The serendipities and pitfalls of foreign travel fuel Dodson’s great loving embrace of fatherhood.
A happy-go-lucky noodle around the “backyard of Western civilization” with Dodson and fils.
It was to be an eight-week, 40,000-mile round-the-world tour for Dodson—a man who truly enjoys rambling about with his children—and his 11-year-old son Jack, also known as Nibs: across Europe, a dip into Africa to see the black rhinos, then moonlight on the Taj Mahal, the view from the Great Wall. It would be a roving Chautauqua, a broadening of experience and the spirit. It doesn’t turn out that way, at least not geographically, but western Europe does very nicely for father and son and their episodic traveling companions, giving Dodson a chance to dispense both his erudition—the collective wisdom of Ben Jonson, Martin Luther, Lord Byron, and Cyndi Lauper, among others, fall easily from his lips—with great humor. (Maybe one reason Dodson has so much fun traveling with his kids is that he believes in the power of laughter.) Traveling without reservations or firm schedule, the two become certified fools in Glastonbury, devour every museum Paris offers, and, since the US embassy suggests it may not be the best time to voyage into Africa, head north to Holland, land of Vermeer, Rembrandt, chiaroscuro, dope, and sex (“‘Hey, Dad, what’s that?’ Jack called out excitedly. . . . ‘I think that’s the world’s largest plastic vagina, son’ ”), and go on to Ghent, where a shopkeeper cackles of the German tourist influx, “Fifty years ago they came with tanks. Now they come with American Express cards.” Dodson’s fatherly advice to Nibs—there’s plenty, from girls to bullies to faith—is less didactic here than in Final Rounds (1996), more self-effacing and sincere: “The nude body is nothing to be ashamed of, Nibs. Unless of course, it’s mine.”
The serendipities and pitfalls of foreign travel fuel Dodson’s great loving embrace of fatherhood.Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2003
ISBN: 0-525-94762-0
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Dutton
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2003
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
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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