Book Description
As the third Storyville mystery begins, Creole detective Valentin St. Cyr has just returned to New Orleans. Having only recently solved the case of the jass murders, he is drawn reluctantly into the investigation of a new murder—that of a well-to-do gentleman on seedy Rampart Street. When another wealthy society man turns up dead, the detective learns that the two victims were acquainted years ago. In a spider’s web of coincidence, the second murder has been witnessed—or has it?—by the man who’s now keeping Justine, Valentin’s old girlfriend, as his paramour. Valentin probes deeper even as the city’s most powerful leaders pressure him to drop the investigation. What could he be getting close to, and what nerves might he unwittingly strike?
David Fulmer has created a heart-pounding mystery in this, his soulful detective’s most dangerous case yet.
Customer Reviews:
Not as good as Jass or Chasing The Devils' Tail.......2007-10-04
If you read my review of Jass, you know I was anxiously awaiting Rampart Street. In fact, I read this novel twice before offering a review. For me, it just doesn't stack up to the gritty, music-filled previous Valentin St. Cyr novels. Maybe Fulmer fears being pulled from high school libraries. For the structure of the plot: multiple murders, interractial sex, prostitution, and scandal, there isn't a lot of, well, "dirt" here. The two previous novels left me feeling as if I'd spent a week in the New Orleans of the 'teens: sweaty, dirty, hungry, tired, and musically enthralled. Rampart Street left me feeling like I'd just sanitized with Purell. Valentin seems "removed" from his actions throughout. There isn't enough of the Little Charlie Jackson character to compete with the Buddy Bolden or Jelly Roll Morton of the previous. Justine, so essential to the other two novels, seems to just lurk in the shadows of Storyville waiting for Fulmer to give her something to do. For an initially intriguing plot, Rampart Street seemed rather slow and a bit dull.
I truly hope Fulmer gets his "mojo" back for the next St. Cyr novel.
Flavorful Mystery.......2007-03-27
This is a terrific mystery set in the back streets and alleys of New Orleans in 1910. Mr. Fulmer captures the flavor of the time and city extremely well.
The novel starts with the murder of an affluent New Orleans businessman on Rampart Street - heart of the red light district of the City. The mounting of tension is immediate as a dark figure is seen taking a ring off the corpse. He is about to cut the ring finger off so he can also get the victim's wedding ring when he is scared off. The kingpin of the District then is asked to bring in Valentin St. Cyr, a part mulatto part black investigator to look into the crime. Later, the victim's daughter retains him since she knows the police have arrested the first convenient scapegoat.
St. Cyr has to cross back and forth between the worlds of the City's underbelly and the upper crust - no mean feat for a "colored". Traversing those worlds meand dealing with the color difference as well as the socio-economic disparities. The race issue is presented as the matter of fact that it was at the time. Mr. Fulmer presents an historical novel without proselitizing - the race issue is there and dealt with by all the characters. There are no characters on social missions. The City is presented as it was in 1910 with the prejudices and attitudes of the time. In this respect, it is a more honest presentation than if all the characters were bucking the status quo.
St. Cyr is a compelling character with depth. The supporting cast is also very good. Each also has depth and uniqueness. This is the first book in the series that I have read. It is obvious that there is a past worth knowing. The book stands alone, even though there are frequent references to two crimes that Mr. St. Cyr solved in the past, the latter of which had obviously caused him consternation. Knowledge of the prior books is not necessary but St. Cyr is such a good character that he drew me in and I will look for the prior books.
This is a very good historical mystery. It is top of the class in that genre. Strongly recommended.
A strong third entry in one of the best new detective series.......2007-01-22
I came across David Fulmer's book Chasing the Devil's Tail when it was new in paperback. At first glance the premise was interesting: a detective who was friends with the founder of jazz, and who was a colored Creole, in New Orleans about a hundred years ago. The story and especially the writing were good enough to carry the book through to its conclusion, and the sequel, Jass, was as good if not a bit better. This third entry is even a bit better than that, as Fulmer continues to grow as a writer, getting familiar and comfortable with his characters and plots.
