Wisconsin Books

I was looking for a dad's point of view and this is a good one. This dad is in tune with himself and his children. He is not letting the oppurtunity to be a father pass him by. More parents should try to be more aware of how short the time really is before they are headed out the door.

A nice laid-back approach to a father-son memoir, offering interesting insights into the lives of Dads of sons - and the sons of Dads.

Shaving Lessons offers more descriptions of actual Dad-son activities and less of the author's thoughts and reflections on their meaning and importance for the relationship (but, then, this is a guy writing after all). After my initial surprise, I found that it makes for a easier, less imposing read - it allows the reader to draw his or her own conclusions, inferring the emotions evoked from the events described.

There's a nice, cozy, fireplace-in-a-log-cabin and well-worn-Volvo feel about the book, and while not all Dad's can be as accomplished as Mr. Chandler (playing rock-tunes with a live band to impress a teenage son), most of us can instantly relate to his down-to-earth struggle with a real, honest family life.

For any Son or Dad there is ample food for thought here - not just about male relationships, but about the whole notion of life as the parent of a boy, and as an adult son. Shaving Lessons might even lead some of us to reconsider our relationships with our fathers and/or sons...

Thank you! What a tear jerker! It makes you think about your own relationship with your parents and gives you the opportunity to appreciate them even more. I admire Kurt for opening his heart and sharing his personal thoughts with the readers. That takes courage. Big Kuddos to Ben for letting his Dad write the book;-). Great Job!

Shaving Lessons had me hooked at the very first paragraph in the Prolouge....not to mention had me shedding tears. Kurt Chandler does a wonderful job describing his relationship with his son, as well as examining his relationship with his own father in an honest and sometimes difficult reflection.

I was pleased to hear Chandler on local public radio just after having read his book. The radio show was just a bonus for me-- the book was great. I have struggled for years with thoughts about my father's fathering and mine. Did the old man come up short, and if so, how and why? How can I be more present, more involved, do a better job without overdoing, coddling, spoiling my daughter? Chandler focused his thoughts and gave credibilty to mine. I'm not alone in wanting to do a better job, and, like Chandler, I still love my dad, too.

I read the original paperback edition of 2004. The book contains some 260 regular text pages, plus 31 pages of footnotes (altogether 328 pages). The author, an openly homosexual orthodox rabbi, had appeared in the 1999 documentary Trembling Before G-D.

Speaking in the popular language of separation I am not an Orthodox Jew, but the "original" holy texts which often get interpreted homophobically most certainly are of relevance to me, as their (King James) Bible derivations are used within the RastafarI branch of religion for the downpression of the constructed minority of homosexuals. Theologically, the book is of interest for any branch of religion which knows certain common stories, such as the one of Sodom.

There are advantages and disadvantages of this book being written by an ordained religious official. However, the air of authority is irrelevant to me personally: As a RastafarI I do not know such officials. The advantage is that this book departs from similar ones (of any closely related religion) in that it is less argumentative in a general sense, but is open to reassessing theological concepts. The disadvantage is, that the reasoning of the book has to be restricted to the parameters of (orthodox) Jewish theology. Which of course is again an advantage for the Jewish orthodox reader, but not necessarily on all issues to the reader who seeks more universal answers. I was also looking for some specifics of elsewhere averred alterations/mistranslations of early Jewish texts (e.g. at the time of the Egyptian diaspora), but of course a rabbi can't go into such a notion and I am not complaining as I respect other people's concepts of belief/knowledge.

I am also a mystic and appreciated the few references to the Jewish light on mysticism. In addition, the Ham story is of involuntary importance to RastafarI, as it was used to justify slavery, and I am always all ears of how this story gets interpreted in different ways. I am thankful for the author's elaborations on the Sodom story, as many other non-homophobic interpreters remain rather superficial when it comes to the anti-greed part. (Another advantage of the book having been written by a theologian instead of a scientist- or activist-only.) It was refreshing to read the "anecdote" suggesting that God has given the Torah to the humans and now it is their business to interpret it. In general books about the European Middle Ages, it gets usually forgotten how non-Christian homosexuals were treated. So it was interesting to learn that Jews weren't delivered to Christian courts and their corresponding (capital) punishments.

The theological differentiation between willful transgressors (not for pleasure, but rebellion) and indulgent transgressors (who can't resist temptation) is more for the specifically Jewish reader.

Not all of the author's reasoning I have to agree with. To begin with, it's a persistent myth that women can't get pregnant while nursing. As the opposite is the reality, intercourse by nursing women can't get used as another example of theologically allowed non-procreative sexuality. I agree (of course, what else?!) that holy texts (not only the Torah, but also e.g. the derived Bible) got freely reinterpreted to re-allow money lending with interest. In fact, banking was once termed another example of sodomy (unnatural reproduction of money) by the Church. I even do like the theology better which is against exploitation and classism as put forward in this book. However, I don't agree that it was such a good idea to radically change that prohibition or even to change it at all, taking a look a the local and global system, which is basically an extension of that downturned (overturned) ancient holy law. Ok, it DOES show a precedent for humans freely changing interpretations of holy texts. All I am saying is that it is a bad choice of example. Actually the worst, considering that it is about the original meaning of the Sodom story about greed and pitilessness.

