Arts & Humanities Reviews, September 15, 2011
Sep 15, 2011Arts
Avant-Garde Art in Everyday Life: Early Twentieth-Century European Modernism. Art Inst. of Chicago, dist. by Yale Univ. 2011. 160p. ed. by Matthew S. Witkovsky. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780300166095. $50. FINE ARTS
Purposeful jumbles of eye-popping graphics, zany color insertions, zipping diagonals, mixtures of typefaces, and disparities in scale are hallmarks of the early 20th-century European graphic and design avant-garde and are featured in this studious exhibition catalog. Witkovsky, chair of the Art Institute’s department of photography, gathers essays on John Heartfield, Gustav Klutsis, El Lissitzky, Ladislav Sutnar, Karel Teige, and Piet Zwart. The collection emphasizes the range of their designs (e.g., posters, drawings, photographs, illustrated magazines, book jackets, advertising, postage stamps, clothing, table settings) influenced by Dada, surrealism, and constructivism. Scarce and fragile materials—left-wing books and magazines such as Young Guard, AIZ, and The Red Banner—as well as politics, like the New Typography movement’s utopian promise of uplifting mass commodity, are rigorously examined and documented. VERDICT Of tremendous appeal to design, art, and cultural historians for uncommon examples and treatment of lesser-known artists. As befitting the subject, the catalog is a visual delight.—Russell T. Clement, Northwestern Univ. Lib., Evanston, IL
Corcoran Gallery of Art: American Paintings to 1945. Hudson Hills, dist. by National Bk. Network. 2011. 320p. ed. by Sarah Cash. illus. index. ISBN 9781555953614. $60. FINE ARTS
William Wilson Corcoran gave his private collection of paintings to the American people, beginning a grand tradition of cultural philanthropy that continues to this day. In this publication, one can follow the development of the Washington, DC–based collection as well as the policies set by its founder. The collection contains many of the major icons of American painting: Samuel Finley Breese Morse, Rembrandt Peale, John Singer Sargent, and Thomas Cole and other Hudson River School painters. The developing face of the nation in geography, society, and art, as well as the developing fields of private patronage and institutional acquisitions, are limned in this superb resource. Reproduced here are some of the choicest morsels in this collection’s visual feast, and the accompanying essays by a wide range of scholars offer a vision of the “American genius” encouraged and admired by Corcoran. An accompanying website offers extended information about the works illustrated, including exhibition histories, related works, and even frame information. VERDICT Elegant and scholarly, this work is a fine addition to the tradition of major collection catalogs and an excellent resource for the study of American art as well as American art patronage.—Paula Frosch, Metropolitan Museum of Art Lib., New York
Giansanti, Gianni. The Last African Warriors. White Star, dist. by Sterling. 2011. 216p. photogs. ISBN 9788854404724. $60. PHOTOG
Aptly titled, this oversized book features photographs of the last generations of traditional Surma warriors living near Ethiopia’s Mago National Park—hard-eyed portraits of individuals, groups of men, and details of body art and regalia. Noted photojournalist Giansanti focuses on the Mursi, Suri, and Me’en peoples of southern Ethiopia and contributes both the text and the many remarkable photographs for this spectacular book. While his short essays and captions are helpful and informative, the strengths of the book are the dramatic photographs of vanishing cultures and the compelling overall design. The large size (13" x 16") probably isn’t necessary, but each of the images is set like a colorful gem against black pages and appears to surface from a great depth. VERDICT The book will appeal to anyone interested in documentary photography or African history and culture.—Raymond Bial, First Light Photography, Urbana, IL
Goodall, John. The English Castle, 1066–1650. Yale Univ. (Paul Mellon Ctr. for Studies in British Art). 2011. 480p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780300110586. $75. ARCHITECTURE
Goodall (architectural editor, Country Life) has produced an impressive, large-format history of England’s evocative fortresses. While many were indeed besieged or ruined, castles are analyzed here as prestigious homes, primarily of royalty and nobility. Backed by comprehensive research, Goodall describes the cost, design, and fate of many key castles, starting with the Norman Conquest and ending in the English Civil War. The author’s writing is dense with detail, but a grand narrative carries it along. He puts castles in the context of their times and traces the ways of large medieval and Renaissance households. Readers can follow the evolution of design, usually influenced by royal precedents, through six centuries. There are over 350 illustrations, including a splendid selection of color photographs. VERDICT A definitive general guide to English castles and owners during their heyday; a fine choice for university students and readers familiar with the field.—David R. Conn, formerly with Surrey P.L., B.C.
