A collection of short personal and cultural essays, including journal-like entries, film critiques, and even an elegy, by novelist and critic Tillman (Motion Sickness, 1991; Cast in Doubt, 1992; etc.), combining a handful of new pieces with those drawn from her writings for such publications as Art in America and the Voice Literary Supplement. In her title (does it contain a feminist pun?) and in her concerns, Tillman signals a visual approach to contemporary culture and aesthetics. From her dream-sketch of her father, decribed as ``a lost and found object,'' to her review of a film on Caravaggio, to her observation that flashing seems to have gone out of fashion, to a section of photo stills from the Big Board at Times Square, to thoughts on violence, racism, and writing, Tillman draws attention to the forces she is fighting, or imagines that she is fighting. She says that she distrusts words and stories, yet admits the paradox that they are probably what she values most. In one of the best pieces she explores her difficulty in learning how to discuss race and writing. Her constant search for an original angle is refreshing and constructive, permitting Tillman to contribute to our turbulent current cultural dialogue. ``Criminal Love'' explores the dark side of passion, as it moves effortlessly from the personal to the societal in the O.J. Simpson trial. Simpson appears again in ``Telling Tales,'' as Tillman approaches the Bronco chase as a narrative of reversal of fortune and journey, the odyssey. In other pieces she analyzes her own fiction, describes her work on a book on the early years of Warhol and the Factory, and issues a challenge to writers to serve readers by transcending cultural limitations in their work. Tillman combines a light, frankly personal touch with an informed aesthetic, reflecting a hip, New York art world perspective.
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 1997
ISBN: 1-85242-440-0
Page Count: 200
Publisher: Serpent’s Tail
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 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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