Force Majeure: A Novel

Average customer rating:

Overrated and solipsistic

The locusts are here to stay

Force Majeure: A Novel
Bruce Wagner
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Still Holding

I'm Losing You

The Chrysanthemum Palace

I'll Let You Go: A Novel

Memorial: A Novel

ASIN: 0743268962

Book Description

Bud Wiggins dreamed of achieving fame as a screenwriter. He almost made it. Instead, he finds himself free-falling through a world of hallucinatory absurdity, low comedy, and epic degradation. A Hollywood bottom-feeder who moonlights as a limo driver to pay the bills, both tormented and vicariously aroused by his contact with the industry's elite, Mr. Wiggins bears poignant, paranoid witness to the horror and hysteria that are by-products of "the Business." His phantasmagoric saga, by turns picaresque, pornographic, and poetic, Force Majeure is the first of a projected quartet called "Scriptures" that will chronicle the misadventures and transcendental fall and rise -- comic, tragic, and tragicosmic -- of Bud Wiggins, Quixote of Babylon.

Customer Reviews:

Overrated and solipsistic.......2005-04-19

I bought this book on the recommendation of a friend and found it profoundly dissapointing. The most annoying thing about it is the way that the plot is packed with red herrings: mysterious, unnamed characters who seem to be crucial but never develop into anybody interesting or meaningful and instead just vanish; sub-plots that end suddenly and uninterestingly, as though the writer forgot where he was going and decided to change direction mid-stream; and tons of fascinating "minor" characters who are either conveniently knocked off or commit suicide before they risk stealing the scene from the stunningly boring, self-indulgent, predictable narrator. Wagner tries to get away with this by referencing "Don Quixote," a novel famous for its rambling, meandering, tangential, apparently endless narrative. This unbelievably egocentric comparison might work for some but I stopped reading "Don Quixote" long before that book ended and I was tempted to do the same with this one.

I thought this would be a "fun romp" through Hollywood, with lots of name-dropping, gossipy, juicy stuff, but the truth is it is way too ambitious--trying to be a combination of Philip Roth and Cervantes. Okay, yes, it is his first, but unfortunately it will, for me anyway, be the last Wagner I ever pick up.

The locusts are here to stay.......2000-11-04

Bruce Wagner is a screenwriter and director with a swirling disturbing perception of the subworld that is Hollywoodland. When writing the seminal though hardly remembered techrevolution packaged as a TV miniseries, Wild Palms, he locked himself away in the old 20s glamour haunt, the Chateau Marmont friend William Gibson has reported, and filled the room with books - not to read, but just to inspire or invoke in the darn thing. I think there were probably a lot of candles too.

Force Majeure is somewhat more contemporary than the near future world of Wild Palms, but it is spilling over with the same mundane paranoia that seeps through Hollywood. Bud Wiggins, a Willy Loman as screenwriter bumps and stumbles through a world and narrative that is part Day of the Locusts, part Terry Southern's Blue Movie. You feel like there's always a conspiracy around the corner, but its only showbiz. Force Majeure whips together trippyness, struggle, pop, and pornography in a way that makes me think of Leonard Cohen's Beautiful Losers, though the books are not similar otherwise.

Finally, this is a portrait of Hollywood. There's a beginning rule of screenwriting that says Hollywood is the only place where you can make a living on failure. And that's if you're really lucky. Force Majeure embodies that notion.

Average customer rating:

Running out of steam already

If I bought this, you never sent it to me . . .

Wonderful extension of Kavalier and Clay
Michael Chabon Presents...The Amazing Adventures of the Escapist Volume 2 (Amazing Adventures of the Escapist (Graphic Novels))
Brian Vaughan , Kevin McCarthy , Marv Wolfman , Matt Kindt , Roy Thomas , Stuart Moore , Mike Mignola , Roger Petersen , Dean Haspiel , Joe Staton , and and others
Manufacturer: Dark Horse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
General | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
Superheroes | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
Dark Horse | Publishers | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books | Classics | Comic | Contemporary | Literary
Anthologies | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Michael Chabon Presents. . .The Amazing Adventures of the Escapist, Volume 1

Michael Chabon Presents...The Amazing Adventures of the Escapist Volume 3 (Amazing Adventures of the Escapist (Graphic Novels))

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay

McSweeney's Enchanted Chamber of Astonishing Stories

A Model World and Other Stories

ASIN: 1593071728

Book Description

Following in the footsteps of the massively successful Volume One, the second volume of Michael Chabon Presents. . .The Amazing Adventures of the Escapist collects issues three and four of the likewise popular quarterly series. Among the stories in this volume: Critically acclaimed writer Brian Vaughan (Y: The Last Man) pens "To Reign in Hell" in a classic 1940s spirit, richly illustrated by former Swamp Thing artist Roger Petersen. Marv Wolfman writes "Heil and Fear Well," a shocking and chilling tale of nefarious post-war Nazis in the infamous 1950s EC comics horror style, brought to life by veteran cartoonist Joe Staton and indie stalwart Bob Sikoryak. Also, the mysterious powers of Luna Moth may be up for grabs - is our favorite mild-mannered librarian worthy of them? Kevin McCarthy and Dean Haspiel serve up a tribute to Jack Kirby's 1960s Marvel work in "The Trial of Judy Dark!".

