Arts and Humanities

Staff -- Library Journal, 05/15/2006

Arts

The appeal of a portrait in miniature may seem strange in our society of "bigger is better," but for more than three centuries these small, intimate paintings on ivory or vellum, mounted in lockets, brooches, and bracelets, represented the ultimate personal artifacts. This handsome catalog of an exhibition at the Cincinnati Art Museum (on display through May 28, 2006) emphasizes the beauty and intimacy of this highly personal art form and showcases one of the most extensive collections of portrait miniatures in North America. Included are artists from the late 16th to the early 20th centuries from the United States, Britain, and France as well as Canada and Italy. Most of the 180 portraits are small enough to fit in the palm of your hand and are reproduced in actual size, underscoring the extreme talent (and, indeed, superior eyesight) of the artists. The essays provide good introductions to the topic and highlight current paths of research (dress/costume and hair styles). Accompanying each full-color image is an entry that contains notes, references, provenance, exhibitions, and a short biography of the artist. Recommended for all libraries that collect European and American art history titles.-Kraig Binkowski, Yale Ctr. for British Art, New Haven, CT

One of the most significant color photographers since World War II, Christenberry is known for evocative rural photographs of his native Alabama that are heavily influenced by Walker Evans's documentary style. Since 1968, Christenberry has made annual trips to Hale County to capture and re-photograph hundreds of "little deaths," recording the passage of time in churches, cemeteries, signs, and houses. This plate book accompanies exhibitions both opening in July at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Aperture Gallery and includes 130 works, three essays (one by the late Walter Hopps, curator, Menil Collection), a chronology, an exhibitions list, and a bibliography. Of importance is the range of works represented in several media-photos (more than half previously unpublished), drawings, paintings, and sculpture-as well as connections and themes probed in the essays and images juxtaposed on the pages. This comprehensive survey, which also documents multimedia installations like the troubling Klan Room, begun in 1962 and today featuring more than 300 objects and images, is highly recommended for all libraries. Those pursuing more comprehensive Christenberry holdings would also be well served by Nazraeli Press's exquisite folio on the artist, Works on Paper.-Russell T. Clement, Northwestern Univ. Lib., Evanston, IL

In this first monograph on the memorable oeuvre of abstract painter Davie, the artist's work of the past 15 years is presented in 80 large and pristine color reproductions. As art critic and poet Barry Schwabsky (The Widening Circle: Consequences of Modernism in Contemporary Art) suggests in his entertaining and erudite essay, the word stripe-Davie is best known for her manipulation of the stripe-does not do these gestures justice. Davie's colorful creations trace the journey of both her brush and her body during the painting process as well as how the paint behaves once she's stepped away from the canvas. The influence of the 1960s op art movement is felt as clearly as the drips of Jackson Pollock. Her source material, much of which is included here, ranges from Caravaggio to Looney Tunes cartoons. Davie's distinctive work has gained a reputation as crowd-pleasing abstraction, and the painter's first major museum survey is being presented through May 14, 2006 at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo, NY. With a foreword by Grachos (director, Albright-Knox) and an afterword by Lynne Tillman (No Lease on Life). Recommended for large contemporary art collections.-Douglas McClemont, New York

Tombstone portraits in Ukrainian Jewish cemeteries; a bris bat (a naming ceremony for a newborn girl) in suburban Philadelphia; Orthodox Jews praying on the banks of the Seine in Paris on Rosh Hashanah, 1998; and an empty cell in the Auschwitz death camp-the Diaspora has indeed led Jews far from their homeland. In these and 68 other full-page black-and-white photographs, along with some "diasporic investigations" (e.g., meditations, observations, quotations), documentary photographer Francisco attempts to present "a fair vision of Jewish life in Diaspora-its scatteredness, compositeness, adaptiveness, lack." While his subjects are particular and sometimes personal, their message is broad and universal, and this is a powerful photographic testament, highly recommended for photography collections in public and university libraries.-Marcia Welsh, Dartmouth Coll. Libs., Hanover, NH

