The Adventures and Misadventures of Maqroll (New York Review Books Classics)

Average customer rating:

A Fatalist's Fantasia

A Delightful, Picaresque Compilation

Unique and unforgettable

doctor in the publishing house?

The trials and tribulations of an unrepetant vagabond.

The Adventures and Misadventures of Maqroll (New York Review Books Classics)
Alvaro Mutis , and Francisco Goldman
Manufacturer: NYRB Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
British | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Spanish | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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Empresas Y Tribulaciones De Maqroll El Gaviero/maqroll's Ventures And Trubilations

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ASIN: 0940322919
Release Date: 2002-02-01

Book Description

Maqroll the Gaviero (the Lookout) is one of the most alluring and memorable characters in the fiction of the last twenty-five years. His extravagant and hopeless undertakings, his brushes with the law and scrapes with death, and his enduring friendships and unlooked-for love affairs make him a Don Quixote for our day, driven from one place to another by a restless and irregular quest for the absolute. Álvaro Mutis's seven dazzling chronicles of the adventures and misadventures of Maqroll have won him numerous honors and a passionately devoted readership throughout the world. Here for the first time in English all these wonderful stories appear in a single volume in Edith Grossman's prize-winning translation.

Customer Reviews:

A Fatalist's Fantasia.......2006-10-05

Yes, I agree with the other reviewers who have asseverated that this is a great book. But they don't seem to want to spell out why exactly it is a great novel, or, rather, series of picaresque adventures. - Perhaps they're simply tired due to the 700 page literary trek. - But, come now, a great novel because of tramp steamers and the sea? While the sea is certainly the element in which Maqroll feels most at home, there are, literally, hundreds of novels about the sea and the love of it (In particular, there's one author who's made himself into a multi-millionaire by churning out these books like a sausage-machine).

No, what makes this book great is the underlying fatalism of the work sweepingly on display in Maqroll and the several other characters, and in the finely wrought passages on what this life offers us, picaresque vagabond or not. Many comparisons have been made to Don Quixote. - But not in the right way - Maqroll is Don Quixote's Twentieth Century doppelganger, or spectral double: Spectral, as is the case with many doppelgangers in fiction, in that he is the Knight's opposite. Where Don Quixote is chaste, Maqroll is licentious, where Don Quixote is naïve, Maqroll is instinctively wise to the ways of the fallen world etc. etc. --- In literary terms, Don Quixote is a Romantic. Maqroll is Tragic.

I wonder, reading the other reviews, if the other readers may have just possibly skimmed over the philosophical passages that glower at one on every other page or so. It is these passages, these lyrical, defiant, essentially dark reflections that make this much more than any mere sea novel or rollicking picaresque.

For Example, for starters:

"...it's not worry I feel but weariness as I watch the approach of one more episode in the old, tired story of the men who try to beat life, the smart ones who think they know it all and die with a look of surprise on their faces: at the final moment they always see the truth - they never really understood anything, never held anything in their hands. An old story, old and boring." P.24

And again:

"He thought that the real tragedy of aging lay in the fact that the eternal boy still lives inside us, unaware of the passage of time. A boy whose secrets had been revealed with notable clarity when Maqroll withdrew to Aracuriare Canyon, and who claimed the prerogative of not aging, since he carried that portion of broken dreams, stubborn hopes, and mad, illusory enterprises in which time not only does not count but is, in fact, inconceivable. One day the body sends a warning and, for a moment, we awake to the evidence of our own deterioration: someone has been living our life, consuming our strength. But we immediately return to the phantom of our spotless youth, and continue to do so until the final, inevitable awakening." P.261

And again, and again, and again...

Yes, there are mad illusory enterprises throughout the book- And jolly fun they are to read - But, like a requiem continually droning in the background, we are given, in Maqroll's reflections, that he is aware exactly how mad and illusory these enterprises are.

Fatalistic literature has never been popular, in America especially, which was founded on principles contrary to it, and where the recurrent mantra is, "You can be anything you want to be." This book shows, time and again, that you can't. It's no wonder Maqroll is enamoured of, among others, the Ancient Greeks.

Summing up, this is a great book because Mutis does the seemingly impossible here, giving us the pleasurable, lilting melodies of the sea yarn and adventure story, all the while beating the steady drumbeat of mortal doom.

A Delightful, Picaresque Compilation.......2006-09-06

Ah, this is a wonderful book for a sunny or rainy day. It is so perfect in all does. The stories are fascinating and amusing -- often poignant. You will never forget ANY of the characters, especially Maqroll. And Bashur. And the Mirror Breaker. And Jamil. If, since childhood, you have dreamed of tramp steamers and ports around the world, as I have, your ship truly has come in in this book. Well, I could go on just spitting out adoring adjectives, but, like all the other reviewers here, I enjoyed this book immensely. It won't be long till I pick it up and read it all over again. A book I'll always remember. A classic.

