Arts & Humanities Reviews, October 1, 2011
Oct 1, 2011Abadie, Daniel. Dubuffet as Architect. Editions Hazan, dist. by Yale Univ. 2011. 192p. illus. ISBN 9780300176612. pap. $40. ARCHITECTURE
Accompanying a major exhibition devoted to the sculptural accomplishments of Jean Dubuffet (1901–85), this catalog examines the artist in relation to architecture, a medium that earned him a medal from the American Institute of Architects in 1982. Adabie (former curator, Musée National d’Art Moderne, Paris) shows how Dubuffet projected his entertaining and intimate artistic drawings and doodles onto the huge scales of major sculptural works and buildings around the world. The artist’s first American commission was from David Rockefeller in 1968 for the plaza of the Chase Manhattan Bank building near Wall Street. Many other important commissions followed. Dubuffet’s black-and-white designs derive from his memories of the topographic scenery he enjoyed at the top of the Eiffel Tower in 1923 where he once performed meteorological measurements. His red, white, and blue color schemes also match the colors of the French and American flags, which symbolize liberty and freedom to the artist. His materials were largely artificial (epoxies, resins, polyesters, polystyrenes, and sprayed concretes), although a few were ceramics. VERDICT Best suited for academics and students, this is a solid study of some of Dubuffet’s most enduring works. —Peter S. Kaufman, formerly with Boston Architectural Coll.
Baki, Péter & others. Eyewitness: Hungarian Photography in the Twentieth Century; Brassaï, Capa, Kertész, Moholy-Nagy, Munkácsi. Royal Academy, dist. by Abrams. 2011. 240p. illus. index. ISBN 9781905711765. $65. PHOTOG
A showcase of Hungarian photography, this catalog focuses on the work of Brassaï, Robert Capa, André Kertész, László Moholy-Nagy, and Martin Munkácsi. In this companion to a major exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts, Baki (director, Hungarian Museum of Photography, Kecskemét), Colin Ford (founding director, National Museum of Photography, Film & Television, Bradford, UK), and Hungarian poet George Szirtes document the enormous contributions of these 20th-century artists to modern photography. All five left their homeland for other European destinations and the United States before World War II, and indeed much can be learned about their Hungarian perspective in light of how their decision to leave the country changed not only their lives and work but also the history of photography. The book includes many iconic photographs (Capa’s Death of a Loyalist Soldier, Kertész’s Satiric Dancer; Munkácsi’s Four Boys at Lake Tanganyika) as well as numerous previously unpublished images. Each of the three authors has provided an essay, and the book features 50 artist biographies and an exhaustive index. VERDICT Similar titles like Michel Frizot and Annie-Laure Wanaverbecq’s Kertész focus on individual photographers, but this book is the first to compare the members of this group as modern artists and Hungarians. Recommended for readers interested in modern photography.—Shauna Frischkorn, Millersville Univ., PA
Belting, Hans. Florence & Baghdad: Renaissance Art and Arab Science. Belknap: Harvard Univ. 2011. c.312p. tr. from German by Deborah Lucas Schneider. illus. index. ISBN 9780674050044. $39.95. FINE ARTS
Belting (media theory, Univ. of Chicago; The Invisible Masterpiece) easily balances the contributions of two diverse cultures—European art and Arabic science—in a deeply scholarly yet captivating manner. He presents the well-documented historical connection between a mathematic theory sprung from 11th-century Baghdad and its influence on the use of perspective in Renaissance-era European artists. Each chapter features one of the two cultures and ends with a Blickwechsel , or “shifting focus,” that serves as a natural and equalizing break. The book addresses numerous aspects of visual theory and symbolic form, weaving the old with the new, the science (e.g., Alhazen’s optics) with the art (e.g., the Renaissance’s “iconic gaze”), and ending with a broader cultural context of “the gaze” in contemporary Islamic cultural imagery (e.g., the veil). There are abundant captioned illustrations, diagrams, and color plates. The table of contents and meaty endnotes clearly expound the author’s thesis. The timely translation is excellent as ideas flow logically, past to present. VERDICT Recommended for scholars and students of art and history. —Marianne Laino Sade, Maryland Inst. Coll. of Art, Baltimore
Bertucci, Mary Lou & Joanna Hill. Tiffany’s Swedenborgian Angels: Stained Glass Windows Representing the Seven Churches from the Book of Revelation. Swedenborg. Oct. 2011. c.104p. illus. bibliog. ISBN 9780877853398. pap. $19.95. DEC ARTS
In 1902, the Church of the New Jerusalem, a Swedenborgian church in Cincinnati, received a gift of seven stained glass windows from a sister church. These eight-foot-high windows, designed and produced by Louis Comfort Tiffany, depict the seven angels of Revelations, each associated with a different church in Asia Minor (present-day Turkey). This book, published in association with a touring exhibition of the windows, presents these works of stained glass in relation to the philosophy of Emanuel Swedenborg, the Swedish scientist and mystic. Bertucci (former senior editor, Swedenborg Fdn.) and Hill (executive editor, Swedenborg Fdn.) dedicate a chapter to each window and describe the work and its symbolism in detail. They provide information about the church the window evokes, discussing the window’s biblical meaning and its Swedenborgian significance, and conclude with a brief prayer. Color illustrations show each window in full and in detail, with additional illustrations of historic sites, comparative artwork, etc. The restoration process is described in a concluding essay. The book also contains footnotes and a short bibliography of works pertaining to Swedenborg and Tiffany. VERDICT Most appealing to those interested in the topics of Revelations, Swedenborg, and angels.