In this current outing, the main character, Valentin St. Cyr, returns to New Orleans after spending 15 months wandering the country recovering from the way the previous book, Jass, ended. He's been in town for only a few weeks when a prominent businessman is killed, shot to death in Storyville, the rather raucous speakeasy neighborhood that St. Cyr patrols. St Cyr's old boss, Mr. Anderson, asks if he would be willing to look into the crime on behalf of the family. At first St. Cyr is reluctant, but he's soon persuaded to do what Mr. Anderson wants, and he begins to look into the crime. The investigation progresses, a second victim emerges, and it turns out that the prime witness in the second killing is a guy named George Reynolds. It turns out George is "seeing" Justine, St. Cyr's old girlfriend, who now works in a "house" as what amounts to a high-class prostitute. This of course complicates things greatly.
This is an interesting, multi-layered, complex book. The author doesn't hesitate to do things like kill of characters who've figured in previous books, have characters change, and have a backstory that's interesting and at times even unique working. It's a wonderful novel, and frankly I can't wait to see what happens next.
Another very good book from Fulmer........2006-02-20
Fulmer does a wonderful job of conveying the complex and multilayered social and political structure of life in New Orleans and Storyville during the early 1900s. His characters are rich and dimensional, his sense of place exacting. There's a feeling of melancholy to the story so that even scenes during the day feel muted and gritty. The pace and narrative of the story bring you into the story and keep you there from the first page to the last. This is a character-driven mystery and St. Cyr is a fascinating character; one about whom you care. Rampart Street accentuates hypocrisy and greed born from power. Fulmer has maintained the quality of this series with each book and, although this book stands well along, should recommend starting from the beginning.
a very compelling installment in a very good series.......2006-01-13
The third installment in the Valentine St. Cyr mystery series set in the early 1900s in New Orleans, "Rampart Street" proved to be very engrossing and compelling read, full of moody, vivid imagery, with an almost gritty feel one has come to expect from authors like Dashiel Hammett. All in all, this was a truly wonderful read, and I'm glad that I picked it up.
After a long absence, Valentine St. Cyr is back again in the historic red-light district of Storyville, New Orleans. But St. Cyr seems to be strangely apathetic and listless; so much so that when Alderman Alphonse Badel requests the unofficial "King of Storyville's," Tom Anderson, in recruiting St. Cyr to investigate the murder of a rich white man (John Benedict) found murdered on the seedy Rampart Street, Andersen cannot but wonder if St. Cyr is up to the job. However, when what seems to be a routine investigation as to what Benedict was doing on Rampart Street and why he was murdered soon turns into something much more tantalizing that could involve some rather powerful New Orleans movers and shakers, who in turn start pressuring St. Cyr to give up the investigation, St. Cyr finds himself intrigued almost against his will. And when a good friend gets murdered because of this case, things become personal as well. Now nothing will stop St. Cyr from discovering why Benedict was murdered and why so many powerful men are in a lather to stop this investigation....
I have always meant to pickup this series, but somehow never got around to it. Needless to say, when I finally did get around to reading a Valentine St. Cyr mystery novel, it would be the latest in the series and not the first. Not that this was a problem -- one needn't worry about having to play catch-up with "Rampart Street." No, for me the problem lay in that the mystery did get off to a bit of a slow start; and then there was the problem that I found myself automatically comparing it to Barbara Hambly's Benjamin January mystery series, also set in New Orleans, except that that one is set before the American Civil War, and found "Rampart Street" to lack much of the lyrical beauty that Hambly had successfully imbued her Benjamin January books with. However, this was just an initial reaction: about a few chapters into the book, I found myself to be so deeply engrossed in "Rampart Street" that I couldn't bare the put the book down! And while I didn't think that David Fulmer's prose style wasn't quite as lyrical or as poetical as Barbara Hambly's, I did think that he had done a successful job of imbuing the book with that moody, melancholic air that coloured the imagery as well as the attitudes and feelings of the characters he brilliantly brought to life. The storyline was a very intriguing and tantalising one, and David Fulmer did a wonderful job of maintaining the suspense and tension -- even if things slowed down a little towards the end of the book. All in all, in spite of certain shortcomings, I found "Rampart Street" to be a very well plotted and wrought novel, worthy of a 5 star rating.