Customer Reviews:

Running out of steam already.......2006-02-10

The first volume, consisting of the content of issues no. 1 and 2 of the comic book series based on the fictional comic book characters from Chabon's novel, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, was much more successful than this second installment, taken from nos. 3 and 4. Maybe the "try harder" rule about sequels applies here, too, but the quality of both art and plotting is much lower and the tongue-in-cheek fictional comics history that made the first volume such fun is almost nonexistent in this one. Give it up, guys.

If I bought this, you never sent it to me . . ........2005-08-11

Check your database, Amazon. I didn't buy this book. I bought Vol. 1 and Chabon's Kavalier & Clay for gifts after reading the latter which was one of the best books I have EVER read. The only reason I didn't buy this book too was because I was limiting spending. I'm sure it is excellent.

Wonderful extension of Kavalier and Clay.......2005-01-07

Having read very few comic books before picking up Chabon's first volume of the Escapist, I was completely blown out of the water by the creativity that the authors put into their comic extension of Chabon's "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay." Volume 2 picks up where Volume 1 left, with more of the wonderfully written comic book historical fiction that was peppered throughout the originial. This volume contains the third and fourth issues of the Escapist quarterly comic book, and while the book remains a brilliant addition to Kavalier and Clay, the comics stand on their own in terms of story line.
Overall a fun little book for the train or for an hour or so by yourself.
I must admit that when I recieved my copy of Volume 2 I was a little confused over the cover, as the one pictured here is not the cover that was sent to print. However as a side note, Michael Chabon himself is drawn into the cover at the bottom-right with the alias of "The Puppet-Master."

Customer Reviews:

Very amusing and informative look at Jewish folklore.......1996-08-21

I frequently seek copies of this book to give to old and young Jews (and would not hesitate to give to non-Jewish friends). It contains a collection of the practices that European Jews used, and transported to the US, to ward off the Evil Eye which was a constant (though imaginary) threat to their peace and comfort. While the Evil Eye, a form of the Angel of Death, is an enormous opponent, it is much more manageable by the repetition of simple phrases or the attachment of bright ribbons than the actual threats presented by hostile political forces and populations. As my mother, first generation American, read this book she often commented, "That's right. We did that." The implication was that any sane person would do the same thing. I have learned that Italian peasants among others shared some of the same practices

How to Avoid the Evil Eye : Five Thousand Years of Jewish Superstition

Average customer rating:

How to Avoid the Evil Eye : Five Thousand Years of Jewish Superstition
Brenda Rosenbaum
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000JOFTLW

Book Description

The vanished world of nineteenth-century Paris still awaits behind the doors of select restaurants and gourmet shops that have delighted customers for more than a hundred years. Crossing these thresholds, the discriminating diner and shopper can step into a gilded Belle Epoque setting favored by Manet and Degas, a vintage confectioner that supplied bonbons to Monet, or a shaded café terrace frequented by Zola. From tiny pâtisseries, cozy bistros, and rustic wine bars barely known outside the quarter to bustling brasseries, elegant tea salons, and world-famous cafés, The Historic Restaurants of Paris is an indispensible guide to classic cuisine served in settings of startling beauty. Charming anecdotes relating to a restaurant’s history and celebrated former patrons, among them Proust, Balzac, George Sand, and the Impressionists, enhance this pocketable guide, which is both a practical resource and lovely gift book.

Customer Reviews:

The Historic Restaurants of Paris: A Guide to Century-Old Cafes, Bistros, and Gourmet Food Shops.......2005-10-01

This book is a wealth of information about some lovely places in Paris. We did visit a few of the places recommended (the book small enough to carry around)on the spur of the moment while we were in Paris and we were not disappointed. I plan to take the book with me if I ever visit Paris again.

Fun & informative reading.......2002-08-14

"The Historic Restaurants of Paris" is a fun guide to read. Did you know that the Tour d'Argent serves each duck with a numbered tag, a tradition that began in 1890? I wonder what numbers Balzac and Napoleon had?

Each restau has a brief two-page description (this is a little book, smaller than a paperback novel) and there are about 100 establishments described. The data include the address, phone, Metro, and hours. The book is organized by arrondiseement, and there's an alphabetical index; an appendix organizes them by type (luxury, cafes, inexpensive, etc.).

Don't expect restaurant reviews, the author rarely even hints that certain places aren't worth the prices they charge. This book is more about the history and trivia of each of these charming places. Using only this book to select restaurants, I ran into some surprises, bad and good.

If your French is good, call ahead. If not, ask the hotel reception to call for you. (In the US we have concierges; in French hotels, it's everyone's job to be helpful.) Gents, take a tie, it'll get you a better table. And be advised, the French idea of "non-smoking" is laughable.

If you're into art history, this book is a good companion to "The Impressionist's Paris," by the same author.