—Martha Smith, Elmira Coll. Lib., NY
McDermott, Catherine. Modern Design: Classics of Our Time. Carlton, dist. by Sterling. 2011. c.400p. illus. index. ISBN 9781847328090. pap. $19.95. DEC ARTS
McDermott (design history, Kingston Univ., London) has assembled over 370 diverse objects and assemblages of objects into an informal best-of list for the 20th century. It’s easy to nitpick lists like this—Why choose the stodgy Queen Mary over the sleek Normandie or the speedy United States to exemplify the best of ocean liner design?—but McDermott showcases winners, such as the iconic rocket-sled style Electrolux vacuum cleaner. She organizes the book into “Fashion,” “Architecture,” “Interiors,” “Homeware,” “Packaging,” “Lighting,” “Furniture,” “Products,” “Transport,” “Type,” “Advertising,” “Communications,” and the rather nebulous “Futures.” While some inclusions are very specific, e.g., the Coffee Table IN-50 by Isamu Noguchi, other items are as broad as the entire output of the Italian designer Giorgio Armani and his stable of assistants. Each of the 370 entries has a photograph (some better than others) and a page of text best read in bright sun with a magnifying glass. The descriptions set the items in historical context and discuss the choice of materials and the commercial life of the product. VERDICT An inexpensive small-format romp through 20th-century design arranged from a British perspective rather than a definitive historical analysis of the field.—David McClelland, Philadelphia
Smith, Joel. The Life and Death of Buildings: On Photography and Time. Princeton Univ. 2011. 104p. illus. ISBN 9780300174359. pap. $40. PHOTOG
In 1967, the Princeton Art Museum received a gift of 72 photographs entitled “The Destruction of Manhattan.” The portfolio by Danny Lyon documents the demolition of antebellum buildings to make room for new construction, including the future World Trade Center. An exhibition and this catalog were inspired by Lyon’s work and serve as commemorations of 9/11—thoughtful representations of photography’s role in capturing a building at a single moment in time as well as reflecting time’s passage. Smith (curator of photography, Princeton Art Museum; Edward Steichen: The Early Years) has culled from Princeton’s rich collection of images from the 1840s to the present, juxtaposing works of Alfred Stieglitz, Bernice Abbott, and Fox Talbot with lesser-known contemporary photographers like Andrew Moore and Tim Davis. Only the most serious of readers will take time to check the unnumbered endnotes, which present a slight annoyance. And although no standard bibliography is provided, this catalog does include a checklist of exhibited works with details of size, process, date and provenance. VERDICT Of interest to photographers and architectural historians.—Nancy B. Turner, Syracuse Univ. Lib., NY
Spider Woman’s Gift: Nineteenth-Century Diné Textiles. Museum of New Mexico. 2011. c.96p. ed. by Shelby J. Tisdale. illus. bibliog. ISBN 9780890135310. pap. $24.95. DEC ARTS
A catalog of the exhibition at the Santa Fe Museum of Indian Arts and Culture on Diné (Navajo) textiles and baskets, this well-illustrated book presents two voices—that of native weaver Joyce Began-Foss and anthropologist Marina Ropee. Together, they connect the oral stories and traditions of the Navajo with their evolving material culture during the tumultuous last half of the 19th century. Both contributed an essay to the book, and they complement each other well, providing a solid understanding of the symbolic intents and meanings of the works and the technical means of their production and evolution. Tisdale ( Fine Indian Jewelry of the Southwest) includes more than 50 full-page illustrations, typologically arranged and with extended captions. Because the collection from which it is drawn is broad and deep, this short book is able to provide a high-quality introduction to Navajo woven textiles during the years 1840–1900 for the general reader. VERDICT Other, broader titles may cover the same period, but this book’s up-to-date scholarship and excellent plates elevate it above the rest. Recommended. —Jack Perry Brown, Art Inst. of Chicago Libs.