DK's "Eyewitness Companions" series, which covers such topics as art, classical music, golf, and wine, seems to encompass a trove of visual guides for basic personal reference. In this kaleidoscopic volume, Glancey (architecture & design editor, Guardian; The Story of Architecture) examines 5000 years of architecture throughout the world. In well-executed and consistent writing, he briefly introduces each era and region, then touches on significant buildings and complexes (e.g., the Parthenon, the Sydney Opera House). However, he can cover only highlights in the 500-odd pages allotted, and he is also hampered by the 5" x 9" format. It's such a squeeze-the text, images, captions, sidebars, time lines, and headings-that many photos are miniaturized. Cover hype aside, this book can't challenge truly definitive works such as Spiro Kostof's A History of Architecture: Settings and Rituals. However, it does offer an accessible and inexpensive outline of the subject. A basic glossary is a helpful appendix. Recommended for small public and high school libraries.-David R. Conn, Surrey P.L., B.C.

This photographic journey along the nearly 2000 miles of the 100th Meridianmarks the third installment in the "Plains Histories" series, which is devoted to documenting and interpreting the Great Plains region of the United States. The chapters are photographic essays illuminating each state through which the Meridian runs, starting with North and South Dakota and ending with Texas. The 100-plus color pictures taken by California-based photographer Hartman between 1993 and 1997 document farm fields, cemeteries, abandoned buildings, and meticulously maintained homes and farm machinery. People and animals are rarely represented, a feature that lends the book a sense of timelessness and desolate loneliness. A single essay by noted writer William Kittredge (Who Owns the West?) spanning the length of the book provides a cursory history of the Plains, along with poetic insights gained from his travel experiences throughout the region. The essay does not directly correlate to either Hartman's photographs or the chapter headings, but it does add texture to the photographic series. Although the book captures the essence of the Great Plains, it does not offer a lot of depth for scholarly research. Recommended for public libraries.-Valerie Nye, Coll. of Santa Fe, NM

This is the sixth installment in antiques/collectibles expert Miller and DK's "Collector's Guide" series. Coauthored by Keith (head, Bonhams Auctioneers, South Wales) and Haas (VP, Bonhams & Butterfields Auctioneers, San Francisco), it offers an overview of art that has been produced by tribes and cultural groups throughout the world over the last 3000 years. More than 1000 objects shown in full color are accompanied by such information as dates, dimensions, and (since this book is aimed at collectors) price ranges. The book is divided into three sections-"Africa," "Oceania," and "The Americas"-with further regional subdivisions. Sidebars present "Key Facts" about each subregion and information relevant to the objects created there. The appendixes include a glossary, a directory of the dealers and auction houses that provided the objects for the book, a directory of museums, and a list of dealers selected by the authors. Although this book is rich in illustrations and information about tribal cultures, serious collectors will also want to read monographs and exhibition catalogs on specific cultures. Recommended for larger public libraries.-Martha Smith, Elmira Coll. Lib., NY

In the decades after World War II, modern art was defined by abstraction, while figurative art was largely ignored. Portraiture recently swung back into favor as contemporary artists deploy the genre to explore questions of identity. This lush catalog of recent acquisitions by the National Portrait Gallery, London, contains top-quality reproductions and engaging scholarship. In the introductory essay, gallery director Nairne argues that portraits offer insight into the inner life or character of the sitter and are necessarily bound up with issues of personal subjectivity. For example, Japanese artist Yasumasa Morimura depicts himself as Frieda Kahlo in a witty critique of Western notions of female beauty and standard conventions of representation. The book design is crisp, and each of the approximately 80 portraits is accompanied by fluidly written text. This book superbly summarizes the meaning and function of figurative art in contemporary society and is an essential purchase for libraries collecting fine arts or cultural history. It would complement eponymously titled books about single artists such as Elizabeth Peyton or John Currin.-Katherine Adams, Yale Univ. Lib., New Haven, CT

From the mid-19th century to the present, Utah's Wasatch painters have viewed the land around them as a physical and spiritual environment, and while their styles may differ, the essence of their landscapes remains the same. The works in this book, whose publication precedes an exhibition at the Utah Museum of Art & History, range from the bucolic scenes of C.A. Christensen (1831-1912) to the van Gogh-like works of Dennis Smith (b. 1942). The late Olpin (art history, emeritus, Univ. of Utah) discusses the painters, writer Ann W. Orton provides a geologic guide to the hills and valleys, and Thomas F. Rugh (Board of the Utah Museum of Art & History) offers a brief history of the development of the movement. But it is the portfolio of 300 images that allows readers the clearest glimpse of the Wasatch mountains. This large-scale work-the first in a series on the art of the West and the collections of the Utah Museum of Art & History-will make a fine addition to collections dealing with American art and the development of the West.-Paula Frosch, Metropolitan Museum of Art Lib., New York