Morris, Daniel. After Weegee: Essays on Contemporary Jewish American Photographers. Syracuse Univ. 2011. c.320p. photogs. bibliog. ISBN 9780815609872. $29.95. PHOTOG
Morris’s (English, Purdue Univ.; The Poetry of Louise Gluck: A Thematic Introduction) collection of ten essays focuses on the work of Diane Arbus, Marc Asnin, Bruce Davidson, Lee Friedlander, Allen Ginsberg, Jim Goldberg, Annie Leibovitz, Tyagan Miller, Mel Rosenthal, Aaron Siskind, and Weegee (Arthur Fellig). Morris begins with the work of Weegee and considers each photographer’s work in terms of his or her relationship to Judaism rather than Weegee’s influence on Jewish photography. Using copious interviews, articles, photographs, and critical theory, Morris analyzes individual images with a close eye for detail and a clear discussion of how each individual Jewish photographer fits into the broader context of contemporary photography. Morris sees the Jewish identity of these photographers as something that is rarely blatant, often ambivalent, and always complex. What distinguishes Morris’s book is his accessible but scholarly style; as a poet, writer, and literary critic, he adds much to the conversation about Judaism and modern art. VERDICT This intellectually engaging volume is highly recommended for graduate collections of photography and Judaic studies.—Shauna Frischkorn, Millersville Univ., PA
Olley, Michelle. Erotique: Masterpieces of Erotic Art. Carlton, dist. by Sterling. 2011. 224p. illus. index. ISBN 9781847328243. $29.95. FINE ARTS
Since the 1960s, scores of books purporting to offer a survey of erotic art have been published. Typically they offer a miscellany of images with little explanation as to why they were selected and commentary that consists of generalizations about various aspects of erotic art or descriptive commentary on a period or individual artist’s style. The kind of detailed information that scholarly art books offer for each illustration is rarely provided. Olley’s collection is no exception—in fact, the only information provided on the same page as the illustration is the artist’s name, while titles, dates, and media are listed on a single page of the book in extremely small, almost-unreadable gray type. Sharing many images with Olley’s earlier Ars Erotica: the Best Modern Erotic Art, the book’s primary value is its emphasis on modern and contemporary artists, which could interest erotic art aficionados. VERDICT For libraries interested in having at least one book on the subject, 1000 Erotic Works of Genius would provide a more thorough visual survey of the subject.—Eugene C. Burt, Seattle
Plans and Details for Contemporary Architects: Building with Color. Thames & Hudson, dist. by Norton. 2011. 240p. ed. by The Plan. illus. ISBN 9780500342671. $65. ARCHITECTURE
Edited and produced by Italian architecture journal The Plan and originally published in Britain in 2010, this book is clearly aimed at practicing architects—the title reads true. It shows 20 recent, mostly European, mostly commercial or public projects in full-page color, with substantial emphasis on construction details and materials. Each project has a page of text about the building and its program, and there are general plans for most. Two two-page introductions, “Colour in Contemporary Architecture” and “Architecture and Colour,” provide only two-sentence introductions to each of the projects included. VERDICT This would be a useful visual book for architecture school collections; however, the binding is easily damaged.—Jack Perry Brown, Art Inst. of Chicago Libs.
The Suspension of Time: Reflections on Simon Dinnerstein and the Fulbright Triptych. Milkweed. 2011. 360p. ed. by Daniel Slager. illus. ISBN 9781571313263. pap. $35. FINE ARTS
In this collection of 44 essays on a single work by contemporary painter Simon Dinnerstein, Slager (publisher, Milkweed Editions) presents a diverse group of writers, many of whom are not art historians. A New York–based artist, Dinnerstein paints in a mystical-realist style and incorporates many art history references to northern European artists, among others. Originating from conversations between the artist and Slager, who are friends, the book expanded to contain 37 newly commissioned essays and seven that are reprinted. The points of view are varied, as are the approaches to the technique, iconography, and meaning of this very large painting. Because many of the writers come from outside the art history tent, their observations can at times be naive or fresh, superficial or thoughtful. There is no particular attempt at a synthesis, although there are many examples of methodology. The book includes comments on a dozen other paintings by Dinnerstein and his 1986 statement “On Looking at His Own Art.” VERDICT Despite the inclusiveness of the contributors, this book is best suited for advanced art history collections.—Jack Perry Brown, Art Inst. of Chicago Libs.