Literature
Atwood, Margaret. In Other Worlds: SF and the Human Imagination. Nan A. Talese: Doubleday. Oct. 2011. c.272p. ISBN 9780385533966. $24.95. LIT
Atwood is well known to sf readers for such novels as The Handmaid’s Tale, Oryx and Crake, and The Year of the Flood. In this collection of essays and short fiction, she further explores the genre, beginning with her three previously unpublished Richard Ellman Lectures in Modern Literature, which she delivered at Emory University in 2010. These personal pieces include the delightful “Flying Rabbits,” about her childhood interest in rabbit superheroes; “Burning Bushes,” which explains her attention to Victorian nonrealists; and “Dire Cartographies,” a discussion of utopias and dystopias. In addition, this book includes essays on sf works by H.G. Wells, Marge Piercy, Rider Haggard, Aldous Huxley, Ursula Le Guin, Jonathan Swift, and others. Four of Atwood’s own previously published short stories are included here, plus an excerpt from The Blind Assassin, revealing her satiric abilities as she tackles cryogenics and alien invasions. Besides providing insight into her early influences, Atwood explains the distinction she makes between science fiction and speculative fiction as she presents her opinions on the genre. VERDICT A clever, thoughtful investigation that will appeal to science fiction readers and Atwood’s loyal fans. [See Prepub Alert, 4/11/11.]—Nancy R. Ives, SUNY at Geneseo
Bellos, David. Is That a Fish in Your Ear?: Translation and the Meaning of Everything. Faber & Faber. Oct. 2011. c.336p. index. ISBN 9780865478572. $26. LANG
What would happen if someone in each community used a Babel fish, a device imagined by Douglas Adams in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy that translates from any received language when placed in the ear? Starting with this allusion, as per his title, Bellos (director, program in translation & intercultural communication, Princeton Univ.) employs familiar topics to explore the function and nature of translation. Thirty-three brief chapters focus on historic and current translation, including translation of classic literature, subtitles in movies, and language parity in the European Union. While occasionally presenting examples of differing translations of the same text, Bellos does not instruct how to translate. Instead, he highlights translation’s role outside of family relationships, such as in religion, education, economics, and politics. Both anecdotes and scholarly references support the narrative. The author’s casual tone and emphasis on translation’s function distinguish the work from such new books as Susan Bassnett’s essay collection Reflections on Translation. VERDICT An entertaining yet still scholarly introduction for interested readers, undergraduates, and language professionals.—
Marianne Orme, Des Plaines P.L., IL
Bukowski, Charles. More Notes of a Dirty Old Man: The Uncollected Columns. City Lights, dist. by Consortium. 2011. c.198p. ed. by David Stephen Calonne. ISBN 9780872865433. pap. $16.95. LIT
From 1967 to 1984, Bukowski’s column “Notes of a Dirty Old Man” appeared in several underground publications, including Open City, NOLA Express, the Los Angeles Free Press, and High Times. The weekly column proved so popular that Bukowski published a selection in book form under the same title in 1969. For the present volume, Calonne (English, East Michigan Univ.; Charles Bukowski: Sunlight Here I Am) gathers together 29 previously uncollected pieces, spanning the life of the column. The essays and stories dwell on Bukowski’s usual obsessions: boxing, horse racing, hard drinking, and crude sex. These diversions—as well as writing—provided some relief from a horrific childhood and a deadening job in the post office. The final piece, “My Friend the Gambler,” draws on Bukowski’s experience in the making of Barfly, a film that earned him a wider reputation in the United States. VERDICT Bukowski’s loyal fans will relish the opportunity to peruse these writings in book form. However, readers new to Bukowski might be better directed to his major autobiographical novels, such as Post Office, Women, or Ham on Rye.—William Gargan, Brooklyn Coll. Lib., CUNY
Epstein, Joseph. Gossip: The Untrivial Pursuit. Houghton Harcourt. Dec. 2011. c.256p. ISBN 9780618721948. $25. LIT
