(10 b&w illustrations)
Pushcart Press founder and publisher Henderson (Minutes of the Lead Pencil Club, 1996, etc.) discovers the "utter joy of
building" and shares his quest for grace, bargain lumber, and something to call God in this part-memoir, part-how-to labor of love. Henderson built a three-story wooden tower on a hilltop near Sedgwick, Maine, a structure he initially thought of as "a tower for no reason." The decision to build skyward grew out of a difficult time, a period when several of his loved ones were struck with cancer, his marriage was under stress, he feared his own sickness and death, and he was overcome by love and concern for his daughter. He began building without a real sense of purpose or direction, and his story is a testament to his faith in a world that does not always hold the answers. Henderson's literary and physical projects take shape in tandem, both book and tower turning out admirably strong and simple. As he goes along, he draws comparisons between himself and the builders and authors of the past: Henderson considers the towers of Eiffel, Babel, Pisa, and Watts, as well as those of Joyce and Yeats. (In the tradition of Thoreau, he even lists all his expenses down to the last penny.) He takes pride in sharing nuggets of practical advice acquired as an amateur builder, and he imparts his theories of "Intuitive Engineering," then explains what to do with a J-bolt and a joist hanger. At his most endearing, Henderson reveals secrets for overcoming rooftop vertigo (concentration and "the crab scuttle") and admits to a tendency to scream "It's show time!" before lifting a heavy load. Henderson may meander a bit, but his search for fulfillment and a renewed outlook on life lands on solid and fertile ground.
(10 b&w illustrations)Pub Date: April 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-374-27851-2
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2000
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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