Literature
| Sidebar: Old as Methuselah? |
| The King James Version at 400 |
Boyd, Brian. Stalking Nabokov: Selected Essays. Columbia Univ. Nov. 2011. c.416p. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780231158565. $35. LIT
This appealing (albeit unfortunately titled) collection of essays, addresses, and introductions written for an assortment of audiences by a noted Nabokov biographer and scholar is a delight. Boyd (University Distinguished Professor of English, Univ. of Auckland, New Zealand; Vladimir Nabokov) does more than an able job of exploring Nabokov’s varied intellectual interests—beyond what he could convey in his two-volume biography—from examining Nabokov’s lepidopterological pursuits to trenchant assessments of Nabokov as a writer. Boyd dissects several major novels and offers comparisons between Nabokov and writers as diverse as Tolstoy and Machado de Assis. VERDICT As is common with such collections, there’s a degree of repetitiveness, with some facts, anecdotes, and quoted passages found in more than one piece. But readers can skip around among the aspects of Nabokov that interest the most—or, for example, they can read the several chapters on Nabokov’s scientific interests to broaden their own understanding. A readable collection on one of the 20th century’s greatest writers, this will be enjoyed by Nabokov fans and students of 20th-century literature.—Sharon E. Reidt, Marlboro Coll. Lib., VT
Didion, Joan. Blue Nights. Knopf. Nov. 2011. c.208p. ISBN 9780307267672. $25. LIT
In The Year of Magical Thinking, Didion wrote about her reaction to the death of her husband, John Gregory Dunne. Here she addresses the death shortly thereafter of her 39-year-old daughter, Quintana, who died of complications from pneumonia. Adopted at birth and apprised of this at a young age, Quintana had feelings of abandonment her entire life. Didion wonders here whether her handling of her daughter’s early years contributed to those feelings and generally questions her suitability as a parent. At the same time, she discusses her own attempts to cope with aging and the onset of frailty. Didion’s spare style of writing gets right to the point. She ponders Quintana’s utterances and writings to try to better understand her and how she herself might have responded differently, but ultimately, there are no answers. VERDICT This worthwhile meditation on parenting and aging by a succinct writer, while at times difficult to read and a bit self-centered, is well worth the emotional toll. [See Prepub Alert, 5/2/11.]—Gina Kaiser, Univ. of the Sciences Lib., Philadelphia
Dirda, Michael. On Conan Doyle: Or, The Whole Art of Storytelling. Princeton Univ. (Writers on Writers). Nov. 2011. c.232p. ISBN 9780691151359. $19.95. LIT
Written by a lifelong fan of Conan Doyle’s work (and an accomplished writer himself, having won a Pulitzer Prize in 1993), this book is equal parts literary biography and the author’s memoir of his own life as a reader of Conan Doyle. Dirda urges readers to read beyond the Holmes canon. After all, during Conan Doyle’s lifetime “there appeared most of our pattern-establishing masterpieces of science fiction, horror, fantasy, and adventure”—all of which Conan Doyle had a hand in through adventure, sf, and chilling horror stories of his own. Not intended either as academic biography or scholarly criticism, this book will give its readers fascinating tidbits about Conan Doyle’s life, including much beyond Holmes, as well as charming stories of Dirda’s own love of reading. VERDICT An enjoyable read for those wishing to extend their Conan Doyle reading and for fans of other genres, such as sf, adventure, and memoir.—Megan Hodge, Chesterfield Cty. P.L., Richmond, VA
Leibowitz, Herbert. “Something Urgent I Have To Say to You”: The Life and Works of William Carlos Williams. Farrar. Nov. 2011. c.473p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780374113292. $35. LIT
In this extremely well-researched work, Leibowitz (editor, Parnassus) combines biography and literary criticism. The results are brilliant and dense, with the author dissecting Williams’s relationships with his family, wife, literary peers, and romantic partners through his representation of them and himself in his various writings. Leibowitz begins with a clever defense of biography and the need to create a “multilayered portrait of the artist” through the poetry. He delivers on this promise. The reader gets to know a complete Williams with all his insecurities intact. While there have been many books on Williams’s life and on his works, many of them are simplified or pared down to make them more accessible. Williams’s work was as complex as his life. Leibowitz is successful in presenting a complete Williams. VERDICT A necessary work for graduate and advanced readers with a dedicated interest in modern poetry. Casual readers will not find this work easily accessible.—Paolina Taglienti, Everest Coll., Henderson, NV