I am flabbergasted to read from THIS author that the Jonathan-and-David-story would make most sense if Jonathan were homosexual, but David not: Though Jonathan "manages in battle, we find him not very aggressive or interested in military prowess. He doesn't think strategically." As a pacifist and draft dodger I would applaud, if being homosexual would automatically equal the same attitude. But isn't talk like that supposed to be foolish prejudice? In any case, in the ancient world, the opposite of that was at least one of the realities. In fact, some Greek city states especially employed and encouraged homosexual warrior couples. Hawaiian warriors bonded sexually before battle. (Make love, then war.) Fascinating concept, even if not my cup of tea, so I just ordered Gay Warriors: A Documentary History from the Ancient World to the Present.

All of that said, the upper line is: This is a great book. Challenging in different ways for both sides of the issue. For that what it is, this book succeeds. It clearly shows that where there's a will there's a way. This book has a heart. Which seems to be the diametrical opposite of the hatemongers - of any branch of religion. And I am not sure wether religion is supposed to be engaged in without a heart.

You may also be interested in Christianity, Social Tolerance, and Homosexuality: Gay People in Western Europe from the Beginning of the Christian Era to the Fourteenth Century and Islamic Homosexualities: Culture, History, and Literature.

If you are a Christian, you may think that an Orthodox Jewish rabbi comes from such a different way of approaching our shared Scripture
that little would result from a lot of effort. Think again! This remarkable book is captivating from beginning to end and filled with
innumberable insights that grace virtually every page. Along the way, you may, as I discovered, come away with a whole new appreciation for Orthodox Judaism.
It s one thing to find a helpful book. It s quite another to find one helpful and delightful to read. Here are a couple of sentences worth mulling over: "Gayness is no more an automatic intentional rejection of procreation than is straightness a sworn promise of it." And, "Nature is a text that can say almost anything we want it to say while appearing to have said nothing but what is evident." Both of these statements
are found on the same page. This man can turn a phrase.
After quoting from a letter from a near-suicidal gay Orthodox Jew, (a feature familiar to many pastors and their gay parishioners) Rabbi Greenberg states his purpose for writing the book. "For the sake of this young man and many men and women very much like him, the first goal of this book is to demonstrate that, contrary to the
assumptions of many liberal and traditional Jews, an argument can be made in defense of gay relatioships from within the canon of traditional Jewish textual resources. What this man needs is not permission to have sex with men. That is hardly enough. What he needs is a way to envision a life of love, intimacy, and commitment with a man in the context of a religiously alive Orthodox community. The task of writing on this topic is to make a path that is responsible to these human realities and deeply
commit to God and Torah."
To reach his goal, Rabbi Greenberg divided his book into four sections. In Sacred Texts, he explores the biblical stories of Adam and Eve, Sodom and Gomorrah, and Leviticus that continue to shape Westen civilization s sexual ethics and gender identities. His discussion of the first not good of creation, Adams lonliness, and how God went about overcoming it, is worth the price of the book.
In Evidence, our rabbi surveys the positive ways in which the stories of Jonathan and David, Ruth and Naomi, and rabinnical stories
associated with gay themes have been treated up through the Middle Ages. He finds within the Jewish conversation what many Christian observers also found in this period, a lack of horror regarding same-sex love that we moderns are so possessed by.
The concluding chapter of this section involves the very unJewish notion that asking Why? is forbidden regarding Leviticus 18 and 20.
To ask is to open up the necessity for justifying one's answer, a slippery slope, indeed.
In Rationales, he returns to the fundamental prohibition posed in Leviticus, and asks the forbidden question, Why? What is
particularly problematic, immoral, or offensive about male-male intercourse in the first place? And why is female-female sex not a
concern? His critiques of arguments based on reproduction, social disruption, category confusion, and humiliation and violence, are
among the best, with original thinking in each case. This slope may be slippery, but it is ultimately freeing; and we are all the better for
sliding down it with him.
The concluding section, Conversations, offers a model for synagogues to welcome gay and lesbian people that is consistent with Orthodoxy and considerate of all concerned. It can almost be taken whole into Christian congregations seeking to find their way into inclusiveness, as well.
Conventional wisdom says that each of us has a book in us. In Rabbi Greenberg s case, I hope there is a library-full to come.

Religion and Gays

Literary Pride--Amos Lassen



Greenberg, Rabbi Steven, Wrestling with God and Men: Homosexuality in the Jewish Tradition. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 2004.

Being a Jewish gay man, I wanted to know where I stood in terms of my religion--although to be quite honest, it didn't really matter. I had already formulated my dealings with religion and I had chosen the road that having been born a Jew, I would also die one and that was that. If any of you read my thoughts on the matter in my essay, A Piercing Thought then you know what I am talking about.



`Rabbi Steven Greenberg is an orthodox American rabbi who also happens to be gay. His book, Wrestling with God and Man: Homosexuality in the Jewish Tradition, is a result of his ten year struggle to reconcile self and religion. Greenberg's approach is Biblical in nature and he presents interpretations of the creation, of David and Jonathan, of the tale of Sodom and Gommorah and a new way of looking at the so-called taboos of Leviticus. His way of dealing with the issues is relationship centered and in doing this he draws on other texts to enhance the writings of the holy books. He reaches a conclusion similar to that of Rapoport--that a dialogue must be opened to be followed by debate and discussion, the same type of foundation upon which Judaic law is based.

