Creators Books

It's amazing that 50 years after it was published this book is still a relevant account of police work in Los Angeles. It still captures the courage, determination, and even fear, involved with law enforcement. But, it now reads like a retro "cop talk" diary from the extraordinary Jack Webb. His language and tone is a peek back into the past, when Los Angeles was a much smaller place and a sense of community still existed. I love this book and I highly recommend it for anyone that has an interest in that time and place.

On radio, in the 1950s television version of Dragnet, and in its 1960s resurrection, Jack Webb was Sergeant Joe Friday, the straight-shooting, no-nonsense exemplar of the LAPD. In this non-fiction book, Webb tells the real stories of crimes that were too violent to be broadcast on "Dragnet." Among them are the famous murder of the "Black Dahlia," a woman who was tortured for days before her killer slit her throat, drained her body of blood, bisected it and dumped her in an empty lot. Another story that made my blood boil was the murder of a 10-year old orphaned boy, whose own mother had just died days before. His father lost a wife and, senselessly, a son within weeks to a murderer who killed for the thrill of it.

Each chapter of the book is labeled with an LAPD rank, from Policeman, to Sergeant, to Lieutenant, all the way to Commissioner(s). The stories in the first few chapters are the most absorbing, as they demonstrate actual, hands-on police work. Yet, it was also interesting to read of problems which confronted, and still confront, Los Angeles and its police force at higher levels. The book particularly presents a good picture of Chief Parker, who is responsible for cleaning up the vice and corruption that marked the pre-1950 LAPD and setting rules that made officers proud to serve.

A warning to 21st century readers: This book was written in 1958 with the stereotypes -- and the language -- common at the time. Some sentences might make you gasp: i.e., in describing race relations in Los Angeles, Webb writes that "It is a dozen collisions, the Oriental, the Mexican, the Indian, the Southerner (both Negro and white), the Easterner and the Westerner; intra-racial as well as one skin pitted against another of a different color." There are a lot of sentences like that, particularly in the later chapters, where Webb was trying to argue that the LAPD of the time was cognizant of ethnic tensions and attempted to ameliorate them. (As an unabashed LAPD booster, Webb marshals evidence to make his case that the department was addressing racism.) And, from a 21st century viewpoint, the LAPD war against bingo parlors seems terribly penny-ante, although perhaps justified by the "broken windows" theory.

But the heart of this book is the stories of crimes great and small, and the police officers who solved them. A must for those interested in true crime stories, Los Angeles history, and the LAPD.

I remember watching "Dragnet" and "Badge 714" when I was a kid. I came across the book "The Badge" during my tenth year in high school, which was in 1960. I read it several times and remember being amazed by the contrast in the way Jack Webb wrote and the way he protrayed the Sgt. Joe Friday character. For some strange reason, this book has always been in the back of my mind, and so when the recent release of "The Black Dahlia" came about in the movie circuit, I, just on a whim, went to Amazon.com to see if an old edition of "The Badge" was floating around somewhere. I remembered that Jack Webb had written about this case in His book. I could not believe that, not only was it available, but available for under five frogskins, and new too boot!!!

I am now in the process of reading this book again, and am again amazed at Jack Webb's ability to write. He was so far ahead of his time, in his ability to tell a story back then that even now, his writing is beyond the typical codswample that is available today. Jack Webb was always so robotic in the way He acted, moving about like he had a two-by-four piece of lumber tied to his spine. His writing ability was another story.

I am once again amazed by this man's ability to write a story. Anyone who buys this book and reads it will NOT be disappointed. In fact, I would suggest that quite the opposite will be true.

THE BOOK GIVES A GOOD INSIGHT TO THE HISTORY OF THE LAPD.....IT LETS YOU INTO CRIMES THAT HAVE HAUNTED THE AREA FOR YEARS AND GIVES YOU AN APPRECIATION TO THOSE WHO HAVE TO WEAR THE ACTUAL BADGE.