Unique and unforgettable.......2006-04-23

Alvaro Mutis wrote several superb short novels about the travels and trials of his creation, the wandering sailor Maqroll, gathered here in one volume in an excellent translation. Adventure, friendship, obsession, loyalty, bad judgment, and hilariously (sometimes tragically) desperate situations play out in obscure and exotic locations. "Maqroll" is an excellent companion for your own world travels.

doctor in the publishing house?.......2005-06-29

It is densely written and discursive . . . relentlessly so, for 700 pages. Perhaps you will find this poetic, profound, or even titillating. Perhaps not. Perhaps, instead, you will think that Mutis is a brilliant, verbally gifted man in need of lithium and a good editor, or both. In all fairness, he gives plenty of warning up front. Page 17: "Our mistake is to think it's going somewhere, . . ." Page 19: "makes his sentences difficult to understand until we grow used to the rhythm of a language intended to conceal more than it communicates." Page 20: ". . . filled with long, rambling circumlocutions that made no sense." I think this award winning "emperor" is feeling a bit chilly, but laughing his chillies off.

The trials and tribulations of an unrepetant vagabond........2005-02-22

It's no surprise that Gabriel Garcia Marquez has described Columbian writer, Alvaro Mutis (1923-), as "one of the greatest writers of our time." The seven tales of tenderness, sorrow, and foolishness collected in this 700-page book follow Mutis's Don Quixote-like protagonist, Maqroll the Gaviero (or Lookout), through seedy ports, deserts, Amazon jungles, and over Andean peaks, across rivers and seas, and from ancient cities to run-down Los Angeles. Along the way, readers discover Maqroll is a "madman," an "unrepetant vagabond," forever lost, like "a sailor who's been thrown off his ship" (pp. 218; 250). "There is no cure for my reckless wandering," he explains, "forever misguided and destructive, forever alien to my true vocation" (p. 37). He is also an experienced lover of women, who makes love, again and again, "with the slow, meticulous intesity of people who don't know what will happen tomorrow" (p. 343). Winner of the 2002 Neustadt Prize for World Literature, this slow-paced collection of entertaining adventures and misadventures is highly recommended.

G. Merritt

Book Description

The Box Set includes: Temple of the Winds Soul of the Fire Faith of the FallenBook 4: Temple of the Winds On the red moon will come the firestorm....Wielding the Sword of Truth, Richard Rahl has battled death itself and come to the defense of the D'Haran people. But now the power-mad Emperor Jagang confronts Richard with a swift and inexorable foe: a mystical plague cutting a deadly swath across the land and slaying thousands of innocent victims.To quench the inferno, he must seek remedy in the wind....To fight it Richard and his beloved Kahlan Amnell will risk everything to uncover the source of the terrible plague-the magic sealed away for three millennia in the Temple of the Winds.Lightning will find him on that path....But when prophecy throws the shadow of betrayal across their mission and threatens to destroy them, Richard must accept the Truth and find a way to pay the price the winds demand....or he and his world will perish. Book 5: Soul of the Fire Sequel to the New York Times bestselling Temple of the WindsRichard Rahl has traveled far from his roots as a simple woods guide. Emperor of the D'Haran Empire, war wizard, the Seeker of Truth--none of these roles mean as much to him as his newest: husband to his beloved Kahlan Amnell, Mother Confessor of the Midlands.But their wedding day is the key that unlocks a spell sealed away long ago in a faraway country. Now a deadly power pours forth that threatens to turn the world into a lifeless waste. Separated from the Sword of Truth and stripped of their magic, Richard and Kahlan must journey across the Midlands to discover a dark secret from the past and a trap that could tear them apart forever. For their fate has become inextricably entwined with that of the Midlands--and there's no place so dangerous as a world without magic....Book 6: Faith of the Fallen Sequel to the New York Times bestselling Soul of the FireTerry Goodkind author of the enormously popular Sword of Truth novels, has forged perhaps his best novel yet, pitting Richard Rahl and Kahlan Amnell against threats to the freedom of the world that will take them to opposite ends of the world to defeat the forces of chaos and anarchy.Emperor Jagang is rising once again in the Old World and Richard must face him, on his own turf. Richard heads into the Old World with Cara, the Mord-Sith, while his beloved Kahlan remains behind. Unwilling to heed an ancient prophecy, Kahlan raises an army and goes into battle against forces threatening armed insurrection in the Midlands.Separated and fighting for their lives, Richard and Kahlan will be tested to the utmost.

Customer Reviews:

A very solid series that keeps expanding even after 6 books........2007-08-09

I was given bookset 1-3 as a gift, but bought 4-6 myself. I can definitely tell that Goodkind has grown as a writer since the first book. Unlike other fantasy series I've read, Goodkind's world keeps growing even at the 6th book -- which makes sense. As Richard's view of the world grows, so does the reader's. I consumed these three books, finishing them in 3 days once settled down to it. I was warned by one of my liberal friends that the hints of libertarianism in the first three books explodes in the later books, and it's safe to say that he wasn't lying. But that's OK with me. I'm glad to finally read a fiction book that actually teaches a worthwhile lesson.