This is not a book for Jews only. This is a book to be cherished by all who are interested in the topic of faith. What I loved was that it was written together with the author's own personal journey, Greenberg does not hold back--he says it as it is.

This is a valuable book for anyone who wants to attempt an understanding of the nature of God and man. I, personally, feel stronger in my faith for having read it. I believe you will also.

another account of one person's struggle - the problem is that he attempts to justify homosexual acts by ridiculously warping clear verses and traditions.

after first 15 pages, book is BORING and my 6 year old could present a counter-case much more appealing

This book, while it may not be perfect or without some hesitencies and perhaps weaknesses, breaks important ground and is a work of courage. It should be read for that reason alone. It is a start that others can build on.

Just recently, I heard a prominent New Testment scholar speak in a seminar at a church on the vital, indeed pressing need for Christians to revist the entire question of the claimed biblical condemation of same-sex relationships. His arguments were very much anchored - not on theology - but on mistakes in interpretation of biblical words and phrases, based ultimately on flawed linguistic and (a)cultural misinterpretations. The parallels with Rabbi Greenberg's stuggle struck me; and all the more more so, when I saw the host Baptist church has a seminar WITH Rabbi Greenberg scheduled for November!

We must openly and honestly reconsider religious positions on the topic of homsexuality, and never has the time been more ripe for doing so. This is very appropriate to consider from several viewpoints, and yet another fruitful area for open and honest sharing of insights between Jewish and Christian communities. I believe OUR God - our common, one God - is first and foremost a God of infinite love, and that human love, betweeen two people, goes beyond mere or simple sexual orientation, that it is precious (as all love is) to our God.

Read the book; review the questions; and God bless all who do so with honesty and caring.

I purchased this book on Al McGuire as a gift for my father's 71st birthday. As a former basketball coach, he had been a strong admirerer of one of the most unique individuals in sports. Both me and my father highly recommend this for lovers of college basketball, especially for those who tend to march to the beat of a different drummer. I'm sure that even though Al McGuire is no longer with us he will be remembered whenever some young person is making the sign of the cross on his/her forehead before shooting a critical freethrow with his immortal statement that the "Nuns are Working the Beads."
Sergio S. Guerrero Jr.
El Paso, Texas

Al McGuire has been truly captured through this book. The photos and quotes truly capture the man, the charachter, and the coach that was AL. Anyone who grew up around the legend, understood what he meant to the game, but I don't believe anyone has a true grasp until they have turned the pages of this book.

Tom Kertscher has done an excellent job in introducing me to Al McGuire. I've never followed college basketball so I wasn't familiar with coach McGuire. However after reading the book I can see why so many people thought so highly of him. I very much enjoyed getting to know the coach from his many quotes and photos over the course of his career. He's one of those colorful figures in life that adds that missing ingredient making the ordinary, something rich and flavorful.

I don't know basketball, and I'm sure that my elevator doesn't go to the top, but I know a wonderful remembrance when I see one. Kertscher illustrates the humanity of McGuire - humorous and touching. The phrases from the glossary have become a shared language between myself and my son.

This is a strange coffee table-type book. Author Kertscher apparently did not know Al McGuire personally, and this book is the product of a posthumous project of collecting McGuire-related photographs and quotes. Yet despite the lack of direct personal connection, the book does a good job of communicating the odd combination of street-level wisdom, humanity, and whimsy that made McGuire such an intriguing and compelling character to a generation of basketball fans and non-basketball fans alike.

I must add my chorus of praise for Matthew Kennedy, who has given us not only the life of a director with amazing talent, but also a new way of looking at both silent and sound films. Maybe you've heard of Goulding, and certainly you've seen a number of his films, but never before has anyone been abel to put together all the facts, do all the right research, and conduct an amazing number of pertinent interviews to produce such a stunning result.

If Goulding had only directed "Dark Victory" and "Grand Hotel" his place in film history would be assured--and even higher. It's his lesser efforts and indeed misses that have complicated his stature.

Goulding's work in music could be a book all of its own. I had no idea he wrote the music for so many films, including such notable songs as "Love Your Magic Spell is Everywhere" (from The Trespasser), "Mam'selle" (from The Razor's Edge) and "Dodie" (from "Teenage Rebel"). Given all that you'd think he'd be a natural filming a musical, but Kennedy's account of "Friendly Island" a/k/a "Down Among the Sheltering Palms" gives one pause.

Now I'm dying to see "We are Not Alone" and "The Constant Nymph." I've read both novels but are these films on DVD? Sounds like not. Oh well, something to look forward to. Thanks, Matthew Kennedy. You do San Francisco proud!

I'm sorry to have to do this but the sheer torture of reading this book prompts this negative review.I have been reading this book for the past 2 weeks normally I read movie bios in a matter of days.The author has offered no insight into this man's life and worse he does no critcal thinking in regards to the films,in fact on the silent films I question if he has even seen them.But what promted me to even expend the energy to write this review is when I got to page 66.On that page there is a still which the caption says is from Love when in fact it is from the talking picture remake Anna Karenina and the author is a teacher of film history and he misses this mistake-give me a break.Sadly this is a case of a bad bio happening to a good director.

