Three-and-a-half dozen grade-A short stories, as hatched in one of the country’s premier academic incubators of creativity. This immense, impressive collection is edited by Tom Grimes, a novelist (City of God, 1995, etc.) and Iowa Writers’ Workshop grad who heads the creative-writing program at Southwest Texas State University. It joins three other books on the Iowa Writers” Workshop published this year: Steve Wilbur’s and Robert Dana’s companion volumes from Iowa Press, and Frank Conroy’s from HarperCollins. The Iowa books emphasize poetry and the history and dynamics of the Workshop, while Conroy, who wrote the introduction here, focuses on the creative process rather than short stories. This anthology presents Iowa’s finest short fiction, supplemented by author notes on the writing of each piece, essays (often testimonials) about Workshop experiences, and biographical notes. For each winner of a prestigious award, there are contributors whose primary credential is graduation. Grimes’s preface discusses how creativity must be honed in the “tedium of creation,” how the author and the message are secondary to the literary effect, how workshops involve “subtle and not so subtle assassinations of character,” and how “80 percent of writers in the program reported evidence of manic-depression, alcoholism,” or other emotional or addictive problems. The stories are divided by decade since the 1930s, and that of National Book Award—winner and early Iowa star Flannery O’Connor typifies the American genius for ordinary people doing extraordinary things when influenced by great stresses or passions (in “The Comforts of Home”). Even though the pieces show evidence of research and formula writing, the language, description, and plotting of even the Generation-X writers, most notably Lan Samantha Chang and Z Z Packer, are enthralling. These last two gems indicate that Iowa’s future promises to reflect more of America’s multicultural reality. Supporters of M.F.A. programs may resent egg-production metaphors, but it takes a tough writing program to make such tender short stories.
Pub Date: Oct. 20, 1999
ISBN: 0-7868-6503-2
Page Count: 784
Publisher: Hyperion
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 1999
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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