Philbrick, Nathaniel. Why Read Moby-Dick? Viking. Oct. 2011. c.131p. bibliog. ISBN 9780670022991. $25. LIT
Philbrick (In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex), a National Book Award winner and resident of Nantucket, has been an ardent lifelong fan of Moby-Dick. In this brief volume, he aims to diminish the twin threats of a work that is both very long and written in a daunting style by writing in an unacademic style himself to support his contention that “Moby-Dick is nothing less than the genetic code of America.” Philbrick conveys his own deep enthusiasm for the book and argues that “whenever a new crisis grips the country, Moby-Dick becomes newly important.” In thematic chapters, Philbrick observes Moby-Dick through a variety of lenses—historical, philosophical, biographical, literary, and maritime—all demonstrating the book’s ongoing fascinations and the ease with which today’s readers can enter the novel’s world. VERDICT While Philbrick may not persuade all readers who’ve been avoiding this tome to give it a try, he should succeed in swaying quite a few. There’s nothing especially subtle or insightful here for those who’ve studied the book, but to entice new readers to Melville’s work, it surely deserves consideration.—Charles C. Nash, formerly with Cottey Coll., Nevada, MO
Performing Arts
Avery, Kevin. Everything Is an Afterthought: The Life and Writings of Paul Nelson. Fantagraphics. Nov. 2011. c.584p. photogs. ISBN 9781606994757. $29.99. MUSIC
That there are pundits who have made careers out of pronouncing criticism dead would’ve deeply rankled the late Paul Nelson, whose dedication to film and music ran so deep that he routinely withheld copy if it didn’t achieve his standard of emotional intelligence. As journalist Avery documents in this cohesive biography–cum–first anthology of the onetime Rolling Stone record review editor’s oeuvre, Nelson was a gifted early practitioner of new journalism and, though a child of the Sixties folk and rock counterculture, one of its most vocal critics. Bob Dylan probably received from Nelson as many pointed reality checks as he did gushing valentines. Reading his inconceivably insightful profiles of Bruce Springsteen, Leonard Cohen, Warren Zevon, and Rod Stewart helps make sense of a needlessly guilt- and disappointment-laden life—here was a hyper-romantic Midwesterner by birth but a New Yorker by necessity who thought he could transcend mundane cruelties by dedicating himself to the popular arts. VERDICT Seamlessly incorporating the perspectives of Nick Tosches, Robert Christgau, and Jann Wenner, Avery has crafted both a cautionary tale and a celebration of a noir-influenced writer who deserves a place alongside Lester Bangs for his ability to live, always, in the music. Devotees of folk, establishment rock ’n’ roll, and pulp fiction will rue not having discovered Nelson sooner. [See also the Avery-edited Conversations with Clint: Paul Nelson’s Lost Interviews with Clint Eastwood, 1979–1983, coming in October from Continuum.—Ed.]—Heather McCormack, Library Journal
Cristiano, Giuseppe. The Storyboard Artist: A Guide to Freelancing in Film, TV, and Advertising. Michael Wiese. Jan. 2012. c.210p. illus. ISBN 9781615930838. $24.95. FILM
Any student studying film production has heard, “You must storyboard!” but most curricula gloss over instruction. Film production freelancer Cristiano reveals the sense behind storyboards—cinematographic visualizations and breakdowns of shot composition that directors can use to conceptualize the story before the shoot. Savvy producers and crews can similarly use them to plan setup tools, stage a scene, and even approximate a budget. There is not a formally accepted structured curriculum or directed career path—often storyboarding is a professional sidestep taken by those trained to be artists or directors—so books on the topic tend to be a mashup of studies including drawing, cinematography, script analysis, visual writing, and directing. Cristiano effectively communicates a route in an organized and career-sensible manner: storyboarding definitions, equipment guide, how to draw (techniques), storyboarding in advertising, working with directors and producers, and the business side (contracts, bookkeeping, promotion, and freelance). VERDICT A practical guide that is, like its subject, a conceptual and physical tool for saving time and money. Recommended for film students looking for illumination of all corners of the filmmaking process (and possibly to discover a niche) and freelance artists seeking a change.—Ben Malczewski, Ypsilanti Dist. Lib., MI
Flying Saucers Rock ’n’ Roll: Conversations with Unjustly Obscure Rock ’n’ Soul Eccentrics. Duke Univ. Oct. 2011. c.320p. ed. by Jake Austen. illus. index. ISBN 9780822348498. pap. $24.95. MUSIC