Rabinowitz, an educator and artist, created this textbook on typography to fill the need for such a tool after working as a design instructor at the college level. Much of its coverage will be familiar to design students, such as the sections on communication theory and the history of printing; however, in this context, these discussions round out the presentation and help drive home the message that an understanding of typography is central to the graphic design process. Other sections deal with such things as the basics of letterforms, the use of grids, and the process of type design and bring these concepts up to date with careful attention to digital developments and tools. This is an excellent and useful book, with a good bibliography and an abundance of examples and illustrations. Clearly designed with the classroom teacher in mind and full of timely information on a rapidly changing field, it is a worthy alternative or complement to such works as Watson Guptil's fourth edition of Designing with Type and Princeton Architectural Press's Thinking with Type. Recommended for any collection with an interest in graphic design.-Mark Woodhouse, Elmira Coll. Lib., NY

This beautiful publication, accompanying an exhibition at Kunsthal Rotterdam, was inspired by the collection of van der Star (Ethnic Jewellery from Africa, Asia and Pacific Islands), whose criteria are personal taste and jewelry quality. For these 250-plus pieces, created in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, van der Star includes details of construction ranging from dimensions and weight to function and area of origin. Many of the objects are religious in nature or reflect myths and cultural values, and a good balance of technical and ethnographic information is maintained with essays by experts on the dress, language, and customs of different minorities. Other topics addressed are textiles from China and the history of silver and gold in Asia. This book, more comprehensive than others covering particular dynasties or geographical areas, is touted by the publisher as the only one to analyze metallic content. Its more than 400 illustrations are outstanding. The emergence of China as a modern-day power experiencing corresponding development and loss of ethnic tradition contributes to the recommendation of this book for larger public libraries, academic libraries, and specialized art history and jewelry-related collections.-Sylvia Andrews, Butler Univ., Indianapolis

Published by the Whitney Museum of American Art, NY, and accompanying an exhibition showing there through May 28, this well-illustrated (more than 200 b&w and color images) catalog features the works of 100-plus recognized and emerging artists, collaborative teams, and artists' organizations. Part 1 includes essays by Iles (curator, film & video, the Whitney) and Vergne (deputy director & chief curator, Walker Art Ctr., Minneapolis) as well as a foreword by the Whitney's director and nine written contributions by art historians, critics, teachers, and others seeking to evaluate and elucidate the current American art scene as evidenced in the show's various multimedia works. Part 2 comprises artist biographies, lists of artists and works in the exhibition, screening and performance schedules, and notes on the contributors. The book does contain one unconventional element in the form of a visual essay titled "Draw Me a Sheep," in which 99 foldout posters show artists' images over the last two years. Relatively well documented but lacking an index and bibliography, this catalog belongs on many large public, academic, and special library shelves, despite the awkward presentation of the aforementioned essay. Strongly recommended.-Cheryl Ann Lajos, Free Lib. of Philadelphia

Literature

Psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, and writer Janet J. Asimov (ed., It's Been a Good Life) was married to polymath Isaac Asimov from 1973 until his death in 1992. In this collection of family photographs, fiction, and excerpts from letters never before published, she describes her life with Isaac and her thoughts and ideas about life in general. Isaac was born into a Jewish family and Janet into a Mormon one, and Janet lovingly and carefully describes the couples' differences and similarities here. She shares her thoughts on reading, writing, travel, personal growth, and organized religion. Janet's training as a doctor and psychiatrist are important aspects of her struggle to develop a personal philosophy; her view of personal growth and happiness and the importance of helping people ultimately led her to a humanistic philosophy. Janet's writings about Isaac's death and her resulting grief are poignant and moving. A selection of her short stories concludes the book and highlights many of her ideas. Recommended for popular libraries; a fun read for Isaac Asimov fans.-Gene Shaw, NYPL