As I read Mr. Kennedy's first book about Marie Dressler and neared the end, I didn't want the book to end because it was a perfectly written book about a great lady who lived with great style. I was delighted when his Edmund Goulding book was published not a long time later, a feeling shared with my large book club that quickly spread to other book clubs in my city. Edmund Goulding's Dark Victory: Hollywood's Genius Bad Boy is impeccably researched and, although Mr. Kennedy is a scholar who also teaches, it is quite evident he knows the mechanics of good writing yet it is not stodgy. More succinctly, he writes a rollicking, gossipy book that dishes the scandal.

Mr. Kennedy writes about Mr. Goulding's exalted place in Hollywood's golden age, how he got there, and what guaranteed Mr. Goulding's place in Hollywood history. I learned about Mr. Goulding's background and gained insight into why he also led a tortured existence even at the top of the heap.

My book club and I look forward to Mr. Kennedy's new Joan Blondell book that promises to tell all. We are encouraged by the news that Miss Blondell's family is cooperating all the way!

Author Matthew Kennedy does director Edmund Goulding (and films fans everywhere) a great service by bringing Goulding's story to life in his straightforward, well-researched, and highly readable biography. Although there's enough talk about Goulding's notorious orgies to satisfy gossip aficionados, Kennedy is more interested in the man's feats as a film director, screenwriter, composer, and all-around talent. The author emphasizes Goulding's creation of "Grand Hotel," one of the first Best Picture Oscar winners, his handling of numerous female stars (including Bette Davis in three films, Joan Fontaine, Gloria Swanson, and Ginger Rogers), and his deals (and troubles) with the powers-that-be at MGM, Twentieth-Century Fox, and Warner Bros. Highly recommended for those interested in the behind-the-scenes history of Hollywood's Golden Age.

Matthew Kennedy has done a tremedous service in detailing so thoroughly and captivatingly the life of one of Hollywood's most fascinating directors. Goulding was not only a director (and a favorite one of such stars as Bette Davis, Joan Fontaine, and Gloria Swanson), but also a writer, composer, set designer, and cinematographer.

Kennedy details Goulding's scandalous lifestyle well, but is even more interested in Goulding's accomplishments as film director, screenwriter, composer, etc. The author effectively captures the complex and paradoxical nature of the English-born Goulding whose excellent scripts and extraordinary directorial talent set standards in American cinema that are still influencing filmmaking today.

This well-researched, illuminating, and highly entertaining biography is a must for anyone interested in the golden age of Hollywood and, for that matter, anyone else who just wants to read a fascinating biography.

This is the first volume of Vasiliev's monumental work on the history of the Byzantine, or later Roman, Empire. And it is one of the most fascinating and enjoyable histories we have ever read. It is also a scholarly and well written text. More significantly, the work is terribly important, as it sheds light on an empire whose role in world history is too little understood.

Vasiliev inveighs mightily against the absurdity of Gibbon, who averred that the Christian Roman Empire came to an end in 476 A.D. This, of course, is an entirely artificial construct, which has no foundation in historical reality. Since the fourth century, the Roman Empire had been governed from Constantinople. And this Roman Empire lasted well into the fifteenth, not the fifth, century.

The writing is beautiful. We have just ordered, received, and begun to read the second volume of this very important and excellent work. We are grateful to the University of Wisconsin Press for making this work available and to Amazon.com for their outstanding system of distribution of such important material.

In Russian language this book is in FIVE volumes and about 2000 pages long.

This two volume book is so detailed that you'd certainly want to keep it as a reference in your library if you are interested in the history of the Near and Middle East.
Vasiliev writes in an academic style, produces the same sections for each one the epochs that he covered, but does not miss any detail.
His book reflects great academic skills in the methodology of writing history.
The book might not be as entertaining, but it is certainly worth a read.

This two volume set is a well-written, succinct, scholarly, and engaging history of the Byzantine Empire from the time of Constantine right up through the final conquest of Constantinople in AD 1453. I was assigned both volumes as a text in a Byzantine History class in college and I must give Vasiliev at least partial credit for awakening in me an intense interest in all things Byzantine. As one of the top Byzantine scholars of the 20th century, Vasiliev wrote with a command of the facts and theories that was a match for any of the scholars of his day. Indeed, his knowledge base tended to be wider than most Western scholars due to his access to sources in Russian and Slavonic that were often unavailable or unutilized outside of Russia.

Though originally published in 1958, this set remains a benchmark. Vasiliev retains a scholarly objectivity throughout the work, with perhaps only a slight trace of bias in favor of the Slavs. This is in stark contrast to many of the more recent treatments of Byzantine history which have an annoying tendency to impose marxist, relativistic judgments on the Byzantines while just as often exculpating their Islamic antagonists. Vasiliev does none of this. His passionate interest in his subject matter is also very obvious.

Overall, even after nearly 50 years, there is no work currently on the market which is better suited as a core text for a course in Byzantine history. The set would also make a fine supplement to a general course on Medieval European history.