Bon Appetit!

Visit 19th-century Paris!.......2001-05-18

I read Ellen Williams's book about the Impressionists, and her charming prose and wealth of historical anecdotes made 19th-century Paris come alive in a way I've never before encountered in a travel guide. This book is great, too. I took it with me on a recent trip to Europe, and had a chance to sample several of the food shops she mentions. What a pleasure to learn all about them beforehand--it made the experience so much more authentic!

A must-have when you visit Paris.......2001-05-04

My recent trip to Paris wouldn't have been half as much fun without this beautiful guide. It took me to restaurants and shops I never would have found on my own. I can't wait to go back -- with this book, of course.

Gourmet Bistros and Restaurants of Paris

Average customer rating:

Beautiful Book...

Gourmet Bistros and Restaurants of Paris
Pierre Rival
Manufacturer: Flammarion
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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

Guidebooks | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 2080305085
Release Date: 2006-05-09

Book Description

Paris claims to have invented the restaurant with the opening of Beauvilliers in 1784, and here are over 100 dining places that keep the city at the crossroads of culinary tradition and innovation. Rival indulges the reader with a discerning selection of splendid historic restaurants, notorious brasseries, down-to-earth bistros, and contemporary hot spots. Each is described in delectable detail. From the glittering decadence of Michelin 3-star chef Guy Martin's Le Grand Véfour, to Jacques Garcia's trendy Hôtel Costes, and from Philippe Starck's Bacarrat wonderland to the student haven at Polidor, the restaurants presented here are tried and true; they define the delights of dining à la française.An indispensable black book provides the reader with contact information for the featured restaurants as well as other exceptional eateries in the food capital of the world. Rival covers all the notable addresses in a volume that serves as both a practical reference as well as an exquisite visual feast for the armchair traveler.

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful Book..........2006-07-23

If you have dined at any of the restaurants listed in this book, you'll want it (Le Grand Véfour, Jules Verne, Taillevant...) The photography is stunning, and it is an historical view of the greatest restaurants in the world. There is something magical about looking at the pages and saying "Wow! I sat right there... and enjoyed one of the most memorable meals of my life!"

If you have never dined at any of these restaurants, you may wish to buy it- just so you can plan a trip there......

Average customer rating:

Gourmet Bistros and Restaurants of Paris
Pierre Rival
Manufacturer: Flammarion-Pere Castor
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000N6BMTO

Book Description

Amid the turmoil of the 1960s, the 1964-65 NY World's Fair was a welcomed break that gave a glimpse into the upcoming high-tech age. It was here that visitors would see such things as touch tone phones, picturephones, animatronics & computers for the first time. During the Fair's 2-year run, thousands of souvenirs were sold, and free brochures and pins were given to fairgoers. Today, these items are highly sought after by collectors and those who want to relive their days at the fair. Over 600 color photos along with a price guide illustrate the huge array of collectibles from this fair. Shown also are rare items used in the everyday operations by the employees who worked there.

Customer Reviews:

so glad i found this book.......2001-01-10

I first saw this wonderful book at the Queens Museum of Art gift shop in New York at the site of the 2 New york world's fairs (1939 & 1964). The items are very well catalogued and fascinating to look at. I am an artist who likes to paint images of these fairs, and this book is an invaluable resource to me. Thank you for it!

46 Great Drinks from New York and Restaurants at the World's Fair (1964-1965 New York World's Fair)

Average customer rating:

46 Great Drinks from New York and Restaurants at the World's Fair (1964-1965 New York World's Fair)

Manufacturer: Southern Comfort Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Pamphlet
ASIN: B000FS68VM

Product Description

World's Fair souvenir contains drink recipes. Illustrated with color artwork and photographs.

Customer Reviews:

Info About This Book-.......2004-11-17

America's most talented designers and expert needleworkers are busy creating for "The Vanessa-Ann Collection". Selections here include the classic Christmas story, "The Night Before Christmas", which are artistically interpreted in cross-stitch along with sixty-five other original projects for Christmas decorating and gift-giving.

There are cross-stitch stockings and garlands to hang by the chimney with care. Visions of sugarplums to cross-stich the little ones. Pillows, picture frames, and other gift items for St Nicholas's pack, and Christmas wishes to stitch for everyone on your list.

Large easy-to-read graphs make stitching these designs simple enough for a beginner. Measurements are given for the finished size of the stitched pieces in a variety of fabrics, to help you quickly figure the amount of fabric needed.

Beautiful full-color photographs illustrate the innovative color sense for which "The Vanessa-Ann Collection" is well known. To enable you to capture these same colors in your own creations, both DMC and Susan Bates color charts are included.

Full-size patterns, step-by-step instructions, and precise diagrams help you to complete each project exactly as it appears in the photograph. Vanessa-Ann projects are so easy and so quick, you will want to begin cross-stitching now in preparation for this year's visit from St. Nick.

The Vanessa-Ann Collection was started by Jo Packham Buehler and Terrece Beesley Woodruff. In a short time, Vanessa-Ann, with its creative and often whimsical designs, has become a standard in the competitive field of needlework.

