Arts & Humanities, Reviews, May 1, 2011
May 1, 2011ARTS
Corazza, Iago & Greta Ropa. Japan: Light and Shadows in the Land of the Rising Sun. White Star, dist. by Sterling. 2011. c.272p. photogs. bibliog. ISBN 9788854405745. $45. PHOTOG
The stereotypes in this big, lavish picture book start right on the dust jacket, where a digital collage pairs a traditionally made-up geisha’s face with that of a sequined teenager in a multicolor wig. Inside the book, Corazza and Ropa (coauthors, The Last Men: Journeys Among the Tribes of New Guinea) portray cherry blossoms, sumo wrestlers, Buddhists monks, salarymen, sword makers, exquisite temples, noodle slurpers, raked rock gardens, modern architecture, shoppers, sex workers, and a variety of streetscapes oddly distorted by the use of extreme telephoto lenses. There are a series of banal essays, which seem like they belong in an airline magazine. One would expect the photos in a coffee-table book like this, which is big and beautifully printed, to be really good or at least to present a point of view. Instead, the images all seem to have the bland slickness of stock photography, which indeed some of them are. VERDICT There is no attempt to delve below the surface of what anyone could see on a two-week guided tour of Japan. Save $45 and go to the 4000 photos of Japan on Flickr.—David McClelland, Philadelphia
Gabriel Metsu. Yale Univ. in assoc. with National Gallery of Ireland. 2010. 244p. ed. by Adriaan E. Waiboer. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780300167245. $65. FINE ARTS
Though not as well known now, Gabriel Metsu was a contemporary of Vermeer and a superstar in his day. Waiboer, curator of northern European art at the National Galley of Ireland, attempts to re-create a taste for this artist, who fell out of favor along with other Dutch masters during the 1960s. Waiboer builds a sound structure for an exploration into the Zeitgeist of Metsu as a master of the golden age of Dutch art. He revisits the reasons Metsu matters—he influenced and was influenced by other artists of his day, his work was purchased by contemporaries who were collectors, and his paintings were sought after posthumously. His paintings show trends in hygiene, beauty, clothing styles, and household objects, and street market scenes reveal daily life. Metsu is a “painter’s painter” who used a variety of brush strokes and techniques. Unfortunately, brush work is hard to appreciate via reproductions in a book. VERDICT A nice, single-study monograph to supplement a broader work such as Frederik J. Duparc’s Golden: Dutch and Flemish Masterworks from the Rose-Marie and Eijk van Otterloo Collection. This will appeal to readers interested in Dutch art.—Nadine Dalton Speidel, Cuyahoga Cty. P.L., OH
The Independent Eye: Contemporary British Art from the Collection of Samuel and Gabrielle Lurie. Yale Ctr. for British Art, dist. by Yale Univ. 2010. 179p. ed. by Eleanor Hughes & Angus Trumble. illus. ISBN 9780300171396. $40 with CD-ROM. FINE ARTS
Introducing the Samuel and Gabrielle Lurie collection of contemporary British art, this lavishly illustrated publication accompanies a recent exhibition at the Yale Center for British Art in New Haven, CT, featuring 50 selected masterpieces. Believing in the central importance of personal, emotional encounters with art rather than historically based criteria for collecting such as originality and influence, the Luries acquired 71 works by Patrick Caulfied, Howard Hodgkin, John Hoyland, R.B. Kitaj, Ian Stephenson, and John Walker, a group of independent, predominantly British artists with common sensibilities. Curators at the center, Hughes and Trumble first offer six essays about the collection and its artists as well as an interview with the collectors, who have gifted their collection to Yale. In the second part, they include the artists’ biographies, a gallery of their works, a checklist, and a CD-ROM sporting an illustrated checklist and the captioned works by the artists. VERDICT Nicely presented and sufficiently well documented, this publication by collectors, curators, critics, and other experts on a significant collection will be of interest to general readers, students, scholars, and others.—Cheryl Ann Lajos, Free Lib. of Philadelphia
Klausen, Brad. From a Basement in Seattle: The Poster Art of Brad Klausen. Akashic. 2010. c.150p. photogs. ISBN 9781936070671. pap. $24.95. GRAPHIC ARTS
Poster artist Klausen’s portfolio is a reflection primarily of the work he has done for the rock group Pearl Jam. The book includes full-page color reproductions of Klausen’s screen prints, as well as some of his preparatory pencil sketches. The examples are arranged chronologically and mostly accompany concert events. The artist’s eclectic style choices, combined with a variety of computer-aided typefaces and hand-drawn graphics, make the posters exciting. However, Klausen’s text suffers from lack of focus. The writing in the lengthy captions is colloquial and episodic and often digresses into political rants. The book would be improved if the caption under each poster were limited to a consistent topic, such as a description of the publicized event. The other included information about Klausen’s artistic processes and political views would be better handled in separate essays and perhaps by different writers. VERDICT Although Klausen’s art is better than his writing, this book will appeal to readers with an interest in music posters and especially to fans of Pearl Jam.—Eric Linderman, Euclid P.L., OH
L’Ecuyer, Kelly H. Jewelry by Artists: In the Studio, 1940–2000. MFA: Museum of Fine Arts. 2010. 312p. photogs. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780878467501. $55. DEC ARTS
