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{{Short description|American journalist and celebrity biographer}}
{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
| name = J. Randy Taraborrelli
| name = J. Randy Taraborrelli
| image =
| image =
| image_size = 230px
| image_size = 230px
| alt =
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| death_date =
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| death_place =
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| nationality = [[United States]]
| nationality = American
| other_names =
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| net_worth =
| publisher =
| spouse =
| spouse =
| relations =
| relations =
| years_active =
| years_active =
| notable_works = 'The Kennedy Heirs, 'Jackie, Janet & Lee'
| notable_works = 'Jackie - Public, Private, Secret,' 'Jackie, Janet & Lee'
| known_for = Biographies, news reporting, journalism
| known_for = Biographies, news reporting, journalism
| website = {{url|http://jrandytaraborrelli.com}}
| website = {{url|http://jrandytaraborrelli.com}}
| signature =
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}}
}}
'''John Randall Anthony Taraborrelli''' is an American journalist and celebrity biographer. Taraborrelli is known for biographies of contemporary entertainers and political figures such as the legendary singer, Frank Sinatra, [[Diana Ross]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2007/jan/14/biography.features|title=Review: Diana Ross by J Randy Taraborrelli|first=Rebecca|last=Seal|date=14 January 2007|website=The Guardian|access-date=24 May 2018}}</ref> [[Marilyn Monroe]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/28/AR2009082801539.html|title=Book Review: 'The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe' by J. Randy Taraborrelli|first=Jonathan|last=Yardley|date=30 August 2009|access-date=24 May 2018|work=The Washington Post}}</ref> [[Michael Jackson]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nbcnews.com/id/35259896/ns/dateline_nbc-newsmakers/t/secret-life-michael-jackson/|title=The Secret Life of Michael Jackson|date=5 February 2010|access-date=24 May 2018}}</ref> [[Madonna]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2001/SHOWBIZ/Music/07/19/randy.taraborrelli.cnna/|title=CNN.com - J. Randy Taraborrelli: Madonna biographer - July 19, 2001|publisher=CNN|access-date=24 May 2018}}</ref> the [[Kennedy family]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/confidential/kennedy-clan-outcast-james-auchincloss-dishes-upcoming-book-article-1.2902302|title=Kennedy clan outcast James Auchincloss dishes in upcoming book - NY Daily News|last=Confidential|access-date=24 May 2018}}</ref> the [[Hilton family]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/10756059/The-unstoppable-rise-of-the-Hiltons.html|title=The unstoppable rise of the Hiltons|first=Viv|last=Groskop|date=11 April 2014|access-date=24 May 2018|work=The Daily Telegraph}}</ref> and [[Beyoncé]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/beyonce-bio-works-744173|title=Beyonce Bio in the Works|access-date=24 May 2018}}</ref> He also regularly appears on television as an entertainment news reporter on programs such as ''[[Entertainment Tonight]]'', ''[[Good Morning America]]'', ''[[Today (U.S. TV program)|Today]]'' and ''[[CBS This Morning]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/contributor/j-randy-taraborrelli/|title=J. Randy Taraborrelli|publisher=[[Hachette Book Group]]|access-date=September 17, 2017}}</ref> Taraborrelli resides in Los Angeles, California.<ref name=encyclopedia>{{cite web|url=http://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/educational-magazines/taraborrelli-j-randy-1956|title=Taraborrelli, J. Randy 1956- - Dictionary definition of Taraborrelli, J. Randy 1956- - Encyclopedia.com: FREE online dictionary|website=encyclopedia.com|access-date=24 May 2018}}</ref> He practices martial arts in his spare time,<ref>{{Cite news|title=About J. Randy Taraborrelli - J Randy Taraborrelli|language=en-US|work=J Randy Taraborrelli|url=https://jrandytaraborrelli.com/about/|access-date=2021-05-01}}</ref> and has a pet dog called Spencer whom he has shown great affection for.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Taraborrelli|first=J. Randy|title=jrandytaraborrelli|url=https://www.instagram.com/jrandytaraborrelli/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-05-01|website=Instagram}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Taraborrelli|first=J. Randy|title=Sinatra: Behind the Legend|publisher=Sidgwick & Jackson|year=2015|isbn=978-0-2830-7206-2|location=UK|pages=565}}</ref>
'''John Randall Anthony Taraborrelli''' is an American journalist and celebrity biographer. Prior to his book-writing career, he was a magazine journalist and editor-in-chief of Soul magazine, the black entertainment title. Taraborrelli is known for biographies of contemporary entertainers and political figures such as [[Frank Sinatra]], [[Diana Ross]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2007/jan/14/biography.features|title=Review: Diana Ross by J Randy Taraborrelli|first=Rebecca|last=Seal|date=14 January 2007|website=The Guardian|access-date=24 May 2018}}</ref> [[Marilyn Monroe]],<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/28/AR2009082801539.html|title=Book Review: 'The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe' by J. Randy Taraborrelli|first=Jonathan|last=Yardley|date=30 August 2009|access-date=24 May 2018|newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref> [[Michael Jackson]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nbcnews.com/id/35259896/ns/dateline_nbc-newsmakers/t/secret-life-michael-jackson/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130320191122/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/35259896/ns/dateline_nbc-newsmakers/t/secret-life-michael-jackson/|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 20, 2013|title=The Secret Life of Michael Jackson|website=[[NBC News]] |date=5 February 2010|access-date=24 May 2018}}</ref> [[Madonna]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2001/SHOWBIZ/Music/07/19/randy.taraborrelli.cnna/|title=CNN.com - J. Randy Taraborrelli: Madonna biographer - July 19, 2001|publisher=CNN|access-date=24 May 2018}}</ref> the [[Kennedy family]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/confidential/kennedy-clan-outcast-james-auchincloss-dishes-upcoming-book-article-1.2902302|title=Kennedy clan outcast James Auchincloss dishes in upcoming book - NY Daily News|last=Confidential|website=[[New York Daily News]] |access-date=24 May 2018}}</ref> the [[Hilton family]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/10756059/The-unstoppable-rise-of-the-Hiltons.html|title=The unstoppable rise of the Hiltons|first=Viv|last=Groskop|date=11 April 2014|access-date=24 May 2018|work=The Daily Telegraph}}</ref> and [[Beyoncé]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/beyonce-bio-works-744173|title=Beyonce Bio in the Works|website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=27 October 2014 |access-date=24 May 2018}}</ref> He also regularly appears on television as an entertainment news reporter on programs such as ''[[Entertainment Tonight]]'', ''[[Good Morning America]]'', ''[[Today (U.S. TV program)|Today]]'' and ''[[CBS This Morning]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/contributor/j-randy-taraborrelli/|title=J. Randy Taraborrelli|date=28 June 2017 |publisher=[[Hachette Book Group]]|access-date=September 17, 2017}}</ref> Taraborrelli lives in California.<ref name=encyclopedia>{{cite web|url=http://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/educational-magazines/taraborrelli-j-randy-1956|title=Taraborrelli, J. Randy 1956- - Dictionary definition of Taraborrelli, J. Randy 1956- - Encyclopedia.com: FREE online dictionary|website=encyclopedia.com|access-date=24 May 2018}}</ref>