Any Superman fan will be proud of this clever homage to the two creative guys who created the original Kal-El/Clark Kent/Superman...arguably America's greatest pop culture icon. In its simplicity, this thin volume will appeal to the freshman comic fan but true historians and buffs will instantly recognize, appreciate and celebrate the honorific narrative of the Jerry & Joe's story and also of the beautiful illustrations that pay tribute to the original artwork found in the early Action Comics.

Kudos to the creative forces behind this powerful little memoir. Somewhere in the heavenly portion of the Phantom Zone, Siegel & Schuster are smiling.

Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster are two teens in Depression-era Cleveland who are mild and meek, escaping into fictional worlds of adventure fantasy. The two made up their own stories - and thus Superman was born. This is the first picture book about how these two created the largest superhero of them all, and is a pick for any picturebook nonfiction holding. Ross MacDonald provides a blend of full-page color illustrations and comic-like panels for further attention.

Marc Tyler Nobleman has done a masterful job at telling the story of two underdogs who captured the spirit of their time and the imaginations of generations. While more of a Batman and Wonderwoman woman myself, I could not help but root for Jerry and Joe, the painfully shy but brilliant duo who would not give up on their dream creation. Superman was not just a story to them; he was an emblem of goodness and hope. I came away from this deceptively simple text with an appreciation of the ultimate superhero having been birthed during the Great Depression, when many were in need of saving and many more believed in the possibility of such salvation.

Illustrations by Ross MacDonald are understated yet fun, reflective of the time period and subject matter.

Younger children will follow the text, which is readable for slightly older children and entertaining for adults. As a bonus, a more detailed, young-adult level narrative of the struggle Jerry and Joe went through in fighting for the rights to their work can be found in the back of the book. In short, Boys of Steel is for everyone who loves comics, Superman or artistic triumph. Let Boys of Steel take you up, up and away!

Time was when a comic book wouldn't have had a snowball's chance in Hades of getting into a library's collection. And while some library systems have grown more open to the notion of comic book heroes leaping about their hallowed halls, there's still a great deal of resistance to the idea. Now Marc Tyler Nobleman and Ross MacDonald have found another way to get a fella like Superman into a library, and it's definitely a slick idea. Until now the story of Superman's creators Jerry ...more Time was when a comic book wouldn't have had a snowball's chance in Hades of getting into a library's collection. And while some library systems have grown more open to the notion of comic book heroes leaping about their hallowed halls, there's still a great deal of resistance to the idea. Now Marc Tyler Nobleman and Ross MacDonald have found another way to get a fella like Superman into a library, and it's definitely a slick idea. Until now the story of Superman's creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster has never been told in a format accessible to children. Now in Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman, Nobleman and MacDonald pay homage to the fellas that brought to life "the greatest superhero of all time," in such a way that no library in the world could object to the book's style and panache. And though I've a quibble with it here and there, the next time you have a seven-year-old moaning about needing to read a biography make sure that this book is the ace up your sleeve.

Dateline: Cleveland, Ohio - The 1930s. Jerry Siegel had many interests but what he really liked to do was escape from the world around him. By reading the tales of Tarzan, Buck Rogers, and other fantastical heroes, Jerry could find high adventure and this was an interest he shared with Joe Shuster. Shy like Jerry, Joe loved to draw, and together the two came up with all kinds of interesting ideas. But it wasn't until a hot night in 1934 that Jerry found his inspiration. What if this hero looked like a normal dweeby guy (a guy like Joe and Jerry) but was really a superhero in disguise? That night Superman was born and in his own Action Comics he found his audience. An Afterword to the book discusses how Jerry and Joe sold their Superman rights for a pittance and fought over the years to get them back.

