Iowa Books

Is there a resurgence of Hayden's poetry or am I finally hearing more about this sensitive poet who wrote about a glorious future at a time when there was little hope for equity. He dared to speak of a spiritual solution to war and eulogized black heros who get little more than a paragraph in our history books. I appreciated the author's introduction, and especially enjoyed the diversity of Hayden's work in this collection.

ROBERT HAYDEN (1913-1980) was the first African-American to be appointed Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress, a position now titled the U.S. Poet Laureate. He won numerous prizes and awards during the last decade of his life, including the 1975 Fellowship from the Academy of American Poets for "distinguished poetic achievement." Hayden stands out among Twentieth Century American, poets not just for his many literary accomplishments, but for the strong vision of faith that illuminates so much of his work.

In addition to well known poems such as "Those Winter Sundays" and "The Whipping," this anthology contains other equally stirring poems including "Aunt Jemima Of The Ocean Waves" which depicts a conversation with the fat woman from a Coney Island side-show and "Belsen, Day Of Liberation" dedicated to Rosey Pool, the Dutch teacher of Anne Frank and first translator of her famous diary.

While Hayden writes much about African-American history and culture, his poems do not tell the reader what to think or feel. Instead, his carefully crafted verse weaves images that allow the careful reader to move around in some very unusual territory, some beautiful, some uncomfortable. Hayden puts us in the mind of the oppressor in poems like "Middle Passage" about the famous Amistad incident, and "Night, Death, Mississippi" where we eavesdrop on an old Klan member too frail to attend a lynching with his son, of whom he is proud. "Be there with Boy and the rest / if I was well again. / Time was. Time was. / White robes like moonlight / In the sweetgum dark."

Hayden can also be wickedly funny. In "American Journal" written a few years before his death, his narrator is a spy from a distant planet in the galaxy who reports back to his fellow superiors about "this baffling multi people extremes and variegations their noise restlessness their almost frightening energy."

In addition to poems about childhood, society, and race, Hayden also writes about the history and central figures of his religion, the Bahá'í Faith. In "Baha' u'llah In The Garden Of Ridwan" he compares the founder of Bahá'í at an important juncture to Christ the night before being crucified w ho prayed to be relieved of his great destiny. In "Dawnbreaker" Hayden describes the torture of one early Bahá'í put to death by having candles of oil and wick lit within his skin. "Ablaze / with candles sconced / in weeping eyes / of wounds."

Despite his numerous awards, Hayden was not well known to many poetry readers until the end of his life. Fortunately, his reputation has increased since Collected Poems was published posthumously. If you are interested in rich, well crafted poetry which explores what it means to be human, try Hayden. As Aunt Jemima says in the above mentioned poem, "And that's the beauty part, I mean, ain't that the beauty part."

We read his book for my 8th grade english class. If you likeRobert Hayden, Poetry, Etc. this is a very nice book. If you're likemost of the kids in Mr. Nydicks english class, and you would rather chat than discuss the irony and pain of Middle Passage, this isn't the book for you. But if you like interperative poetry, this is a very nice book by a nice author

This is a helpful reference for people who aren't familiar with magazine publishing and gives some useful advice on how to deal with common problems. However, the writing is sometimes convoluted and redundant and the authors' perspective can be narrow. I would expect better writing from people who choose to write for a publishing industry audience.

I have been in the magazine field for 5 years and then I found myself in a job where I was the only person with magazine experience, instead of being the youngest in the office. I wanted to be sure of everything I had learned in my other jobs and get tips about other things I had not dealt with. This was the perfect book--it had information about all aspects of magazine editing from management to layout to publication. This book is not only for the editor-in-chief (which I am), but it is also for anyone who works at a magazine and wants to have a better insight into the entire magazine process. I readily recommend this book to anyone interested in magazine writing and editing!

I work for printing/publishing clients as an advisor for IT strategy. I give this book to consultants new to the media industry, because it does such a good job of laying out basic information in a manner that's quick to read and easily understandable. Its focus is on the different kinds of magazines, the roles and responsibilies within a magazine, and the concerns of the Editor-in-chief. Informative and exactly as long as it needs to be.

A toast! Tenure all around. Bravo, marvellous. All of you--really. Really, truly marvelous. So many insights. You've got Paris on the Iowa River out there, you really do. A round table to make King Arthur proud. A real Salon--Kantian style. Brilliant, on every possible level. So true, everything was so true; and so well-said, from start to finish. Not a word out of place. Ideal. Perfection! Stupendous! I can't rave enough. Tenure for everyone! On me!