The one problem I have with these books is that they are entirely too repetitive. I found myself skipping just about every third paragraph because it was a paragraph devoted to summary of what has already happened. I realize this is common to every sequel, but in my opinion Goodkind takes it to extremes.

excellent.......2007-02-01

Terry Goodkind has captured the imagination. His sequel books are hard to put down. They should be made into a movie or series on television.

Books are excellent.......2007-01-10

Books are in excellent condition, received on time. Have read two of the books and can't wait to continue the next one.

5 stars for TotW--3 stars for SotF--and 5 stars for FotF.......2006-10-20

I believe that judging this series as a whole will favorably argue that Goodkind is every bit the equal to Tolkien -- even though Terry Goodkind himself would probably balk at such a comparison. I have it on good authority a very large chunk of Sword of Truth fans are not even typical Fantasy readers in general (or at all). The social & political upheaval that is covered within the entire storyline is truly epic in scope. The first three books (Wizards First Rule, Stone of Tears & Blood of the Fold) are easily my all-time favorite Fantasy novels. Not an easy place to be in my opinion writing in the shadows of Terry Brooks, J.K. Rowling, George R.R. Martin and the mighty Tolkien (to name a few). While I believe books 1 & 2 are STILL the best, in this boxed set, two remarkable stories stand out.

First...Temple of the Winds is simply AWESOME. While after initially finishing Blood of the Fold I was slightly disappointed, after re-reading it several years later, I decided that it was actually very good...but Temple of the Winds surpasses it in every way (IMHO). The struggles against Emperor Jagang and his evil plots to conquer the world as he sees it is amazing. Just the very idea of the Temple I found to be incredibly original all the way around. The eventual outcome and how Richard had to lower himself in order to save his people -- and his beloved Kahlan -- was nothing short of compelling.

Second...Soul of the Fire was my first (and only) serious disappointment in this entire series to date. While I wasn't very pleased with 'Pillars of Creation' and how Goodkind totally changed gears on his faithful readers by shuffling his main characters into microscopic roles (they only appeared in the final 40 pages or so), in SotF he did a very similar act. He created the brand new city of Anderith and immersed us head-first into this entirely new plot-line and kept Richard & Kahlan to nearly secondary characters altogether. Even though Pillars almost eliminated Richard & Kahlan, I STILL found the overall storyline to be quite entertaining...but with SotF it just fell flat for me. At least half of the novel kept me interested, but every time we went back to the problems in Anderith, MY interest virtually died.

Third...Faith of the Fallen really IS long on commentary by Richard, almost as though he were running for office. What I found to be utterly compelling however is that to the people Richard is virtually preaching to, what he is saying actually FITS 100%. The worth of souls ARE great, and Richard sees this, and has this monumental struggle to prove it to those in bondage to the Order. The pacifists of this world will never really fully understand what this means, because they are so busy trying to iron over any so-called problems and shelter their families from the real-world consequences that almost ALWAYS happen when you take a back seat to the oppression that threatens to consume the world as we know it. In short, I loved this book. If you put aside your political beliefs, and the outright incorrect way in which many attempt to connect FotF to Atlas Shrugged, LOOK at the situation that Richard finds himself forcibly immersed into...how ELSE can he express himself and talk sense into those who passively sit by while the evil-doers of the Order slaughter innocent lives all in the name of the Maker? Goodkind got it totally right here and I wouldn't change a word.

All in all I would rate the series 5-stars.

Wizards First Rule 5 Stars
Stone of Tears 5 Stars
Blood of the Fold 5 Stars
Temple of the Wind 5 Stars
Soul of the Fire 3 Stars
Faith of the Fallen 5 Stars
Pillars of Creation 4 Stars
Naked Empire 5 Stars
Chainfire 5 Stars
Phantom 5 Stars

I just wish that Terry could write faster...but if it in any way compromised the quality of the stories, I am perfectly happy waiting however long it takes to read whatever he writes.

Awesome once again.......2006-10-02

These three books cover so much information that is essential to the story of Kahlan and Richard. My favorite of the three is Faith of the Fallen. One thing that a lot of people do not like about these books is the very heavy political undertones that Terry Goodkind displays. I happen to love the long monologues about the worth of an individual. Faith of the Fallen has many such monologues, but still moves a very quick pace. Would recommend these books to anyone who loves a great fantasy series.

Book Description

From national bestselling author William C. Dietz, McCade for Hire collects the first two action-packed novels featuring Sam McCade-an ex-Imperial Navy soldier turned interstellar bounty hunter.

Book Description

In this first collection of her essays and short writings, Judith Plaskow, one of the founders of feminist theology and the founder of Jewish feminist theology, documents her personal and scholarly evolution. From her early days as a graduate student at Yale to her present work on sexual ethics, the essays in this volume trace Plaskow's work in feminist theology, Jewish feminist theology, and sexuality. Covering all of her major essays, including "The Coming of Lilith" and her pioneering work on anti-Judaism in Christian feminism, this book also includes several previously unpublished essays. Intelligently arranged and edited with the help of Donna Berman, this collection is indispensable for religious studies students, fans of Plaskow_s work, and those pursuing a Jewish education.