Customer Reviews:
Visions of a vanishing time and place.......2000-04-20
This wonderful book is the second in the now-classic survey of historic New Orleans architecture. Distinguished by the same painstaking attention to detail as the other volumes, this book concentrates on the sections of the city now known as the Central Busisness District (or CBD) and the Warehouse/Arts District. Given the dramatic changes this section has undergone since the 19th century, this volume is both more valuable historically and perhaps a bit less interesting to the casual reader.
One section of the book is fortunately out of date. A special section highlights the row houses on Julia Street in the Warehouse District, then in sad disrepair, but now gems in that area's redevelopment.
Despite the towering skyscrapers lining Poydras Street and the gleaming hotel towers down by the river, this book calls our attention to what remains: the exuberant architectural display of a Victorian bank building or the shockingly vibrant facade of a Canal Street storefront. Through its thoughtful scholarship and careful display of maps, historic images and contemporary photograph, this book (likes its sisters in the series) is an inviting glimpse into the past for the careful reader.
Average customer rating:
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Louisiana Cavalier
Everett Webber
Manufacturer: E.P. Dutton Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
| Classics
| Comic
| Contemporary
| Literary
ASIN: B000OLBFSG |
Average customer rating:
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Rampart Street
Manufacturer: E.P. Dutton & Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000FT6PJG |
Product Description
A swashbuckling, adventurous novel, set against the background of old New Orleans, with its freebooting gentry, seafarers and Creole belles, Rampart Street throbs with the unbridled passions and hatreds of a vivid and colorful era in American history.
Behind the turbulent, buccaneering life of New Orleans lies Rampart Street, where the hot-blooded gentry kept their octaroon mistresses. Called the longest street in New Orleans, it reached into every home and heart in the proud old city.
Average customer rating:
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Rampart Street
Everett Webber , and
Olga Webber
Manufacturer: Kessinger Publishing, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 141799858X |
Average customer rating:
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Rampart Street
Everett Webber
Manufacturer: UNSPECIFIED VENDOR
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000V9OZ3I |
Book Description
The Battlestar Galactica Collectable Card Game (CCG) brings the tension and excitement of the hit television show to your table top, where the fate of humanity is in your hands! Protect the refugee fleet from Cylon attacks while dealing with internal politics and strife. Players face off against one another as they attempt to increase their influence over the fleet, and the ever-present Cylons threaten all players! Two different starters are available: the Military Starter lead by Commander Adama and the Political Starter championed by President Roslin. Each starter contains 32 fixed cards playable as two 16-card "mini decks" to learn the game. The fixed cards combine with the 30 random cards from the two included Booster Packs to create a full 61-card deck, ready for play!
Book Description
Persian cuisine is exotic yet simple like a poem by Omar Khayyam, healthy yet colorful like a Persian miniature painting. It combines rice, the jewel and foundation of Persian cooking, with a little meat, fowl or fish; plenty of onion, garlic, vegetables, fruit, nuts, herbs; and a delicate, uniquely Persian mix of spices such as rose petals, angelica seeds, dried limes, candied orange peels, cinnamon, cardamom, cumin and saffron to achieve a delicious and balanced diet. Drawing on her 15 years of experience collecting and adapting authentic Persian recipes, and inspired by her years in Southern France and the United States, Najmieh Batmanglij has brought about a marriage of ancient Persian cooking, French Provencal food presentation, and contemporary American eating styles. The result is Persian Cooking for a Healthy Kitchen, 95 exquisite kitchen-tested recipes that are low in fat yet high in flavor--a feast for both the eyes and the taste buds--that meet the current health goals of limiting the calories from saturated fats. The recipes have been kitchen tested by both American and Persian chefs. They are intelligently written and easy to follow, one per page, each facing a magnificent photograph by the renowned French photographer, Serge Ephrahim.