Pssst! I have to tell you something. Did you hear about this new book about the history of gossip? Don’t misunderstand the content; it’s a bit high-brow! Many of us can’t resist a juicy story about another person. Epstein (former editor, American Scholar; Snobbery) begins by defining the difference between gossip and rumors with emphasis on the premise that each begins with and exists because of people. Epstein outlines a general history of gossip from Louis de Rouvroy, duc de Saint-Simon (d.1755), famous still as a memoirist, to the controversial newspaper columnist and broadcaster Walter Winchell, to Barbara Walters and Tina Brown. Other names dropped include Julian Assange and Matt Drudge. Epstein also explores the rise of television gossip shows like TMZ. To illustrate his main points, he ends each chapter with a “diary” entry that documents his own experiences of hearing and sharing gossip, little gems about particular situations. He includes a bibliographical note listing recommended gossipy fiction and nonfiction. VERDICT Epstein packs a lot of historical information into his book, and this makes it a good choice for academic journalism and media collections. It will also spark lively discussions in nonfiction book groups. [See Prepub Alert, 6/13/11.]—Joyce Sparrow, Kenneth City, FL
Malory, Thomas. The Death of King Arthur: The Immortal Legend. Viking. Nov. 2011. c.316p. retold by Peter Ackroyd. ISBN 9780670023073. $26.95. LIT
Most of us know Sir Thomas Malory’s 15th-century Le Morte d’Arthur from T.H. White’s The Once and Future King or the musical Camelot. This new version by Ackroyd (The Canterbury Tales: A Retelling) isn’t intended to improve on White. It’s a modern retelling of the central Arthurian story lines. Arthur becomes king by pulling a sword out of a stone, and he sets up a round table of 150 knights to keep order in the kingdom but is betrayed by his bastard son, Mordred. Sir Lancelot, meanwhile, acts the perfect knight, but his illicit love for Queen Guinevere prevents him from ever attaining the Holy Grail: that privilege is reserved for Galahad, who’s still a virgin. Malory’s basic story (with obscure language and additional details removed by Ackroyd) should seem old now, but it doesn’t. Ackroyd’s retelling retains the Christian and chivalric sensibilities of the original but updates the language and cuts out repetition. The result is sheer enjoyment, with notable characters and a narrative that pulls in the reader. And what tales these are—knights fighting for honor, magical potions and poisoned lances, unrequited love, and vile deceit! No one could have done it better than Ackroyd. VERDICT Not a scholarly retelling but a popular one, this story should attract an unexpectedly wide audience.—David Keymer, Modesto, CA
Muhlstein, Anka. Balzac’s Omelette: A Delicious Tour of French Food and Culture with Honoré de Balzac. Other. Oct. 2011. c.248p. tr. from French by Adriana Hunter. illus. maps. ISBN 9781590514733. $19.95. LIT
Like the many feasts it describes—historical and fictional—this book presents readers with course after course, carefully crafted to appeal to palates with a taste for history, biography, or literary criticism. Award-winning historian and biographer Muhlstein (Elizabeth I and Mary Stuart) delivers a palimpsest that is part wide-ranging study of French culture and daily life in the early 19th century, part biography, and part in-depth consideration of the importance and treatment of food in Balzac’s novels. Muhlstein contrasts Balzac’s habits and concerns (quite often his creditors) with characters and scenes from his many novels and grounds all these in the necessary context of the social and political history of the era. VERDICT Well written and thorough, this title will appeal most to students of French history, lovers of Balzac and his writings, and those with a deep interest in food history; it might be a bit rich in detail for the taste of a casual reader. [Previewed in “Booked Solid: Falls Finds from BEA 2011,” LJ 7/11.]—Courtney Greene, Indiana Univ. Libs., Bloomington
Performing Arts
Banfield, William C. Representing Black Music Culture: Then, Now, and When Again? Scarecrow. Oct. 2011. c.352p. photogs. index. ISBN 9780810877863. $35. MUSIC
Banfield (Africana studies/music & society, Berklee Coll. of Music) has a singular perspective on the recent history of African American popular music. As a professor, composer, jazz guitarist, and recording artist, he has witnessed the rise and (he argues) the fall of black music from the early 1960s to the present. The format of the book is also distinctive, as Banfield collects essays, interviews with many key musical figures, and selections from several years of his personal journal. In doing so, he paints a vivid picture of the development of and trends in the music that have led up to the current rap scene and pressure on artists to become publicity sensations rather than bona fide musicians. VERDICT Rather than scholarly and dry, this thought-provoking, readable book asks valid questions and portrays a once thriving, creative musical community that has somewhat lost its way. Recommended for all African American music collections.—Bill Walker, Stockton-San Joaquin Cty. P.L., Stockton, CA