Book Description

This handy cookbook is an enjoyable and informative guide to the rich culinary traditions of the American Indians of the Southwest. Featured are 150 authentic fruit, grain, and vegetable recipes—foods that have been prepared by generations of Apaches, Zunis, Navajos, Havasupais, Yavapais, Pimas, and Pueblos. These tasty, unique dishes include mesquite pudding, Navajo blue bread, hominy, cherry corn bread, and yucca hash.

American Indian Cooking also boasts wonderfully detailed illustrations of dozens of edible wild plants and essential information on their history, use, and importance. Many of these plants can be obtained by mail; a list of mail-order sources in the back of the book allows everyone to sample and savor these distinctive, natural recipes.

Customer Reviews:

Unique, accessible, fascinating, "reader friendly"........2000-03-05

Based on wild/natural foods grown and gathered by Native Americans of the Southwest, American Indian Cooking presents a wealth of information on plants, uses and updated recipes for their consumption. Each plant is listed, described and illustrated painstakingly, followed by the plant's uses and recipes for serving. A great deal of Native American agrarian history is effortlessly presented in this attractive book. Some eye catching recipes are given for: Saguaro Cactus Jelly, Sweet Pumpkin Muffins, Walnut Corn Bread, Roasted Pumpkin Seeds, Blue Corn Mush with Onion Gravy, and Zuni Succotash. Take a walk in the desert and see what wonderful edible plants nature has provided.

Book Description

A continuing celebration of beautiful household items with enameled surfaces produced throughout Europe and the United States between the late 1800s and 1940. Dishes, pans, and more-- with flowers, birds, scenic designs, playful stripes and checks, bold patterns and colors--are all pictured in over 500 color photographs with value ranges provided in the captions. The recent surge in interest in enameled ware collectibles has brought to light thousands of gorgeous pieces that can inspire even the casual collector. Devotees of this art form will enjoy the various objects, graphic designs, patterns, and colors found within this book, which is both a visual reference to learn about enameled tableware and a must-have source for all interior decorators.

Average customer rating:

stampers wow

Rice' Is A Very Good Teacher

this book is worth TEN workshops

Stamp Artistry by Rockport Press

Wonderful Projects, Talented Artists, Poor Proofreading!!!!

Stamp Artistry: Combining Stamps with Beadwork, Carving, Collage, Etching, Fabric, Metalwork, Painting, Polymer Clay, Repousse, and More
Rice Freeman-Zachery
Manufacturer: Quarry Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
Printmaking | Graphic Design | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Rubber Stamping | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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Art Stamping Workshop: Create Hand-Carved Stamps for Unique Projects on Paper, Fabric, Polymer Clay and More

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ASIN: 1592530117

Book Description

Stamping is among the most popular artistic techniques, because its uses are virtually limitless. No matter what medium they work in, artists and decorators alike can use stamping to create one-of-a-kind pieces with simple techniques.

This follow-up book to Rockport?s successful "The Stamp Artist?s Project Book" highlights the latest and best new techniques and cutting-edge materials used in this arena today. It includes projects for everything from stamping in polymer clay to stamped metal jewelry, from using stamps to create an aged look on papers and letters to a stamped artist journal, and from stamped furniture to stamped glass charms.

Covering the gamut of stamping know-how, from basic tools to professional tips to an extensive resource list, this how-to guide is for any artist who wants to incorporate the latest new techniques and trends in his or her work.

Customer Reviews:

stampers wow.......2005-06-28

this book is awesome! there are so many projects and all of the doable! the colors, patterns, media and all the embellishments used make you want to do the projects. this one is a keeper for me.

Rice' Is A Very Good Teacher.......2004-07-09

I have taken classes from Rice' and every class has taught me something new and inspired me creatively. I'm an experienced editor and agree better proof reading was needed but her examples and information and her association with other artists included in the book are the most important reason for buying it. If her name is on a book, buy it. She has a new book coming out in October 2004 and I am anxious to buy it too.

this book is worth TEN workshops.......2004-05-01

Overflowing with ideas and insider technique tips, Rice and friends present us with bountiful inspiration in this enthusiastic, well-illustrated book. It's not just a must-read but a must-OWN if you're involved with paper and fiber arts. The tip about silk screen ink (for art on fabric) saved me weeks of reinventing the wheel, and that's just one very small note in a book chock FULL of fabulous ideas and projects. Thank you, Rice!

Stamp Artistry by Rockport Press.......2004-02-21

This book is delightfully full of creative uses of rubber stamps by talented artisans in many mediums. The author has explained every project in easy-to-understand terms. Projects are separated into sections, such as "for the home," which makes it easy to select a project, and each section has a well-written introduction by the author. I didn't find one project I didn't like or wouldn't want to reproduce. The photography is wonderful! Any little petty glitches, which you'll find in any book, are easily overlooked because of the innovative subject matter and the masterful photos. (Even the revered "Chicago Manual of Style" has typos!) If you want something a little different, this is the book I recommend. It's worth every penny I spent on it, and I look forward to more great books by the author!