Elizabeth McCracken, Stuart Dybek, and Tom Grimes deliver the best here (in my opinion), but the other essays are worth reading. There is throughout the book a shared love of writing--even at its most frustrating and formdible. The title, The Eleventh Draft, is a gentle nudge to the rest of us that God is in the revisions; that no one--not even the best (and these writers are good)--writes easily or quickly, and that the process of writing is just as meaningful as the result (even if nobody ever sees your 11th draft but you). :-)

A compilation of essays from former students and teachers of the prestigious Iowa Writers' Workshop, editor Frank Conroy's book The Eleventh Draft attempts to capture the essence of the writer's life. "These essays," Conroy notes in the introduction, "are written by people who struggle with both the visible and invisible realities of language every day of their lives." Consequently, authors including Stuart Dybek, Elizabeth McCracken, and Barry Hannah reflect on the unique nature of their profession. The tone varies wildly; while authors such as William Lashner and Justin Cronin write in a deeply personal manner, Scott Spencer and James Alan McPherson give more detached, less introspective observations. This variance renders some essays less affecting than others, but most are engaging, thoughtful pieces. Despite such a lofty goal this book is an overall success, a testament to Conroy's faith in his selected writers (evidenced in his "deliberately vague" instructions for each contributing author) as well as the authors' individual talents. Those looking for pragmatic tips should look elsewhere. However, prose writers seeking both inspiration and insight should find this book both valuable and enjoyable.

OK, maybe it's because I was a teenager during the late 50s, early 60s that I like the Sam McCain series so much, because each McCain novel is such a peachy trip down memory lane. But, really, it is a lot more than that: McCain is an excellent writer, a wordsmith, even. His writing is sparse, sensitive and muscular, with the occasional nail-on-the-head metaphor. The small-town characters are all quite colorful, but very believable. Most important of all, he establishes plausible crimes that have various suspects, with twists and surprises in the denouement. For instance, in this one, who would have ever thought that the murderer was...? Just go read the book and have a great time!

Not a lot of "edge" to the main character, but there are some nicely subversive plot elements, a well-done romantic subplot, and an interesting early 1960's setting. Not a bad little mystery thriller.

Another great Sam McCain mystery !!! If you liked the others, you will LOVE this one. GREAT READ !! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

I did not see any reference to a reliability (failure mode and effects, fault tree determination, etc.) analysis requested by and performed for the Navy here in San Diego in the summer of 1990. This analysis agreed with the conclusion that the ramming of the powder bags was most likely accidental (due to certain shortcomings in the rammer hydraulic system), occurred at the higher projectile ramming speed of 13.9 ft/sec, and was probably caused by particle contamination of the fluid in the hydraulic system of the rammer. Were the results of these efforts (report) witheld from the author? I would be interested in knowing this and it would not surprise me at all if that indeed had happened!

This book is more than a technical problem and its resolution. The book provides a window into the lack of moral courage by senior naval officers to address an issue involving the wellbeing of the american sailor. Basicly, the navy could not identify a techincal cause for the explosion so it must be a sailor's fault. Thus find a victum to hang the cause on and what better way than to point a finger at a "queer". ( Queer = anyone whose lifestyle is not in keeping with the excepted standard as interpeted by Senior Naval Officers.) So the reputation of a sailor is destroyed and the 16 in. guns can continue to fire. The final result of the incident aboard the Iowa is the realization by sailors that the U.S.Navy will not hesitate to debase the honor and reputation of an individual within the Navy so long as the "mission" is accomplished.

The Navy now wonders why the re-enlistment rate is so poor!

The family of GMG2 Clayton Michael Hartwig USN would like to express their sincere thanks and appreciation for your help in removing all doubt and clearing the reputation and memory of our loving son, brother and uncle.

David Maayan's review does a pretty good job on reviewing this book, but I'll add the following.

There is too little said about the Sephardic and Mizrachi (Middle Eastern) Jews and their impact on the country, and their suffering at the hands of the European-derived establishment. Of course, there are also many Arabs living in Israel, and they remain invisible.

Elon's book warns that when being subjected to unending conflict becomes part of a people's modus operandi, that when feeling threatened becomes the norm, then those people will become brutal without knowing it. The desensitizing of the average Israeli to the plight of the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza may be a result of this. It has led to a lack of urgency on the part of most Israelis to put a fair two-state solution at the top of the agenda; it's something they think is a good idea, but not worth making a priority. Elon, wrote in 1981 that finding a solution for the Israeli-Palestinian situation is Israel's foremost problem.

Having lived in Israel in the 60s and early 70s, I feel that Elon really captured the spirit and emotions of those times, from the cautious optimism of the early sixties, to the anxiety in 1967 that quickly gave way to great elation at the end of the Six Day War, to the bitterness and cynicism of the 70s before the peace treaty with Egypt.

What I learned most from this book is how the dominant Israeli psychology developed. From the idealistic 19th Century Zionists, to the terrified pogrom refugees, to the tough-as-nails young pioneers, to the somewhat socialist (but hardly impractical) farmer-soldiers, layer after layer added to the national character, forming a highly adaptive but conflicted culture.

One interesting tidbit I learned is that the virulently anti-Jewish Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Haj Amin el Husseini, was actually appointed by the British (just post WWI), replacing a much more moderate Mufti who had greeted Chaim Weitzmann with, "Our rights are your rights, and your duties our duties."