Customer Reviews:
Awesome!.......2007-05-16
I never cooked Persian food until my boyfriend bought me this book. It has very easy instructions, it also tells you how to substitute dry and fresh spices. It is not Americanized in any way, but still very easy!
Love this author!
This book has made me love cooking iranian food!.......2005-09-20
and to think our mothers try to convince us that cooking iranian food was sooooo difficult! this book makes it easy and delicious. i was amazed at how wonderful everything has turned out and the pictures are fantastic. she offers beautiful serving ideas that are perfect for dinner parties, etc. just double her salt recommendations and you'll be ready to go :)
Persian Cooking for a Healthy Kitchen.......2005-09-20
These are good recipes and are clearly written, but I think the prep and cooking time estimates are a little optimistic. Very good directions for cooking rice with the perfect golden crust.
Delicious, Beautiful, Low Carb, Low Fat and Persian.......2003-05-22
Although I grew up in Bagh-e Ferdows in north Tehran and Gholam-Ali khan was a great cook, I never knew that Persian cooking had so many wonderful, low-carb, low-fat recipes for fish and kababs. This book is also full of regional recipes that have not been so delicately, and temptingly presented since the Safavids ruled Iran--and the recipes are healthy to boot. A must-have-book for every cook who is looking for new ideas and wants to eat healthy at the same time.
Not as good as..........2003-04-15
I bought this book after falling in love with the author's other book "New Food of Life: Ancient Persian and Modern Iranian Cooking and Ceremonies". However, compared to that, this book is hopeless. I suggest you purchase the above book instead of this one.. has a lot more receipes, ceremonies, etc.
Book Description
More than 50 photos that capture the beauty and spirit of Greyhounds and Italian Greyhounds.
Hounds in gorgeous black-and-white photography.
The perfect gift for greyhound lovers.
Be they Iggies (Italian Greyhounds) or Greyts (Greyhounds), these elegant dogs have been the subjects of artists' gazes for more than two thousand years. Sleek and slim, they've got the looks and bearing of supermodels-yet all it takes is a lopsided grin, a poke of the nose, or a whimsical head tilt to see that they are playful clowns at heart.
Greyhounds of all sizes bring gentleness and grace into the homes of those who love them. Greyhounds Big and Small celebrates these affectionate and beautiful creatures with over fifty photographs that skillfully capture the essence of 'greyhoundedness.'
Customer Reviews:
Greyhounds Big and Small: Iggies and Greyts.......2007-04-28
Beautiful pictures capturing the character of the two breeds and some lovely captions to go with them. A great coffee table book
Great Hound book!.......2005-01-20
This book is full of great pictures! Actually, I ordered it for my husband well before Christmas and to my surprise he also bought it for me as a birthday present. We love our IG and love looking at pictures of them. They are such beautiful dogs.
Great coffee table book!!.......2004-12-09
I just picked this book up at my local Barnes & Noble. The photography is wonderful and if you are an Iggy parent (owner of an Italian Greyhound) you will definately appreciate the captions that go along with some of the photos. Their quirkiness comes thru brilliantly. If you are unfamiliar with the Italian Greyhound personality they are very silly little guys and gals!!
I appreciate the contrast between the Iggies and the Greyts. All around this is a greyt book that any dog lover will enjoy.
Book Description
The title of this book embodies the authors attitude toward the collection that she presents, using vivid photographs to guide the reader through centuries of lacemaking and embroidery. The author has traveled throughout Europe carefully researching the origin and history of the pieces presented. Information is separated into eight chapters: Lace Trim, Bridal Hankies, Fashion, Society Embroidery, Appenzell-work, Bed Linens, Table Linens, and Miscellaneous Lace and/or Embroidered Pieces. Each chapter includes an overview, detailed descriptions, and photographs, including details that are excellent references for identifying various styles of lace and embroidery. The price range associated with each will help the reader understand the effect age, condition, and workmanship have on value. This book will appeal to beginners and experienced collectors alike.