Beautifully illustrated and impeccably designed, this book is as stunning as the jewelry profiled. L’Ecuyer (Ellyn McColgan Curator of Decorative Arts & Sculpture, Museum of Fine Arts [MFA], Boston) highlights glorious creations from the MFA Daphne Farago Collection and showcases jewelry designed and created by studio artists as an expression of individuality, personal taste, and social statement. Following a brief introduction, the book is comprised of five well-researched and descriptive sections focusing on primary artists and artistic designs that best exemplify the topic, ranging from the sleek space age and Scandinavian design look to the postmodern design influenced by the sexual revolution and women’s movement through the avant-garde and techno-organic works. Many of the creations have a relationship with historical perspective and works of the past that continue to influence the present. These artist jewelers continue to push the envelope of design and creativity through the use of natural objects such as precious and semiprecious gems, minerals, and metals as well as exotic woods, feathers, and other found items, cloisonné enamels, nylon monofilament, and titanium. VERDICT Enthusiastically recommended for jewelry artists and students of jewelry design and history, as well as libraries with strong collections in art and design.—Stephen Allan Patrick, Jonesborough, TN
Miller, Sara Cedar. Strawberry Fields: Central Park’s Memorial to John Lennon. Abrams. May 2011. 96p. illus. ISBN 9780810997868. $16.95. PHOTOG
“Let me take you down, cause I’m going to….” Strawberry Fields, the international peace garden dedicated to the memory of John Lennon, is marking its 25th anniversary. To celebrate, Abrams is releasing this lovely and amazingly affordable memorial volume. Miller, historian and photographer for the Central Park Conservancy, offers a detailed account of how the garden came to be. At the time of Lennon’s 1980 murder, Central Park was in a state of decay, and wife Yoko Ono’s donation of $1 million to the fledgling Central Park Conservancy jump-started efforts to restore it, beginning with the creation of Strawberry Fields. A nice aside is a brief history of the nearby Dakota Apartments, where the Lennons lived. Buttressing the text are numerous color and monochrome pix that chronicle Central Park’s history and Strawberry Fields’ creation and, of course, include snapshots of Lennon and Ono. A portion of the book’s proceeds go to maintain and manage the park. VERDICT This slim beauty is a perfect tribute to Lennon and the garden created in his memory and will be relished by his legions of fans worldwide. [See “Editors’ Spring Picks,” LJ 2/15/11.]—Mike Rogers, Library Journal
Nam June Paik. Tate, dist. by Abrams. 2011. 208p. ed. by Sook-Kyung Lee & Susanne Rennert. photogs. bibliog. ISBN 9781854379245. $45. FINE ARTS
Perhaps best known for his use of manipulated televisions as sculptural elements, the venerated Fluxus artist Nam June Paik (1932–2006) continues to inspire and shape the work of contemporary musicians, visual artists, and film and video artists today. This is the companion catalog to the acclaimed recent exhibition at the Tate Liverpool. Collaboratively organized with the Foundation for Art and Creative Technology, it was the first major retrospective of Paik’s work since his 2006 death. Lee (curator, exhibitions & displays, Tate Liverpool) and Rennert (curator, Kunst Palast, Düsseldorf, Germany) joined forces to curate and edit carefully the catalog and exhibition. The result is a fresh, thoughtful, and artfully told story of the artist’s life and work. VERDICT This is at once an interesting and academic yet accessible and unexpectedly beautiful book about one of the most inquisitive and engaged media artists in the history of art. Paik’s fans and readers interested in modern art will get a glorious eyeful from this lovely volume.—Jennifer H. Krivickas, Coll. of DAAP Lib., Univ. of Cincinnati, OH
Representing Africa in American Art Museums: A Century of Collecting and Display. Univ. of Washington. (McLellan Endowed). 2011. 320p. ed. by Kathleen Bickford Berzock & Christa Clarke. illus. index. ISBN 9780295989617. pap. $40. FINE ARTS
American museums possess some of the world’s greatest collections of African art. Unlike the holdings of many European museums, which grew out of military conquest and colonial hegemony, American institutions built their collections primarily from scientific expeditions, private collections, and auction purchases. Berzock (curator, African art, Art Inst. of Chicago) and Clarke (senior curator, arts of Africa & the Americas, Newark Museum) tell the story of how roughly a dozen major American museums built their African holdings. The museums range from large public institutions like the Cleveland Museum of Art to campus-based research museums at such locations as Indiana University in Bloomington. A short history of the collecting and display of African art in America is followed by essays on specific institutions written by curators and directors who worked at the facilities. The volume is not lavishly illustrated; chapters include a few black-and-white photos of objects or portraits of private collectors. VERDICT A valuable resource for anyone interested in how African art has come to America and how its presentation has changed over the last century.—Eugene C. Burt, Seattle
Sharoff, Robert (text) & William Zbaren (photogs.). American City: St. Louis Architecture; Three Centuries of Classic Design. Images Pub., dist. by ACC. 2011. c.160p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781864704297. $39.95. ARCHITECTURE
This book is the second in Sharoff and Zbaren’s “American City” series, following American City: Detroit Architecture, 1845–2005. The author and photographer duo have chosen their favorite 50 buildings or structures to profile. Sharoff’s introduction is a brisk history of St. Louis, seen through its construction heritage and prominent architects. Each selection is presented, with several color photographs and brief descriptions, in chronological sequence. Many fine neoclassical examples represent the late 19th century, when the onetime French trading post and steamboat port could style itself “Paris on the Mississippi.” Readers learn one of the world’s first skyscrapers, Louis Sullivan’s Wainwright Building, is still in use after a struggle to preserve it. The St. Louis Art Museum and Flight Cage aviary remain valued legacies of the 1904 World’s Fair. Eero Saarinen’s iconic Gateway Arch was erected as part of a major postwar redevelopment of the riverfront. VERDICT An accessible survey, of interest to all readers in greater St. Louis and to anyone who follows the architecture of the region.—David R. Conn, Surrey Libs., B.C.