There were little details in Boys of Steel that did the old heart good to see. For example, it would have been the easiest thing in the world for Nobleman to say that Superman was meant to fly. Yet anyone who has ever read the earliest Superman comics will note that he didn't begin his existence flying. Rather he had, "a habit of leaping so high that it would look as though he were flying." Remember that line, "Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound"? That's where that came from. The author walks the fine line between the original Superman and the one we all recognize today, and does so while still remaining factually accurate. No small task.

Anyone who has ever read Michael Chabon's The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay knows at least a little about the background of Siegel and Shuster. So it was that I started noticing what Nobleman wouldn't mention, as opposed to what he would. In the majority of the text, no mention is made of the fact that the two men were Jewish (though Nobleman takes pains to mention how similar they were) or that they were the children of immigrants. Superman's an immigrant too, but that doesn't come up in the story. Admittedly, that element is a side issue that would probably constitute a long biography in and of itself. And the ethnicity of our heroes is certainly brought up in the Afterword. But how many kids are going to read through that? Even so much as a sentence mentioning that they were Jewish would work to place them within the context of their times.

As it currently stands, Nobleman's focus is less on Superman's genesis as it related to his progenitors' birthright and more on how this creation was the right comic book hero for the right time. "The other heroes Jerry and Joe read about were regular humans in strange places. This hero would be a stranger in a regular place." An alien in a regular environment. And in a scant 40-page picture book Nobleman even manages to draw ties to Superman's rise alongside WWII. Here was America in a strange war and "People wanted a hero they knew would always come home. Jerry and Joe gave them that - the world's first superhero."

The amount of research necessary for a book of this scope would have to be hefty and I was pleased to see a small list of Selected Sources available on the publication page. Much of this research ends up in the Afterword, a three-page encapsulation of Shuster and Siegel's life after they sold away their creation's rights. It is fortuitous that this book will be released just as the March 26, 2008 posthumous lawsuit entitles Siegel's estate to share in Superman's United States copyright. I am reviewing Boys of Steel from an advanced readers copy, so I cannot speak to whether or not the final copy will contain this additional information. Yet even if it does not, Nobleman has covered his tracks fairly well with the note that "Negotiations are ongoing" (particularly since the suit is far from over and will undoubtedly be challenged).

As for the illustrations, I've been a Ross MacDonald fan for years. You simply cannot read his simpler picture book work (including as Achoo! Bang! Crash! The Noisy Alphabet and Bad Baby) without falling just a little bit in love with the man's comic-influenced style. Clearly MacDonald was a natural choice to illustrate Nobleman's biography. His love of the subject matter coupled with his ability to replicate Joe Shuster's original style is to his advantage. But MacDonald's choice to render Siegel and Shuster virtually identical is perhaps a counterintuitive move. I can understand why he would have gone in this direction. Siegel and Shuster were similar fellows, sure. And by making them virtually indistinguishable (Jerry's a little more plump than Joe and has lighter eyebrows) he pits them as two guys together against the world. And while it wouldn't have been my choice to deny Jerry and Joe their individuality, I can see why MacDonald chose to go the route that he had.

Certainly the design of the book itself is pretty keen. Comic book tropes pop up unexpectedly at the most interesting moments. Some descriptions appear in white bubbles around the pages. At another point Joe is seen tearing up his pages, action lines emanating off his body. The format doesn't actually break down into panels until Jerry has his 1934 Superman brainstorm. Then we get a quick fire rapid montage of thoughts, images, concepts, and ideas. It breaks down the elements of who Superman is and what he stands for and works brilliantly to tie in the elements of his existence to the boys' own lives. For the most part, MacDonald sticks to a palate of brown, blue, green, and yellow. Red appears only when it can heighten the scene and make a point; Once when Jerry has his brainstorm and once at the end when we see Superman at last in all his red-caped glory.

