Phelps (Law/Notre Dame), wife of ex-Notre Dame basketball coach ``Digger'' Phelps, pulls no punches in this intelligent, skillful account of her family's 20 years in South Bend. When Coach Phelps (whom the author refers to as ``Dick,'' forgoing the nickname her husband acquired as an undertaker's son) was told after the 1990-91 season—his 20th at Notre Dame—to resign or be fired, the news came as no surprise. The Phelpses had heard the boos over the past couple of seasons and were well aware of the ``Dump Digger'' clamor. But according to the author, Phelps's mediocre 1989-90 record of 16-12 was only a part of the problem. The trouble began, she says, when Notre Dame's longtime president, Fr. Theodore Hesburgh, retired and a new administration took over—one that emphasized winning ``at any cost.'' The ``new plutocratic regime'' measured success only by the bottom line, Phelps contends, and ignored her husband's many 20-win seasons; his value as part of the school community; and the fact that 100% of his players went on to graduate, compared to the 33% national rate for varsity basketball players. Phelps quotes the school's new athletic director, Dick Rosenthal, as boasting that he would ``schedule Digger out of a job'' with a grueling 1990-91 slate of games that included only 12 home games—and most of those played just prior to exams. On a more personal note, as the author writes of her marriage and children, she makes clear that she knew early on that she wouldn't be simply a ``lovely wife,'' a media creature who was ``trivial, irrelevant, interchangeable.'' She goes on to proffer some practical advice to the NCAA rules committee regarding eligibility, and remarks that colleges need to create an atmosphere ``in which athletes can exploit their educational opportunities as much as we exploit the athletes.'' A fine memoir-cum-defense, told from a fresh perspective. (Photographs—not seen)
Pub Date: Jan. 24, 1994
ISBN: 0-393-03470-4
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Norton
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 1993
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
An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955
ISBN: 0670717797
Page Count: -
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
