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Home The Editor's Pick

 

Public Library Core Collection: Nonfiction

Current Picks for October 2007
 

 
  A Most Highly Recommended Title
Title:   Way more West: new and selected poems
Personal Author:   Dorn, Edward; Rothenberg, Michael, ed
Publisher:   Penguin Books
Publication Year:   2007
Pages:   321
ISBN:   978-0-14-303869-6, $20
Abstract:   "Best known for his chatty, satirical mock-western long poem 'Gunslinger,' Dorn (1929-1999) came to poetic maturity alongside Creeley and Olson, with whom he studied at the now legendary experimental Black Mountain College, though his fast-paced, angry poetry sometimes suggests the beats. Included in this volume are Dorn's poetic travelogues about the U.S. and Britain; a poetic history of the Apache nation; epigrams and commentaries against war, capitalism and environmental degradation; and a memorable verse journal of his chemotherapy." (Publ Wkly)"Throughout his career, he was the least endearing, domesticated or predictable of poets, always determined to go his own way, no matter what anyone thought. And if he hadn't been that way, American poetry would be a lot less vital and interesting." (N Y Times Book Rev)
Note(s):   Includes bibliographical references
Dewey Decimal Classification:   811
Reading Level (Grade):   Adult
Review:   Review: The New York Times Book Review v. 112 no. 16 (Apr. 22 2007). Kleinzahler, August, reviewer [with excerpt]

 

  Core Collection
Title:   The Thirtymile fire: a chronicle of bravery
 and betrayal
Personal Author:    Maclean, John N.
Publisher:   Henry Holt
Publication Year:   2007
Pages:   241
ISBN:   978-0-8050-7578-6 0-8050-7578-X, $25
Abstract:   "The 'Thirtymile Fire' snuck up on firefighters who were cleaning up after an earlier blaze in Washington State, near the Canadian border. Sparked by an untended campfire, the fire (which was named for is closest geographical landmark, Thirtymile Peak) didn't appear to be much of a threat. But fire is unpredictable, and soon firefighters were in the midst of a raging and deadly inferno. Maclean takes us inside the fire and puts us beside the men and women trying to tame it. Ultimately, it's a tragic story--some members of the firefighting crew died." (Booklist)
Maclean "interviewed families, survivors, investigators and fire experts, and the result is an evenhanded, lucid recreation of catastrophe and its aftermath. The author gives a human face to national headlines, capturing the dignity and sense of mission of the lost firefighters." (Publ Wkly)
Note(s):   A John Macrae book
Subject(s):    Fire fighters; Wildfires; Cascade Range region
Dewey Decimal Classification:   634.9
Reading Level (Grade):   Adult



 
  Core Collection
Title:   When a crocodile eats the sun: a memoir of Africa
Personal Author:   Godwin, Peter
Publisher:   Little, Brown and Co.
Publication Year:   2007
Pages:   344
ISBN:   978-0-316-15894-7
0-316-15894-1, $24.99
Abstract:   "In 1996 when his father suffers a heart attack, Godwin returns to Africa and sparks the central revelation of the book--the father is Jewish and has hidden it from Godwin and his siblings. As his father's health deteriorates, so does Zimbabwe. [Robert] Mugabe, self-proclaimed president for life, institutes a series of ill-conceived land reforms that throw the white farmers off the land they've cultivated for generations and consequently throws the country's economy into free fall. . . . This is a tour de force of personal journalism and not to be missed." (Publ Wkly)
Note(s):   Includes bibliographical references; First published 2006 in South Africahed 2006 in South Africa
Subject(s):   Zimbabwe; Godwin, Peter
Dewey Decimal Classification:   92
Reading Level (Grade):   Adult
Review(s):    The Economist v. 382 (Mar. 17 2007) [with excerpt]

New York TEditioMay 18 2007). Kakutani, Michiko, reviewer [with excerpt]

Newsweek v. 149 no. 23 (June 4 2007). Getz, Arlene, reviewer [with excerpt, full text]