The history of music is layered with as many personalities as genres and subgenres. While mainstream publications focus on only a handful of entertainers, independent zines and magazines often expose the talented and outlandish figures stalking the fringes of the creative community. Roctober, an independent zine based out of Chicago, has been interviewing colorful personalities in the music business for the last 20 years. Roctober editor Austen has compiled previously published interviews from the zine, including varied musicians from David Allan Coe to Sam the Sham. Complete with photographs and contextual bios, each interview details the trials and tribulations of pioneering musicians often toiling away in the shadows of rock ’n’ roll history. VERDICT Serving as both a brief history of Roctober and an anthology, this collection of interviews will be welcome by fans of the zine and will appeal to serious rock ’n’ roll readers. Those who enjoyed Richie Unterberger’s Urban Spacemen and Wayfaring Strangers: Overlooked Innovators and Eccentric Visionaries of ’60s Rock will also appreciate this book.—Joshua Finnell, Denison Univ. Lib., Granville, OH
Hermes, Will. Love Goes to Buildings on Fire: Five Years in New York That Changed Music Forever. Faber & Faber. Nov. 2011. c.368p. filmog. bibliog. index. discog. ISBN 9780865479807. $30. MUSIC
Hermes (senior critic, Rolling Stone) reviews the diverse musical scene in New York City between 1973 and 1977, a time when the city was facing bankruptcy and myriad social problems. Extremely wide reaching in his survey of rock, salsa, disco, early hip-hop, avant-garde jazz, and classical minimalism, Hermes discusses artists ranging from Patti Smith, the Ramones, and the Talking Heads to Philip Glass, Willie Colón, Anthony Braxton, and Grandmaster Flash. He explores the rock clubs exemplified by CBGBs, DJ street parties that were the seeds of hip-hop, disco clubs, and jazz music created and performed in lofts. He writes with scene-setting observational detail and provides contextual background to events and social movements taking place throughout New York as well as biographical observations from his own youth growing up in the city at that time. VERDICT Hermes’s chronological rather than topical approach is wide rather than deep and is sometimes daunting in its sheer recitation of personalities. Still, it is a well-written entry for the reader (and listener) to explore the musical styles and people of a fascinating era.—Jim Collins, Morristown-Morris Twp. Lib., NJ
Isacoff, Stuart. A Natural History of the Piano: The Instrument, the Music, the Musicians—from Mozart to Modern Jazz and Everything in Between. Knopf. Nov. 2011. c.416p. photogs. index. ISBN 9780307266378. $32.50. MUSIC
In this engrossing study, pianist Isacoff (Temperament: How Music Became a Battleground for the Great Minds of Western Civilization) combines basic history of the construction and sound of pianos with witty discourses on composers and performers and their cultural context. Dividing the subject into thematic sections such as “Combustibles” or “Rhythmitizers” brings together similar stylists from across the centuries, while certain major schools such as that emanating from Russia are given separate treatment. Although the field of piano history books is already crowded, this title stands out for its distinctive inclusion of jazz figures such as Duke Ellington and for long quotations from artists ranging from Vladimir Horowitz to Billy Joel. Isacoff addresses the role of women musicians and brings to the fore valuable if long-forgotten names as well. The many photographs and drawings lend much humanity; diagrams and selected musical examples, contributor biographies, and sections of notes are all useful. VERDICT Pianists at all levels, music history buffs, and academics will appreciate Isacoff’s insights and clever way with words; this is an enjoyable and informative book. [See Prepub Alert, 5/2/11.]—Barry Zaslow, Miami Univ. Libs., Oxford, OH
Tillery, Gary. Working Class Mystic: A Spiritual Biography of George Harrison. Quest: Theosophical. Nov. 2011. c.200p. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780835609005. pap. $15.95. MUSIC
Tillery has analyzed the spirituality of John Lennon (The Cynical Idealist) and written a short story collection set in Vietnam (Darkling Plain) and humorous detective novels, and he is a celebrated professional sculptor. Perhaps his breadth of interests allowed him to take this wide-screen look at the spirituality of George Harrison. As a member of the Beatles and a somewhat reclusive solo pop star until his death in 2001, Harrison was generally known for his spirituality and embrace of Hinduism. Tillery examines Harrison’s lyrics, life, and writings and convincingly explains their place—contradictions and all—within Hinduism and within Harrison’s personal spiritual quest. The writing is clear and concise but occasionally veers into near proselytizing as Tillery extends his discussion beyond that for which he finds direct evidence in Harrison’s work. VERDICT This is a clear, generally well-documented, and fairly short read that will find favor among Harrison and Beatles fans. Recommended.—James E. Perone, Univ. of Mount Union, Alliance, O