Cosby, Bill (text) & George Booth (illus.). I Didn’t Ask To Be Born: (But I’m Glad I Was). Center Street: Hachette. Nov. 2011. c.208p. illus. ISBN 9780892969203. $21.99. TV
A better subtitle for this book would be But I Digress. Written in the same fashion as Cosby’s highly successful Cosbyology, his latest is a welcome collection of irresistibly funny observations and reminiscences. He writes the way he performs his stand-up comedy—he rambles on but keeps you interested to see whether he eventually returns to his original topic (he does, with his usual finesse). Cosby’s storytelling covers his experiences parenting as well as his own childhood memories growing up in Philadelphia in the 1940s; a tirade about the once-popular Cabbage Patch dolls; and his hilarious thoughts on what it must have been like in the Old West (circling the wagons in under eight seconds takes practice!). In the delightful tongue-in-cheek tradition of Mark Twain, Cosby gives his view of what Adam and Eve must have experienced as the world’s first husband and wife. VERDICT This is a book with which everyone can identify on some level; it is humor at its best. Highly recommended.—Richard A. Dickey, Washington, DC
Della Chiesa, Ron with Erica Ferencik. Radio My Way. Allyn & Bacon: Pearson. Nov. 2011. c.336p. discog. bibliog. ISBN 9780205252701. $29.99; pap. ISBN 9780205190782. $17.99. MUSIC
Della Chiesa, a legendary radio personality at WGBH in Boston since the 1970s, is best known for his commentary on the Boston Symphony and as the host of Music America. It was in this latter capacity that he interviewed dozens of jazz, pop, Broadway, and opera celebrities, and he follows the autobiographical portion of his entertaining memoir with recollections of these performers. Though not a trained musician, Della Chiesa has an obvious passion for a wide variety of genres (excluding rock), and his expansive, genuine love of this great diversity of styles shines forth. Readers of all ages will enjoy the vignettes of the performers, some of whom, e.g., Tony Bennett and Gunther Schuller, became his close personal friends. With a selective discography for each of the interview subjects. VERDICT This memoir, though not an essential purchase for all libraries, will certainly enhance collections in American music and media studies. Readers who grew up in the golden age of radio will be particularly enchanted with Della Chiesa’s reminiscences.—Larry Lipkis, Moravian Coll., Bethlehem, PA
Hanson, Nils. Lillian Lorraine: The Life and Times of a Ziegfeld Diva. McFarland. Nov. 2011. c.212p. photogs. filmog. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780786464074. $55. THEATER
Ziegfeld—the name conjures up images of the haunted Great White Way of pre–World War I New York, lovely ladies dancing, comics and clowns, and great riches and appalling poverty. Lillian Lorraine was said to be the most gorgeous gem ever placed on Ziegfeld’s pedestal as well as the diva with the most tortured decline. Hanson, whose mother was a close confidante of Lorraine, perhaps comes the closest to lifting the veil on this long-forgotten figure and revealing the woman beneath the fast-living glamour girl who fell from the spotlight. By interviewing some of the last survivors of the Ziegfeld days and carefully combing through secondary sources with a critical eye, Hanson has created an excellent biography that not only examines a fascinating subject but also explores an era a century past. VERDICT Hanson’s book will be of interest to theater historians as well as social historians, gender studies scholars, and readers looking to get swept up in early 20th-century New York.—Teri Shiel, Westfield State Univ. Lib., MA
Holoman, D. Kern. Charles Munch. Oxford Univ. Dec. 2011. c.352p. illus. bibliog. ISBN 9780199772704. $35. MUSIC
Holoman (Distinguished Professor of Music, Univ. of California, Davis) has crafted a loving yet honest portrait of conductor Charles Munch (1891–1968), famed exponent of the French repertoire during his tenure at the Boston Symphony and the Orchestre de Paris. With fluid prose, the author follows Munch from his earliest years as a violinist in provincial ensembles in Strasbourg to worldwide acclaim. Holoman draws on interviews with Munch’s associates and family members as well as a wealth of archival sources to depict a figure in service of a greater musical good who devoted so much of himself to his craft that his personal life and health suffered. Discussions of the women in Munch’s life and of his relationships with other conductors, notably Pierre Monteux, Serge Koussevitzky, and Leonard Bernstein, are tactful. An accompanying website provides information on dozens of recordings, and the exhaustive, up-to-date bibliography ranges widely. VERDICT Munch’s I Am a Conductor (1955) and a few earlier discographies in French provide some insight, but this is the first full-fledged biography written in English. Anyone with musical interests who lived through the 1930s–60s and scholars of the history of music in France will appreciate this excellent offering.—Barry Zaslow, Miami Univ. Libs., Oxford, OH