== Writing Style ==
== Writing style ==
In a 2015 interview with ''[[Gawker]]'', Taraborrelli described his evolution as a writer:<blockquote>I think as you get older as a writer, your standards change. When I was a kid, my standard was very simple: If it was true, I put it in my book. That was it. There was no wiggle room to that. I’ve been through enough in my lifetime to realize there has to be more of a standard in biography than just the truth. There has to be an eye toward empathy. There has to be and eye toward understanding interpretation. There’s a lot of nuance that goes into a biography that is bigger than whether or not something is true. When I was a kid, it was a simpler time. Today, I weigh everything on a moral compass. It has to do with: Is it fair? Is it hurtful? Is it going to cause people pain? That’s a big part of my process today that when I was a kid, I never considered.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Juzwiak|first=Rich|date=October 29, 2015|title=Becoming Beyoncé Writer J. Randy Taraborrelli: &quot;She&#39;s So Lucky To Have Me as a Biographer&quot;|url=http://review.gawker.com/becoming-beyonce-writer-j-randy-taraborrelli-shes-so-1739410072|url-status=live|access-date=2021-05-01|website=Gawker|language=en}}</ref></blockquote>
In a 2015 interview with ''[[Gawker]]'', Taraborrelli described his evolution as a writer:<blockquote>I think as you get older as a writer, your standards change. When I was a kid, my standard was very simple: If it was true, I put it in my book. That was it. There was no wiggle room to that. I’ve been through enough in my lifetime to realize there has to be more of a standard in biography than just the truth. There has to be an eye toward empathy. There has to be and eye toward understanding interpretation. There’s a lot of nuance that goes into a biography that is bigger than whether or not something is true. When I was a kid, it was a simpler time. Today, I weigh everything on a moral compass. It has to do with: Is it fair? Is it hurtful? Is it going to cause people pain? That’s a big part of my process today that when I was a kid, I never considered.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Juzwiak|first=Rich|date=October 29, 2015|title=Becoming Beyoncé Writer J. Randy Taraborrelli: &quot;She's So Lucky To Have Me as a Biographer&quot;|url=http://review.gawker.com/becoming-beyonce-writer-j-randy-taraborrelli-shes-so-1739410072|access-date=2021-05-01|website=Gawker|language=en|archive-date=2023-03-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230322152938/https://review.gawker.com/becoming-beyonce-writer-j-randy-taraborrelli-shes-so-1739410072|url-status=dead}}</ref></blockquote> Taraborrelli's most recent book, 'Jackie - Public, Private, Secret,' debuted at #3 on the 'New York Times' bestseller list on August 6, 2023.


