''My journey was particularly amazing,'' writes Bernardo Puccio, in a memoir by the celebrated interior designer to the stars. 
His book contains powerful stories of courage, faith, gay marriage, and battling liver disease--and some gossip-worthy interactions with Rock Hudson and Lana Turner. 
''I was a fragile boy from a small community in Birmingham, Alabama,'' writes Bernardo. ''From that humble origin I became one of California's foremost interior designers. I walked with stars and luminaries who occupied the Golden Age of Hollywood. I tasted of every fruit and still craved more.'' 
Bernardo shares an inspiring story to share in his new autobiography, Thirteen Pieces of Unmatched Luggage and My Poodle. 
It unveils a life story that begins with Bernardo s sensitive childhood and young adult life as the son of Italian immigrants who ran a small grocery in a tiny Birmingham town. He grew up in a segregated south. He was gay at a time of hateful discrimination. 
His life takes a turn when he leaves home to be with his first love, a well-known, married radio disc jockey. Five years later, Bernardo pursues a lifelong dream and moves to Beverly Hills, California--in search of fame and fortune. 
The years ahead are spent creating his persona, a meteoric career, glamorous life in the fast lane of movie stars and celebrities, the AIDS epidemic and a love story sealed by marriage to his longtime partner. 
Later, a dramatic turn of events culminates in a life or death decision. 
Early in his career, Bernardo got to hang with The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and The Bee Gees, design the home of Emmy-winning actor Telly Savalas (of Kojak fame), and work with Liz Taylor on fundraising that raised millions of dollars for AIDS research and treatment. Contrast the high-life and globetrotting vacations with frightening moments a decade ago when he was throwing up blood while suffering the ravages of end-stage liver disease. Through it all, the good, the bad, and all that makes up a full life, the Catholic-raised man credits his faith as having been a bulwark of strength for his soul. 
Even though he had a fetish for playing with his mother's wedding dress, lacing it up daily as a boy, he didn't identify with being gay as a child. ''Early in my teens, I wasn't dating,'' he writes. ''I didn't know that I was gay. I didn't even know what the word 'gay' meant. Attempting to fit in I started dating a lovely Italian girl named Rita. We remained friends for many years, thereafter without any romantic notions ever attached.'' 
Perhaps the most shocking moment in Bernardo's book is the retelling of the only time he had sex with a woman--Hollywood screen siren Lana Turner, who, after drinking a bit much, seduced Bernardo. 
''In truth, I had enjoyed that moment of sexual pleasure--and won't ever forget it,'' he writes. ''I had sex with Lana Turner and physically liked it. So where was I to go from there? I wondered more than twice. Was I even still gay? What a strange thought.'' 
He also talks of the time he met Rock Hudson--and regretting that he turned the hunky movie star's invitation for coffee down. He writes ''I could not believe I said no to his offer. I have always wondered how my life would have possibly changed had I gone out with him.'' 
Bernardo's work, charity events, and socializing allowed him to interact with Danny Thomas, Tony Curtis, Burt Reynolds, Phil Donahue, Whoopi Goldberg, Carol Burnett, Shirley MacLaine, Rod Stewart, others. His favorite was Elizabeth Taylor, whom he said he was privileged to meet and work side by side with on a humanitarian cause. 
Bernardo, whose work has been praised by Architectural Digest, LA Magazine, LA Times, Designers West, and numerous publications, says his memoir ''is a true story of survival.''

13 Pieces of Unmatched Luggage ...and My Poodle: A Story of Survival

LGBTQ+ Books

Puccio, Bernardo

Biographies & Memoirs

William Charles

Being blind influenced my life in many ways. It both narrowed my focus and broadened my horizons. Becoming a Rhodes Scholar was a stunning surprise and a continual reminder that I needed to discover a special niche for whatever contributions I might eventually make to what Rhodes described as 'Fighting the World's Fights.' I have always been interested in learning about people's backgrounds: how they were affected by where they were born, their parents, the schooling that they had, their goals, and how their lives developed. When I retired from teaching at Wabash, I decided to turn the tables and focus on my own story, hence this memoir.

Unforeseen: The First Blind Rhodes Scholar

James Barnes

Unforeseen

James J Barnes

The Survival of a Young Dutch Boy in Nazi-Occupied Holland. Inspired by a True Story. When Wil was six years old, he witnessed the shocking, fearful sound of the occupation of Holland by Nazi Germany. Abandoned by his mother the age of seven, this young Dutch boy grew up in a world of loneliness, fear, starvation, and death. The evil he saw taught him right from wrong, and books became his salvation. Wil learned about a world outside occupied Holland through his love of Tarzan series. His idol, Tarzan, give him strength to be strong. His beloved friend, Hans the crow, gave him comfort. And with his will to survive, he learned to care for himself. Living through atrocities not fit for anyone much less a young child, Wil dreamed of a better life for himself, and he sought to find one. His story is heartbreaking, exciting, funny, and inspiring.

WIL: The Survival of a Young Dutch Boy in Nazi-Occupied Holland

History

PETERS, NORA J

World

This is the story of an American couple living in far-flung areas of the world during three decades of rapid internationalization and change. Since meeting on a study abroad program in Japan in the 1980's, Jeffrey and Shelly have participated in and led international exchange and goodwill programs in the Far East, Europe and North America, immersing themselves in challenging cross-cultural situations at every turn. Along the way, they've learned how to cope with widely differing languages, mindsets, and lifestyles forming lasting friendships and acquiring critical insights into how societies operate. They've concluded that this experience of living, working and learning with our planetary neighbors offers compelling evidence that what unites us far exceed what divides us. In this work they urge you to ponder how linked all humanity has become and suggest that despite the recent politics of fear and retrenchment, common ground can once again be found for creating a more collaborative, inspiring future.

Reaching Across Borders: How We Became American Cultural Ambassadors and How You Can, Too

Travel

Kealing PhD, Jeffrey

Asia

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Books by William Charles