Jo Buehler's keen sense of marketing and sense of color have been a lucky combination of talents for the Vanessa-Ann Collection since the very beginning.

Terrece Woodruff is an exceptional artist, who enjoys the challenge of changing her style. Previous experience as a designer for a major kit company has resulted in her expert ability to implement subtle shadings and to use the textures in floss and fabric to their best advantage.

Good Addition to Your Christmas Cross-Stitch Collection.......2002-06-25

This books has charts depicting scenes from classic the classic Christmas story "The Night Before Christmas." Also included are stockings (combining quilting and cross-stitch), garlands, pillows, frames, sachets, an advent calendar and other gift items.

The graphs are printed in black and white and are large and easy to read. There are full-size patterns for the pieces to be sewn and clear step-by-step directions.

This is a nice addition to your Christmas cross-stitch collection.

Average customer rating:
All Through the House: Christmas in Cross-Stitch from the Vanessa-Ann Collection
Vanessa-Ann Collection
Manufacturer: Oxmoor House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000O03C56

Average customer rating:

This is a "showcase" book

Great work, Bad presentation

The first full-length monograph of Arets' work

Wiel Arets: Works, Projects, Writings

Manufacturer: Birkhäuser Basel
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
General | Architects, A-Z | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Wiel Arets: Works and Projects

Atmospheres: Architectural Environments - Surrounding Objects

Thinking Architecture

ASIN: 3764367075

Book Description

Ein Werk in transparenter Klarheit und geometrischer Ordnung hat Wiel Arets zu einem der einflussreichsten Architekten Europas gemacht. In der Tradition Louis I. Kahns wahren seine Werke trotz ihrer Strenge einen menschlichen MaÃŸstab: sie wirken kraftvoll, aber nicht anmaÃŸend.

Aretsâ€~ groÃŸes Interesse gilt der HÃ¼lle des GebÃ¤udes: Als Membran bestimmt sie je nach Wahl der innovativen Materialien das MaÃŸ der DurchlÃ¤ssigkeit und wirkt als Filter. Damit einher geht eine groÃŸe SensibilitÃ¤t fÃ¼r den urbanen Kontext.

Das Buch stellt Aretsâ€~ wichtigste Bauten und Projekte vor, unter ihnen die Akademie fÃ¼r Kunst und Architektur in Maastricht, das HauptgebÃ¤ude der AZL Pensionskasse in Heerlen sowie einige neuere Projekte, die hier erstmals verÃ¶ffentlicht werden. Eine Auswahl aus Aretsâ€~ eigenen Schriften sowie kritische Essays von Xavier Costa, Anthony Vidler, Greg Lynn, Stan Allen und Bart Lootsma ergÃ¤nzen diese Werkdokumentation. Die Fotografien stammen von HÃ©lÃ¨ne Binet.

Customer Reviews:

This is a "showcase" book.......2006-12-28

While I must agree with comments made by both of the previous reviewers of this book...

1) There is beauty in this book (midwest book review).
[maybe not because of Ms. Binet but certainly not despite of her efforts either]
2) I have seen better graphic designs and editing (a reader).
[which anyone who has attempted a portfolio of his/ her own knows is impossibly hard to pull off to absolute perfection]

I tend to agree more with Midwest Book Review than A Reader because it is what it is, a "SHOWCASE" book touching on the many forms of thinking about architecture that W. Arets applies to his works (evident in the title Works, Projects, Writtings.) This book does border four stars, but I do strongly recommend this book over the Massimo Faiferri text which I already reviewed as four stars. So, even seeing the point (a reader) had, I have to disagree and give this book an "A" grade because it is deserving of one (and should boost the sinfully low grade A Reader gave this book.)

P.S. I really dig the orange hardcover on my shelf.

Lastly, ALWAYS keep an eye out for An Alabaster Skin and Strange Bodies if you are a true Arets fan.

Great work, Bad presentation.......2003-05-27

It is a shame that Princeton Architectural Press could not afford to hire a better graphic designer, as well as an editor that would make the work and its presentation shine. Sure, the book is a great collection of most of Arets' work as well as few essays, nevertheless the spirit that one expected from books such as "An Alabaster Skin" among others is completely missing.
All the beautiful drawings that describe Arets' attitude toward space and urban settings are exchanged for fairly ugly computer renderings and the photography of Helen Binet is not as beautiful as some customers noted.
I was looking forward to this book for a long time, nevertheless it became a great disappointment.

The first full-length monograph of Arets' work.......2002-07-12

Aptly edited by Xavier Costa (Curator of Architecture, Mies van der Rohe Foundation), Wiel Arets is an impressive presentation showcasing the creations of architect Wiel Arets. The first full-length monograph of Arets' work, Wiel Arets features a thoughtful text commentary offered by a variety of learned writers concerning Arets' application of leveraging theory "oneirism", uses of grids and rhizomes, and much more. Yet the highlight of this outstanding coffee-table book is undoubtedly Helen Binet's photography - some in color, and some in black-and-white, all combined with an informative text joyously proffering evidence of Wiel Arets' architectural genius. Wiel Arets is a welcome and recommended addition to professional and academic architectural history reference collections.