== Reivews ==
== Reviews ==
''[[Kirkus Reviews]]'' found ''Cher – A Biography'' to be "a fun read, and even moving".<ref>{{Cite web|date=October 15, 1986|title=CHER: A Biography|url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/a/j-randy-taraborrelli-3/cher-a-biography/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-05-01|website=Kirkus Reviews}}</ref> ''[[The Observer]]'' reviewed ''Diana Ross – A Biography'' as "fawning" and while acknowledging the comprehensiveness of the book, regretted that the writer held back unfavorable information about the subject because he was a personal fan.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Seal |first1=Rebecca |title=Review: Diana Ross by J Randy Taraborrelli |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2007/jan/14/biography.features |work=The Observer |date=14 January 2007}}</ref> It said ''The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe'' was written by "an indefatigable gossip hound" and criticized his vocabulary.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Conrad |first1=Peter |title=The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe by J Randy Taraborrelli {{!}} Book review |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2009/sep/27/secret-life-marilyn-monroe |work=The Observer |date=26 September 2009}}</ref> The ''Gay & Lesbian Review'' said that ''Michael Jackson – The Magic, the Madness, the Whole Story'' was a "comprehensive and even-handed biography".<ref>{{cite web |title='I Like Lovin' This Way' - The Gay & Lesbian Review |url=https://glreview.org/article/i-like-lovin-this-way/}}</ref> ''[[The New York Times]]'' called ''Jackie, Janet & Lee'' "deliciously readable".<ref>{{cite news|last1=Thompson|first1=Laura|date=20 February 2018|title=In a New Biography of the Bouvier Women, Jealousies Rule|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/20/books/review/jackie-janet-and-lee-j-randy-taraborrelli.html}}</ref>
''[[Kirkus Reviews]]'' found ''Cher – A Biography'' to be "a fun read, and even moving".<ref>{{Cite web|date=October 15, 1986|title=CHER: A Biography|url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/a/j-randy-taraborrelli-3/cher-a-biography/|access-date=2021-05-01|website=Kirkus Reviews}}</ref> ''[[The Observer]]'' reviewed ''Diana Ross – A Biography'' as "fawning" and while acknowledging the comprehensiveness of the book, regretted that the writer held back unfavorable information about the subject because he was a personal fan.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Seal |first1=Rebecca |title=Review: Diana Ross by J Randy Taraborrelli |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2007/jan/14/biography.features |work=The Observer |date=14 January 2007}}</ref> It said ''The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe'' was written by "an indefatigable gossip hound" and criticized his vocabulary.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Conrad |first1=Peter |title=The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe by J Randy Taraborrelli {{!}} Book review |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2009/sep/27/secret-life-marilyn-monroe |work=The Observer |date=26 September 2009}}</ref> The ''Gay & Lesbian Review'' said that ''Michael Jackson – The Magic, the Madness, the Whole Story'' was a "comprehensive and even-handed biography".<ref>{{cite web |title='I Like Lovin' This Way' - The Gay & Lesbian Review |date=May 2011 |url=https://glreview.org/article/i-like-lovin-this-way/}}</ref> ''[[The New York Times]]'' called ''Jackie, Janet & Lee'' "deliciously readable".<ref>{{cite news|last1=Thompson|first1=Laura|date=20 February 2018|title=In a New Biography of the Bouvier Women, Jealousies Rule|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/20/books/review/jackie-janet-and-lee-j-randy-taraborrelli.html}}</ref>