The Times Literary Supplement no. 5427 (Apr. 6 2007). Plaut, Martin, reviewer [with excerpt]

The New York Times Book Review v. 112 no. 24 (June 17 2007). Gevisser, Mark, reviewer [with excerpt]

The Washington Monthly v. 39 no. 7 (July/Aug. 2007). Hammer, Joshua, reviewer [with full text]

 
  Core Collection
Title:    If I am missing or dead
Personal Author:   Latus, Janine
Publisher:   Simon & Schuster
Publication Year:   2007
Pages:   309
ISBN:   978-0-7432-9653-3
0-7432-9653-2, $25
Abstract:   "When journalist Latus's younger sister Amy vanishes at age 37 in 2002, authorities find a chiller of a note in Amy's desk: 'If I am missing or dead . . . question Ron.' Ron Ball is Amy's ex-con boyfriend, and when Amy's body is found, something shatters in Latus. A victim of abuse herself, Latus tunnels back to her difficult suburban childhood to decode why two smart, talented sisters might be so starving for love that they would risk their lives to get it. Latus's book unfolds like a gripping novel, getting at the brutal heart of darkness that underscores domestic violence." (People)
Subject(s):    Abused women; Latus, Janine, 1959-
Dewey Decimal Classification:   92
Reading Level (Grade):   Adult

 

Previous Picks
   
Title:   The canon: a whirligig tour of the beautiful basics of science
Personal Author:   Angier, Natalie
Publisher:   Houghton Mifflin Company
Publication Year:   2007
Pages:   293
ISBN:   978-0-618-24295-5
0-618-24295-3, $27
Abstract:   "Angier sets out to depict the joys of science and to present them as something in which we all can participate. Chapters explore essential principles in the fields of statistics and probabilities, measurements and calibration, evolutionary and molecular biology, physics, chemistry, geology, and astronomy." (Libr J)
If Angier "reaches for a joke too often instaed of relying on her admirably supple prose, she's still a matchless scientific decathlete, able to perform with equal adroitness whether examining the infinitesimal or the infinite." (Fortune)
Note(s):   Includes bibliographical references
Subject(s):   Science
Dewey Decimal Classification:   500
Reading Level (Grade):   11 12 Adult
Review:   Nature v. 447 (May 3 2007). Taylor, Kathleen, reviewer

 

 

  Core Collection
Title:   Island of the lost: shipwrecked at the edge of the world
Personal Author:   Druett, Joan
Publisher:   Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill
Publication Year:   2007
Pages:   284
Physical Description:   Illustration; Map
ISBN:   978-1-56512-408-0
1-56512-408-1, $24.95
Abstract:   "In early 1864, heading back to Australia after a failed mining expedition, the crew of the Grafton encountered a violent storm and found themselves shipwrecked in the Auckland Islands, off the coast of New Zealand. Druett, a maritime historian . . . , draws upon the journals of the ship's captain, Thomas Musgrave, and prospector Fran{Graphic character omitted}ois Raynal to reveal how the crew pulled together and made the best of their circumstances for nearly two years. By contrast, when the Invercauld ran aground on the other side of the island months later--beyond an impassable mountain range, and hence unaware they were not alone--the surviving sailors quickly began eating their dead crewmates out of desperation. Soon, only three remained, the ineffectual captain and another officer being kept alive by a resourceful seaman. Druett tells the two stories in strict chronological order." (Publ Wkly)
"The amount of detail Druett has amassed is truly impressive, resulting in an invaluable account of survival." (Booklist)
Note(s):   Includes bibliographical references
Subject(s):   Shipwrecks; Survival after airplane accidents, shipwrecks, etc.; Auckland Islands (New Zealand)
Dewey Decimal Classification:   910.4
Reading Level (Grade):   Adult
Review:   Booklist v. 103 no. 11 (Feb. 1 2007). Cohen, George, reviewer

 

 