Thomas Kinkade: The Artist in the Mall. Duke Univ. 2011. c.320p. ed. by Alexis L. Boylan. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780822348399. $94.95; pap. ISBN 9780822348528. $25.95. FINE ARTS
Boylan (art history, Univ. of Connecticut) presents a surprisingly evenhanded and at times typically dense academic analysis of the cultural manifestation that is Thomas Kinkade, self-described “painter of light” and artistic merchandiser of paintings, prints, cups, mugs, and real-estate developments par excellence. In her introduction Boylan makes a cogent case for serious study of Kinkade and his meaning in the wider cultural context. Essays by a group of academic authors treat Kinkade’s retail successes and failures, his political and religious views, and his adoption by politicians who share them. Analysis of the art as art is minimal; the social and emotional meaning is the message here. VERDICT Although serious and informative in many ways, the essays will not appeal to purchasers of Kinkade’s many offerings but are aimed at other academics in the field. The modest illustrations were seen by this reviewer only in proof, and the price differential for the hardcover appears unjustified for an octavo volume. For advanced academic collections only.—Jack Perry Brown, Art Inst. of Chicago Libs.
LITERATURE
Bloom, Harold. The Anatomy of Influence: Literature as a Way of Life. Yale Univ. 2011. c.368p. index. ISBN 9780300167603. $32.50. LIT
As defender of the Western canon, the controversial Bloom (Sterling Professor of the Humanities, Yale Univ.; How To Read and Why) has no equal. Here he continues his investigation into literary interconnectedness by revealing how writers struggle with the works of those who came before. He cites Shakespeare as the greatest writer in the English language. Moving forward chronologically from the 16th through the 20th centuries, Bloom analyzes the works of such giants as John Milton, Samuel Johnson, Percy Bysshe Shelley, and Alfred, Lord Tennyson, illustrating their connections to Shakespeare. Bloom examines Walt Whitman’s poetry in depth then considers James Joyce, D.H. Lawrence, Stephen Crane, and Wallace Stevens, as well as contemporary poets, e.g., A.R. Ammons, John Ashbery, and Mark Strand. VERDICT Unfortunately, the book lacks much serious consideration of nonwhite and women poets. Bloom acknowledges Emily Dickinson, yet never accords her the status she deserves, although Amy Clampitt’s “Beach Glass” rates a short analysis. Yet his commentaries penetrate the mysteries of influence and provide enough evidence to convince those skeptical of the “Western canon” approach. Bloom’s elegant and accessible writing, punctuated here with his discussions of his own experiences with these works over time, will be welcomed by serious readers who don’t mind his bias.—Nancy R. Ives, SUNY at Geneseo
Garber, Marjorie. The Use and Abuse of Literature. Pantheon. 2011. c.336p. index. ISBN 9780375424342. $28.95. LIT
Garber (William R. Kenan Jr. Professor of English & American Literature, Harvard Univ.; Shakespeare After All) here argues, in prose both loaded with thorny learned terminology yet almost breezily conversational, that literature is never stagnant, that every time a person living in a constant, changing culture reads a book, no matter how old, that book is a fresh challenge and reward to the reader; she considers it high time to take back the term literature (i.e., it should not mean any published writing) and demonstrates that “the very uselessness of literature is its most profound and valuable attribute.” With an awesome familiarity with literature of all ages and cultures, including current American, Garber tries to show how those who believe in literature can slow down, if not stop or reverse, the startling number of people who no longer read it. VERDICT Not for the general reader, this book will please and challenge those with a solid background in literary theory and the work of modern American and English literary critics.—Charles C. Nash, formerly with Cottey Coll., Nevada, MO
Hijuelos, Oscar. Thoughts Without Cigarettes: A Memoir. Gotham: Penguin Group (USA). Jun. 2011. c.384p. photogs. ISBN 9781592406296. $27.50. LIT
Pulitzer Prize–winning novelist Hijuelos (The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love) proves himself again with his autobiography, a memoir of childhood and early adulthood and a tribute to his father, who died early of heart failure induced by heavy smoking. Hijuelos was born in New York City in 1951, the second son of Cuban immigrants: his father a campesino, his mother from the impoverished upper class. The author’s contrast between the richness of Cuban culture and hard times in America is striking, especially the angry brutality of teens from poor working-class families in tenement New York. Hijuelos documents what American teenagers faced in the late 1960s—both the escapades they enjoyed and the injustices they suffered—and does not shun the explicit. Readers will squirm at his description of the slaughter of a pig, be appalled at the callousness of staff at the children’s hospital where he convalesced from nephritis, and wish to look away from sexual details of friends—and his parents. Hijuelos admits that his profuse writing style stemmed from desires to remember his father. VERDICT Readers who enjoyed Hijuelos’s novels will enjoy his memoir, a revelation of the personal sources of most of his fiction.—Nedra Crowe-Evers, Sonoma Cty. Lib., Santa Rosa, CA
Orr, David. Beautiful & Pointless: A Guide to Modern Poetry. Harper: HarperCollins. 2011. c.224p. ISBN 9780061673450. $25.99. LIT