This 2 volume -History of the Byzantine Empire- is
the best detailed, readable, and multi-faceted
presentation that one is likely to find. The
periods in each chapter are well-focused, annotated
with scholarly notes, and divided into segments
with very helpful subtitles. The first volume of
the set (ISBN: 0299809250), after Chap. 1 which
is titled "The Study of Byzantine History," proceeds
with Chap. 2, "The Empire from the Time of Constantine
the Great to Justinian"; Chap. 3 is "Justinian the
Great and His Successors (518-610)"; Chap. 4, "The
Heraclian Epoch (610-717)"; Chap. 5, "The Iconoclastic
Epoch (717-867)"; and Chap. 6, "The Macedonian Epoch
(667-1081)."
Volume 2 (ISBN: 0299809269)has Chap. 7, "Byzantium
and the Crusades"; Chap. 8, The Empire of Nicaea
(1204-1261)"; and Chap. 9, "The Fall of Byzantium."
There is also an Appendix with an "Emperors of the
Byzantine Empire" chronology and "Genealogical Tables
of the Byzantine Dynasties."
As the concluding section of each of the historical
chapters, there is an excellent section on the
"Learning, Literature, and Art" during that particular
era. All of the famous and secondary figures of Byzantine
History can be found in this useful set. Here is an
excerpt from the "Literature..." section of Chapter 1,
Vol. 1 -- "Another extremely interesting figure of this
epoch is the woman philosopher, Hypatia, who was killed
by the fanatical mob of Alexandria some time in the early
part of the fifth century. She was a woman of exceptional
beauty and unusual intellectual attainments. Through her
father, a famous Alexandrian mathematician, she became
acquainted with the mathematical sciences and classical
philosophy. She gained wide fame through her remarkable
activities as a teacher. * * * One source told how,
'clothed in a mantle, she used to wander about the city
[of Alexandria, Egypt] and expound to willing listeners
the works of Plato, Aristotle, or some other philosopher.'"
One of my favorite people discussed at length in the
work is Michael Acominatus, the very Idealistic lover
of Hellenic culture, who was appointed Archbishop to
Athens and served for a period of 30 years.
-- Robert Kilgore

I was a little hestitant about reading the book because of Wild Orchard's review, but the book turned out better than I expected. I actually thought the history portion was the best part of the book.

I think Ms. Tharp may have learned( and the above Nigerian reviewer should make an effort to learn)that speaking "proper" English is not rare among blacks, nor is listening to opera, and reading definitely isn't rare within the African-American community. And that is the missing element of the book...What changed Ms. Tharp's prospective of blacks? The book is missing her New York years which awakened her pride in herself. She gives us a sneak peek, but only to show how much Manual, her Spanish love, meant to her.

My biggest problem was trying to figure out what audience this book is geared towards, adults or teens. There seems to be too much innocence in this book to have been written by a married 30-something with two children. It doesn't have to be rauchy, but it's just a little too chaste. I got the impression that it was written by a late teen rather than an adult.

I bought this book because I wanted to live in Spain for a year. However, I've been hestitant due to it's history in the kidnapping and enslavement of Africans in the Americas. Then there were the incidents with Spain's Olympic basketball team's mocking of Chinese people, and the treatment of black fútbol players by Spanards which haven't encouraged me to want to assist in Spain's economy. So, I was eager to read this book because I really wanted to get a prospective from a black person.

I cant' say that the book enligthened me on the Spaniards. First the author was a student, and then a member of an extended family. She didn't really write about going on excursions alone, except to and from school or to acquaintances' homes. So, I don't get a true sense of what the average tourist may encounter.

However, I do have to say the sites in Cadiz interested me. So, I may end up going for a vacation, but if so, only to the South of Spain.

***Unfortunately we can't change the rating once it's entered. I meant to rate this as THREE STARS. I really don't have anyone I would recommend read this book.

It definitely shouldn't be a hardback book. This book is only good to use in an African-American Studies course to study the various way a racist society shapes self-image.

I bought and read this book as part of a bookclub selection. The first 60 pages were good almost even interesting then it went downhill from there! She was a complete Drama Queen and sort of an Elitist. If I was really interested in a history lesson (like the one you'll get reading this book) I would have grabbed a history book instead and not spend 15 bucks on this. So all in all it was good in the beginning then quite a torture to finish.

Tharps' story about her love-hate relationship with Spain was high on my list of must reads for this summer - and it turned out to be time well-spent. Tharps chronicles her youth in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where she was the only Black girl in her predominately white classes, to her undergrad days at Smith college, where she is one of the few Black women on campus. Tharps struggles to find herself and determine where she fits in. As a youth, she develops a strong love for Spain and vows to see this country that she has fallen so deeply for. Tharps takes her readers to Salamanca and we watch as her adoration for this country slowly turns to something else when she encounters its citizens and learns its hidden truths. This is simply a love story - and in the end, I think Tharps eventually learns to love the thing that is most important - herself.

I must admit that I vacillated between sorrow and anger for Lori. She seemed to have such a hard time identifying with her Blackness and I didn't realize young Black people struggled with this identity crisis while coming of age in the '80's. Having lived through the turmoil of the '50's and '60's, I assumed that people of African descent living in America were Black and Proud.

I'm happy that Lori is finally appreciating the blessing of being born Black, one manifestation of the Source of all of us.

