From the man who warned us about The Fate of the Earth (1982), an astute but unsatisfyingly incomplete collection of New York Newsday articles from 1992 to '96. In a viciously partisan era, these essays are a breath of fresh air. Schell apparently believes that stating strong positions doesn't require assuming that anyone who disagrees is either immoral or a moron. While the air may be fresh, however, it is also depressing. A liberal cognizant of political realities in the 1990s cannot smile while looking upon the world. For Schell the bad news is not only the abandonment of the broader responsibilities of government, characterized by the conservative policies of the 1980s, or even that this virus has now infected an aggressively centrist Democratic president. The most critical concern is the political health of the American public, where there is seemingly little basis for hope: ``The public's appetite for illusion'' was exercised in embracing the fantasies of the Reagan era. Complaining about politicians is a national pastime, of course, but consider this quandary posed by Schell: How can we believe both that our leaders are aloof from the average person and that they are spineless wonders unwilling to comb their hair without first consulting the latest polls? He suggests that the problem is hyper-responsiveness, not detachment, and this implicates the public in political decisions far more than most citizens admit. Unfortunately, while his pessimism is grounded in serious questions that should not be overlooked, the value of this volume is undermined by a fundamental flaw. How can one write a political chronicle ostensibly covering the years 199296 without articles from the second half of 1994 and all of 1995, thereby omitting the 1994 election? Schell explains that he was on leave during 1995, but this is a reason to not publish rather than a satisfactory explanation of the gap. Particularly disappointing because of the great potential demonstrated in these essays.
Pub Date: Dec. 1, 1997
ISBN: 1-55921-177-6
Page Count: 304
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 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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