Customer Reviews:
Graced by Lace.......2001-03-23
This book is the most beautiful and informative book I have ever seen on the subject on antique lace. I am a second generation antique textile collector, and this book is truly the best I have ever seen on antique linens and lace.
It is the perfect gift for both the expert and the novice.
Gerry Nichol President - Decorative Textiles
Customer Reviews:
Antique Linens&Lace Field Guide.......2000-05-27
I found this to be a helpful reference guide to a collector. The pictures are clear and the descriptions are good.Not much in the way of pricing but good information to help learn about the multitude of antique textiles. This is a good addition to a collectors library.
Average customer rating:
- old lace and linens including crochet
- Small and thus easy to carry for a ready reference.
- Bevy of examples covering many styles but inaccurate prices.
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Old Lace and Linens Including Crochet: An Identification and Value Guide
Maryanne Dolan
Manufacturer: Krause Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Antiques & Collectibles
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Textiles & Costume
| Antiques & Collectibles
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Crafts & Hobbies
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Lace & Tatting
| Crafts & Hobbies
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Textile Arts
| Crafts & Hobbies
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Consumer Guides
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0896890724 |
Customer Reviews:
old lace and linens including crochet.......2000-11-10
I MUST AGREE WITH THE FIRST TWO REVIEWS 100%. BUT I BOUGHT IT ANYWAY, TO ADD TO MY MANY OTHER BOOKS. THE BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT WAS THE PHOTOS. I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO ANYONE UNLESS THEY JUST WANT TO SKIM OVER IT AND ADD IT TO A COLLECTION THEY MAY HAVE.
Small and thus easy to carry for a ready reference........1999-03-05
That the author loves linens is obvious from her narratives. There are some tips on care and history that are worthwhile. Many of the identifications are misleading, and the prices quoted are most frequently inaccurate. The descriptions, although vague, may be a useful starting point for the novice or casual collector, I would not refer this to anyone as a definitive work, but it is useful as an entry level reference.
Bevy of examples covering many styles but inaccurate prices........1999-01-10
First 28 pages are well-written, lyrical descriptions but not terribly historically informative. While there is an extremely wide range of items shown, many photos are reproductions which lose much in the process.
Identification of types is very spotty with even the obvious (hardanger and filet) listed only as drawn work or 'beautifully crocheted corners'. Dating of items seemed fairly accurate but pricing was "not of this earth". Most dollar amounts could easily be halved and one collar on page 43 listed at $55-60 I purchased for $8 from a knowledgable dealer.
This book is useful as an addendum to the library of a serious collector. It is however, of little value to the novice or student because it lacks identifying criteria and the pictures are not high enough quality to decipher detail.
Product Description
Picture hardcover issued without dustjacket. ISBN 0870696343.
Customer Reviews:
Disappointed reader.......2007-07-13
This is not a slick production, but rather dowdy. The photographs are old and grainy, the paper is cheap and the print is a bit fuzzy. I was surprised the book was published in 1991, it had the feel of a 1950's publication. The contents also seem to be out-of-date. Much of the text reflected the authors conjectures, beliefs and favorite idioms. There was no significant research of the subjects. Much of the "advice" or "how to" were not explained, if any was even given. I was clearly disappointed and would never have purchased the book if I had an opportunity to first examine the book.
Customer Reviews:
a pretty good book, something for everyone.......2004-09-18
I checked this book out of my local library, and it's actually pretty good. There are color photos of every finished pattern, and the charts (several in color) are very easy to follow.
Most of the patterns can be stitched by beginner to intermediate stitchers and do not involve specialty stitches. There are some nice samplers, a really cool nautical alphabet design, and a cute alphabet pattern for children.