Now she will be able to impart to her children and others that on a spiritual plane, all of us share the same Source even though the multitude fails to realize that the breath of life, the air that sustains us all is the same. Many will go through life not realizing this simple fact and will continue to erect barriers/walls to separate us.

Her memoir is a gratifying read and many will enjoy her awakening.

This memoir by Lori Tharps, who also the co-authored of Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America, was a nice, easy, lightweight coming-of-age story. The book got a little whiny at times as the author tried to reconcile the differences between the Spain of her imaginations and the real Spain especially as it related to the treatment, ideas and attitudes of Black people. But I was completely on-board as she struggled to figure out her identity as a Black person. She grew up in an area that was predominantly White and was never really confident in her Blackness especially when dealing with other Black people. As a first generation Nigerian born and raised in the states, that has been something I too have struggled with. If you speak English properly, enjoy reading and the Opera, well, then, you are not really Black. We know that's not true but I think it's something that many young, upwardly mobile, intelligent Black people face. What does it mean to be truly Black? Ms. Tharps story is inspirational in that she finds her own way to be authentically Black. I felt like she glossed over some things (like her children's birth and her practice of the Ba'hai faith) but these, I suppose, were not the focus of her book. She is, however, refreshingly honest about herself and her feelings/emotions in her page-turning memoir. I think it's that candor that makes you want to continue reading because there is nothing overly exciting going on in the book. It's her story. And it's just life. The ups. The downs. And the in-betweens.

Great summer reading.

This is an intelligently written story of three generations of Jewish women. The major part is given to the Polish born grandmother the flamboyant actress Sasha but the key element in the work is the relationships between the generations. The grandmother abandoned Jewish religious life, the daughter is an introverted classical scholar, and the granddaughter also a professor returns to Jewish religious life.
As Murray Baumgarten parts out in an extended review of the book the narrative - view- point often shifts, and the focus is not so much on one person as on relationships.
The book is interesting and has a 'smartness' about it. The central idea that it is Mazel ( Luck) and not Saychel (Wisdom) that is the main factor in life is elaborated through comparison with Hume's famous analysis showing our ordinary conception of 'causation' in life cannot be proven. i.e. there is not the connection of events which is simple, direct causation but rather their conjoining. Goldstein seems to suggest that this means that Life goes more randomly than lovers of planning and order would like to suggest. My own thought is that this is a bit simplistic, and that a lot depends in life on the 'saychel' we have in dealing with our own 'mazel' and that 'mazel ' too may come of 'saychel'.

Even though the characters in the book are very different from my own family, "Mazel" affirmed many of my personal feelings about being Jewish. It brought to mind many of the stories told to me about Eastern Europe by my parents and older relatives, while at the same time opening up my mind to new aspects of Jewish life. And it made me want to find out more about my own family history.
The way the three generations of women view the world and Judaism is fascinating, and totally believable. I have given this book as a present many times, and have reread it more than once.
I wish I could read more about this fascinating collection of women!

This is the 4th book I have read of Rebecca Goldstein's, and this was my 2nd favorite (after the superb Mind-Body Problem). I liked the "generational" aspect where we follow Sasha (Sorel) from early childhood in a Schluftchev shtetl to present day USA where she has a grown daughter (Chloe) and a granddaughter just about to get married (Phoebe). I must admit I enjoyed the early childhood and early adult descriptions of Sasha the best - here there is a rich sense of storytelling, and the human characterizations are gripping and vivid. Sasha evetually rejects and leaves behind the old-fashioned Jewish ways of the shtetl and becomes a great stage actress and part of the Jewish intellectual life ("The Enlightenment") in prewar Warsaw.

The story in the present is also good, but I thought Sasha's antics were described with too much cliche and suffered a bit from the "feminine-writer syndrome". In addition, the daughter and granddaughter stay very one-dimensional. Mazel means LUCK in Yiddish, and this book very successfully plays with its meaning throughout someone's life. Finally, Phoebe's decision about going back to traditional Jewish ways is one of the best contrasts in the story...perfectly unimaginable and understandable at the same time!

After struggling through the first few chapters, I find that this book has appeal only to those readers who are strong-willed grandmothers, or those who always wanted to be so. Totally unrealistic, this book is a strong willed grandmother fantasy come true, but utterly irritating for those of us of the younger generations. Let me explain. This grandmother wears leather pants and is a snob in every way towards her very own granddaughter. The grandmother thinks that Manhattan is the center of the world, and that she is the only person that matters because she was once an actress. She cares more about herself than her own child and grandchild. Her granddaughter and her daughter are unrealistically wishy-washy, passive characters, and they accept their (grand)mother's never-ending bossiness without a second thought, without ever angering an iota. And it isn't as if the story were dealing with this problem, as a theme; it's just the 'backdrop'.