In this study of modern 20th-century poetry, Orr (poetry columnist, New York Times Book Review) does not focus on the poets or the meaning of what they wrote. He discusses the importance of building a relationship with the literary form itself, with the view that how people actually read poetry helps form that relationship. He recognizes that a reader might be confounded by modern poetry. Using the first person, Orr communicates directly, beginning by pointing out that people are often surprised that contemporary (here used interchangeably with “modern”) poetry actually exists: “We’re talking, after all, about an art form that currently occupies a position in the popular consciousness somewhere between lute playing and crewel embroidery.” He uses concepts that matter in the world of poetry—the personal, the political, ambition, and form—and exhibits abundant humor, charm, and insight. How can one not admire someone who writes, “...each chapter will be idiosyncratic and unfair”? VERDICT There is no index or bibliography, so this work is of less value as a teaching text; instead, it’s to be delved into in small bites. Highly recommended for readers who enjoy literature or poetry or who just want to learn more about them.—Susan L. Peters, Univ. of Texas, Galveston
Wells, Gully. The House in France: A Memoir. Knopf. Jun. 2011. c.320p. photogs. ISBN 9780307269805. $26.95. LIT
In spite of the title, this first book by Wells (features editor, Condé Nast Traveler) is not another memoir about one person’s recent summers in France, but a writer’s reminiscences of decades ago—spent mostly in London—with a month spent every summer in France. From 1962, when she was 11 years old, into her adulthood, Wells annually spent summers in Le Beausset, France, in a house owned by her mother, Dee Wells, an American journalist, writer, and socialite; and her stepfather, British philosopher A.J. “Freddie” Ayer. Readers might not be familiar with Dee Wells and Ayer, but they’ll be able to place one of Gully’s first boyfriends, Martin Amis, and appreciate many cameos—e.g., Bobby Kennedy, William F. Buckley Jr., Claude Lévi-Strauss, Claus Von Bulow—who demonstrate the milieu in which the Wells/Ayer family moved. Gully describes her coming-of-age and her family, friends, and lovers honestly and entertainingly, with plenty of gossipy details. VERDICT Readers hoping for A Year in Provence will be disappointed, but if they persevere, they’ll be pleased with this light, engaging literary memoir.—Heidi Senior, Univ. of Portland Lib., OR
Wilde, Oscar. The Picture of Dorian Gray: An Annotated, Uncensored Edition. Belknap: Harvard Univ. 2011. 236p. ed. by Nicholas Frankel. illus. bibliog. ISBN 9780674057920. $35. LIT
This novel by Wilde is so well known that even many who have never read it or seen a movie version know the story. Briefly, a beautiful young man has a portrait painted that will show his aging and corruption while he himself remains young. And though it has been published in many editions since its first appearance in 1890 in a magazine, this edition is the first one based on Wilde’s uncensored typescript. Frankel (English, Virginia Commonwealth Univ.) provides an introduction that sets the scene of the book in its cultural context, and he presents a bibliographic history detailing the rationale for this particular edition. Accompanying the text itself are Frankel’s hundreds of annotations, a mixture of commentary, background information, and notes on sources. There are extensive illustrations reproduced here in both color and black and white, many from earlier editions of Dorian and others chosen to further illuminate the novel’s themes. There are several images of Wilde as well. VERDICT Like Harvard University Press’s other beautiful annotated editions of classics, this is both handsome and instructive. Recommended for all English literature collections.—David Azzolina, Univ. of Pennsylvania Lib., Philadelphia
PERFORMING ARTS
Bruce, Steve. The Best Seat in the House: A Cock Sparrer Story. Cherry Red Bks., dist. by Trafalgar Square. Jun. 2011. 300p. illus. discog. ISBN 9781901447866. pap. $19.95. MUSIC
Decca Records passed on the Beatles and dropped Cock Sparrer after one album, but both bands have made a lasting musical impact. Though not commercially successful, Cock Sparrer’s music influenced such legendary punk bands as the Dropkick Murphys and Rancid. In this sometimes blurry retelling, Bruce, the drummer, recounts the group’s transformation from a nominal punk band in the 1970s to one of the most revered punk bands today. A hodgepodge of tour diaries, album reviews, and band history, the story of Cock Sparrer is inseparable from a parallel tale of enduring friendship. The most enjoyable and remarkable aspect of this band is their genuine enthusiasm for one another. As with all rock memoirs, Cock Sparrer’s history comes complete with its requisite list of name-dropping and self-indulgent tangents. However, Bruce writes candidly and glosses over the lurid anecdotes of sex and drugs. VERDICT More appropriately marketed as a scrapbook, this volume will find its way to only the most ardent fans of punk.—Joshua Finnell, Denison Univ. Lib., Granville, OH
Budnick, Dean & Josh Baron. Ticket Masters: The Rise of the Concert Industry and How the Public Got Scalped. ECW, dist. by IPG. Jun. 2011. c.392p. ISBN 9781550229493. $24.95. MUSIC