Marcus, Greil. The Doors: A Lifetime of Listening to Five Men. PublicAffairs: Perseus. Nov. 2011. c.240p. photogs. ISBN 9781586489458. $21.99. MUSIC
The poetic lyrics and haunting melodies of the Doors created a distinctive sound in the 1960s, and the life and death of Jim Morrison, the charismatic, outrageous lead singer, have prompted numerous books and the Oliver Stone movie The Doors. Longtime fans will be excited to see new material written on the band but may be ultimately disappointed with this addition from well-known critic Marcus (Lipstick Traces; Invisible Republic). He attempts to focus solely on the music and present a new story, but his narrative is disjointed, as particular songs send him on rambling dissertations about everything from pop art exhibits to Charles Manson. VERDICT Doors fans will not find new material here. Better choices remain popular titles like Chuck Crisafulli’s The Doors: When the Music’s Over, Ray Manzarek’s Light My Fire, and Stephen Davis’s Jim Morrison: Life, Death, Legend. Still, completists will be looking for Marcus’s latest. [See Prepub Alert, 5/23/11.]—Rosalind Dayen, South Regional Lib., Broward Cty., FL
Philosophy
Ratner-Rosenhagen, Jennifer. American Nietzsche: A History of an Icon and His Ideas. Univ. of Chicago. Nov. 2011. c.448p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780226705811. $30. PHIL
In Ratner-Rosenhagen’s (history, Univ. of Wisconsin–Madison) examination of Nietzsche’s influence on America, it is surprising to read how many scholars, political activists, ministers, and everyday citizens were influenced by his ideas. She explains that her book is not about Nietzsche disciples in the United States but instead about how his philosophy helped challenge and influence the ideas of a diverse group of Americans. She looks at why each group or individual was drawn to Nietzsche’s attack on universal truths and morality, and how they used his writings to support and develop their own philosophy, belief system, or cause. While it’s not surprising that he influenced philosophers and literary critics like Walter Kaufmann and Harold Bloom, the sections on his influence on figures like Jack London and Huey P. Newton are insightful and intriguing. VERDICT Ratner-Rosenhagen’s skillful combining of historical research and philosophical analysis in a way that is both accessible and informative makes this book a pleasure to read. Highly recommended for scholars and general readers interested in Nietzsche’s philosophical legacy or America’s intellectual history.—Scott Duimstra, Capital Area Dist. Lib., Lansing, MI
Poetry
Bellen, Martine. Ghosts! Spuyten Duyvil. 2011. 82p. ISBN 9781933132419. pap. $14. POETRY
When one thinks of ghosts, one imagines beings that are both literally and figuratively unresolved. Like a flickering fluorescent bulb, a ghost occupies the liminal space between life and death, presumably because of an unfulfilled need for closure. Bellen, whose Tales of Murasaki and Other Poems won a National Poetry Series award, carries this theme forward in her current collection with a lyricism more germane to the living than to the recently departed. Her work is unfailingly musical even while sacrificing none of the concrete details of the quotidian. When she reminds the reader that “each line in a poem can’t avoid acting as a series of questions,” she shows a concern for the worldly that transcends the merely personal focus of more mainstream verse. VERDICT Not satisfied with making us phantom observers, Bellen situates us directly in the center of her poems while emphasizing that the best questions (and the best lines of poetry) remain open and, like the ghosts themselves, unresolved.—Chris Pusateri, Jefferson Cty. P.L., Lakewood, CO
Hill, Geoffrey. Clavics. Enitharmon Pr., dist. by Dufour. (Daybooks). Oct. 2011. 48p. ISBN 9781907587115. $29.95. POETRY