==Bibliography==
==Bibliography==
Line 35: Line 34:
*''Motown: Hot Wax, City Cool and Solid Gold'' (1986; updated in 1988)
*''Motown: Hot Wax, City Cool and Solid Gold'' (1986; updated in 1988)
*''Laughing Till It Hurts – The Complete Life and Career of Carol Burnett'' (1988)
*''Laughing Till It Hurts – The Complete Life and Career of Carol Burnett'' (1988)
*''[[Call Her Miss Ross]]'' (1989; updated in 2007 as ''Diana Ross – A Biography'')
*''Call Her Miss Ross'' (1989; updated in 2007 as ''Diana Ross – A Biography'')
*''Michael Jackson – The Magic and the Madness'' (1991; updated in 2003 and 2004. In 2009, the book was updated as ''Michael Jackson – The Magic, the Madness, the Whole Story'')
*''[[Michael Jackson – The Magic and the Madness]]'' (1991; updated in 2003 and 2004. In 2009, the book was updated as ''Michael Jackson – The Magic, the Madness, the Whole Story'')
*''Sinatra – Behind the Legend'' (1997; updated in 1998 and 2015)
*''Sinatra – Behind the Legend'' (1997; updated in 1998 and 2015)
*''Jackie, Ethel and Joan: Women of Camelot'' (2000)
*''Jackie, Ethel and Joan: Women of Camelot'' (2000)
Line 52: Line 51:
*''The Kennedy Heirs: John, Caroline, and the New Generation - A Legacy of Triumph and Tragedy'' (2019)
*''The Kennedy Heirs: John, Caroline, and the New Generation - A Legacy of Triumph and Tragedy'' (2019)
*''Grace & Steel: Dorothy, Barbara, Laura, and the Women of the Bush Dynasty'' (2021)
*''Grace & Steel: Dorothy, Barbara, Laura, and the Women of the Bush Dynasty'' (2021)
*''[[Jackie - Public, Private, Secret]]'' (2023)


==References==
==References==
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[[Category:Writers from Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Writers from Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Celebrity biographers]]
[[Category:Celebrity biographers]]
[[Category:Daily Mail journalists]]
[[Category:People from Ridley Township, Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:People from Ridley Township, Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:American people of Italian descent]]
[[Category:American writers of Italian descent]]
[[Category:20th-century American biographers]]
[[Category:20th-century American biographers]]
[[Category:21st-century American biographers]]
[[Category:21st-century American biographers]]

Latest revision as of 10:48, 19 October 2024

J. Randy Taraborrelli
NationalityAmerican
Known forBiographies, news reporting, journalism
Notable work'Jackie - Public, Private, Secret,' 'Jackie, Janet & Lee'
Websitejrandytaraborrelli.com

John Randall Anthony Taraborrelli is an American journalist and celebrity biographer. Prior to his book-writing career, he was a magazine journalist and editor-in-chief of Soul magazine, the black entertainment title. Taraborrelli is known for biographies of contemporary entertainers and political figures such as Frank Sinatra, Diana Ross,[1] Marilyn Monroe,[2] Michael Jackson,[3] Madonna,[4] the Kennedy family,[5] the Hilton family,[6] and Beyoncé.[7] He also regularly appears on television as an entertainment news reporter on programs such as Entertainment Tonight, Good Morning America, Today and CBS This Morning.[8] Taraborrelli lives in California.[9]

Writing style

[edit]

In a 2015 interview with Gawker, Taraborrelli described his evolution as a writer:

I think as you get older as a writer, your standards change. When I was a kid, my standard was very simple: If it was true, I put it in my book. That was it. There was no wiggle room to that. I’ve been through enough in my lifetime to realize there has to be more of a standard in biography than just the truth. There has to be an eye toward empathy. There has to be and eye toward understanding interpretation. There’s a lot of nuance that goes into a biography that is bigger than whether or not something is true. When I was a kid, it was a simpler time. Today, I weigh everything on a moral compass. It has to do with: Is it fair? Is it hurtful? Is it going to cause people pain? That’s a big part of my process today that when I was a kid, I never considered.[10]

Taraborrelli's most recent book, 'Jackie - Public, Private, Secret,' debuted at #3 on the 'New York Times' bestseller list on August 6, 2023.