  Core Collection
Title:   The joy of drinking
Personal Author:   Holland, Barbara
Publisher:   Bloomsbury
Publication Year:   2007
Pages:   150
Physical Description:   Illustration
ISBN:   978-1-59691-337-0
1-59691-337-1, $15
Abstract:   A "romp across the histories and cultures of alcohol down through the ages. While disclosing facts about the drinking habits--and abuses--of characters like Mark Anthony, Samuel Pepys and Pope Leo XIII, Holland includes summaries of how various kinds of fermentations and distillates were developed, often accidentally, in cultures from ancient Arabia to present-day America, and in times from Ptolemy's to Prohibition. She includes several recipes for home-style 'remedies' like elderberry wine and applejack, as well as diagrams and instructions for the construction of your own backyard still." (Publ Wkly)
"Mixing fact, fable, anecdote, and personal opinion with irresistible panache, cultural historian Barbara Holland's The Joy of Drinking distills thousands of years of humankind's lusty relationship with alcohol . . . into a slim, sparkling history." (Elle)
Subject(s):   Drinking of alcoholic beverages
Dewey Decimal Classification:   394.1
Reading Level (Grade):   Adult
Review:   The New York Times Book Review v. 112 no. 18 (May 6 2007). Harris, Robert R., reviewer [with excerpt]

 

 

  A Most Highly Recommended Title
Title:   Ralph Ellison: a biography
Personal Author:   Rampersad, Arnold
Publisher:   Alfred A. Knopf
Publication Year:   2007
Pages:   657
Physical Description:   Illustration
ISBN:   978-0-375-40827-4
0-375-40827-4, $35
Abstract:   Rampersad depicts the author's "early life in Oklahoma; his love of music, whisch led to a scholarship at the Tuskegee Institute; his complex relationships with his wives and mentors; and, finally, his years as a fixture in the New York literary scene." (Bookmarks Magazine)
"As the first scholar granted complete access to the Ellison papers, Rampersad introduces us to people and places that reveal the total range of Ellison's sensibilities. . . . Through elegant and lively prose, Rampersad reveals sides of Ellison that are disturbing and instructive." (Charlotte Observer)
Note(s):   Includes bibliographical references
Subject(s):   Ellison, Ralph
Dewey Decimal Classification:   92
Reading Level (Grade):   Adult
Review:   Booklist v. 103 no. 13 (Mar. 1 2007). Bush, Vanessa, reviewer
Review:   The American Scholar v. 76 no. 2 (Spr 2007). Rose, Phyllis, reviewer [with excerpt, full text]
Review:   The New York Times Book Review v. 112 no. 20 (May 20 2007). Staples, Brent, reviewer [with excerpt]
Review:   Harper's v. 314 (May 2007). Boyagoda, Randy, reviewer [with excerpt]
Review:   The Times Literary Supplement no. 5434 (May 25 2007). Dickstein, Morris, reviewer
Review:   The Nation v. 284 no. 21 (May 28 2007). Anderson, Michael, reviewer [with excerpt]
Review:   The New Yorker v. 83 no. 11 (May 7 2007). Als, Hilton, reviewer [with excerpt]
Review:   New York Times (Late New York Edition) (May 16 2007). Grimes, William, reviewer [with excerpt]
Review:   The Christian Science Monitor (Eastern edition) v. 99 no. 123 (May 22 2007). Wellington, Darryl Lorenzo, reviewer [with excerpt]
Review:   The New York Review of Books v. 54 no. 10 (June 14 2007). Pinckney, Darryl, reviewer

 

   

Previous Picks

 