Each of the 32 sections of this new collection from distinguished English poet Hill (poetry, Oxford; A Treatise of Civil Power) contains a 20-line stanza with several abbreviated lines followed by a ten-line, hourglass-shaped stanza (as in George Herbert’s “Easter Wings”) that narrows to one word at the center. The form creates a momentum that complements the shiftiness of the speaker, who wears several masks: the arrogant poet (“Believe/ The rhetoric/ Or not; any archive/ Will demonstrate a plethoric/ Rigour of stock conservation you dunce”), the humble scholar (“I have admired/ Dawkins’s mortal quips/ As was required”), and the imagined reader (“Are you conning me simple rhyme? I am,/ Bro”). We hear his inner monolog, including directions (“Best employ dialogue/ Views before vows”) and criticism about this very book (“Some lame notion/ I had and have”). VERDICT Hill’s facility for rhythm outweighs his rhetorical dexterity (à la Ashbery) and all the academic allusion (à la Eliot) at which he pokes fun (“Permit/ Me stock adaptation/ Of tradition”). As a result, the experience of reading this volume trumps the content. Readers of poetry, whatever “school” they favor, will appreciate Hill’s work.—Stephen Morrow, Ohio Univ., Columbus
Hongo, Garrett. Coral Road: Poems. Knopf. Oct. 2011. c.120p. ISBN 9780307594761. $26. POETRY
With anguish and love, Pulitzer Prize finalist Hongo (The River of Heaven) presents his ancestors’ stories as they unfolded on the island of Oahu, their first homeland after they migrated from Japan. Hongo here sees poetry as a meditation, and he touches on everything from nature, personal experience, and myth to his ancestors’ experiences of love and survival. To a great extent, he relies on narrative, with meaning emanating from the constant stream of places, colors, names, and anecdotes he cites. But Hongo’s lively images and fluid tone prevent the reportorial style from slipping into passive documentation, and his language embodies the local as a way of connecting with the vast outside world: “When you see the blue sky that one day in Istanbul, Nazim/ How can you lie down on the ground and look up to it/ In respectful devotion to its full immensity.” VERDICT Hongo’s lyricism echoes Whitman’s, and his shaping of life experiences through poetic stories generates a tremendous feeling of intimacy. This poetry narrates journeys we all take and is recommended for all readers.—Sadiq Alkoriji, South Regional Lib., Broward Cty., FL
The Penguin Anthology of 20th Century American Poetry. Penguin. Oct. 2011. c.656p. ed. by Rita Dove. index. ISBN 9780143106432. $40. POETRY
Pulitzer Prize–winning poet Dove presents a hefty anthology of important poems written by American poets of the last century. To well-known poems by Robert Frost, Wallace Stevens, Langston Hughes, and others, Dove has added lesser-known poems by African American and women poets. Melvin B. Tolson’s evocative meditation on racial inequality, “Dark Symphony,” is here, as is “The Idea of Ancestry,” a moving poem, also with racial themes, by Etheridge Knight. VERDICT Overall, Dove’s introduction is informative and insightful, offering an engaging discussion of trends in modern American poetry. However, as former U.S. poet laureate and former consultant in poetry for the Library of Congress, Dove knows her subject, which makes it all the more egregious that she has excluded works by some major American 20th-century poets. Among the excluded poets are Allen Ginsberg, Sylvia Plath, and the perhaps lesser-known Pulitzer Prize winner Karl Shapiro, also a U.S. poet laureate. Dove suggests some of the gaps occurred because the publishers’ fees were beyond her budget, but that’s a pity, because these are serious omissions.—Diane Scharper, Towson Univ., MD
Religion
The Best Buddhist Writing 2011. Shambhala, dist. by Random. 2011. c.282p. ed. by Melvin McLeod & Shambhala Sun Eds. ISBN 9781590309339. pap. $17.95. REL
McLeod (editor in chief, Shambhala Sun) and his colleagues deliver their 2010 picks for annual anthology. They present 31 selections addressing issues of everyday life viewed through the lens of Buddhist practice, just over half extracted from books, the remaining articles taken almost exclusively from Tricycle: The Buddhist Review or Shambhala Sun. Contributors, with women making up more than half, reflect a broad spectrum from unknown lay practitioners to emerging Western-born teachers (e.g., Bonnie Myotai Treace and Enkyo Pat O’Hara) as well as the well known and prolific (e.g., the Dalai Lama, Jack Kornfield, and Thich Nhat Hanh). Readers will find their own favorites, discovering new authors and stimulating further reading, and may even experience an epiphany or two. This reviewer found the overall compilation (even his usual favorites, the personal accounts) less inspiring than previous editions. Nevertheless, several favorites did emerge, including Pico Iyer’s “Heart of the Dalai Lama,” Brian Haycock’s “Dharma Road,” Susan Moon’s “This Is Getting Old,” and Rodney Smith’s “Undivided Mind.” VERDICT Recommended for those seeking an enjoyable tour—and indicator of the state—of contemporary Western Buddhist thought and practice.—James R. Kuhlman, Univ. of North Carolina at Asheville Lib.