Tunstall, Tricia. Changing Lives: Gustavo Dudamel, El Sistema, and the Transformative Power of Music. Norton. Jan. 2012. c.320p. photogs. index.ISBN 9780393078961. $26.95. MUSIC
Gustavo Dudamel, the young and exuberant conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, is the most famous graduate of El Sistema, the remarkable music education program in Venezuela, whose laudable purpose is to use the experience of orchestral playing as a means of giving new meaning to the lives of impoverished children. The twin goals of equal access and artistic excellence have resulted in dozens of outstanding youth orchestras that have captivated audiences and won international prizes. The phenomenal success of this 35-year-old program has spawned El Sistema–like organizations in the United States, where many communities are seeking novel ways of turning low-income youth away from drugs and violence. Tunstall (Note by Note: A Celebration of the Piano Lesson), a music educator, has witnessed her subject firsthand by traveling to Venezuela and interviewing dozens of children and teachers in the program, including their venerable founder, José Abreu. VERDICT This passionate and inspiring story should be read by all those interested in music education, community building, and advocacy for the disadvantaged. An essential purchase. [See Prepub Alert, 7/11/11.]—Larry Lipkis, Moravian Coll., Bethlehem, PA
Philosophy
Baier, Annette C. The Pursuits of Philosophy: An Introduction to the Life and Thought of David Hume. Harvard Univ. Oct. 2011. c.166p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780674061682. $24.95. PHIL
Shortly before he died, David Hume (1711–76) wrote his autobiography, and Baier (Distinguished Service Professor of Philosophy Emerita, Univ. of Pittsburgh; Death and Character: Further Reflections on Hume) wisely incorporates pertinent parts of it at the start of each of the seven chapters here. Baier’s small volume successfully introduces readers to Hume and the phases of his life, from childhood and youth to his final years and death in Edinburgh. She is less successful as a guide to Hume’s philosophy, as presented in his crucial works, such as A Treatise of Human Nature, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, and others. VERDICT In this, Hume’s 300th birthday year, he remains one of the most important and studied philosophers of his age. General readers seeking insight into his philosophy of mind, epistemology, metaphysics, and thoughts on Christian belief may be disappointed. They should turn instead to Paul Strathern’s Hume in 90 Minutes. An optional purchase for particular readers, but public and undergraduate libraries should add it to their subject collections.—Leon H Brody, Falls Church, VA
Poetry
Jubouri, Amal al-. Hagar Before the Occupation/Hagar After the Occupation. Alice James. Nov. 2011. c.160p. tr. from Arabic by Rebecca Gayle Howell & Husam Qaisi. ISBN 9781882295890. pap. $17.50. POETRY
In the Judeo-Christian tradition, Hagar (pronounced with a hard g) is the banished other, but in the Islamic tradition (pronounced with a soft g), she is an honored presence, founder of Mecca in her wanderings. Baghdad-born al-Jubouri knows banishment herself—she fled Iraq for Germany in 1997 after having appeared on the government’s list of renegade writers, returning directly after the regime’s fall—so it makes sense for her to speak in the guise of Hagar. In spare, vivid, and poundingly heartfelt language, she shows us her country before the occupation by U.S. troops and afterward. Though political observation is inevitable (After the occupation, the Tigris “escapes// the Green Zone’s eyes/ the Palace’s eyes/ the invader’s grunts”), this is no mere polemic but a meditation on how a country and its people change after a momentous event, reflected through observation of the physical (“photographs,” “my mouth”) and the less tangible (“love,” “freedom,” “my grave”). Loneliness before the occupation “arrested our sleep/ our secrets/ our restlessness” and afterward “escapes from our beds to our bodies.” VERDICT Given Iraq’s millennia-long history, it’s not surprising that these poems have a timeless, haunting quality, and they offer not just enormous pleasure but understanding.—Barbara Hoffert, Library Journal
Tanning, Dorothea. Coming to That. Graywolf. Sept. 2011. 64p. ISBN 9781555976019. pap. $15. POETRY