 
Title:   Death by black hole: and other cosmic quandaries
Personal Author:   Tyson, Neil De Grasse
Publisher:   Norton
Publication Year:   2007
Pages:   384
ISBN:   978-0-393-06224-3
0-393-06224-4, $24.95
Abstract:   In this collection of essays that were originally published in Natural History magazine, the author takes readers on a "journey from Earth's hot springs, where extremophiles flourish in hellish conditions, to the frozen, desolate stretches of the Oort Cloud and the universe's farthest reaches, in both space and time. Tyson doesn't restrict his musings to astrophysics, but wanders into related fields like relativity and particle physics. . . . He tackles popular myths (is the sun yellow?) and takes movie directors--most notably James Cameron--to task for spectacular goofs. In the last section the author gives his take on the hot subject of intelligent design." (Publ Wkly)
"A wonderfully informed viewpoint on the slowly expanding boundaries of human knowledge." (Boston Globe)
Note(s):   Includes bibliographical references
Subject(s):   Cosmology; Black holes (Astronomy); Space biology; Solar system; Religion and science
Dewey Decimal Classification:   523.8
Review:   Booklist v. 103 no. 7 (Dec. 1 2006). Taylor, Gilbert, reviewer
Review:   Library Journal (1976) v. 131 no. 18 (Nov. 1 2006). Weigel, Jack W., reviewer [with full text]

 

 

   
Title:   How doctors think
Personal Author:   Groopman, Jerome E.
Publisher:   Houghton Mifflin Co.
Publication Year:   2007
Pages:   307
Physical Description:   Illustration
ISBN:   978-0-618-61003-7
0-618-61003-0, $26
Abstract:   This book is comprised of a series of "essays that explore the rational and irrational factors that influence medical decision-making. By turns inspired and dismaying, it explains how even the best doctor can draw the wrong conclusion, and why that same doctor might also come up with a brilliant diagnosis that has eluded his peers. Uncertainty hovers over the practice of medicine, which Dr. Groopman, a clear writer and a humane thinker, presents as an art as well as a science, despite the spectacular advances in medical technology." (N Y Times (Late N Y Ed))
Note(s):   Includes bibliographical references
Subject(s):   Medicine; Physicians; Diagnosis
Dewey Decimal Classification:   610
Review:   Booklist v. 103 no. 9/10 (Jan. 1-15 2007). Olson, Ray, reviewer
Review:   New York Times (Late New York Edition) (Mar. 23 2007). Grimes, William, reviewer [with excerpt]
Review:   The New York Times Book Review v. 112 no. 13 (Apr. 1 2007). Crichton, Michael, reviewer [with excerpt]
Review:   New York v. 40 no. 10 (Mar. 26 2007). Anderson, Sam, reviewer
Review:   Business Week no. 4027 (Mar. 26 2007). Weintraub, Arlene, reviewer
Review:   Discover v. 28 no. 5 (May 2007). Dajer, Tony, reviewer

 

 

   
Title:   Shahnameh: the Persian book of kings
Personal Author:   Firdawsi
Responsibility:   [by] Abolqasem Ferdowsi; translated by Dick Davis; with a foreword by Azar Nafisi
Publisher:   Viking
Publication Year:   2006
Pages:   xxxvii, 886
Physical Description:   Illustration
ISBN:   0-670-03485-1, $45
Abstract:   "Unlike Western epics that grasp the events of a single generation, whether of men or angels, Persia's Book of Kings encompasses whole ages of the world, chronicling the stratagems of Kings and heroes as real as Alexander the Great and as legendary as Rostam. . . . Action, myth, and history fairly fly off the page, for Davis renders Ferdowsi's 50,000 sesquipedalian lines of poetry as a prose narrative that here and there erupts into sonnet-sized snatches of verse. The scheme works brilliantly. Repeated for pages on end, Ferdowsi's lines, each longer than an heroic couplet, breed longueurs, but Davis's carefully rendered snatches of the best classic Farsi poetry illuminate the English text like so many Persian miniatures." (New Criterion)
Dewey Decimal Classification:   891
Review:   Booklist v. 102 no. 14 (Mar. 15 2006). Olson, Ray, reviewer
Review:   The New Criterion v. 25 no. 3 (Nov. 2006). Seitz, Russell, reviewer [with full text]

 

 