Cone, James H.
The Cross and the Lynching Tree. Orbis. 2011. c.224p. index. ISBN 9781570759376. $28. REL
“When we see the crucifixion as a first-century lynching, we are confronted by the re-enactment of Christ’s suffering in the blood-soaked history of African Americans,” writes Cone (systematic theology, Union Theological Seminary; Black Theology & Black Power ). With accessible allusions to Jesus, the sufferings of Old Testament figures, the lynchings of at least 5000 African Americans, and reflections of notable 20th-century Christian thinkers, including W.E.B. Du Boise, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Reinhold Niebuhr, and Martin Luther King Jr., Cone points out that while many ordinary Christians, black and white, saw the cross “as the defining heart of the Christian faith,” they were oblivious to its parallels in America’s lynching tree. Cone forcefully shows that Jesus’s cry to God after his crucifixion/lynching, “Why hast thou forsaken me!” speaks to the condition of blacks in America especially during the Jim Crow era and civil rights struggles. He notes that most white theologians have been blind to any analogy between the cross and the lynching tree and that lynch mobs were made up mainly of God-fearing Christians. VERDICT Cone calls for us to remember the lynching tree now to foster a Christianity that goes beyond empty pieties and fully embraces Jesus’s teachings on suffering, the poor, and faith. While some readers may wish that Cone would recognize more nuance in white understanding of black suffering, this is essential reading. —Margaret Heilbrun, Library Journal
Holtam, Nicholas. The Art of Worship: Paintings, Prayers, and Readings for Meditation. National Gallery London, dist. by Yale Univ. 2011. c.120p. illus. index. ISBN 9781857095319. $25. REL
Holtam (Vicar, St. Martin-in-the-Fields) links paintings in the National Gallery to the Christian stories that they portray or elements of Christian life and worship that they evoke. With each painting, he points out relevant details, explains symbolism, or gives background on the artist or period. He also accompanies each with at least one prayer or meditation. While most of his pairings are solid, some are a bit of a stretch, as when he links van Gogh’s beautiful still life Sunflowers with “Thanksgiving.” Overall, it is unfortunate that this could not have been a physically larger work, as the limited size of the reproductions fails to do justice to many of them. There are also a few cases where the reproductions are partially lost in the gutter or when details that Holtam describes cannot be seen adequately. VERDICT Despite these quibbles, this is a lovely book that would make a wonderful gift and fit well into any library’s collection of materials celebrating prayer or Christian artwork.—Eric Norton, McMillan Memorial Lib., Wisconsin Rapids
Wagler, Ira. Growing Up Amish: A Memoir. Tyndale House. 2011. c.273p. ISBN 9781414339368. pap. $14.99. REL
This book joins several others recently published on the now popular subject of Amish life. In his memoir, Wagler chronicles growing up in an Iowa Amish community and eventually leaving it. First written on his blog at www.irawagler.com, the narrative unfolds well for a first book. Wagler’s writing portrays the conflicting emotions of breaking away from the family and faith he loves because of his need to break free from a life that didn’t suit him. The distinct feature of this story is that through all of his teen angst and turmoil, during which he left the Amish, he did not lose his faith in God. He was able to find another faith community to identify with. This engaging memoir doesn’t lag but keeps the reader interested all the way through. VERDICT Fans of all things Amish, as well as those interested specifically in spirituality, will find this a good read. It serves as a nice addition to previous books written on the subject.—Holly Hebert, Brentwood P.L., TN