Ingersoll has authored and edited a number of books of interviews and literary criticism, including an earlier collection of interviews with Atwood, Margaret Atwood: Conversations (1990). Owing to Atwood's increased literary output and decidedly more international reputation in 2005, Ingersoll felt that an updated collection was needed. Through these "new" chronologically arranged conversations (conducted over four decades), we get a good sense of Atwood's take on literary critics (pedantic), her process of writing (lots of revisions), and her aversion to being labeled (she is informed by her Canadian sensibilities but resists being pigeonholed as a Canadian writer). Echoing throughout the conversations are the same careful choice of words, style of language, sharp wit, and sense of humor that one finds in her writing. Ingersoll's selection supports his thesis of her importance as a major writer and her worldwide renown, with perhaps a bit too much emphasis on her disdain for critics. Not essential reading for Atwood aficionados but certainly informative, this collection is recommended for academic libraries and larger public libraries.-Gina Kaiser, Univ. of the Sciences Lib. in Philadelphia

A good comic actor in his own right, Jim Belushi has long been known only as John Belushi's brother. Now he's branching out from the stage and screen (he currently stars in ABC's According to Jim) to the printed word, and his brash, blustering personality transfers well to book form. If he continues in this vein, he'll no longer be mentioned in the same breath as his brother, but alongside humorists like Dave Barry. In each of the book's three sections-"How To Be a Man," "Dating," and "The Book of Love"-Belushi reveals not just the braggadocio that the book's title implies but also lots of insight delivered with heart. This is not to say that readers (particularly female readers) won't find some cringe-worthy moments, but overall, the book is honest, funny, and enjoyable. Highly recommended for public libraries, and academic libraries should consider for purchase as well.-Audrey Snowden, Cleveland P.L.

The simplicity of these 300 vignettes belies their complexity. They read less like stories and more like prose poetry: each word carefully chosen, each phrase evocative of an entire action or mood. "This book recounts the stories I have lived or heard," states Uruguayan writer Galeano, who has previously authored Upside Down and the trilogy Memory of Fire, which won him the 1989 American Book Award. Here, he entwines family history with highly subjective and selective accounts of geological events, South American history, scientific discoveries, and anthropological observations. The results are disturbing; human inhumanity is a frequent topic. But rather than browbeat readers, Galeano excels in controlled irony; what is stated shouts through the stunned silence following each ending. One is reminded of the work of Jorge Luis Borges. Not all is negative, however-some stories offer hints of hope. This anthology may prove popular in public libraries, although busy students in academic libraries will enjoy taking intelligent breaks from arduous studies with Señor Galeano's keen insights.-Nedra Crowe-Evers, Sonoma Cty. Lib., Santa Rosa, CA

It often seems there is nothing new to say about major literary figures. Then along came Hall (Drifting Through Poetic Memories) with this look at the many flirtations, male friends, and suitors of the "highly eligible" Virginia Stephen before she married Leonard Woolf. Hall concentrates on the period between 1907, the time of Virginia's sister's engagement, to 1912, when Virginia married Leonard. Her in-depth study of these five years provides much new material not covered in longer Woolf biographies. The first chapter sets the stage of the intellectual and social milieu, followed by eight chapters devoted to overviews and analysis of Virginia's relationships with men. Included are her first heterosexual "romance" with the classicist Walter Headlam, an older man who shared many of her father's qualities; her deep love for and friendship with celebrated biographer Lytton Strachey; and the love that never was with poet Rupert Brooke. Highly recommended for academic libraries; optional for larger public libraries.- Alison M. Lewis, Drexel Univ. Lib., Philadelphia

This volume contains a collection of short diary entries, aphorisms, and excerpts from notebooks and letters. Of the 37 authors represented, few will be recognized by the average reader. Editor Dresher (cofounder & director, Life Writing Connection; Darkness and Light: Private Writing as Art) compiled examples of "contemporary fragmentary writing" that were specifically submitted for this volume or excerpted from manuscripts she had on hand as editor of Impassio Press. As a result, there is no traditional fragmentary writing as might be expected from figures such as Sappho. Dresher's purpose is to "honor the fragment as a literary genre in its own right," a genre whose time has perhaps come with the modern short attention span. Many of the entries succeed in evoking meaning or emotion in their brevity and incompleteness, but others lapse into triteness and banality. This is not a book to be read from cover to cover, but one to be digested in fragments. Recommended for large public or academic libraries with strong literature collections.-Alison M. Lewis, Drexel Univ. Lib., Philadelphia