Average customer rating:

A tough call, think about it

Wiel Arets: Works and Projects
Massimo Faiferri
Manufacturer: Phaidon Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

General | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1904313264

Book Description

At the age of 49, Wiel Arets (b. 1955) is one of Holland's leading young architects and has won an international following for his spare industrial forms and his theoretical writings. Trained at the technical University of Eindhoven, Arets often works with translucent glass, concrete, and wood to integrate compositional strategies with his interest in transparency and reducing essential space to a bare minimum.His work has been compared to the rigorous vocabulary of Dom Hans van der Laan, the monumental lyricism of Tadao Ando, and the expansive transparency of Pierre Chareau.This book surveys the Dutch architect's work by presenting 31 of his most significant buildings and projects completed since the late 1980s, including the Academy for Arts and Architecture in Maastricht (1993), the AZL Pension Fund in Heerlen (1995), high-rise apartment blocks in Amsterdam and Rotterdam, and police stations in Vaals, Boxtel, and Cuijk.

Customer Reviews:

A tough call, think about it.......2006-12-28

This is not a bad book by most standards, however, I will admit there is little exciting or provocative about it. The book follows a very "safe" linear/ chronological organization that one might expect to find when reading a firm profile; however it makes for a far less thoughtful reading experience than books that have published W. Arets' ideas about architecture (which include An Alabaster Skin and Strange Bodies , I think both out of print, leaving Works, Projects, Writings as the best available book in my opinion.)

Here's the dilemma this book presents me as a reviewer. It is an educational book about W. Arets work in that it provides brief statements about each project and talks about his story in the preface; yet it is not truly educational about the complete thoughtfulness of the work. While the heavily used computer renderings in this book show what his buildings look like, they fail to capture the depth that is better communicated through analog/ hand drawings and photography of the work I've seen in other sources.

While it fringes on a three star book, in the realm of other available Arets publications, I cannot say that it a mere "C" grade in the realm of books as a wider spectrum. Therefore it is a four star book because it has value on my bookshelf; serving as a direct illumination concerning the profession's involvement with the computers (because I can compare it to the other books.) A tough call, if you had just one book to buy on Artes maybe you should pick one of the others, unless you're a prospective client or if you really don't care about reading architectural his theories.

Customer Reviews:

New Perspective.......2001-10-25

Fascinating. Honest. Insightful. Inspiring. It's a celebration of great ideas and great causes in equal measures. And the power of the ideas removes any scepticism of the intent of the message.

Could be better!.......2001-09-09

I was really disappointed in the quality of pictures although the examples were great. It could be better!

Product Description

This new book focuses on events and people involved in the background of the Portsmouth Peace Conference in August 1905. The interactions of several individuals had a profound impact on both the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05 as well as the peace conference. Profiled in the book are Jacob Schiff, a powerful Jewish financier who provided the funding for Japans war loans and Korekiyo Takahashi, Japans finance minister. These two men worked closely together and, 100 years later, their descendents remain friends. Another important character was Kentaro Kaneko, a Harvard educated lawyer who had many American friends and contacts. The Japanese government sent him the United States to develop relations with Japan and he met regularly with President Roosevelt during the treaty negotiations. The author also discusses the role of the two Russian negotiators, Sergey Witte and Roman Rosen, the latter a long-time Russian diplomat in Japan, then ambassador to the United States. Blunt speaking, towering Witte was disliked by Tsar Nicholas II, but remained the only capable Russian available to represent the country in Portsmouth. Of course, another hero of the negotiations was President Theodore Roosevelt, whose back channel diplomacy, working with Kaneko and pressuring Tsar Nicholas, helped to make the Treaty of Portsmouth possible.

Behind the Scenes: Formerly a slave, but more recently modiste, and friend to Mrs. Lincoln; or, Thirty Years a Slave, and Four Years in the White House

Average customer rating:

Intimate recollections of the Lincoln White House
Friend and confidant to Mary Lincoln
Not What You'd Expect, But Read It As If You Lived 138 Years Ago
One person's memior
The Life Of A Slave

Behind the Scenes: Formerly a slave, but more recently modiste, and friend to Mrs. Lincoln; or, Thirty Years a Slave, and Four Years in the White House
Elizabeth Keckley
Manufacturer: University of Illinois Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

African-American & Black | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Women | Specific Groups | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books

General | Women's Studies | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0252070208

Book Description

Born into slavery, Elizabeth Hobbs Keckley (ca. 1824-1907) rose to a position of respect as a talented dressmaker and designer to the political elite of Washington, D.C., and a confidante of First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln. In this unusual memoir, Keckley offers a rare, behind-the-scenes view of the formal and informal networks that African Americans established among themselves, as well as an insider's perspective of the men who made Civil War politics and the women who influenced them.