   
Title:   This mighty scourge: perspectives on the Civil War
Personal Author:   McPherson, James M.
Publisher:   Oxford University Press
Publication Year:   2007
Pages:   260
ISBN:   0-19-531366-6, $28
    Link to Book Part(s)
Abstract:   In this collection of essays "McPherson sheds light on topics large and small, from the average soldier's avid love of newspapers to the postwar creation of the mystique of a Lost Cause in the South. Readers will find . . . pieces on such intriguing figures as Harriet Tubman, John Brown, Jesse James, and William Tecumseh Sherman, and on such vital issues such as Confederate military strategy, the failure of peace negotiations to end the war, and the realities and myths of the Confederacy." (Publisher's note)
These essays "stand as a remarkably elegant and clarifying narrative exploration of the most basic questions concerning the Civil War, issues over which scholars and activists still contend. . . 'This Mighty Scourge,' in fact, is an exemplary exercise in the contribution a great historian and eloquent writer can make to a people's understanding of themselves." (Los Angeles Times)
Subject(s):   United States/History/1861-1865, Civil War; Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865
Dewey Decimal Classification:   973.7

 

 

   
Title:   Born in flames: termite dreams, dialectical fairy tales, and pop apocalypses
Personal Author:   Hampton, Howard
Publisher:   Harvard University Press
Publication Year:   2007
Pages:   473
ISBN:   978-0-674-02317-8
0-674-02317-X, $28.95
Abstract:   "In these essays, written for alternative newspapers and art magazines, Hampton charts a freewheeling path through Hong Kong cinema, riot grrl albums and Buffy the Vampire Slayer." (Publ Wkly)
"The torrent of allusions presupposes an Olympian level of cultural indoctrination, and some sentences are so dense that they require a little thoughtful chewing, but Hampton offers something that grows scarcer as today's media bombardment grows in volume: fresh thinking. Knee-jerk intellectuals may find it easy to lampoon someone who takes pop this seriously, but Hampton is a writer--possibly the only one--who can analyze Buffy the Vampire Slayer in the context of D. H. Lawrence . . . and make it work." (Booklist)
Note(s):   Includes bibliographical references and index
Subject(s):   Motion pictures; Rock music; Popular culture
Dewey Decimal Classification:   814
Review:   Booklist v. 103 no. 6 (Nov. 15 2006). Graff, Keir, reviewer

 

 

   
Title:   Nixon and Mao: the week that changed the world
Personal Author:   MacMillan, Margaret
Publisher:   Random House
Viking Canada
Publication Year:   2007
Pages:   404
Physical Description:   Illustration; Map
ISBN:   9781400061273
1-4000-6127-X, $27.95
Abstract:   "In February 1972, President Nixon met Chairman Mao in Beijing. The meeting was the result of intensive diplomatic activity that had been ongoing for several months but was itself anticlimactic. . . . [The author] recounts the negotiations in a crisp narrative that utilizes a wide variety of sources." (Booklist)
Note(s):   Includes bibliographical references
Can. title: Nixon in China
Subject(s):   United States/Foreign relations/China; China/Foreign relations/United States; Nixon, Richard M., 1913-1994; Mao Zedong, 1893-1976
Dewey Decimal Classification:   327.73
Reading Level:   Adult
Review:   Quill & Quire v. 72 no. 10 (Dec. 2006). Scott, Alec, reviewer [with excerpt]
Review:   The New York Times Book Review v. 112 no. 8 (Feb. 25 2007). Gaddis, John Lewis, reviewer [with excerpt]
Review:   The New Leader v. 90 no. 1 (Jan./Feb. 2007). Chu, Valentin, reviewer [with excerpt]
Review:   New York Times (Late New York Edition) (Feb. 28 2007). Kahn, Joseph, reviewer [with excerpt]
Review:   The New Yorker v. 83 no. 3 (Mar. 12 2007). Menand, Louis, reviewer [with excerpt]
Review:   Booklist v. 103 no. 11 (Feb. 1 2007). Freeman, Jay, reviewer
Review:   Foreign Affairs v. 86 no. 2 (Mar./Apr. 2007). Cohen, Warren I., reviewer [with full text]