Wonderful Projects, Talented Artists, Poor Proofreading!!!!.......2004-01-01

This Instructional Project Book offers wonderful projects by today's renowned top artists in stamping, clay, collage, etc. However typographical errors distract from the step-by-step instructions.
Xyron is one of the most "top of mind" brands in the Arts and Crafts industry, but was referred to as Zyron several times throughout the book. I noticed misspelled words such as Dall instead of Doll and poor sentence structure.
I do not blame the author, but the Publishing House for proofreading errors. This shows lack of knowledge and details for the art form in which they are representing.
When I buy a book of this price point and with step-by-step instructions I expect top-notch editing!!!!

Quilt Artistry: Inspired Designs from the East

Average customer rating:

Beautiful.
An exquisite portrait of an exquisite mind
Beautiful!

Quilt Artistry: Inspired Designs from the East
Yoshiko Jinzenji
Manufacturer: Kodansha International
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Textile & Costume | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 4770027567

Book Description

Quilt Artistry will transform the way that readers think about quilts. Author Yoshiko Jinzenji began quilting after she came upon quilts made by Canada's Mennonite people and was deeply moved by their resonant, sacred quality. The richly minimalist quilts she makes today are as powerful as the
works that originally inspired her. Quilt Artistry presents her unforgettable quilt creations in 100 color photos and in 300 black-and-white photos and diagrams. Detailed patterns and instructions are included for all projects shown.

In addition to full-size quilts, Jinzenji demonstrates how to make quilted pillows, clutch purses, necklaces, decorative objects, table mats, tiny miniature quilt "mandalas," even a hammock. There are a total of 90 projects, for everyone from beginners to the most advanced quilters.

Jinzenji is also a superb natural dyer and often makes quilts from fabric or fiber she colors herself, including very subtle and rich bamboo-dyed white silk.

In other quilts she uses antique fabric collected from around the world, and in still others vibrant tropical natural dyes or innovative synthetics such as black metallic cloth created by well-known textile designer Jun'ichi Arai. No matter what the material, her quilts all have a remarkable quiet
power. They resonate with a spiritual quality like that of classic North American quilts, but one that is rooted in an Asian, even Buddhist sensibility.

Jinzenji has always wanted to "give something back" to the Western quilting tradition that first motivated her own work, and with this book she is wonderfully successful. Quiltmakers and all others with an interest in textiles or design will find Quilt Artistry as inspirational as it is
practical.

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful........2003-04-30

Yoshiko Jinzenji has made a beautiful book showing her magnificient quilts and pieces of fabric arts.

The book itself, photos, paper, printing, writing, style, is a piece of art. A book you will be happy to own, no matter if you are a quilter or just a book lover. A perfect coffee table book for any home, though this one is so much more than a coffee table book. This book deserves to be read and be looked through again and again.

Yoshiko Jinzenji has been a quilter for a lifetime, and during these years she has developed her own unique and perfect style. We get to know Jinzenji through the pages of the book, both through words and through pictures. We meet her and her quilts in Kyoto, and we meet her in her studio in Bali. The book also have a section on how to make quilts, easy to read, easy to follow the step by step instructions. Jinzenji makes her quilts from ancient fabric collected from around the world, and she makes her quilts from natural dyes in light, clean colors. But no matter what the fabric is, her vibrant quilts all stand out and have all their own story to tell

The highlights in the book though are the pictures. The somewhat clean and stylish picture of a Small Modern Amish quilt displayed on the wall in her Kyoto home, the fantastic puzzle of an uncountable number of small Mandala quilts put together to form a universe in colors, cloths and patterns, the collague of many pictures from scenes around her studio in Bali as inspirations for future quilts.

The way the writing and photos in the book are put together shows the reader a new way to look at the surroundings, and through that a new way to look at life. Or to say it with the words from the foreword of the book, written by textile designer Jun'ichi Arai; I am convinced that Yoshiko Jinzenji's achievements in establishing a new genre in quilting will never be forgotten.

An exquisite portrait of an exquisite mind.......2003-04-17

A piece of fabric is the pulse of life is written across our eyes by drape, shape, texture, and hue. Art forms, and perhaps art itself, have their own genetic codes-forms of doubling and redoubling that, as DNA does with the cell, determine a look, a feel, a character, an emotion. Lucky, then, are the pieces of fabric doubled and redoubled by the eyes and hands of Yoshiko Jinzenji. A few snips of color and weave become a mix of art and the irrepressible urge to adorn that make you want to dive off this world and into what you see.