By chance, I found Mazel on the shelf of the tiny library of the small outer suburb of Melbourne, Australia, where I live. How it got there I have no idea. I found the first chapter or two almost impenetrable, which may perhaps be explained by the fact that - as I later learned - it's a sequel to an earlier novel. But the wit, charm and incisiveness of the style lured me on, and once I had sorted out the characters and got used to shuttling through time, I realized I had made a rare discovery. Everything felt so true. An obvious example: the way Sasha's egotism and theatricality had cowed and almost silenced her daughter and granddaughter, yet how they had quietly found their own forms of resistence and assertion. But many a novel and even soap opera can give you that. Far more remarkable was the way Goldstein brought to life the lost world and lost people of prewar Jewish Poland, and embodied in her characters the whole spectrum of ways people can and do respond to the sometimes impossibly difficult dilemmas and limitations into which they are born. You can see how each temperament and each generation arrives at what it thinks to be the best resolution, only to find itself outmoded. Most remarkable of all, I felt I understood considerably more about myself, the world, history, life, etc. when I had finished than when I had begun, and only a masterpiece can do that. Mazel is an extraordinary achievement, and what a pity that it should be out of print.

I'm not one of those reviewers who seem to get a sick joy out of bashing totally harmless books, but I'm voting against this one. I like a poet who can turn a phrase that makes me wonder how they got there. I enjoy poetry that engages my emotions and my aesthetic sensibilities. I had high hopes for this book and I was disappointed on every page.

What was so disappointing was that Georgiou managed to cover many emotional subjects (eating disorders, race, domestic abuse) without engaging my emotions once--or even offering an interesting perspective. She seems to be following in the footsteps of second-wave feminist poets who have covered similar ground, but much more effectively. The themes of Georgiou's work could be directly out of anything by Adrienne Rich or Marilyn Hacker but without the prosodic savvy or rich metaphors of either.

This book was marketed on is "sexiness," and I guess it has its sexy moments, but all in all, it's pretty lackluster stuff.

I'm first struck not by this book's sexiness, but by its geography and demographic, and how, like New York itself, this book manages to make the most distant places and disparate cultures feel local. More than poetic snapshots of (particularly Brooklyn) neighborhoods and areas (Crown Heights, Grand Army Plaza...) at the beginning of the 21st century, Georgiou's poems not only capture the multitudes, but speak from highly personal perspectives. Here is India, Ethiopia, Egypt, Cyprus, Turkey, Israel, Puerto Rico and the Caribbean . . . squished into the subway car of the poet's heart. The sensuality of this book seems, to me, more a product of urban dynamics than of marketable "sexiness" (in fact, the speaker(s) of the poems seems more lonely than anything): here is intimacy and anonymity, belonging and alienation, any one person in a million people riding the train home--and hoping to find love, or settling for sex, along the way.

That said, yeah, this book may contain a few of the best "sex poems" in the English language. Here is the sex of prayer, and the prayer of sex. Sex with women. Sex with men. Sex and the president. Sex and fried chicken. It's regrettable that this Lamda Award-winning author's poems are being "reviewed" below by boys with internet access, rather than by the adults for which they were intended.

Speaking of the latter, I also highly recommend the book of lesbian and gay poets she co-edited, "The World In Us." It is a stunning collection--much like Georgiou's own.

This is poetry to be read again and again. Her poetry is so honest, you'll feel naked reading it. I saw her at a poetry reading and I had to buy her book. Whenever I read her poetry I think of her deep British accent and I feel like I am back at that poetry reading. Her word selection is brilliant and so sincere. She holds nothing back and it is extremely refreshing to read her poems.

MERCY MERCY ME is a book of poetry that deals with a poet's attempt at understanding the longitudinal lines of the soul as a country, the topography of which is comprised of her flesh. Here we find the author in the place between it all, the metaphysical zip code where the geography of the self lies.

Like the Marvin Gaye song used to inspire the collection of poems, Georgiou contemplates different kinds of environmental fallouts. But rather than answering Gaye's questions on "where did all the blue skies go?" she chooses instead to confront the more challenging relevance of "how much more abuse...can she stand?" Her examinations are ones directly pertaining to her ground, her ocean, her flora and fauna, the qualities of her existence that determine her perceptions of beauty and self-worth. When we read the lines, "...how lucky I was to be / able to wear my history like a map across my body" (68) we can see just how important the notion of terra firma - this quest for stability in unraveling the mystery of herself - is to her.

The setting for much of the work is distinctly urban, which accounts for this notion of an individual being enveloped by her environment. And it is a very real feeling for the reader, particularly in poems like "Bang", where the cycle of abuse has swelled into an almost manifest destiny demarcated by "red marks" on the body. Somehow this violence is lulled by the day-to-day life in the "overcrowded land" of the city, a scenario, as we are reminded by the poet, too many have chosen to disregard.

MERCY MERCY ME is a wonderfully intimate glimpse into Georgiou's world portrayed through the backdrop of her relationships. It is more than a statement on the necessity of mercy but also one of healing and is written with a sagacious intimacy not often found in modern collections attempting to confront similar irreconcilables of modernity.

© 2005-2006 Edward J. Carvalho (Originally posted on 1 November 2005)

Unlike others, I'm initially struck not by this book's sexiness, but by its geography and demographic and how, like New York itself, this book manages to make the most distant places and disparate cultures feel local. More than poetic snapshots of (particularly Brooklyn) neighborhoods and areas (Crown Heights, Grand Army Plaza...) at the beginning of the 21st century, Georgiou's poems not only capture the multitudes, but speak from highly personal perspectives. Here is India, Ethiopia, Egypt, Cyprus, Turkey, Israel, Puerto Rico and the Caribbean . . . squished into the subway car of the poet's heart. The sensuality of this book seems, to me, more a product of urban dynamics than of marketable "sexiness" (in fact, the speaker(s) of the poems seems more lonely than anything): here is intimacy and anonymity, belonging and alienation, any one person in a million people walking the streets or riding the train home--and hoping to find love, or settling for sex, along the way.