Self-described at age 101 as the “oldest living emerging poet,” painter and sculptor Tanning has published a second volume of poems in the second century of her life, a life that has been dedicated to the creation of art and beauty. (Her first collection, A Table of Content, appeared in 2004.) Tanning’s poems are beautifully created, filled with rich rhythms and imagery. Mostly, they are made of individual tableaux and artistic vistas, sometimes filled with flights of the fantastic: “And crazed as a lost idea/ wild to find its mind/ in no time flat it had me out there// reeling in a surreal sky.” Often ironic and often filled with wisdom and humor, a Tanning poem asks readers to believe in her artistic vision. These are poems of beginnings and choices, of marriage and aging, and of creation—poems still filled with wondering. Tanning still seeks, still questions: “Surely this everywhere present is real/ enough and eager, yet unable, to tell me/ what I am waiting for now.” VERDICT Highly recommended for readers of contemporary poetry.—Karla Huston, Wisconsin Acad. of Sciences, Arts & Letters, Madison
Religion
Givens, Terryl L. & Matthew J. Grow. Parley P. Pratt: The Apostle Paul of Mormonism. Oxford Univ. Oct. 2011. c.592p. illus. index. ISBN 9780195375732. $34.95. REL
Parley P. Pratt (1807–57) was one of the most influential early apostles of the Mormon Church. He baptized several people who would become Mormon Church leaders, and he wrote some of the earliest tracts and books of systematic theology. He also wrote the text for one of the most popular Mormon hymns. Givens (By the Hand of Mormon) and Grow (“Liberty to the Downtrodden”: Thomas L. Kane, Romantic Reformer) are believing Mormons whose biography of Pratt is a triumphalist take on what anyone would admit was an extraordinary life. Pratt’s missionary journeys from England to Chile to San Francisco led to the foundation of mission strategy for the Latter-day Saints and are the stuff of legend, which Givens and Grow mine to good effect. They have plenty of source material on which to rely, including Pratt’s autobiography, a classic of Mormon writing that remains in print to this day. VERDICT This first scholarly biography of Pratt deserves a place in libraries collecting American history, given his importance in the founding years of Mormonism.—David Azzolina, Univ. of Pennsylvania Libs., Philadelphia
Harline, Craig. Conversions: Two Family Stories from the Reformation and Modern America. Yale Univ. (New Directions in Narrative History). Sept. 2011. c.320p. index. ISBN 9780300167016. $27.50. REL
Cultural and Reformation historian Harline (Brigham Young Univ.; Sunday: A History of the First Day from Babylonia to the Super Bowl) takes readers through the sometimes engaging personal stories of two converts: a young 17th-century Dutch Calvinist who converts to Catholicism, setting up a struggle by his family to rescue him and return him to the fold; and a contemporary Pentecostal college student (and author’s friend), estranged from his parents when he converts to Mormonism, only to leave the church as he becomes aware of his gay identity. As a contribution to the “New Directions in Narrative History” series, the book seeks to use historical cases to illuminate contemporary concerns while maintaining historical scholarly rigor. That Harline does not succeed is in part owing to poor scholarly decisions (e.g., forgoing footnotes and using a friend as one of his subjects), lack of insight into conversion generally, and a sloppy handling of primary sources. VERDICT While Harline’s storytelling skills may engage general readers, the experimental form will raise serious issues for scholars.—Steve Young, McHenry Cty. Coll., Crystal Lake, IL
Miller, Calvin. Letters to a Young Pastor. David C. Cook. Sept. 2011. c.256p. ISBN 9780781405775. pap. $14.99. REL
Miller (Beeson Divinity Sch., Samford Univ.; A Hunger for the Holy: Nurturing Intimacy with Christ), a creative, insightful pastor and teacher, distills a lifetime of successes, failures, and “ordinary moments” into this volume. The insights he offers will be helpful for any minister, not just young ones. Readers can learn to avoid the extremes and “professional mindset” that plague the modern church. Letters such as “Avoid Any Word That Begins with Neo” and “What Does Your Church Offer That’s Missing at the YMCA” will call for deep thinking about ministry. Other letters will encourage ministers, help sharpen their preaching, and enable them to better minister to hurting people. VERDICT Full-time and lay ministers will appreciate this book to understand that they are not alone, that they can reach out to their community, and that they must focus on Jesus Christ and the people he came to transform. Highly recommended where demand for pastoral books is high.—Ray Arnett, Fremont Area Dist. Lib., MI
Sports & Recreation
Smithsonian Institution. Mountaineers: Great Tales of Bravery and Conquest. DK. Sept. 2011. 360p. illus. maps. index. ISBN 9780756686826. $40. REC