Addressing creative writers, literary agent Lukeman here abandons the grammar explanations and humor that dominate Lynne Truss's Eats, Shoots and Leaves and Richard Lederer and John Shore's Comma Sense. Instead, Lukeman acts as a composition teacher and even appends end-of-chapter exercises. Five chapters each focus on a different punctuation mark, two chapters combine discussion of two or more marks, and one tackles the paragraph and section break. In the chapter on the period, Lukeman's exercises request both a story's opening sentence lasting a whole page and an opening paragraph in which sentences have no more than six words. To contrast writing styles, the author compares the exclamation point to brightly colored clothing "best left in the closet," while Lederer and Shore insist, "And, please, never use two or more exclamation points in a clump!!!" Similarly, Lukeman offers literary examples from major writers like Mark Twain, while Truss dissects poorly punctuated public signs. The "Writing Exercises" ideas are Lukeman's best contribution, and particularly for these, this work is recommended for academic and large public libraries.-Marianne Orme, Des Plaines P.L., IL

McElroy (Over the Lip of the World: Among the Storytellers of Madagascar), editor of the Seattle Review, offers readers the opportunity to visit (or revisit) the magazine's "Retrospectives" feature that ran from 1997 through 2004. These glimpses into the private worlds of 16 prose and poetry writers shed light on stalwarts like David Wagoner, Denise Levertov, Diane Wakoski, and William Stafford. The intent of each retrospective is to help link the world of the writer's work with that of the writer. To that end, this anthology presents a combination of interviews, essays, photographs, and work samples. Many of the interviewers are graduate students at the University of Washington, and their questions reflect their youthful curiosity as well as their extensive preparation for the task. The photographs, unlikely to be found elsewhere, add a personal perspective. More than 50 poems and several works of fiction offer another window into the soul of these writers. This is a volume over which lovers of the written word will linger as they meet old friends or make new ones through these memorable portraits. Appropriate for academic and larger public libraries.- Anthony Pucci, Notre Dame H.S., Elmira, NY

This book collects the complete surviving correspondence of Rilke and Salomé and is translated by Snow, who has worked on many of Rilke's writings, and Winkler, Snow's fellow professor at Rice University. Rilke is a familiar figure, but his correspondent, Salomé, may be less well known to contemporary readers. However, when they first met, Rilke was unknown, and Salomé was a widely published author, with far-reaching personal connections (she was involved with Nietzsche and studied psychoanalysis with Sigmund Freud). The two started as lovers and after a period of separation became friends and constant correspondents. As this collection reveals, Rilke's letters are long and full of rich language, although he is continually suffering from poverty, ill health, and, moreover, great uncertainty as to what course he should pursue for growing as an artist. Salomé's responses are generally shorter, practical, and intended to reassure the insecure poet. While neither correspondent dwells much on the details of everyday life, the letters reveal much about European intellectual life in the early 20th century. Highly recommended for all academic libraries.-Amy K. Weiss, Univ. of California, Santa Barbara

With all of the newly revived interest in Harper Lee that the movie Capote has generated, this first ever study of her life should, in turn, spark a bit of a buzz among scholars and the general public. Shields, a journalist and author of nonfiction books for young adults, manages to portray effectively the author of To Kill a Mockingbird without receiving any help from Lee herself. Instead, he has interviewed her friends, colleagues, and school acquaintances and visited many special manuscript collections at universities and archives. What emerges is a well-written profile of a Southern writer who was a rebel in her small Alabama town as she was growing up and attending college. Lee discovered that she wanted to be a writer rather than a lawyer (as her father, an attorney himself, desired). Her only novel drew upon her experiences and her Southern milieu, but its huge success and influence made it difficult for her to write a second book. She became, if not a recluse, then certainly a person who valued privacy over fame and public attention. The best chapter details how Lee and her childhood friend Truman Capote went to Kansas to research the crime and its aftermath that would later become In Cold Blood. This reviewer only hopes that the errors found in this draft (e.g., Emmett Till was murdered in 1955, not 1954, and the name of the Broadway comedy star is Beatrice Lillie, not Lilly) will be corrected in the final copy of the book. Recommended for all public library and undergraduate library collections. (Index not seen.)-Morris Hounion, New York City Technical Coll. Lib., CUNY

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