She best articulates the origins of all this in her book's Introduction:

"I have a very clear memory of my first encounter with quilts. It was in Toronto in the winter of 1970, in the furniture section of Eaton's department store downtown. There, surrounded by standardized fluffy bedspreads, were two handmade quilts draped over wooden racks. I went over to them as if drawn by a magnet and took them in my hand, wondering what on earth these handmade quilts were doing in the middle of a display of manufactured goods. The oddity of the combination was stunning. The quilts were made by joining together many small pieces of cloth and then covering the whole with fine hand stitching. Each had a price tag, and I was stunned again to see that they were not much more expensive than the manufactured spreads. Who could have made these, I asked myself, and what had inspired their beautiful handwork

Yoshiko's work is a textile manifestation of the preoccupation with apres-antique and avant-garde that characterizes so much of Japanese culture today. On page 40 she recounts the symbiosis of ancient textiles in the tea ceremony; a scant 7 pages further on were are suddenly confronted with a work made of some of the most interesting cloth ideations of Jun'ichi Arai. Jun'ichi is arguably the most innovative and certainly the most influential textile creative artist working today-the textile equivalent of Issey Miyake's fabrications in his heyday of two decades ago. Jun'ichi has taken the marriage of technology and history further down the road to progeny than any other designer. He also is an astonishingly good and sensitive writer, and his Foreword to Yoshiko's book is so good that it is reproduced below.

Yoshiko, like Jun'ichi, is nothing if not a creative technician who happens to make art. Her text and caption content sums to an amazingly low overall word count given the amount of detail and philosophy it conveys. One reason is the lush plates-many so good they could be enlarged and hung in a gallery devoted to contemporary fine-art photography. Then there are the dozens of step-by-step how-to diagrams that guide the home quilter through the process of emulating Yoshiko's pieces. The readers need not be especially accomplished sewers, either, for despite their complex look, Yoshiko's pieces are really composed of fairly straightforward elements lines and patterns; there's just a lot of them. Any who would re-create one of her works at home needs patience more than proficiency.

Yoshiko is generous enough to pass along step-by-step instructions for a dyeing method she found via experiment in order to accomplish what must be the ultimate coals-to-Newcastle notion in textile history: dyeing white material white. That might seem an exercise in conceit, but the reason goes far back into the wellsprings of Japanese aesthetics. As she tells it,

"I had been making quilts for years from fabrics that I dyed myself with natural dyes when I had a kind of awakening. It was during an exhibition where my work was being shown together with that of a lacquerware artist. When I looked at his pieces, with their simple and beautiful form and their quiet sheen achieved by applying lacquer in careful layers, I thought, what kind of fabric could I make that would have the same sense of power? Finally it came to me, I wanted to find a natural dye that would dye cloth white. . . . In the field of natural dyes white was the one color no one knew how to obtain. For me white was suggestive of the fusuma and shoji sliding doors used to separate Japanese-style rooms, as well as the traditions of sumi ink drawings and calligraphy and even the white sand of Zen gardens."

"Finally I hit on the idea of trying that strange combination of tree and grass, bamboo. Two or three hours later the cloth had been transformed. It was if the silk was a prism sparkling with colors like pink, yellow, and green. It was a white with depths."

Yoshiko's book is a combination of high art and ladle-in-the-dyebath practicality. The many full-plate and even more part-page pictures amply illustrate the first. The drawings and text take care of the latter. With so many active quilters and societies all around the world these days, few would argue that quilting isn't an art form. With Yoshiko's book in hand, anyone interested in quilting, textiles, home design, or fashion design will be inspired to make art of their own. Her 90 specific projects, clear design patterns and detailed instructions can guide just about anyone with enthusiasm and patience to make quilts, pillows, clutch purses, mandalas, spreads, wall hangings, and even a hammock to end all hammocks. Yoshiko's work is a rarity even in the world of art-to-wear and its nonwearable textile art relatives: utterly unique.

Beautiful!.......2003-02-10

This book is beautifully written and designed. The cover and paper used are artful. Yoshiko Jenzenji shares her passion for quilting in a way that weaves a common thread through cultures, locales, nature, and spirituality. I could feel my heart swell as I read through this book and as I looked at and studied the photographs. This is a book about her quilts and about quilting--but the photography and artistry of its cover and between its covers makes it a special treasure. I am excited to own this book and will be proud to display it. I am so inspired by Yoshiko Jenzenji's quilt work and passion for quilting. I became dizzy with inspiration! I will recommend it to every friend I have--and not all of them are quilters! I would think they would all want to BECOME quilters after experiencing this book. Yoshiko Jenzenji seemed to open her heart and her home with this book. I am thankful to her for sharing her passion and talent with the world!

Fabric Artistry Design Series (Singer Design Series)

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Fabric Artistry Design Series (Singer Design Series)
Cowles Creative Publishing
Manufacturer: Creative Publishing+int'l
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Textile Arts | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0865733236

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Exquisite and Beautifully illustrated ribbon art!

Ribbon Artistry
Creative Publishing international
Manufacturer: Creative Publishing international
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Reference | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Textile Arts | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Ribbons | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1589230191

Book Description

-Gorgeous full-color photography high lights each project.

Customer Reviews:

Exquisite and Beautifully illustrated ribbon art!.......2007-10-04

This is one of my favorite craft books.When looking for a new idea I always find myself skimming through this book for inspiration.The majority of the designs are flowers but each one is so different and beautiful no one would guess they were made from ribbon! The ideas in this book cover a wide variety of styles from formal to casual.Each
project is layed out in easy to understand directions and diagrams with easy to see close ups of the ribbon as each project is made.It also gives you lots of ideas and ways to use each technique.