Processing charges, shipping charges, e-ticket “convenience” charges, will-call charges—the ticketing industry is a billion-dollar business, and Budnick and Baron, executive editor and editor in chief, respectively, of Relix magazine, have written the definitive history. Scalping has been prevalent in the United States since Charles Dickens’s 19th-century tour, and promoters been have trying to control the action ever since. The authors have done their homework and present their information in great detail. Their book is chock-full of interviews with many of the key individuals in the history of the online ticketing business. VERDICT In other hands, this book could have been dull and academic, but it reads like an adventure story, full of colorful characters, shady transactions, and surprising twists and turns. For everyone who has been dumbstruck by the extra fees added to the price of admission, this book is just the ticket. Highly recommended for eventgoers everywhere.—Bill Baars, Lake Oswego P.L., OR
Charry, Michael. George Szell: A Life of Music. Univ. of Illinois. (Music in American Life). Jun. 2011. c.460p. photogs. bibliog. index. discog. ISBN 9780252036163. $35. MUSIC
Charry (Mannes Coll. The New Sch. for Music), who was on the conducting staff of the Cleveland Orchestra under George Szell for nine years, has written a fine biography of one of the 20th century’s greatest classical conductors. Born in Budapest in 1897, Szell ended a 15-year composing career at age 23 (several of his compositions garnered performances by major orchestras) and focused the rest of his life on conducting. He pursued a vigorous conducting career in Europe, Australia, and the United States, ending with his fabled 24-year reign as music director of the Cleveland Orchestra (1946–70). Szell transformed it into one of the premier orchestras in the world and came in contact with most of the major classical musicians of the 20th century. VERDICT This thorough biography of one of the most important figures on the American classical scene in the post–World War II era is a valuable contribution to the literature on classical music. Recommended for academic libraries and readers who enjoy classical music and its history.—Bruce R. Schueneman, Texas A&M Univ. Lib., Kingsville
Chazin-Bennahum, Judith. René Blum & the Ballets Russes: In Search of a Lost Life. Oxford Univ. Jul. 2011. c.304p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780195399332. $29.95. DANCE
Unlike his French prime minister brother, Léon, René Blum (1878–1941) spent his life in a cultural rather than political milieu. As editor of the literary journal Gil Blas, he was acquainted with the likes of Pierre Bonnard, Edouard Vuillard, Claude Debussy, Paul Valéry, and Marcel Proust. A man of arts as well as letters, Blum was a theatrical manager whose forte was producing and promoting dance. Acording to Chazin-Bennahum (Distinguished Professor Emerita of Theatre & Dance, Univ. of New Mexico), “Blum is revered for having saved the Ballets Russes from probable extinction after the death of Diaghilev in 1929.” In 1932, in partnership with Colonel W. de Basil, Blum resurrected Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes as the Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo, which existed until 1963. To compile this biography, Chazin-Bennahum mined a wealth of previously untapped primary sources and unearthed numerous photographs from several archival collections. Blum’s own autobiography has been lost since he was arrested and sent to Auschwitz in 1941. VERDICT Balletomanes, Francophiles, and students of European cultural history will enjoy this scholarly and meticulously researched work.—Carolyn M. Mulac, Chicago P.L.
Drazin, Charles. French Cinema. Faber & Faber. Jun. 2011. c.464p. photogs. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780571211739. pap. $18. FILM
Since Thomas Edison and the Lumière brothers pioneered film in the United States and in France, respectively, French film critics and audiences have had a love-hate relationship with Hollywood, patronizing blockbusters and championing American directors and genres, while also insisting on a distinctively French movie identity, sometimes decrying Hollywood as an invader, and building trade barriers against U.S. film product. This conflict and dual focus is the heart of this compact history of French cinema. Drazin (film studies, Queen Mary Univ. of London; The Finest Years: British Cinema of the 1940s) sketches common film themes, technical advances, key figures like Jean Cocteau and Jean Renoir, industry survival in the dark days of the German occupation of World War II, and the ultimate rebirth in the New Wave movement of the late 1950s and early 1960s. VERDICT Though brief and a bit bloodless, this book conveys provocative insights on the development of the “auteur theory” and how the sexual candor of 1950s French films wooed Americans tired of production codes and blandness. Overall, the book’s appeal will be limited to serious film buffs and historians.—Stephen Rees, formerly with Levittown Lib., Bucks Cty. Lib. Syst., PA
Ford, Peter. Glenn Ford: A Life. Univ. of Wisconsin. (Wisconsin Film Studies). Jun. 2011. c.344p. photogs. filmog. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780299281540. pap. $24.95. FILM
There have been several biographies of film stars written by their children; some are infamous, a few are influential, many are bitter, and others willingly embrace the mythology of the famous parent. Peter Ford’s biography of his father, the actor Glenn Ford, is a frank portrait of a conflicted man and a respected star of Golden Age Hollywood. Glenn lived long enough to witness both the steady decline of his fame and the deaths of many of his friends and colleagues and was, on a fundamental level, unable to open his life to his son. Peter succeeds in objectively revisiting his father’s life and work while peeling back without fear the painful layers in their mutual history. What emerges is a fascinating biography of an often overlooked actor who in his long career starred in many classic films, including Gilda, Blackboard Jungle, and 3:10 to Yuma. VERDICT This biography should rank with Maria Riva’s Marlene Dietrich as one of the best examples of a family biography and should appeal to film scholars and film fans alike.—Teri Shiel, Westfield State Univ. Lib., MA