Comic book characters rendered in the style of their original creators are quite the rage in picture book publishing right now. With Ralph Cosentino's Batman doing Bob Kane proud on the one hand and MacDonald polishing his Shuster skills on the other, this is a good time to get kids into superheroes in all their myriad forms. And with a great real-life story to boot, this is one biography that's going to lure the kids like nothing else. I haven't read a bio this kid-friendly since Siena Siegel's To Dance: A Ballerina's Graphic Novel. Though I would have tweaked a detail here and there, Marc Tyler Nobleman and Ross MacDonald do Superman's creators proud. More fun than any children's biography has any right to be.

A truly stunning book. John MacMurray's photos are remarkable. Each page will leave you breathless. There is no other book that I would want on my coffee table before this one.

Nature's breathtaking beauty is skillfully photographed in this awe inspiring book. Presents a convincing case in favor of creation over various scientific theories that try to discount the idea that god created heaven and earth. There isn't much text (I read this from cover to cover in about thirty minutes), but the quotes, scripture and editorial content are a perfect compliment to this fantastic book. I wish that it was more pages! Please publish a sequel.

A friend of mine was given this book and I just saw it today. It has great pictures (many of them of Oregon). There are also great quotes to go with the pictures - C.S. Lewis, etc. Looks like a great gift idea to me.

In the world of coffee-table literature there are many choices. Few are of the quality of By Chance? The Chrisitan influence on the book is not so much dogma as thoughtful reflection by various thinkers and authors, and john MacMurray's thoughts in the introduction set a pleasant tone for a slow visual read of this powerful, and quite attractive book. By Chance makes a wonderful gift for religious or nature-loving friends. The images are not easily beaten by any dozen landscape-photography books on the market. This is a title that will begin conversations, and speak volumes to the warmth and pleasantness of your home.

This is a great book to read...and read...and read...
You will not be able to put it down and you will go back to it over and over...You WILL need and open mind to read this..it will shatter many of your beliefs and make you wonder what if...I am a true believer and always have been of the Kashmir Shaivism philosophy...
Take the chance and go for it...read it and then wonder ...
Very good gift for all those who are searching...

I have to agree with the other reviewers here; this book was a real eye opener. The author's writing style was very easy to follow as it leads you through the philosophy of Kashmir Saivism, which I hadn't heard of till I saw this book. It does not go into great detail, which is what makes the book so appealing. It left me wanting to know more about this philosophy.

A great introduction. It may really open your eyes if you happened to be bogged down in Dogma.

I came to this book with some background in the topic, having done some previous study in the nondualistic philosophy of Kashmir Shaivism. However, I had always found my previous readings to be relatively tough going in spots and, in some instances, almost incomprehensible. Not so with Pickens' book. His story is the story of everyone who has wondered if there isn't something more than meets the eye when it comes to our daily lives. Where do you go when success isn't all that it is purported to be? Not all of us can travel to India and become a student of an enlightened master but, lucky for us, Pickens did and this book is that story. I would dare say that if read with an open heart and open mind, this book can (and just might) change your world. For the better.

John Picken spent several summers in northern India, studying with the last living master of Kashmir Shaivism, possibly the world's oldest religion, which had been passed down through generations through word-of-mouth. Picken was an MD and PhD; he had attained all the trappings of success but not the happiness his parents had predicted. He found contentment by practicing Kashmir Shaivism. According to this teaching, everything is God, and nothing is outside God, so we have within us the forces of nature--creation and destruction. Fear, the Protector, is built in as a survival mechanism. Once we recognize who we truly are--Creators, Destroyers, and Protectors, rather than "good" people who inexplicably ruin whatever we care about--we become able to control the forces of nature rather than allow them to control us. Yes, we go on diets because we are creators; yes, we eat junk food because we are destroyers. This is a very thought-provoking premise, which enables us to forgive our unhealthy behavior, then work against it consciously.

This children's books reference is so prized because the biography of the creators inspired me to look at how I can enrich my children now - in ways these creators personal experiences have developted from their own childhood. The creators' biographies and interviews have opened my mind to the possibilities for today's children to follow and try these creators' paths to becoming authors and illustrators. Also, I loved learning which colleges some of the creators have attended, which is a good resource to finding the possible colleges for the artistically inclined children.