That said, yeah, this book may contain a few of the best "sex poems" in the English language. Here is the sex of prayer, and the prayer of sex. Sex with women. Sex with men. Sex and the president. Sex and fried chicken. It's regrettable that this Lamda Award-winning author's poems are being "reviewed" below by boys with internet access, rather than by the adults for which they were intended.

Speaking to the latter, I also highly recommend the book of lesbian and gay poets she co-edited, "The World In Us." It is a stunning collection--much like Georgiou's own.

The New History of Florida is a great read for those seeking more information about the history of Florida. The book is divided into twenty-two chapters each written by a different scholar in their field. There are bits of overlap in some of the chapters, making it a bit duplicitous, but not overly so. It does provide valuable insight on topics from the original inhabitants of the state, to becoming a US territory, to a brief modern history. This book doesn't tell the complete story of Florida, but it puts a lot of the pieces together.

This is an attempt at telling the true history of Florida. No groups are excluded because of race.

As I told my wife yesterday, I never thought I would be reading a history book for pleasure but since I bought this great book, I cannot put it down. There are so many interesting stories in here, it is able to hold it's own with great fiction pieces and has captivated my interest for my adopted home state.

From the last ice age to the present, it is all in here. Did you know that when Ponce de Leon was sailing along "La Florida's" coasts in the early 1500s there were 350,000 natives living here? By the late 18th century they were all gone, either dead from European diseases or sold into slavery.

This book is easy to read for a history book. It has just the
right amount of information to make it useful, but not too much
extra "stuff" to turn you off. I have found it useful and
surprising interesting!.
Ruth Snyder

A New History of Florida has been a vital contribution to Florida history, especially in light of the extreme age of Charlton Tebeau's classic book on the state's history. The essays from a variety of scholars add much needed insight and perspective on Florida history from ancient times to the present, including most of the major trends of the twentieth century, when Florida really came into its own as the state it is today.

Neverthless, this book has its shortcomings. First, the format tends to give an uneven, disjointed effect if reading this book like a textbook.

Second, it contains material that can be found from other more extensive works. This is a good start for someone looking to increase their knowledge of the state, but only a start.

Milt Pappas, a largely forgotten player, has written a fascinating account of how a baseball career can affect a young family and a deadly account of nearly every game he appeared in from 1957-1973. Unless you are anxious to relive the frustrations of the early sixties Oriole clubs or get some vicarioius kick out of how a talent was often minimized by management, then only a few chapters will be of interest.

This book could also lead to disillusion for the juvenile reader, as it is clear that management and playing personnel are not often pulling together, and that marriage vows are discarded for convenience and the thrill of the chase. Readers will also learn how neglect and boredom can lead to alcoholism and family tragedy. The author would have benefitted from a strong editor and greater self-control.

I stumbled upon this book recently and read it in about 2 1/2 nights. Milt Pappas was my favorite Oriole pitcher as a kid growing up in Baltimore. The book was very interesting, brought back memories and also filled in a lot of gaps for me. Even though he touched on subjects that were difficult, he presented them in a careful and classy way. I've read other books by ball players like Pepitone's and I didn't much go for the bragging. His book was convincing and made some compelling arguments as to why things happened during his career. I think the book could have used the help of a better editing team. He had a habit of setting the stage for a story and put it off to later in the book which I didn't like, but it didn't deter me from pushing ahead. He was very open about his career and his problems on and off the field. I enjoyed the honesty and glad I had the chance to learn a little more about one of my childhood stars. Thanks Milt!

I REALLY ENJOYED THIS BOOK. MILT PAPPAS IS BRUTELY HONEST AND VERY REALISTIC. THIS BOOK HELD MY INTEREST FROM PAGE 1 TO THE FINISH. HE COVERS HIS PRIVATE LIFE, CAREER, TEAMMATES, AND MANAGERS. HIS EXTRA FLINGS AND AFFAIRS ARE VERY CANDID AND DONE IN GOOD TASTE. HIS LIFE WAS VERY STORMY OFF THE FIELD. HIS DETAILED RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS FIRST WIFE IS VERY SAD AND VOLATILE. HE HAD MANY HARDSHIPS, SOME SELF MADE. HE IS HUMAN AND HE DOES A GREAT JOB WITH THIS MUST READ BOOK. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

not only a mans book but a womens book. the book pulls at your heart strings. the trails and tribulations of milts life on the field and off the field. and what the players had to go through that era and how they paved the way for the players of today to reap the benefits that they recieve today.the players of today dont give a dam about old ballplayers and what milt and the ballplayers did for them. all they care is about themselves. would be an excellent movie.

I just finished this book last night. I am a lifelong baseball fan- esp of pitchers. Very good, some gramatical errors, and publishing flaws, but very, very good. I really enjoyed it. Milt Pappas was a fine pitcher nicknamed "Gimpy", who got a bad rap as a guy who did'nt finish games. By the 1960's standards prob true, by todays standards he'd be a great complete game pitcher (about 1 complete game for every 3 starts).