This book (which credits no authors) surveys the history and personalities of the daring pursuit of high peaks, rock faces, and snowy summits. There are six chronological sections—“Early Mountaineers,” “Climbing for Science and Art,” “The Golden Age of Alpinism,” “Beyond the Alps,” “Slaying the Giants,” and “The Age of Extremes”—with time lines, biographies of mountaineers, sidebars, and black-and-white and color photographs. Coverage extends from the 5000-year-old body of “the Iceman,” discovered in 1991 some 10,530 feet up in the Alps; to Junko Tabei, the first woman to climb Mt. Everest; to today’s professional mountaineers and free climbers. VERDICT While similar to National Geographic’s Voices from the Summit, the presentation here is more extensive and far better illustrated, effectively combining dramatic photography with authoritative text. It should appeal to armchair mountaineers as well as those who pursue the sport and its history. In addition to the standard index, there is one for all peaks and ranges mentioned in the book. Recommended for all recreation collections.—Patrick Owens, Central Washington Univ. Lib., Ellensburg
West, Jerry & Jonathan Coleman. West by West: My Charmed, Tormented Life. Little, Brown. Oct. 2011. c.352p. photogs. ISBN 9780316053495. $27.99. SPORTS
Most basketball fans know West, All-American, NBA Hall-of-Famer, the basis for the silhouette on the NBA logo, and, later, coach and team executive, a Lakers veteran. He coauthored an autobiography, Mr. Clutch, in 1970, but now new generations of readers will get to know him much better. Certainly, here are the requisite accounts of games, players, and coaches (including insights and opinions about Kobe Bryant, Shaq, and Phil Jackson), but West, who ironically makes a point about having never visited a mental-health counselor, spends much of his time “on the couch” baring a soul that was tortured by an abusive father and the death of an older brother in the Korean War. Likewise, he writes of those seven NBA championship series defeats of the Lakers by the Boston Celtics (six with West as a player, one with him as general manager). Such losses, personal and professional, were dangerous stuff for someone with a family history of depression. VERDICT Despite West’s bleak moods and obsessions it is clear that he has achieved at the highest level both on and off the court, and, from that, readers may draw inspiration. This will appeal to the basketball fan who wants a look at the man behind the statistics.—Jim Burns, Jacksonville P.L., FL
KJV AT 400
Bloom, Harold. The Shadow of a Great Rock: A Literary Appreciation of the King James Bible. Yale Univ. Sept. 2011. c.320p. index. ISBN 9780300166835. $28. REL
To Bloom (Sterling Professor of the Humanities, Yale; The Anatomy of Influence: Literature as a Way of Life), only Shakespeare rivals the supreme literary merit of the King James Bible (1611). Its development by a group of more than 50 translators divided into six committees, five of which were chaired by an “undistinguished group of writers,” produced an “inexplicable wonder” that Bloom analyzes in relationship not only to the Hebrew and Greek original versions, but also to various translations, especially those of William Tyndale, “the greatest English translator,” of Miles Coverdale, and of the Geneva Bible (1560). Bloom writes as a literary critic and secularist deeply attracted to the linguistic beauty of the King James Bible; his literary appreciation remains mostly at the level of language; plot construction, characterization, setting, etc., are not his focus.VERDICT At times idiosyncratic but often adulated, Bloom’s literary criticism needs thoughtful consideration by linguistic and literary scholars, cultural historians, and Bloom admirers, as well as by the general public. The book is a tour de force and the result of a lifetime of critical pondering by a major critic. —Carolyn M. Craft, formerly with Longwood Univ., Farmville, VA
Bragg, Melvyn. The Book of Books: The Radical Impact of the King James Bible 1611–2011. Counterpoint. Sept. 2011. c.368p. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781582437811. $28. REL
While much has been written in recognition of the 400th anniversary of the publication of the King James Version of the Bible (KJV), this is a welcome addition, especially for readers new to learning the KJV’s history. Bragg (The Adventure of English), most famous in Britain as host of The South Bank Show on television, focuses on the 400-year impact of the book in such areas as language, literature, politics, and social movements. He argues that the KJV is one of the most significant books ever written in English. This is hardly a new pronouncement, but Bragg writes accessibly, with a gift for storytelling and an engaging style. His book has three sections covering periods of time as well as of impact: “From Hampton Court to New England,” “Impact on Culture,” and “Impact on Society.” Bragg is not a New Testament or church history scholar, and he does not focus on the KJV as a sacred book. VERDICT The general reader with an interest in the overlapping nature of history, literature, and religion and in the impact one book can have will appreciate this title. Recommended.—John Jaeger, Dallas Baptist Univ., TX