As an enslaved young woman, Keckley was moved to the rough frontier city of St. Louis, where she began working as a modiste, or dress designer. She eventually was able to buy her freedom and went to Washington, D.C., where she established herself as modiste to some of the wives and daughters of high-level politicians and officers. Before long, she was supplying not only beautiful clothing but also a sympathetic ear to Mary Todd Lincoln.

Keckley's descriptions of the Lincolns at home reveal touching, unguarded moments of laughter, discussion, and affection. She witnessed the grief of both parents at the death of their son Willie and Mary Todd's prostration after the president's assassination. In dire financial straits, Mary Todd turned to Keckley, who spent several months in New York helping the former First Lady sell her elegant clothing.

President of the Contraband Relief Association and a friend of Frederick Douglass and other prominent African-American leaders, Keckley emerges as a remarkable, resourceful, and principled woman who helped mediate between black and white communities. Frances Smith Foster's introduction traces the book's reception history and fills in biographical gaps in the text.

Customer Reviews:

Intimate recollections of the Lincoln White House.......2007-09-13

Although this volume comes from the memories of someone familiar with the Lincoln White House and who became a close friend of Mary Todd Lincoln, it must be read cautiously. For example, despite the book's basic authenticity I find its account of Stephen Douglas's love for young Mary Todd and her jilting of Lincoln implausible despite Keckley's claim that she got the story directly from Mary Todd Lincoln and Anson Henry (a close friend of Abraham and Mary, who was a matchmaker encouraging their romance). Possibly some errors might be attributed to one or more literary assistants who helped compile the book. If a reader needs to be certain a about a particular statement, comparison with other sources is wise. Still, the volume will be valuable to anyone interested in firsthand impressions of the Lincoln White House.

Friend and confidant to Mary Lincoln.......2007-03-22

I got this little book so that I could learn more about the Lincolns and their home life at the White House. It does an excellent job of telling the story of Elizabeth and Mary's friendship, which I wish could have continued, but alas, it didn't. I would recommend this book to all readers interested in US history, not matter what their age or gender, so that they can get an intimate view of the Lincoln's family life. Elizabeth was a strong and proud woman with a high moral and ethical character...if she were alive today, she would be swamped with interview requests and book deals!

Not What You'd Expect, But Read It As If You Lived 138 Years Ago.......2006-08-05

In 1868, three years after the War Between the States ended and Abraham Lincoln was murdered, Elizabeth Keckley sat down to write a partial history of her life as a slave and modiste (dressmaker) for Mary Todd Lincoln at the White House. If readers judge "Behind the Scenes" by the standards of modern biographies, they won't do the book justice.

"Lizzie" Keckley was a slave who insisted on buying her freedom, even after being offered it for nothing. In modern terms, she was an "Aunt Tom" for validating the notion that any human being can be bought and sold for a price. By her own standards, she was affirming her value to society. It's impossible to judge such a person in contemporary terms.

Lizzie's dressmaking skill attracted the attention of Mary Todd Lincoln in 1861. Mrs. Lincoln was quite addicted to clothes, and hired "Dear Lizzie" as her private modiste. Their association solidified into a deep friendship after the death in 1862 of Willie Lincoln (in the White House); Lizzie offered warmth and solicitude, badly needed by an erratic First Lady whose intemperate ways and harsh tongue had made her perhaps the most disliked person in Washington. The friendship persisted after Lincoln's assassination, when Lizzie aided Mrs. Lincoln in purging her monstrous debts (she owed $70,000 to department stores) by trying to sell off old dresses and jewelry.

"Behind the Scenes" ended the friendship. After its publication Mary Lincoln, her pride wounded, dropped "Dear Lizzie" and referred to Mrs. Keckley as "that colored historian."

For students of the assassination Mrs. Keckley's reminiscences are especially helpful. Several weeks after April 14, 1865, while Mrs. Lincoln was still in mourning inside the White House, Lizzie told her "the new messenger" (not identified by name in the book, unfortunately) was on watch, he being the same man who had abandoned his post outside Lincoln's box at Ford's Theater. Mrs. Lincoln excoriated the "new messenger" and accused him of complicity in the assassination. The messenger admitted his carelessness but denied complicity, insisting he had simply taken a seat where he could better watch the play.

Except for the ambiguous word "messenger," this account conforms precisely to the convential wisdom that prevailed until about 25 years ago, i.e. that John F. Parker, a Metropolitan Police officer assigned to White House duty, was responsible for guarding Lincoln's box on the night of the assassination, but left his post and allowed John Wilkes Booth clear entry (and how would Booth have known the coast would be clear?). Post-modern historians, possibly seizing on Keckley's use of "messenger" to describe Parker, contrived a theory that Parker's duties never included protecting Lincoln...which idea begs the obvious question, "Why would Mrs. Lincoln have been so angry at someone who wasn't responsible in the first place?" And, since Parker supposedly went on trial for negligence (the records were mysteriously destroyed), "Why would anyone have been put on trial for neglecting Lincoln at Ford's Theater if he had been only a White House functionary all along?"

