A loving and intelligent grace note to a much-loved member of the family.
A loving tribute to an extraordinary dog that was born in rural upstate New York and died in a small English village after surviving moves, travels, and a perilous separation.
All loved pets are heroes to their human companions, who not only appreciate their virtues and their love but also rejoice in their essential being, and Martin (A Life of James Boswell, 2000) is no exception. The narrative begins in 1965 when the author was working on his dissertation and living with wife Cindy on a lake in New York State. Newly married, and living in a “dog’s paradise,” they decided to get a beagle, mainly because beagles are intelligent, middle-sized, and don’t shed. They acquired a puppy they called Perth whose owner, before selling it to them, insisted on tattooing Martin’s initials on its ear, an act that would have important consequences. Perth was a perfect dog for them: easily trained, independent-minded, and manifestly intelligent—Martin made a particular point of teaching her not to cross the road, a lesson that came in handy when they moved to suburban Ohio and then Florida. Perth adapted well enough to these changes, but one move proved too much. Needing to spend a summer in England doing research, Martin had to find a temporary home for Perth, who was not always tractable (she bit people who annoyed her). He settled on a camp in Vermont, where Perth misbehaved, and, sent to a farm where she was badly treated, she ran away. Martin cut short his visit and searched Vermont. Finally, after offering a reward, Perth, identified by her tattoo, was found. When the family decided to live permanently in England, Perth endured a grueling six-month quarantine, but, once free, took to the English countryside as joyfully as she had in New York. She died, at age 21, “larger than life . . . not your typical adorable dog,” but still very much missed.
A loving and intelligent grace note to a much-loved member of the family.Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2001
ISBN: 1-55970-597-3
Page Count: 216
Publisher: Arcade
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2001
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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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