The book is chock-full of patterns. There really should be something of interest to everyone in this book.
Well, maybe not the *best,* but pretty good........2002-06-25
Projects in this volume include traditional samplers, framed pieces, contemporary motifs, afghans, florals, door hangers, pillows, coasters, table linens and napkin rings, picture frames, birth samplers, tags, pouches, nameplates, stockings and more.
The color photos are nice, though most projects do not have close-up images. They do depict how the project might be used in a room setting. The charts are symbols of black and red ink on blue graphs.
This book is a nice, inexpensive supplement to a cross-stitch library.
Book Description
Building Green in a Black and White World transforms the rising interest in living in green homes into practical ways to satisfy the environmentally conscious homebuyer. Drawing on over 30 years in the building industry, the author provides a guide for both builders and buyers to everything from the home design process through to green substitutes for products ranging from foundations to roofs, along with case studies of successful green companies and useful resources.
David R. Johnston was named one of the top 50 remodelers in the U.S. by Remodeling Magazine in 1990, developed the first green remodeling program in the country in Boulder, Colorado, and is creating a national green certification program for the National Association of the Remodeling Industry.
Customer Reviews:
Good for contractors, not for home buyers.......2001-07-10
I purchased this book thinking that it would be a good resource for remodelling a home, I was wrong. The information contained is good for a contractor that wants to develop a "green building" image, complete with advise for dealing with media, marketing strategies and sales. It appears to have very little practical advise with regard to green building techniques and supplies. It might be a good reference for a contractor but not very helpful for the ecologically minded home buyer.
Incredible resource for building smart!.......2001-05-17
I sat down with this book and read it in one sitting. This is an enormous amount of research and practical experience in one volume. It's appropriate not only for builders that want to go "green", but for environmentally conscious folks looking to build. The book is filled with loads of information on making the "right" choices in building, and most of these choices do not cost more, in fact, many save money in years to come. As a novice, I found the information to be easy to understand, and have come away with a real plan on the building of my next house. Having read this book, it's hard to understand how anyone could not choose to build green. It's just plain smart! I think every builder looking for a competitive edge, should read this book, it's filled with marketing & sales strategies. In Building Green, David Johnston shares a lifetime of experience in the business of building environmentally smart.
Building Green in a Black and White World.......2000-03-14
I've known the author David Johnson for years. He knows more about Green construction than anyone else I know. David knows what works and what doesn't, because he's tried things himself and collected thousands of stories from builders, homeowners and city officials who've put to the test all manner of building techniques, materials, installations and standards.
In some ways, this book is David's life story about his personal evolution as an environmental builder from the "passive solar" 70's to the green 90's. This book summarizes all his collected knowledge in a well-organized manner. You can use it as a reference to find specifically what you want to know, or you can read it all the way through and enjoy the story as well as the meaty content.
If you're a builder looking for a new niche or already doing green construction, this book can reallly help you. The book is loaded with information aabout the market for green construction and the values that underlie people's desire4s for indoor air quality, energy effiency, durability and planetary respect. It also has nuts and boolts information about what really works when handled by average subs.
Building Green in a Black and White World.......2000-03-11
I've known the author David Johnston for years. He knows more about green construction than anyone else I know. David knows what works and doesn't work, because he's tried things himself and collected thousands of stories from builders, homeowners and city officials who've put to the test all manner of building techniques, materials, installations and standards.
In some ways, this book is David's life story about his personal evolution as an environmental builder from the "passive solar" 70's to the "green" 90's. This book summarizes all his collected knowledge in a well-organized manner. You can use it as a reference to find specifically what you want to know, or you can read it all the way through and enjoy the story, as well as the meaty content.
If you're a builder looking for a new niche or already doing green construction, this book can really help you. The book is loaded with information about the market for green construction and the values that underlie peoples' desires for indoor air quality, energy effiency, durability and planetary respect. It also has nuts and bolts information about what really works when handled by average subs. As a builder who works in environmentally friendly ways, I mostly work with clients who hold similar values. This book will be very useful to loan as a reference to potential clients.