The techniques shown in this book are:

Weaving (There are 5 different ones shown)

Braiding (There are also 5 different braids shown,I used one while making a mum for homecoming.)

Pleating (5 of these as well.There are some amazing pleats shown here not just plain! You could make superb quality trims!)

Gathering and Smocking (4 of these shown but with so many different variations!)

Ribbon Flowers (I didn't count these techniques there are so many!) but a list of the flowers are:
forget-me-nots
camellia
buttercups
apple blossoms/wild roses
zinnia
chrysanthemum/aster
dahlia
dianthus
coneflower
daisy
black-eyed-susan
coreopsis
cosmos
lilly
several different roses
several different leaves
19 different embroidery stitches
It also gives several different ideas for flower centers

Then there are 18 detailed projects to put what you learned to use,they include:
boudoir ensemble
braided ribbon clothing detail
woven ribbon and lattice trimmed garments
straw handbag and beret
spectacular straw hats
ribbon hair accessories
flowers sampler
ribbon flower shadow box
ribbon flower wreath
woven ribbon photo mat
ribbon embroidery on wire mesh
grape cluster wine bag and napkin ring
table runner
classic silk pillow
romantic embroidered pillow
Christmas stocking

As you can see there is LOTS of information in this book and can be applied in any project you make! Highly recommended,I would buy again and again!

Altered Photo Artistry: Turn Everyday Images into Works of Art on Fabric

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Altered Photo Artistry: Turn Everyday Images into Works of Art on Fabric
Beth Wheeler , and Lori Marquette
Manufacturer: C&T Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Quilts & Quilting | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Textile Arts | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1571204407
Release Date: 2007-10-30

Book Description

Got a nice photograph? Got a computer, printer, scanner, and sewing machine? Everyone who does is ready for Altered Photo Artistry! Authors Beth Wheeler and Lori Marquette take crafters from choosing the right fabrics and equipment to enhancing images with the artistic filters in PhotoShop or PhotoShop Elements, printing in large and small sizes, and free-motion quilting the new creation. The result: art that can be used in any fabric project. Six easy skill-building projects include pillow shams, tote bags, book covers, postcards, greeting cards, and friendship books.

* Six easy, skill-building projects

* Pillow shams, tote bags, friendship books, more!

* Includes bonus CD-ROM with free 30-day trial of Adobe PhotoShop Elements

As artistry permits and custom may ordain: The social fabric of material consumption in the Swahili world, circa 1450-1600 (PAS working papers)

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As artistry permits and custom may ordain: The social fabric of material consumption in the Swahili world, circa 1450-1600 (PAS working papers)
Jeremy G Prestholdt
Manufacturer: Program of African Studies, Northwestern University
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0006QYMT8

Customer Reviews:

The best bang for the buck on spatial relations!.......1999-10-20

This book is must for all budding polyhedrists! The math is there, if you are interested, and the net diagrams are listed to allow easy understanding of the 2D "plan" that allows any competent paper model builder to fabricate the polyhedra, from Platonic to the Archimedian Solids. Williams also covers space packing (tessellating the solids) in a clear and easy to grasp explanation. This is truly one of the best educational resource for learning or teaching spatial relations! My only wish is that the author would have indicated where the net tabs needed to be!

A Great Resource of Practical Information.......1998-03-19

There is a paucity of good books in the area of polyhedral geometry, many books either provide too esoteric an account or too little information for the ordinary person to make use of. This book is one of the major works in the field that should be on any geometers bookshelf. Many classic works either show only a picture of a solid with no metric information or give a verbal description with no illustration to show what the solid looks like, this book is much more balanced in this regard and covers a wide scope of polyhedral information from the basics solids on into the three dimensional patterns that can be formed with them. This book is a great resource for artists, chemists, architects to use to be able to apply polyhedral mathematics to their fields, this is the kind of book that should be a required textbook in college but isn't. I have only two complaints about this book, the illustrations are a little hacked out looking and there is an inadequate accounting of how the properties of the two snub polyhedra are derived. I recommend this book as the best first introduction to the science of polyhedral geometry.

Customer Reviews:

For The Record.......2001-10-09

Here's a little something about Guilty of Everything, the autobiography of the legendary Herbert E. Huncke ... . The full manuscript of Guilty of Everthing kicked about for 2 decades. It was once known as his "confessions." Raymond Foye of Hanuman Books published this first installment of Guilty in 1987 with the assistance of co-publisher Francesco Clemente in a small run, a now scarce edition. In 1988 Huncke met young Paragon House editor Don Kennison in New York City who took on the manuscript and into it breathed new life, preparing and shaping it with Mr. Huncke into the 1990 publication by Paragon. This event secured Herbert Huncke's place in the Beat bibliography and brought him steady fame in the last years of his life. Although this remarkable book had a brief success and two hardcover printings, it never made paperback and is now out-of-print. There are slight text variations from the excerpt done by Hanuman, so both editions are absolutely essential for both collector and reader.