Zinoman, Jason. Shock Value: How a Few Eccentric Outsiders Gave Us Nightmares, Conquered Hollywood, and Invented Modern Horror. Penguin Pr: Penguin Group (USA). Jul. 2011. c.272p. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781594203022. $27.95. FILM
The golden era of the “Old Horror” film featured such enduring classics as Dracula and Frankenstein, but they now seem as tame as buttermilk compared with the key films that have been produced during the so-called New Horror era beginning in the 1970s. These include such seminal American films as Rosemary’s Baby, The Last House on the Left, Night of the Living Dead, and The Exorcist, many of which could be termed “gore fests.” In a sometimes chatty, sometimes scattershot, but quite readable style, Zinoman, a theater critic and reporter for the New York Times, discusses in detail a few films and such pioneering genre directors as John Carpenter, George Romero, William Friedkin, and Wes Craven. They often defied aghast critics (and sometimes studio moguls and audiences as well) to present their view of a world gone mad. VERDICT Given the plethora of available books about horror films, including recent scholarly ones such as Kendall Phillips’s Projected Fears and Thomas M. Sipos’s Horror Film Aesthetics, this will appeal mostly to readers seeking a general overview.—Roy Liebman, Los Angeles P.L.
POETRY
Dunn, Stephen. Here and Now: Poems. Norton. Jun. 2011. c.96p. ISBN 9780393080216. $24.95. POETRY
Pulitzer Prize winner Dunn is at the top of his form in this new collection, which acknowledges the poet’s old haunts of promiscuity and alienation: “Don’t you know a scoundrel always wants his due?/ The good news is I know who I am; that’s the bad news, too.” Fortunately, many of these poems move beyond male behavioral issues to a richer garden—the contradictions and complexities of the poetic self. In one of several poems about writing, the poet observes: “free verse like free love/ began to seek only what might constrain and tightly hold it.” In “The Puritan and the World,” the poet examines the idea that self-imposed limitations are not necessarily limiting: “to parse/ was to narrow/ and to narrow was to live/ one good way.” “If a Clown” is a frightening, poignant poem about the mutability of awareness. VERDICT Dunn knows how to grab your attention; you may want to dislike him, but he will make you laugh out loud. He convincingly enumerates his own flaws, but he is unstintingly loyal to the language. For all poetry readers.—Ellen Kaufman, Baruch Coll., NY
Young, Dean. Fall Higher. Copper Canyon. 2011. c.105p. ISBN 9781556593116. $22. POETRY
“Poetry is a good provider of the strange,” writes Young, an observation well supported by the torrential downpour of surreal imagery (“the piano turns out to be 88 mousetraps”), offbeat humor (“You were nearly killed putting up Xmas decorations”), and existential pronouncements (“We all feel/ suspended over a drop into nothingness”) that fill to the brim his latest book (after 2008’s Primitive Mentor). Inspired by “the hocus-/ pocus gnosis of this world,” Young’s fast-paced improvisations are held together not only by the occasional imposition of rhymed couplets and triplets and a self-rationalizing philosophy in which a grounding belief in the protean illogic of human existence is the point (“I did hallucinogens for corroboration”), but through a subtle yet strong emotional engagement, as recognizably deep notes of loss, failure, regret, tenderness, awe, and despair can be discerned amid the bright dissonance of non sequiturs. VERDICT Some serious-minded readers may grow exasperated with Young’s kitchen-sink approach and class-clown shenanigans, but others will admire an energetic imagination that shows no sign of depletion even after 11 vibrant collections.—Fred Muratori, Cornell Univ. Lib., Ithaca, NY
RELIGION
Greenhouse, Lucia. fathermothergod: My Journey Out of Christian Science. Crown. Aug. 2011. c.320p. ISBN 9780307720924. $25. REL
In her memoir, Greenhouse writes of being the child of parents who practiced Christian Science and her eventual falling away—she herself was never a member of the church. In recounting growing up in this household, she writes in the first-person present, so readers feel her confusion over the church doctrine that considers sickness and even death as “error.” Her father’s faith was strong enough that he becomes a Christian Science practitioner who treated other Christian Scientists through prayer. Greenhouse and her brother, not sharing the faith (an older sister did) rebelled in various ways. Despite their disagreements with their parents, the siblings agreed not to tell their extended family when their mother fell seriously ill. Greenhouse’s mother finally agreed to be taken to a hospital, where she rallied for a short while before dying. Her death created rifts in the family, some that never fully healed. VERDICT Through this memoir, readers will see how even those closest to us can remain a mystery. Greenhouse’s book is unlikely to be read by many practicing Christian Scientists. Those curious about the faith and those interested in stories of life’s challenges, though, may find this a gratifying read. [See Prepub Alert, 2/7/11.]—Eric Norton, McMillan Memorial Lib., Wisconsin Rapids
Islam: A Short Guide to the Faith. Eerdmans. 2011. c.186p. ed. by Roger Allen & Shawkat M. Toorawa. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780802866004. pap. $20. REL