 

 

   
Title:   The story of French
Personal Author:   Nadeau, Jean-Benoit; Barlow, Julie
Publisher:   St. Martin's Press
Publication Year:   2006
Pages:   483
Physical Description:   Map
ISBN:   978-0-312-34183-1
0-312-34183-0, $25.95
Abstract:   This book explores the origins and evolution of the French language.
This is "a well-told, highly accessible history of the French language that leads to a spirited discussion of the prospects for French in an increasingly English-dominated world." (N Y Times (Late N Y Ed))
Note(s):   Includes bibliographical references
Subject(s):   French language
Dewey Decimal Classification:   440
Review:   New York Times (Late New York Edition) (Nov. 29 2006). Grimes, William, reviewer [with excerpt]
Review:   Booklist v. 103 no. 4 (Oct. 15 2006). Pitt, David, reviewer

 

 

   
Title:   Richard Renaldi: figure and ground
Personal Author:   Renaldi, Richard; Hargreaves, Roger
Publisher:   Aperture
Publication Year:   2006
Pages:   156
Physical Description:   Illustration
ISBN:   978-1-597110-29-7
1-5-97110-29-9, $45
Abstract:   "Renaldi has traveled cross-country and photographed men and women he's encountered on the street, at their minimum-wage jobs, and in the bus terminals punctuating the major routes between the East and West Coasts. This book of his work is largely without explanation, presenting posed photographs that carry brief captions made up of only the subject's name, location, and a glimpse of his or her individual route. . . . A definitive essay by independent curator Hargreaves . . . at the collection's conclusion does not interfere with independent consideration of the works themselves, but it does guide readers to a deeper understanding of Renaldi's intention and process." (Libr J)
Subject(s):   Artistic photography
Dewey Decimal Classification:   779
Review:   Art Review (London, England) no. 6 (Dec. 2006). Clancy, Luke, reviewer [with full text]

 

 

   
Title:   The animated movie guide
Personal Author:   Beck, Jerry
Publisher:   Chicago Review Press
Publication Year:   2005
Pages:   xx, 348
Physical Description:   Illustration
ISBN:   1-55652-591-5 (paperback), $26.95
Abstract:   "The book offers a chronological list of the included films, followed by an alphabetical list of entries for each. Each entry includes title and production credits, consumer tips, star and MPAA ratings, story synopses, film comments, and additional credits." (Choice)
"A good choice for collections of popular culture, film studies, and graphic arts, this will also be a popular title for fans of animated film and parents who want quality entertainment for the kids." (Booklist)
Note(s):   Also available online in an abbreviated version
An A Cappella book
Subject(s):   Animated films
Dewey Decimal Classification:   016.79143
Review:   Library Journal (1976) v. 130 no. 17 (Oct. 15 2005). Adam, Anthony J., reviewer [with full text]
Review:   Booklist v. 102 no. 12 (Feb. 15 2006). Johnston, Lisa, reviewer
Review:   Choice v. 43 no. 8 (Apr. 2006). Krajewski, R. L., reviewer
Review:   Animation Magazine v. 19 no. 11 (Nov. 2005). Gurman, Sarah, reviewer [with full text]

 

 