One person's memior.......2005-04-26

This is a memior written by a woman who started life as a slave, then managed to buy her freedom, and later set up a successful living as a seamstress, eventually going to work for Mrs. Lincoln in the White House. As such, it is a bit rambling. There are two chapters about her early life as a slave, but the author knows that what is most interesting to the readers is her life in the white house, and so she skips ahead to that period, giving us her personal "insider account" of daily vignettes with Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln. These vignettes include an eyewitness account of Lincoln's second inauguration address, the death of Willie Lincoln, and events immediately after Lincoln's assasination. The author then goes on to describe her post-white house associations with Mrs. Lincoln, who became a personal friend, as Mrs. Lincoln deals with post-presidency debts. The book continues with an in-depth account of how Mrs. Keckley assisted Mrs. Lincoln with attempting to sell her personal effects (dresses) to raise money. This must have been of great interest to readers when the book was first published in the 1860's, but has limited appeal to modern readers.

Overall, however, the book is a very interesting glimpse into the daily life of a slave, an independent businesswoman in the 1860's, of someone who worked in the white house during the civil war, and of someone in the close confidence of the Lincolns. It is well-written and engaging.

The Life Of A Slave.......2005-02-18

This is my least favorite book on the Lincolns. It's the story of Elizabeth Keckley, who was a slave. Elizabeth eventaully becomes Mary Todd Lincoln's dressmaker and friend. This is a lot more about slavery than the Lincolns.I don't mind reading about the subject. I just didn't think it was a very well-written book on Elizabeth's part.

The Stuff of Dreams: Behind the Scenes of an American Community Theater

Average customer rating:

one special opening
A loving portrait
An Insider's Look
Drama, On Stage and Off, Brilliantly Reported
this is everywhere

The Stuff of Dreams: Behind the Scenes of an American Community Theater
Leah Hager Cohen
Manufacturer: Viking Adult
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Performing Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books

Book Description

At the age of ten, Leah Hager Cohen entered a world of make-believe that would captivate her for years. Participating in a traveling theater company's production of Wolkenstein, she was fascinated by the pageantry of the play and the camaraderie she found within the acting troupe, and the experience sparked a lifelong love of community theater.

Nearly twenty years later, Cohen found her way to a small community theater in Arlington, Massachusetts, one of many thousands like it in America, and set out to chronicle what would be an extraordinary year. Arlington Friends of Drama had just celebrated its seventy-fifth anniversary, was embroiled in disputes over structural changes proposed to help it adapt to changing times, and was about to hold auditions for its most controversial play to date, M. Butterfly. As Cohen writes, "This time around, I had come to community theater not in order to insinuate myself into its culture but to try to understand what the culture comprised, and to answer what it is about amateur theater that makes people not just desire but need it."

With the same graceful prose and startling insight that garnered such extraordinary reviews for her previous books, Train Go Sorry and Glass, Paper, Beans, Cohen has created a fascinating and poignant portrait of community theater in America-past, present, and future.

¥ The American Association of Community Theatres, founded in 1986, estimates that there are ten thousand community theaters nationwide, with more than a million active members.

¥ Arlington Friends of Drama is one of the ten oldest continually operating community theaters in the country.

Customer Reviews:

one special opening.......2007-05-14

leah hager cohen writes beautifully on her subject of choice--a coummnity theater's production of 'm butterfly' from casting to the opening night.

she presents the history of the theater group, which is located in new england, as well as its members and staff lovingly, showing the reader the passion which drives them to the theater group. and she also portrays the love each person has for the theater in general.

it is an enchanting read and desrves to be re-read by anyone that is interested in the life of a person that loves the theater but chose not to make a career of it.

A loving portrait.......2002-09-07

For anyone who has ever been involved in the theatre in general, but specifically for those special souls who have worked in community theatre, I cannot recommend this book enough.

Miss Cohen writes with a true love and deep respect for those people who are unable to work professionally in the theatre and have to hold down full time jobs to support their theatre addictions. "The Stuff of Dreams" illustrates the trials and tribulations of the unique community that becomes an amateur theatre company. It also touches upon the audience and the very society that spawns and supports an art form that is sadly beginning to quite literally die off.

Cohen possesses both the journalist's objective eye and the lover's passionate heart. It is so very obvious that she holds a great deal of respect and admiration for her subjects as they attempt to mount a production of "M. Butterfly". It could be too easy for a person of Miss Cohen's background and experience to use condescending language, but she avoids those traps completely.

This is a loving portrait of theatre people for theatre people.

An Insider's Look.......2002-08-21

As a community theater actor myself, I was intrigued by the whole premise of this book. In part it is historical development of community theater in [a part of] America. It is also an entertaining account of one troupe's efforts to put on what many consider a difficult and controversial play, 'M. Butterfly.' All in all a good read; some of the history is a little stale at times but interesting overall and the accounts of play production open such fun [and not so fun] memories from my own experiences.