Reviews

[edit]

Kirkus Reviews found Cher – A Biography to be "a fun read, and even moving".[11] The Observer reviewed Diana Ross – A Biography as "fawning" and while acknowledging the comprehensiveness of the book, regretted that the writer held back unfavorable information about the subject because he was a personal fan.[12] It said The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe was written by "an indefatigable gossip hound" and criticized his vocabulary.[13] The Gay & Lesbian Review said that Michael Jackson – The Magic, the Madness, the Whole Story was a "comprehensive and even-handed biography".[14] The New York Times called Jackie, Janet & Lee "deliciously readable".[15]

Bibliography

[edit]
  • Diana: A Celebration of the Life and Career of Diana Ross (1985)
  • Cher – A Biography (1986; updated in 1992)
  • Motown: Hot Wax, City Cool and Solid Gold (1986; updated in 1988)
  • Laughing Till It Hurts – The Complete Life and Career of Carol Burnett (1988)
  • Call Her Miss Ross (1989; updated in 2007 as Diana Ross – A Biography)
  • Michael Jackson – The Magic and the Madness (1991; updated in 2003 and 2004. In 2009, the book was updated as Michael Jackson – The Magic, the Madness, the Whole Story)
  • Sinatra – Behind the Legend (1997; updated in 1998 and 2015)
  • Jackie, Ethel and Joan: Women of Camelot (2000)
  • Madonna: An Intimate Biography (2001; updated in 2002, 2007 and 2018)
  • Once Upon a Time: Behind the Fairytale of Princess Grace and Prince Rainier (2003)
  • Elizabeth (2006)
  • The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe (2009)
  • Michael Jackson - The Magic, The Madness, The Whole Story (2009)
  • After Camelot: A Personal History of the Kennedy Family - 1968 to Present (2012)
  • The Hiltons: The True Story of an American Dynasty (2014)
  • Sinatra - Behind The Legend (rewritten and updated) (2015)
  • Becoming Beyoncé - The Untold Story (2015)
  • Jackie, Janet & Lee: The Secret Lives of Janet Auchincloss and Her Daughters, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Lee Radziwill (2018)
  • Madonna: An Intimate Biography of an Icon at Sixty (updated) (2018)
  • The Kennedy Heirs: John, Caroline, and the New Generation - A Legacy of Triumph and Tragedy (2019)
  • Grace & Steel: Dorothy, Barbara, Laura, and the Women of the Bush Dynasty (2021)
  • Jackie - Public, Private, Secret (2023)

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Seal, Rebecca (14 January 2007). "Review: Diana Ross by J Randy Taraborrelli". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
  2. ^ Yardley, Jonathan (30 August 2009). "Book Review: 'The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe' by J. Randy Taraborrelli". The Washington Post. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
  3. ^ "The Secret Life of Michael Jackson". NBC News. 5 February 2010. Archived from the original on March 20, 2013. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
  4. ^ "CNN.com - J. Randy Taraborrelli: Madonna biographer - July 19, 2001". CNN. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
  5. ^ Confidential. "Kennedy clan outcast James Auchincloss dishes in upcoming book - NY Daily News". New York Daily News. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
  6. ^ Groskop, Viv (11 April 2014). "The unstoppable rise of the Hiltons". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
  7. ^ "Beyonce Bio in the Works". The Hollywood Reporter. 27 October 2014. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
  8. ^ "J. Randy Taraborrelli". Hachette Book Group. 28 June 2017. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
  9. ^ "Taraborrelli, J. Randy 1956- - Dictionary definition of Taraborrelli, J. Randy 1956- - Encyclopedia.com: FREE online dictionary". encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
  10. ^ Juzwiak, Rich (October 29, 2015). "Becoming Beyoncé Writer J. Randy Taraborrelli: "She's So Lucky To Have Me as a Biographer"". Gawker. Archived from the original on 2023-03-22. Retrieved 2021-05-01.
  11. ^ "CHER: A Biography". Kirkus Reviews. October 15, 1986. Retrieved 2021-05-01.
  12. ^ Seal, Rebecca (14 January 2007). "Review: Diana Ross by J Randy Taraborrelli". The Observer.
  13. ^ Conrad, Peter (26 September 2009). "The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe by J Randy Taraborrelli | Book review". The Observer.
  14. ^ "'I Like Lovin' This Way' - The Gay & Lesbian Review". May 2011.
  15. ^ Thompson, Laura (20 February 2018). "In a New Biography of the Bouvier Women, Jealousies Rule". The New York Times.
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