This is a fabulous resource for anyone interested in children's books. It includes 475 biographical/critical entries on current and classic writers and illustrators as well as essays on topics such as chapter books, poetry, fantasy, and book design. A special "Voices of the Creators" feature presents thirty personal essays from writers such as Katherine Paterson, Kevin Henkes, and Lois Lowry. There's also a useful graded booklist. Highly recommended for parents, writers, readers, and school and public librarians.

Essential Guide To Children's Books And Their Creators is a recommended pick for any parent or teacher who wants a comprehensive survey of contemporary children's literature. A single volume of recommendations covers the best books and authors for children - the ones which are tested as making the most impression on kids. Over 100 new essays include newcomers from Harry Potter to Lemony Snicket, along with the latest publishing trends for kids.

I'm a children's book editor, and run a web site called "The Purple Crayon," where I review this book in detail. Here are some excerpts from that review:

The Essential Guide to Children's Books and Their Creators is a handy one-volume reference for anyone working in the field, and also both fun and informative to browse....

Set up like an encyclopedia, the Guide includes more than 475 entries and an index in 500 pages. It opens with a great "Basic Reading List" and then goes to the A-Z listing, which mostly consists of entries about specific authors and illustrators of children's books. Most are American, most are 20th century, but there are people from the 19th century and other countries (for example, George MacDonald, Carlo Collodi, Astrid Lindgren, Margaret Mahy). Some entries on living writers and illustrators are followed by a first-person statement, "Voices of the Creators."

I count 31 feature articles on other subjects, mostly types or genres of books. Examples: "African-American Children's Books," "Alphabet Books," "Series Books," "Middle Grade Fiction," and "Information Books."

I think few readers will quibble with the selections: the authors and illustrators who appear here belong here. Of course, I did find some personal favorites missing, as may just about anyone who has read many children's books....

On the whole, though, this is an excellent and compact reference. You'll find well-written and informative essays on the artists and writers you look up, and random browsing is amply rewarded. If you aren't familiar with American children's literature, this is a good place to start to learn. If you already know the field, you'll still find things you don't know.

(This book is derived from the longer and more expensive Children's Books and Their Creators (1995), which Anita Silvey edited while she was still editor-in-chief of the Horn Book magazine. This edition includes a selection of entries from that book, plus 100 new entries to bring it up to date.)

Great book in the world of Magic School Bus. We loved it. I loved the facts about China written all over the book. Read over & over in our house!

My son and daughter, ages 7 and 10, enjoy this book. The illustrations are very detailed and the book is loaded with interesting facts about the country. I highly recommend this book for kids with inquiring minds.

Miss Frizzle and her class from The Magic School Bus are back. This time instead of science adventure the kids are off to learn about history. Miss Frizzle and her students travel back in time 100 years. They arrive at a farmers village in China. Here they learn lots of things like how to eat with chop sticks and how to grow crops like rice and silk.

Splendidly illustrated with accurate details, this book is a delight to read: funny, informative, colorful, clear and comprehensive.

An excellent, highly recommended book for children ages 8 to 12.

I bought this book for my first-grade son, who is a huge Magic School Bus fan, but usually not all that interested in social studies. He found this book very interesting, and we have re-read it many times.

The book is in a larger format than the original Magic School Bus series, which leave more room for all of the sidebar explanations that typify these books. Cole and Degen explain processes, like growing rice and making silk, that are easy for kids to follow, and may teach the adults a thing or two. A common thread through the whole book is a list of things that the ancient Chinese invented before the West, another point that may teach adults something new. The plot is a little silly, but it made my son and I giggle.

All in all, it's great fun, and a nice way to introduce kids to Chinese culture. Teachers could read it to a class, then delve more deeply into subjects that they want to pursue.

Having seen the book by chance I liked it so much that I ordered ten copies and handed them out to my opera-loving friends as presents.

