La Streisand, warts and all, in this unusually thorough and perceptive biography. Streisand presents something of a paradoxical challenge for biographers. Even detractors cannot overlook the sheer range and magnitude of her talent, the powerful, perfectly modulated voice, her abilities as an actress and a director. But even admirers cannot ignore her egotism, her control mania, her self-righteous stance as a perpetual victim. Given these difficulties, veteran celebrity biographer Edwards (A Remarkable Woman: A Biography of Katharine Hepburn, 1985, etc.) walks the tightrope of fairness with remarkable ease and grace. Streisand once summed up the double standard by which she felt she has been judged by noting, ``A man is commanding—a woman demanding. . . . A man is a perfectionist—a woman's a pain in the ass.'' Sexism in Hollywood is still a problem, but as Edwards makes clear, much of Streisand's controversial behavior has stemmed not so much from her experiences in show business as from her miserable childhood. Her father died when she was very young; her mother never provided the love and uncritical support she craved; she did not possess conventional good looks. Yet these miseries also fueled her ambition. As she once remarked: ``I wanted to prove to the world that they shouldn't make fun of me.'' Edwards traces Streisand's long, determined climb to stardom, describing in detail her career on Broadway, her albums, her work in Hollywood. She argues persuasively that Streisand's fear of failing, the insecurity that stretches back to her childhood, has been the dominant element in her life: ``Nothing was ever enough. She had to prove herself over and over and over again.'' There are times, though, when Edwards skims over events, such as Streisand's break-up with longtime lover Jon Peters, to dwell on their psychological meanings, to little effect. Nonetheless, this is clearly the best account of Barbra Streisand in all her contradictory, difficult glory. (b&w photos, not seen) (Book-of-the-Month Club selection; author tour)
Pub Date: April 30, 1997
ISBN: 0-316-21138-9
Page Count: 608
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 1997
An enjoyable slice of 20th-century music journalism almost certain to provide something for most readers, no matter one’s...
Music journalist and musician Wald (Talking 'Bout Your Mama: The Dozens, Snaps, and the Deep Roots of Rap, 2014, etc.) focuses on one evening in music history to explain the evolution of contemporary music, especially folk, blues, and rock.
The date of that evening is July 25, 1965, at the Newport Folk Festival, where there was an unbelievably unexpected occurrence: singer/songwriter Bob Dylan, already a living legend in his early 20s, overriding the acoustic music that made him famous in favor of electronically based music, causing reactions ranging from adoration to intense resentment among other musicians, DJs, and record buyers. Dylan has told his own stories (those stories vary because that’s Dylan’s character), and plenty of other music journalists have explored the Dylan phenomenon. What sets Wald's book apart is his laser focus on that one date. The detailed recounting of what did and did not occur on stage and in the audience that night contains contradictory evidence sorted skillfully by the author. He offers a wealth of context; in fact, his account of Dylan's stage appearance does not arrive until 250 pages in. The author cites dozens of sources, well-known and otherwise, but the key storylines, other than Dylan, involve acoustic folk music guru Pete Seeger and the rich history of the Newport festival, a history that had created expectations smashed by Dylan. Furthermore, the appearances on the pages by other musicians—e.g., Joan Baez, the Weaver, Peter, Paul, and Mary, Dave Van Ronk, and Gordon Lightfoot—give the book enough of an expansive feel. Wald's personal knowledge seems encyclopedic, and his endnotes show how he ranged far beyond personal knowledge to produce the book.
An enjoyable slice of 20th-century music journalism almost certain to provide something for most readers, no matter one’s personal feelings about Dylan's music or persona.Pub Date: July 25, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-06-236668-9
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Dey Street/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis...
Privately published by Strunk of Cornell in 1918 and revised by his student E. B. White in 1959, that "little book" is back again with more White updatings.
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis (whoops — "A bankrupt expression") a unique guide (which means "without like or equal").Pub Date: May 15, 1972
ISBN: 0205632645
Page Count: 105
Publisher: Macmillan
Review Posted Online: Oct. 28, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1972
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