Islam, which means “surrender” or “submission,” is a pervasive faith that boasts 1.5 billion adherents worldwide. Allen (Arabic & comparative literature, Univ. of Pennsylvania) and Toorawa (Arabic literature & Islamic studies, Cornell Univ.) have assembled a collection of pithy essays that serve as an authoritative overview of the Islamic faith, including discussion of the religion’s founder, Muhammad; its holy text, the Koran; and its different groups of followers (e.g., Sunni and Shiite). Especially intriguing are pieces on Islam’s relationship to the other titans of monotheism, Judaism and Christianity. There is also a piece on the controversial and misunderstood topic of the role of women in Islamic faith. For instance, without Khadija, Muhammad’s first wife, neither the Koran nor Islam would exist. The book also delves into the rise and influence of Islam in the United States. VERDICT This scholarly yet accessible guide provides a rich, condensed overview of Islamic history, beliefs, philosophy, law, architecture, and more. With a helpful glossary and a multimedia bibliography. Appropriate for academic libraries—especially those with strong collections in religious studies and theology—as well as public libraries that need to diversify as well as expand their collections.—Brian Smith McCallum, Arlington Heights Memorial Lib., IL
Lane, Belden C. Ravished by Beauty: The Surprising Legacy of Reformed Spirituality. Oxford Univ. 2011. c.272p. illus. index. ISBN 9780199755080. $29.95. REL
When hearing the word Calvinism, you might think of predestination, depravation, and the grim belief that only a select few are worthy of God. Lane (theological studies, American religion, & history of spirituality, Saint Louis Univ.; The Solace of Fierce Landscapes: Exploring Desert and Mountain Spirituality), however, invites us to take a second, fresh look at Calvinism—through the eyes of nature. This “green theology” delves into the writings of John Calvin, Jonathan Edwards, and the Puritans to show nature’s profound effect on them and their spirituality. These figures, known for strict and prudish beliefs, were overwhelmed with a desire—one might even say a lust—to feel the presence of God in nature. Lane uses their beliefs and the inherent message to emphasize our need to save our natural resources. He also explains how a spiritual need for nature can lead to an abuse of natural resources. VERDICT Ultimately, Lane mixes environmental concern with spirituality in this informative and thought-provoking work about how we treat nature. Recommended for readers and collections embracing the interconnectedness between religion and environmentalism, a new area of study known as green theology.—Sonnet Brown, Univ. of New Orleans Lib.
The Reliability of the New Testament: Bart D. Ehrman & Daniel B. Wallace in Dialogue. Fortress. 2011. 224p. ed. by Robert B. Stewart. index. ISBN 9780800697730. pap. $22. REL
Despite its title, this volume is not exactly a dialog. It consists mainly of a series of essays by authors other than Ehrman and Wallace. Although the book includes a transcript of a conversation between the two, held as part of the Greer-Heard Point-Counterpoint Forum, readers will be disappointed to find no vigorous hashing out of their academic differences regarding the reliability or stability of the New Testament manuscript tradition. Further, Stewart (philosophy & theology, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary) has here selected, as he has done with other volumes emerging from this forum (e.g., The Future of Atheism ), a group of experts who share views more in line with Wallace’s position (and those of the conservative forum and its sponsoring institution) to write highly polished, persuasive essays to overwhelm the informal, moderate views of Ehrman presented in the transcript. The result is far from a fair fight, intellectually. No sympathetic expert voice is called to Ehrman’s corner, so the dialog seems imbalanced, and the outcome rigged. VERDICT Readers interested in the history and critical study of biblical manuscripts would do well by the late Bruce M. Metzger’s The Text of the New Testament , while those wondering what it all means should stick with the individual works of Ehrman and Wallace. —Matthew Sullivan, Hallowell, ME
Veenhof, Douglas. White Lama: The Life of Tantric Yogi Theos Bernard, Tibet’s Lost Emissary to the New World. Harmony: Crown. May 2011. c.448p. photogs. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780385514323. $27.50. REL
Veenhof pens rich details about the intellectually curious and adventurous Theos Bernard (b. 1908) in this first major biography of the largely forgotten individual who helped introduce yogic practices to the West. Veenhof, a practitioner of Buddhism and yoga, covers Bernard’s life from his childhood in Arizona, through his crucial experiences in India and Tibet (as one of the first Americans to enter Tibet) and his graduate education at Columbia University (leading to his book Hatha Yoga, which introduced the practice to Americans), to his return to India and Tibet and his disappearance and presumed death at the age of 38. Veenhof explores Bernard’s deliberate deceptions about the true identity of his guru; his many intimate relationships with women (he was married three times); his journey into Tibetan culture; the influence of his uncle, Pierre Bernard, the subject of Robert Love’s The Great Oom: The Improbable Birth of Yoga in America; and his celebrity in the United States. VERDICT This book, using archival sources, will primarily appeal to students of yoga, Tantra, Buddhism, and Tibet, as well as those game for an offbeat adventure story.—Rukshana Singh, Torrance P.L., CA