Drama, On Stage and Off, Brilliantly Reported.......2001-07-19

Leah Hager Cohen's _The Stuff of Dreams: Behind the Scenes of an American Community Theater_ (Viking) tells the story of one production by one community theater, and if that strikes you as a preposterously unlikely vehicle to contain heroism and excitement, that is only because you have no idea yet about Cohen's lucid reportage or about the dedication of the Arlington Friends of the Drama. Cohen followed the company from its selection of a controversial play (involving serious cerebral themes and nudity) beyond the final cast party. She seems to have been everywhere, watching both on and off stage drama. She must thank her good fortune at reporting on just this troop. The people involved have plenty of humor; with all the stress in getting this production running, they had to. But they are truly serious artists; this is established by the choice of the play and the discussion group held before any rehearsal, in which are covered "everything from gender and sexual politics to Sino-French relations to ethnic stereotyping to the Chinese Cultural Revolution." Cohen could not have lit upon a more fascinating cast for her own work. They are headed by the ambitious director Celia, who is by day a manager of a Hewlett-Packard branch office. She has the extraordinary capacity to assign people to jobs at which they had no idea they could succeed. The Chinese opera star is played by Patrick, a self-effacing stranger she has picked and who seems at times a disastrously wrong choice. The main role is given to Jimmy, a veteran of the ADC who has ACTOR 1 for his license plates, and who undergoes terrifying, inexplicable lapses of memory for his lines even in the week before his performance. It is probably not giving anything away to tell that Cohen isn't reporting on a failure, but she builds up to a pitch of excitement in approach of the opening night that is delicious. The book's drama is sufficient that it is easy to imagine it becoming its own play.

This turns out to be an engrossing tale where one would least expect it. "No written contracts have been signed, no cash exchanged, no professional reputations put at stake to help ensure that the promises are kept, the goals met. All they can do for the moment is skate along on that sheer, fine surface of trust, waiting for a firmer base to form beneath it." The narrative of the formation of that base, the process of creating by a temporary family of amateurs (the word comes from the root meaning "love," and these people do love what they are doing), who in some cases jeopardize jobs and marriages in order to get their artistic dream realized, is an unforgettable and illuminating story.

this is everywhere.......2001-07-09

This is a beautiful book about the process of community theatre. It will remind anyone of thir own expirences, and is a great explination for anyone that is curious about the process but hasn't yet participated themselves. It is pretty dense in places and I found some of the historical information of this theatre tedious and unnessary to the overall piece. But I did enjoy a lot of the authors own theatrical memories that are interspursed throughout the book, since she is invisible through the shows happenings. There were things that were touched on that I wanted answers on but was left hanging. This was mostly dealing with the actor Patrick. She makes a statement about him in the book, and never follows it up or supports it so I was left wondering "Why?". Also, near the beginning there is a jumping forward and backward in time that was confusing but works itself out eventually. Otherwise, I loved the book and it is like a love letter to the thousands of community theatres across the country.

Average customer rating:

Behind the Scenes
Michael K. Deaver , and Mickey Herskowitz
Manufacturer: William Morrow & Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0688064043

Behind the Scenes By Elizabeth Keckley, formerly a slave, but more recently modiste & friend to Mrs Lincoln

Average customer rating:

Behind the Scenes By Elizabeth Keckley, formerly a slave, but more recently modiste & friend to Mrs Lincoln
Elizabeth Keckley
Manufacturer: R.R. Donnelley & Sons
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000ONMUQK

Behind the Scenes: Formerly a Slave, but More Recently Modiste, and Friend to Mrs. Lincoln; Or, Thirty Years a Slave, and Four Years in the White House (The Lakeside Classics)

Average customer rating:

Behind the Scenes: Formerly a Slave, but More Recently Modiste, and Friend to Mrs. Lincoln; Or, Thirty Years a Slave, and Four Years in the White House (The Lakeside Classics)
Elizabeth Keckley
Manufacturer: R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 119918330X

Product Description

Formerly a slaveBorn into slavery, Elizabeth Hobbs Keckley (ca. 1824-1907) rose to a position of respect as a talented dressmaker to the political elite of Washington, D.C., and a confidante of First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln. In this unusual memoir, Keckley offers a rare, behind-the-scenes view of the formal and informal networks that African Americans established among themselves.

BEHIND THE SCENES, BY ELIZABETH KECKLEY FORMERLY A SLAVE, BUT MORE RECENTLY MODISTE, AND FRIEND TO MRS. LINCOLN, OR, THIRTY YEARS A SLAVE, AND FOUR YEARS IN THE WHITE HOUSE

Average customer rating:

BEHIND THE SCENES, BY ELIZABETH KECKLEY FORMERLY A SLAVE, BUT MORE RECENTLY MODISTE, AND FRIEND TO MRS. LINCOLN, OR, THIRTY YEARS A SLAVE, AND FOUR YEARS IN THE WHITE HOUSE
Elizabeth --- Foster, Frances Smith, editor Keckley
Manufacturer: The Lakeside Press - R R Donnelley and Sons
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000UCKCCE

Average customer rating:

Friends: Behind the Scenes

Manufacturer: AMI Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

General | Performing Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1932270280

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books