If you're a homeowner thinking of remodeling or new construction, this book will really help you. It is full of case histories and lessons learned. It gives lots of real world, practical examples of green materials and specifications. It is a nuts and bolts book that explains options, things to consider and logical choices.
The author also provides a rich compendium of state-of-the-art resources in the Appendicies. At least as valuable as the book itself, the Appendicies provide comprehensive, annotated lists of experts in Green Building, Municipal and Homebuilder sponsored Green Builder Programs, Green construction standards and state-of-the-art Green construction information(with how-to-contact details).
As a environmental builder for more than 20 years, I highly recommend this book. As a concerned citizen of planet Earth, I highly recommend this book. Everyone and anyone could read and enjoy this book; anyone concerned with construction or remodeling projects really MUST READ this book!
Average customer rating:
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Looking Back to the Future: 1990-1970 (Critical Voices in Art, Theory & Culture)
Griseld Pollock
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| History & Criticism
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Criticism
| History & Criticism
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Pop Culture
| Graphic Design
| Design & Decorative Arts
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Aesthetics
| Philosophy
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
All Titles
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
ASIN: 9057011328 |
Book Description
In this selection of recent essays, Pollock insightfully engages all major areas of contemporary theory, especially focusing on sexed subjectivities, post-colonialism and Marxist-informed history. In her commentary, Penny Florence places Pollock's critique of modernism, art history, and criticism within the context of the social, political, and ideological developments that have taken place since the 1970s. Florence recognizes in Pollock's work a critical model that moves beyond the contradictions that take place within the history of art. Pollock's own essays and Florence's commentary elaborate the complexities in evaluating this prominent theorist and feminist, whose work demands a capacity to sustain contradiction.
Average customer rating:
- El Jarabe Tapatio
- Stewing in the Melting Pot: The Memoir of A Real American
- "Stewing" is an important memoir about loss and discovery
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Stewing in the Melting Pot: The Memoir of A Real American (Capital Life)
Robert Sanabria
Manufacturer: Capital Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Ethnic & National
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Memoirs
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Mexico
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| 20th Century
| United States
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
California
| State & Local
| United States
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
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Pacific Northwest
| State & Local
| United States
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
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General
| Special Groups
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
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American Dreams
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Dread: Poems
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Boy Without a Flag
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Smoking Lovely
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Krik? Krak!
ASIN: 1892123460 |
Book Description
Through the eyes of one of its own, Stewing in the Melting Pot will touch the hearts of all who have lived between two cultures and who have never felt completely accepted by the mainstream American culture. This is the story of a Mexican-American family struggling to survive in pre-and post-World War II America. Robert Sanabria was four years old when his mother took her four children and fled from an abusive husband in Texas to Los Angeles. There, unable to care for her children, she was forced to place them in a Methodist orphanage. In "The Home" Robert learned that his heritage as a Mexican was not welcome and he was required to abandon his language, his religion, and his culture to become a "real" American. Robert tells the powerful story of "The Home’s", policy of assimilation and how it led to his own development as a confused and identity-starved adult.
Customer Reviews:
El Jarabe Tapatio.......2005-11-20
Colton, California, settled by the Mormons, has become a magnet for Latinos. The author's mother had parked her children in an orphanage for ten years. She was a woman of secrets. Robert Sanabria's mother had left her husband for reason of abuse. At the time the family had lived in El Paso. Mother and children left El Paso in 1935. The mother had lived through the Mexican Revolution. In later years Robert felt comfortable speaking of Mexican history with his mother to spare both of them a discussion of family history. Why the children had been placed in the orphanage was a painful topic.
