heroin addict and ex-con, Jollett slowly, often painfully, builds a life that leads him to Stanford University and, eventually, to finding his voice as a writer and musician.
Hollywood Park is told at first through the limited perspective of a child, and then broadens as Jollett begins to understand the world around him. Although Mikel Jollett's story is filled with heartbreak, it is ultimately an unforgettable portrayal of love at its fiercest and most loyal.
A Macmillan Audio production from Celadon Books
Praise for Hollywood Park:
"Musician Mikel Jollett is the tender voice of this harrowing memoir of a tumultuous coming-of-age...Listeners will hang on every word, especially in the early chapters, which take place during his childhood. Jollett is very giving as he presses on in a raspy voice, sharing details of poverty, deprivation and drugs. Fans of his music will appreciate the short bursts at the beginnings and ends of chapters. The musical interludes soften the harsh realities he recounts as listeners celebrate his resilience." — Audiofile Magazine
"Mikel Jollett, the front man of indie band Airborne Toxic Event, chronicles his tumultuous life...What comes through the pages is a story of fierce love and family loyalty. This moving and profound memoir is for anyone who loves a good redemption story."— Good Morning America, 20 Books We're Excited for in 2020
"The frontman of rock band Airborne Toxic Event chronicles, in gorgeous and exacting lyricism, his harrowing coming-of-age within (and eventual escape from) the Church of Synanon, a violent religious cult." O, The Oprah Magazine, The 30 Most Anticipated Books of 2020 (so Far)

reviews
      • premium: True
      • source: AudioFile Magazine
      • content: Musician Mikel Jollett is the tender voice of this harrowing memoir of a tumultuous coming-of-age. In a low, earnest tone he recounts the difficult moments of his childhood spent in a well-known California cult called Synanon and his adolescence as a cult escapee. Listeners will hang on every word, especially in the early chapters, which take place during his childhood. Jollett is very giving as he presses on in a raspy voice, sharing details of poverty, deprivation and drugs. Fans of his music will appreciate the short bursts at the beginnings and ends of chapters. The musical interludes soften the harsh realities he recounts as listeners celebrate his resilience. M.R. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine
      • premium: True
      • source: Publisher's Weekly
      • content:

        Starred review from December 23, 2019
        In this arresting debut memoir, Jollett, frontman of the indie band Airborne Toxic Event, writes of escaping a California cult named Synanon—where he lived in the 1970s until age five—with his mentally unstable mother and older brother. He recalls his impoverished, lonely youth; his family’s struggles with addiction; his challenging relationship with his parents; and the ways music and therapy saved him. Synanon started out as a commune and a drug and alcohol treatment facility (Jollett’s father was treated there for heroin addiction) but became a cult when the facility’s leader became more domineering and began forcing parents and their children to live in separate locations. While there, Jollett and his brother were left in the care of various cult members and rarely saw their parents. Jollett engagingly narrates his story, which includes living, after leaving Synanon, in Oregon with his mother, a needy narcissist who brainwashed him into believing that kids take care of their moms, not the other way around; loving his father while hoping to never be like him; and dealing with his addict brother. Jollett also talks about turning pain into music, getting help for abandonment issues, and finding love and starting a family. All this results in a shocking but contemplative memoir about the aftermath of an unhealthy upbringing. (May)
        Due to a production error, this review originally published without its star.

popularity
1769
links
    • self:
        • href: https://api.overdrive.com/v1/collections/v1L1BWwAAAA2I/products/2811d43d-ed8d-46b1-af90-adfb424e311c/metadata
        • type: application/vnd.overdrive.api+json
id
2811d43d-ed8d-46b1-af90-adfb424e311c
starRating
3.9
images
    • cover:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-100/1493-1/{2811D43D-ED8D-46B1-AF90-ADFB424E311C}Img100.jpg
        • type: image/jpeg
    • thumbnail:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-200/1493-1/{2811D43D-ED8D-46B1-AF90-ADFB424E311C}Img200.jpg
        • type: image/jpeg
    • cover150Wide:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-150/1493-1/281/1D4/3D/{2811D43D-ED8D-46B1-AF90-ADFB424E311C}Img150.jpg
        • type: image/jpeg
    • cover300Wide:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-400/1493-1/281/1D4/3D/{2811D43D-ED8D-46B1-AF90-ADFB424E311C}Img400.jpg
        • type: image/jpeg
isPublicPerformanceAllowed
False
languages
      • code: en
      • name: English
subjects
      • value: Biography & Autobiography
      • value: Family & Relationships
      • value: Nonfiction
publishDateText
05/26/2020
mediaType
Audiobook
shortDescription

This program is read by the author, and includes original music from the Airborne Toxic Event album, Hollywood Park
Hollywood Park is a remarkable memoir of a tumultuous life. Mikel Jollett was born into one of the country's most infamous cults, and subjected to a childhood filled with poverty, addiction, and emotional abuse. Yet, ultimately, his is a story of fierce love and family loyalty told in a raw, poetic voice that signals the emergence of a uniquely gifted writer.
We were never young. We were just too afraid of ourselves. No one told us who we were or what we were or where all our parents went. They would arrive like ghosts, visiting us for a morning, an afternoon. They would sit with us or walk around the grounds, to laugh or cry or toss us in the air while we screamed. Then they'd disappear again, for weeks, for months, for years, leaving us alone with our memories and dreams, our questions and confusion. ...
So begins...

sortTitle
Hollywood Park A Memoir
crossRefId
5101597
awards
      • source: Audio Publishers Association
      • value: Audie Award Nominee
subtitle
A Memoir
publisher
Macmillan Audio
bisacCodes
      • code: BIO004000
      • description: Biography & Autobiography / Composers & Musicians
      • code: BIO026000
      • description: BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Memoirs
      • code: FAM052000
      • description: Family & Relationships / Dysfunctional Families