They are still talking about it.

I originally got this book because of the gorgeous illustrations. They are really a unique visionary take on the characters. But as I began reading, I was delighted to find a really well researched and original history of opera. I consider myself a bit of an opera buff, yet I really learned quite a bit from this book (including a short history of castrati!). The book is also very special because of the inclusion of the the original directors and cast, and the unique objective the characters are written in. (The stories reveal the plot by following the featured character, written by a very diverse group of opera lovers).
I really think this book has something for everyone. It's a must have for opera and theater lovers, but I think it would also be a great way to introduce younger people to opera, with it's beautiful illustrations and juicy plot lines (though I would not recommend giving it to anyone under 10 years old; remember, opera can be a little racy, but not more so than what they see on T.V).
A delightful book! I am buying extra copies for holiday gift giving!

At last I now know what is going on in opera world and who the characters are!
I was such a philistine, not interested in opera at all, but the book really helped me tremendously with my general knowledge!! It is really great - the images absolutely fun, entertaining and fantastic and I do love the concise information.

I do recommend this book to all music lovers!!!

Mervyn Gers. Communications entrepreneur Cape Town South Africa

This spectacularly illustrated witty book full of historical information and performance history of twenty operas is informative, beautiful and clever all at the same time.


Opera and Its Characters is filled with exceptional and matchless tales as told by two singers and their friends giving you their take on twenty operas through the eyes of the characters, shown in full-page color illustrations by Francis Keeping.

While the book is chockfull of information - history of the individual opera, its cast, composer and librettist, it is for the non-opera expert and enthusiasts alike.

The stories in Opera and Its Characters include: The Queen of the Night, aka the world's worst mother-in-law; Don José, the quintessential mama's boy and murderer; opera's most dysfunctional family, King Nabucco of Babylon and his unhinged daughters, Lakmé and her rather unusual Gerald, who falls in love with her even after she says, You know, I could have had you killed. These and many familiar and uncommon characters' stories are contained in this book and are told in a scholarly yet uniquely whimsical fashion.

I recommend this book to anyone looking for a gift for adults and children alike. You will never tire of the stories and the beautiful illustrations are a constant source of delight, amazement and inspiration!

I am so glad I bought this book! I just love to look through it, as everything in here is so inspiring. Nothing is very complicated to make, but everything really has a wow factor to it. I have made the doll on the front cover & am planning to do a few more projects soon. There really are some great, different ideas in here!

This is a delightful book of beginning sewing projects which will also appeal to more experienced sewers like myself because of the sheer charm and childlike simplicity of the projects. We see so much black and silver and muted browns these days but Alicia Paulson lives in a different color path. It is the color path of my grandmother's quilts--fresh, sweet, and full of the feeling of spring flowers. Having followed her blog for some time, I was thrilled when her book came out. The lovely afghans and knitting projects on her blog inspired me on to new adventures in those areas. What I love about the book is that you don't have to make her very own projects as she made them. You can take the colors of her palette or some of her ideas and adapt them to your own particular vision. A good way to see if you would like this book is to follow her blog for a while (Posie Gets Cozy); her writing is as fun and inspiring as her sewing. Her domesticity and creative life is warm, comforting, and heartening. She lives in a world I remember from childhood--when most treasures were handmade and embodied the wisdom and skill of one woman, passed to another.

Oh, how I love this book! I love Alicia's blog, and her photos, and crafts, and I was so excited to receive this, after much anticipation. I have read it front to back at least 10 times already. I want to do every single project in this book! Such wonderful ideas, gorgeous photos and styling, and my favorite part is Alicia's writing. So well done! I highly recommend getting this book as well as a few copies for those you hold dear.