At the orphanage the author, who began his stay there at age four, developed a distaste for turnips and eggplant. After his mother's death he learned that she had never revealed to him the identity of his father, an Italian. Robert Sanabria had been drawn back to his family upon the failure of his first marriage. By that time his mother was an invalid. For forty years reunions of the orphanage home children had been held. Robert had come to realize that fleeing from his past was misguided. From 1945 to 1994 he had avoided facing his stay at the Home, and, also, had failed to attend any of the reunions. Regina Rivera, Re, had grown up in the home and had stayed as matron until it closed. She organized the reunions.
Robert's second wife helped him to see his hometown, Sierra Madre, as charming. He learned the Home had been founded by a highly motivated, (politically correct), Methodist missionary, Katherine Higgins. The impetus was an incident of a seven year old girl being left on the steps of of the philanthropic organization in the 1920's. Mexican peons, victims of the plantation system, began to pour into California after of the Mexican Revolution in 1915. In the 1930's Mexicans were being deported, sometimes unlawfully, and Robert's mother feared that in the family's destitution they would come to the attention of immigration officials.
The local Congregational Church took great interest in the Home. The minister was a member of the Home's advisory committee. The Protestant Churches of the time engaged in activities to Americanize the subjects of their charities. Two years after the opening of the Home a very able manager, Miss Gibson, was engaged. During the Depression the Home had problems feeding, clothing, and sheltering the children. Many of the townspeople were concerned. There was a fiesta staged to raise money. In 1937 the matrons got salary increases. Times were improving. In the late 30's a new boys' dorm was built where the boys lived in comparative luxury. A sandbox was installed by the Kiwanis Club. In 1938 the children attended vacation bible school for four weeks, then a new thing. After Pearl Harbor there were air raid alerts. Some former Home boys were in the service.
When Robert's sister Henrietta left the Home at age 14, Robert ran away to his mother and stepfather but he was returned to the orphanage. Robert's ten years at the Home had produced in him an engulfing sense of shame. He contends, persuasively, the Home distorted his image of who and what he was. There was no appreciation there of being Latino.
Notes and acknowledgments at the back of the book are of much interest.
Stewing in the Melting Pot: The Memoir of A Real American.......2004-05-17
A heartfelt auto-biography about the author's childhood years growing up in an American-cultured orphanage as a Mexican with no chance to explore his Mexican heritage; causing self-loathing and anger to get in the way of finding who he really is as a person. Sharing his experiences with the reader on growing up at the orphanage must have taken enormous courage: tactfully and fairly telling the reader how other people's bias in his life effected him. He invites the reader into his childhood with candor and grace, providing poignant accountings of his years at the orphanage interspersed with moments of humor.
I was very impressed with the author's ability to look back at his youth, expressing his feelings so candidly and with such honesty. This is a book that most Depression-era children having little or nothing and with their own personal struggles, can relate to. I found the book to be thouroughly enjoyable and hard to put down at times.
"Stewing" is an important memoir about loss and discovery.......2001-10-26
"Stewing in the Melting Pot: The Memoir of a Real American" by Robert Sanabria, a sculptor and retired military officer, details the author's experience growing up in a Methodist-run orphanage for Latino children in Southern California during the Depression. It is an absorbing and at times aching account of the process by which the author, his siblings, and other
orphans at "The Home" are stripped of their Latino heritage to assimilate into America of the 30s and early 40s. The author deftly intertwines themes of struggle: to uncover truths about his past; and to accept the identity confusion he still bears. His is an experience to which many "Americans" can relate.
Jessica Kasten
Books:
- Roman Blood: A Novel of Ancient Rome (Novels of Ancient Rome)
- Sexy Student Body and Her Class Action (Beeline Double Novel)
- Sonnet of the Sphinx: A Poetic Death Mystery
- Swimming with the Dead: An Underwater Investigation
- The Alpine Quilt: An Emma Lord Mystery (Emma Lord Mysteries)
- The Ape Who Guards the Balance : An Amelia Peabody Mystery
- The Coroner's Lunch
- The Dogs of Riga
- The Empress of India: A Professor Moriarty Novel (Professor Moriarty Novels)
- The Fatal Fashione (Elizabeth I Mysteries, Book 8)
Books Index
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