A quick and fun read that should delight seasoned travelers as well as those planning their first adventure to this...
A collection of short essays by female authors on Paris, a city that “is so many things, all of them wonderful.”
All of the bestselling authors featured in this book have written works that feature Paris, and this lively assemblage, edited by Brown (The Light of Paris, 2016, etc.), puts on display the personal narrative of each woman’s experience of the City of Light. Whether recalling the books about Paris that propelled Cathy Kelly to travel there, the variety of experiences gathered by Paula McLain and Therese Anne Fowler during research trips for their books, Jennifer Coburn’s mother-daughter trip, which featured an unexpected outcome, or Ellen Sussman’s exploration of how her passion for the city masked the pain and emptiness of her crumbling marriage, the essays offer tantalizing portraits of both the city’s beauty and grit. Following each essay is a brief biography of the author, listing her works, her favorite and least-favorite Paris moments (M.J. Rose: “the last time I had to leave”), what shouldn’t be missed during a trip to Paris and what to skip (Sussman: the Champs-Élysées, which has become “a shopping mall for tourists”), and her favorite non-Paris travel destination. What makes this collection a treat are the varying viewpoints about this singular city. Each story offers a unique vantage point for better understanding the history and culture of the city. Award-winning romance writer Megan Crane, who has written more than 60 books, three of which feature Paris, describes how meandering around the city helped her to know herself better: “I could finally be me. That was what Paris did for me, one long ago weekend on my own. It scared me, then it challenged me. And then it set me free.”
A quick and fun read that should delight seasoned travelers as well as those planning their first adventure to this “enormous and complex place.”Pub Date: July 4, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-399-57447-4
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: April 16, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2017
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
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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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