Literature in Art Books

Jack Kerouac's writings, read as a project of beatitude lost, found, or at least quested for, exists between the poles (as Paul Giles has so finely elaborated in "American Catholic Arts and Fictions") charged with an "ethnic plenitude lost" (which the Franco-American Catholicism of Lowell, Massachusetts stood for) (408); and "the final plenitude of confessional revelation" (416) he strove towards as novelistic language via the linotype rolls of writing "On the Road" or the fitful reversions of "Big Sur."

In "Big Sur," the Zen Buddhism of mountain-minded emptiness so prominent in "Dharma Bums" or the notebooks of "Some of the Dharma" or the poetic experiments in consciousness of the Mexico City Blues gives way to some kind of alcohol-drenched counter-conversion back to the sacramentalism of his youth, as in this fitful scene in the dark night of Pacific privacy. "I lie there in cold sweat wondering what's come over me for years my Buddhist studies and pipesmoking assured meditations in emptiness and all of a sudden the Cross is manifested to me" (Big Sur, 205; Giles, 412). This sense of conversion to a post-Catholic beatitude may have pervaded everything Kerouac wrote, early and late. As ti jean put it in the clunky autobiography Vanity of Dulouz, he calls himself "one of the world's secret Jesuits, everything I do is based on some kind of proselytization" (Giles, 422). All the Dharma Bum had quested for was to write about Jesus, Giles shows, the sacramentalism of the holy name even when displaced into the music and prayers of Charley Parker.

Paul Giles has written a sublime study in this capaciously learned and exacting text: writers like Kerouac, Fitzgerald, O'Neill, Donleavy, Mary McCarthy, film makers like Hitchcock, Scorsese, and Altman are made to resonate and refract a wry sacramentalism, a pithy analogical poeticism, that drenches the everyday materialism of capitalism in the auras of beatitude lost and found. Another America is delivered up, one closer to what Philip Roth calls, and examines in "American Pastoral," "the indigenous American berserk" than to the worship of Empire, the gospel of wealth, and modes of militarized domination: an America on the road towards plentitudes of beatitude to use a Beat pun.

very enjoyable boo

Rigal's book is a radically fresh reading of American federalism as a broad cultural phenomenon. It's far out, but far out in the very best sense--a creative and powerful revision.

Bailey writes as you wish all academicians wrote (most, unfortunately, write tortured prose convulsing in theory, all scribbling madly toward tenure); Bailey is a much-needed exception: his prose is accessible; his criticism insightful; his observations often humorous. Dig this penetrating summation of Poe: "...three-fifths genius and two-fifths sheer fudge, that raving lunatic of American letters, that drunken pedophile dying in his Baltimore ditch." American Nightmares is a keen examination of the haunted house story and how it is inherently an American tale, how it is, in fact, a direct and dire result of our everyday obsessions with the American Dream. Bailey takes obvious delight in examining such pop icons as The Haunting of Hill House, The Amityville Horror, Burnt Offerings, and The Shining (and as he does, you can almost hear the wailings and gnashings of teeth from ivory towers across the country). In short, this book is a highly readable, vastly entertaining pop culture manifesto. It's a must-read for any horror aficionado, highly recommended for anyone interested in American lit, and suggested for all entertained by good prose and refreshing insight.

Any collection strong in American popular culture and history will welcome AMERICAN SWEETHEARTS: TEENAGE GIRLS IN 20TH CENTURY POPULAR CULTURE. There are plenty stereotypes of 'stupid teen girls' and AMERICAN SWEETHEARTS gets to the bottom of these images by exploring them in American pop culture through teen narratives and the producers who created them. Chapters begin the study in 1930 and conclude in 1965, with each survey how social and cultural changes contributed to the evolving image of girls, from Nancy Drew to Gidget. American History, Popular Culture, and Women's Studies collections will be enriched by this survey.

Diane C. Donovan, Editor
California Bookwatch

This book has beautiful pictures and is very informative. It's a colorful fun book that is great to add your library!

This book is part of a six-book series. Each book explains in a brilliant and clear way, just how people lived, worked and produced art. You can really feel that you understand what they used and why they created their particular art. The books are brilliant for those who prefer reference books to stories and they are fantastic for helping with homework - on several subjects, such as art, history, English and more. Awesome!

This is an excellent reference book for young readers. Each section addresses specific types of weapons, providing a wide variety of color and black-and-white illustrations and multiple examples from around the world. Additional sections of the book also address armor, shields, siege weapons, fortresses, etc., and the combination of text and images provide very good, although brief reference information. You could do much worse for an easy reference on pre-gunpowder weapons. This is a great book.

Impressively illustrated by Tim Ladwig, Angels & All Children: A Nativity Story In Words, Music, And Art is a beautiful full color picturebook about the birth of Jesus Christ. Angels bring the joyous news of the Holy Spirit's blessing to Mary, soon to be the Mother of Christ, and love and celebration abound in this gentle, wondrous, gorgeously presented book. Written by Walter Wangerin, the text is of an intermediate reading level, and an accompanying dramatic audio CD features happy songs by Randy Courts in a deeply spiritual story about the true meaning of Christmas. Angels & All Children would make a prized addition to any family, Sunday School, or parochial school children's book collection.

Excellent resource for teaching children the basic steps of drawing. All the books in this series are simple to follow and allow children to explore their drawing skills. Children will be in awe at the pictures they can draw with the simple step by step instructions. Excellent for the budding artist to be.