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Everything I Do Makes Me Feel Guilty

Manufacturer: Hallmark Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000BJR0DU

Product Description

Wisdom of Charlie Brown

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Everything I do Makes Me Feel Guilty and Other Wisdom of Charlie Brown
Charles M. Schulz
Manufacturer: Hallmark
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000LIPDDK

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Drunk, Cold, Poor But Happy!
A PEEP INTO THE MOST UNDERRATED SCENE EVER

Guilty of Everything
John Armstrong
Manufacturer: New Star Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Entertainers | Arts & Literature | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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General | Performing Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0921586868

Book Description

1978: a non-stop carnival of debauchery begins as the first shock of punk hits Vancouver, with John Armstrong at the centre of it all. As Buck Cherry, lead singer/guitarist for the Modernettes, Armstrong tours us pell-mell through his misspent youth when he met and made music with I Braineater, Joey Shithead, Dimwit, Chuck Biscuits, Mary Jo Kopechne, Art Bergmann and other punk luminaries. He resurrects Vancouver's punk glory scene with a drug-addled, booze-soaked account with Los Popularos, DOA, the Subhumans, and the Modernettes.

Guilty of Everything is Number 8 in the Transmontanus series edited by Terry Glavin.

Customer Reviews:

Drunk, Cold, Poor But Happy!.......2003-08-01

The First, I've found, but hopefully not the last book about the Vancouver Rock'n'roll scene. Modernette's Bass Player Buck Cherry(John Armstrong) lets us know his experiences of not wanting to enter the grind of an ordinary life. Guitar lessons, 7 Elevens, Touring. Vividly descriptive, with all the mess, beer & music rightfully in it's place. Things may not have turned out the way he might have wanted, but This guy's no loser or Quitter. I admired these guys for taking it on the road in a Very different Punk Rock world than what we have today. I will be on the look out for those Lost Canadian punk records & future books. My home now seems more empty without them.

A PEEP INTO THE MOST UNDERRATED SCENE EVER.......2002-11-24

as guitarist/singer for the powerpop/ punk legends the MODERNETTES...he gives you a candid sordid drunkseye veiw of the fertile and psychotic late 70s-early 80s vancouver canada punk/indie scene. vivid and detailed and a hell of a fun ride thru the wastlands of pre-MTV music america. fans of D.O.A, SUBHUMANS, POINTED STICKS and many canadian others need this book...as well as the out of print MODERNETTES retrospective disc "get it straight" on ZULU records. start here first.

Average customer rating:

For the Record

Guilty of Everything
Herbert Huncke
Manufacturer: Hanuman Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 093781508X

Customer Reviews:

For the Record.......2001-04-08

Here's a little something about Guilty of Everything, the autobiography of the legendary Herbert E. Huncke ... . The full manuscript of Guilty of Everthing kicked about for 2 decades. It was once known as his "confessions." Raymond Foye of Hanuman Books published this first installment of Guilty in 1987 with the assistance of co-publisher Francesco Clemente in a small run, a now scarce edition. In 1988 Huncke met young Paragon House editor Don Kennison in New York City who took on the manuscript and into it breathed new life, preparing and shaping it with Mr. Huncke into the 1990 publication by Paragon. This event secured Herbert Huncke's place in the Beat bibliography and brought him steady fame in the last years of his life. Although this remarkable book had a brief success and two hardcover printings, it never made paperback and is now out-of-print. Slight text variations from the excerpt done by Hanuman are present, !so both editions are absolutely essential for both collector and reader....

DILIGENT DUCKS GET CAUGHT IN MINEFIELD OF NCAA RULES.(Sports)(Oregon has been guilty of secondary violations, on everything from bracelets to car rides, ... from: The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR)

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DILIGENT DUCKS GET CAUGHT IN MINEFIELD OF NCAA RULES.(Sports)(Oregon has been guilty of secondary violations, on everything from bracelets to car rides, ... from: The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR)

Manufacturer: The Register Guard
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B00084LVQK
Release Date: 2005-08-01

Book Description

This digital document is an article from The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR), published by The Register Guard on October 26, 2004. The length of the article is 2832 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: DILIGENT DUCKS GET CAUGHT IN MINEFIELD OF NCAA RULES.(Sports)(Oregon has been guilty of secondary violations, on everything from bracelets to car rides, and ranks in middle of Pac-10)
Publication: The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR) (Newspaper)
Date: October 26, 2004
Publisher: The Register Guard
Page: E1

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Face to Face With Forgiveness: Guilty, Hopeless, Condemned, Everything Changed When Mary Came

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Face to Face With Forgiveness: Guilty, Hopeless, Condemned, Everything Changed When Mary Came
Kay D. Rizzo
Manufacturer: Adventist Book Center New Jersey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Guilty of Everything : The Autobiography of Herbert Huncke

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Guilty of Everything : The Autobiography of Herbert Huncke
Herbert Huncke
Manufacturer: Paragon House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MZ8NGG

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