I have never met Alicia Paulson. But I have been reading her blog, Posie Gets Cozy for quite a while now. I read her unique view of life, and I feel changed. I share a quirk or applaud an impulse(and delight in her telling of it)and feel I belong. She is a joy, pure and simple.
We have all(us blog readers) been with her, inasmuch as she could tell us, while she brought this book to life. She did EVERYTHING, the styling and the prop-hunting, the lighting, the photos, the projects,the proof-reading and editing,and (best for last) the writing. And it is exquisite ! Delightful! I shall treasure this book as if she made it just for me. Well done Alicia. xxxa

Blaschke asks the right questions and gets the most fascinating answers. A good range of insights into the thoughts, ideas, and lives of some of the most interesting sci-fi and fantasy authors.

A series of interviews from some of the best writers in the business. Excellent work.

This book is a collection of interviews of editors and writers in the field of Fantasy and Science Fiction - including some of the legends.

As the title for this review states - this book would be very helpful for anyone wanting to break into the field. Several editors give hints as to what they are looking for in a prospective story. It is also helpful in that each editor gives his/her individual opinion and it can be seen that what one editor rejects, another is desperately seeking.

I had a problem reading the Harlan Ellison interview. It seems that every few paragraphs, he triggered a thought in my head that went flying off and delayed my finishing the piece.

Over and over, I kept thinking that this book would be an ideal text for a writing course. It would probably not be accepted as such, though, because it does not cost enough and would probably stay current for more than one semester.

The official table of contents for Voices of Vision:

Part 1: The Editors
Chapter 1. Gardner Dozois
Chapter 2. Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Chapter 3. Stanley Schmidt
Chapter 4. Gordon Van Gelder
Chapter 5. Scott Edelman

Part II: Unique Voices in Fantasy & Science Fiction
Chapter 6. Robin Hobb (aka Megan Lindholm)
Chapter 7. Patricia Anthony
Chapter 8. Charles de Lint
Chapter 9. Elizabeth Moon

Part III: The Comic Book Creators
Chapter 10. Elliot S! Maggin
Chapter 11. Frank Cho & Scott Kurtz
Chapter 12. Brad Meltzer
Chapter 13. Neil Gaiman

Part IV: Masters of Speculative Fiction
Chapter 14. Samuel R. Delany
Chapter 15. Gene Wolfe
Chapter 16. Harlan Ellison
Chapter 17. Jack Williamson

The Edelman interview is a new, never-before published piece, and the Harlan Ellison and Elizabeth Moon interviews have extensive material restored that was cut from the original published versions due to space considerations.

This has been a great source of inspiration and solid, practical advice for me. I'm opening my own studio/gallery soon and found Rudd's book to be a constant source of ideas on how to renovate the cheap, but run-down space we found. Although we weren't able to purchase the space as he recommended (I wish we could) it has been a very helpful book.
It's not just the practical advice, but the encouragement to take your own work more seriously that really made this book valuable to me. When he described how more work could be done in a good studio, I knew then that I had to get my work out of the garage and into a better space. Now, after a lot of elbow grease and plenty of cheap white [local store] paint (as Rudd recommended), I'll have a space much more suited to the work I want to do, plus a gallery to show it.

Multi-media artist Eric Rudd has written two books for
artists who feel compelled to produce not just good art, but great art that has potential for recognition on a grand scale in museums and perhaps a legacy in art history. Rudd pulls no punches in his entertaining account of his successes and failures both as an artist and developer of loft art studios from Washington, D.C. to North Adams, Massachussetts. His ideas aren't for the faint-hearted or the Sunday painter but rather for the artist with a strong belief in the greatness of the work and a willingness to take risks to create a space where this can happen. "The Art Studio/Loft Manual for Ambitious Artists and Creators" provides the practical information needed to make it happen, from how to acquire the real estate to how to renovate the space. The accounts of Rudd's achievements, particularly in his present location in North Adams, are inspiring.

Mr. Rudd...

Thank you for writing such helpful books for artists. It is a great thing you've done to improve the conditions for so many who need space to create and live with fewer restrictions.

Cheers.