   
Title:   Grave of light: new and selected poems, 1970-2005
Personal Author:   Notley, Alice
Publisher:   Wesleyan University Press
Publication Year:   2006
Pages:   364
ISBN:   0-8195-6772-8, $29.95
Abstract:   "Experimental in every sense of the word, Alice Notley has produced an extensive body of work over 30 years in print. This new collection unites previously unpublished poems as well as those from both small-press chapbooks and more widely distributed volumes. Arranged in chronological order while maintaining poetic sequences, Notley's poems tell the story of her artistic development and bear witness to the multitude of styles and influences that Notley has explored. From second generation New York School to 'language' and prose poetry to mythical epics, Notley as artist is like a hero on a fantastical journey. She descends into subterranean worlds of dream and ascends to heights of philosophical thought, but also remains rooted in the dirt of politics and the tedium of the everyday life. Diversity is Notley's most consistent quality, and this makes her not only somewhat of an enigma aesthetically but also appealing to varying poetic tastes." (Booklist)
Review:   Booklist v. 103 no. 2 (Sept. 15 2006). St. John, Janet, reviewer
Review:   Library Journal (1976) v. 131 no. 14 (Sept. 1 2006). Scharper, Diane, reviewer

 

 

   
Title:   Naked in the marketplace: the lives of George Sand
Other Titles:   biography of George Sand
Personal Author:   Eisler, Benita
Publisher:   Counterpoint
Publication Year:   2006
Pages:   308
ISBN:   978-1-58243-349-3
1-58243-349-6, $26.95
Abstract:   This is a biography of the French writer.
"Eisler's portrait of this woman of many firsts brings Sand and her boldly improvised life forward more vividly than ever before." (Booklist)
Note(s):   Includes bibliographical references
Subject(s):   Sand, George, 1804-1876
Dewey Decimal Classification:   92

 

 

   
Title:   Picasso and American art
Personal Author:   FitzGerald, Michael C.; Boddewyn, Julia May
Publisher:   Whitney Museum of American Art in association with Yale University Press
Publication Year:   2006
Pages:   400
Physical Description:   Illustration
ISBN:   978-0-300-11452-2
0-300-11452-4, $65
Abstract:   A "study of Picasso's influence on some of the most significant American artists of the 20th century. Fitzgerald moves chronologically, from the earliest Americans who engaged cubism in the teens (Max Weber, Mardsen Hartley, Man Ray, Stuart Davis), through the modernist investigations of Arshile Gorky, Willem De Kooning and Jackson Pollack, and winds up with Roy Lichtenstien's pop-art and Jasper Johns' postmodern responses to Picasso. Fitzgerald takes great pains to triangulate exhibition specifics with the work and words of each artist to document the precise nature and extent of the influence in each case. . . . There is a generous supply of images presented with the text, and they are as successful as Fitzgerald's prose in illuminating the complexities of Picasso's influence on these artists." (Publ Wkly)
Note(s):   Includes bibliographical references
Published on the occasion of an exhibition organized by the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York and held also at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and Walker Art Center, Minneapolis
Subject(s):   American art; Picasso, Pablo, 1881-1973/Influence
Dewey Decimal Classification:   709.73
Review:   Booklist v. 103 no. 5 (Nov. 1 2006). Seaman, Donna, reviewer

 

 
Title:   Blue arabesque: a search for the sublime
Personal Author:   Hampl, Patricia
Publisher:   Harcourt
Publication Year:   2006
Pages:   215
ISBN:   978-0-15-101506-1
0-15-101506-6, $22
Abstract:   This is a meditation on art and literature and autobiography.
"Whether discussing the journals of Katherine Mansfield or the harems of the 18th century, Hampl proves to be an authoritative and beguiling guide to the joys of leisure and the intellect." (Publ Wkly)
Note(s):   Includes bibliographical references
Subject(s):   Aesthetics; Hampl, Patricia, 1946-
Dewey Decimal Classification:   818
Review:   Booklist v. 103 no. 2 (Sept. 15 2006). Seaman, Donna, reviewer
Review:   The New York Times Book Review v. 111 no. 44 (Oct. 29 2006). Harrison, Kathryn, reviewer [with excerpt]
Review:   America v. 195 no. 14 (Nov. 6 2006). Cunneen, Sally, reviewer [with full text]

 

 

Title:   Natural selection: Gary Giddins on comedy, film, music, and books
Personal Author:   Giddins, Gary
Publisher:   Oxford University Press
Publication Year:   2006