SPORTS & RECREATION
Leerhsen, Charles. Blood and Smoke: A True Tale of Mystery, Mayhem, and the Birth of the Indy 500. S. & S. May 2011. c.288p. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781439149041. $26. SPORTS
The earliest auto races were more about endurance than speed, writes Leerhsen (Crazy Good: The True Story of Dan Patch, the Most Famous Horse in America). Cars were more likely to break down, burst into flames, or fall apart than complete the race, and drivers weren’t sure they’d be alive at the finish line. Early automakers wanting to promote sales of their cars—like Louis Chevrolet—and promoters looking to net a tidy profit joined forces to promote auto racing as a spectator sport. With alternating tales of horrifying crashes and the schemes of Carl Fisher, who promoted the Indianapolis Speedway as a venue for airplane races, this is a ripping good yarn of America in the early 20th century. Leerhsen, a witty storyteller, draws from contemporary articles, histories, and interviews to pull readers into a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the building of the Speedway and the first race. VERDICT While the primary audience is auto racing fans and those interested in Indiana history, this book has broad appeal, with laugh-out-loud stories and characters who would be unbelievable if they turned up in fiction. Highly recommended.—Susan Belsky, Oshkosh P.L., WI
Just Jane Austen
Austen, Jane. The Annotated Sense and Sensibility. Anchor: Random. May 2011. c.784p. ed. by David M. Shapard. illus. maps. bibliog. ISBN 9780307390769. pap. $16.95. LIT
Shapard’s third annotated edition of Austen’s work follows The Annotated Pride and Prejudice and The Annotated Persuasion. As with the other volumes in the series, this one contains detailed and accessible annotations, a brief introduction, an extensive bibliography, a helpful chronology, and a series of maps, as well as copious illustrations depicting architecture, dress, landscape, and objects relevant to the text. There are other recent scholarly editions of Sense and Sensibility (e.g., the Norton Critical Edition, edited by Claudia L. Johnson), but this version will appeal to the modern reader through its facing-page annotations (eliminating the need to turn to the back of the chapter or text) and its topical bibliography on everything from outdoor sports to the fashions of the period. Austen purists may object to Shapard’s invented chapter headings, while other readers may find them a useful addition. VERDICT Recommended. High school through graduate school students will find this of value; casual readers and book club members will appreciate the thorough annotations and helpful supplementary materials. —Alison M. Lewis, formerly with Drexel Univ. Lib., Philadelphia
Brownstein, Rachel M. Why Jane Austen? Columbia Univ. Jun. 2011. c.320p. photogs. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780231153904. $29.50. LIT
Combining literary criticism, biography, cultural studies, and women’s studies to build a case for why Jane Austen remains relevant to so many readers, Brownstein (English, Brooklyn Coll. & CUNY Graduate Ctr.; Becoming a Heroine: Reading About Women in Novels) compares Austen’s life to contemporaries such as Lord Byron and explores how her novels have been interpreted and used by later writers. Brownstein’s interpretations of Austen’s novels, letters, and juvenilia are fresh and frequently illuminating. While she pays attention to all of Austen’s novels, she focuses most heavily on Pride and Prejudice and Emma. Devotees of Austen’s other novels may feel slighted, but the two novels do act as natural contrasts. Pride and Prejudice is the most frequently adapted and probably the best-loved of Austen’s novels, while Austen expected that she herself would be the only person to like the title character of Emma. Brownstein dissects film and television adaptations, charting the changing perceptions of the novelist and the novels, and explores the industry of “fake” Austen fiction as well. VERDICT This book will delight devoted readers and students of Jane Austen and may inspire readers who have disliked Austen in the past. Cultural studies enthusiasts interested in the interplay between high culture and pop culture will also enjoy it. —Sharon E. Reidt, Marlboro Coll. Lib., VT
Deresiewicz, William. A Jane Austen Education: How Six Novels Taught Me About Love, Friendship, and the Things That Really Matter. Penguin Pr: Penguin Group (USA). May 2011. c.272p. ISBN 9781594202889. $25.95. LIT
Janeites face the necessity of defending their favorite author against dismissive detractors who say that Austen’s world was too insular, and thus she wrote works of mere romantic confection. Deresiewicz (formerly English, Yale Univ.; Jane Austen and the Romantic Poets) agreed with this sentiment until, as a doctoral student beginning his dissertation in English literature, he began studying Austen’s works. He then came to appreciate that Austen was actually a deft, often satirical observer of the society in which she lived. But this book is not strictly literary criticism; it’s a memoir. As the son of a harsh, overbearing immigrant father, Deresiewicz developed a detached attitude that served him badly in personal and social relationships. He found that through lessons learned in studying Austen’s themes, he was able to subjugate his ego, cultivate kindness, and realize the necessity of perpetual growth in order to live a happy and fulfilling life. VERDICT Of the plethora of books about Austen’s life and work, this is a standout as it addresses the timelessness of Austen’s themes to prove the personal—and universal—relevance of literature. —Lisa Guidarini, Algonquin P.L., IL