Amongst the relatively vast literature about Zionism and the history of the State of Israel, this book remains (35 years past its first printing in 1971) a unique contribution. First of all, it almost goes without saying that books in this area are often highly politicized and biased. On the other hand, more "sober" accounts can tend to be hundreds of pages of arid, statistically-based analysis of Israeli society. What of a person who wants to truly understand the underlying texture, culture, and consciousness of Israelis - while at the same time absorbing facts rather than apologetics? This book succeeds excellently on precisely this level.

What is unique about Elon's work is that he manages to explore many different aspects of Israeli society and history, touching on all the major issues thereof, while literally filling the book with incredible details of personal biographies, or of particular towns and events. The greatness of the book is that one doesn't lose sight of the forest for the trees. That is, the larger issues are explored in a rich and cogent way - in fact, all the more richly because those human details that make history alive are included. What emerges is an image of Israel's "founders" as including many powerful dreamers who, in fact, dreamed very different dreams. From Ben-Yehuda's revival of spoken Hebrew in a secular state, to the commune of Bittania, from Communist and Socialist utopians to radical Yiddishists to those who dreamt only of "normalcy..." One must read the book to truly understand the rich tapestry. Reading, one can't help but wonder "who will win? Whose vision of Israel will come about?" Then it strikes you: somehow, they all (and none of them) came true at the same time. Israel is still profoundly divided not only about where it is going but what it is - and the division is not binary (religious / secular or right / left for example,) but truly multidimensional.

Though I would join Roger Jellinek, the New York Times reviewer who proclaimed The Israelis to be "the most acute and even-handed portrait yet," still, some word is probably in order about Amos Elon's identity and its effect on the book. Elon is a well-known author in Israel and to some extent in the world, and is a very widely-educated intellectual whose politics are quite leftist. He is not religious. His recent book "The Pity of it All," a history of Jews in Germany from 1743 to 1933, suffered in my opinion from glaring omissions. For example, Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch and the Torah im Derech Eretz movement are not even mentioned in the book. Are there omissions in this work as well? Certainly there are, and the more religious people and components of Israeli history are given short shrift. Ashkenazim also dominate. On the other hand, part of the history and founding of Israel is precisely the dominance of the state by just the secular, Ashkenazi, Eastern-European thinkers whom Elon ia a spiritual descendent from. Thus, in a sense, his own bias enables him to give a rich "mainstream" history of Israel from an insider perspective. For this book, his weakness is definitely his strength.

So what this book can give you, if you are willing to let it, is what few books can: a true sense of Israeli history and consciousness which is both even-handed and a true "insider" view, with all the richness and complexity and ambiguity that entails.


Finally, "don't take my word for it." I reproduce below a few quotes from the back of my 1981 Adam Publishers edition:

"An epic poem... Penetrating, profound, explosive... This book is a beacon."
- David Schoenbrun, New York Times Book Review

"None has told us so much, so perceptively... Elon has a novelist's eye and a historian's judgment."
- Manifred Halpern, Chicago Tribune Book Week

"A stunning book... brilliant, powerful... profoundly convincing."
- Alfred Friendly, Washington Post

This is a fascinating account of how and why Zionism led to the creation of Israel. Elon captures well how Israel's pioneer generation differ in their values from the Israeli-born youth. He explains how the myths of Zionism contributed to the tragic situation today. You'll learn how Israelis have been shaped by 50 years of conflict. You'll receive a lot of insight into the Israeli character.

I only wish a more up-to-date edition were available as some aspects of Israeli politics seem to have changed (e.g. the preference for non-military leaders, the rise of Bibi & Sharon). I also wish a book that directly compared & contrasted Israeli and Palestinian views of history were available, but I haven't found one yet.

I heard Mr. Cecil A. Reed talk to the participants of a Management Workshop. He was very inspiring. One of the added benefits was receiving an autographed copy of his book. After hearing him speak, and reading his book, you have a deep appreciation for the man and the wisdom he shares with his audience. The story about his son will bring tears to your eyes. A great read and be sure to buy an extra copy to give as a gift.

I heard Mr. Cecil A. Reed talk to the participants of a Management Workshop. He was very inspiring. One of the added benefits was receiving an autographed copy of his book. After hearing him speak, and reading his book, you have a deep appreciation for the man and the wisdom he shares with his audience. The story about his son will bring tears to your eyes. A great read and be sure to buy an extra copy to give as a gift.

Cecil Reed's book gives the reader a funny and inspiring inside look at the life of one African American from the beginning of the 20th century to the end. It's a unique opportunity to see how race relations worked outside the deep south. The book also records the texture and flavor of small town life in days gone by seen from a black perspective. You may not always agree with Cece Reed's way of dealing with his challenges, but you've got to admire his warm and enthusiastic approach to them.

It was the winter of 2002 that I discovered Ed Gorman's Sam McCain series--I found a copy of WILL YOU STILL LOVE ME TOMORROW?, the third novel in the series, at Borders one afternoon. I read it, loved it, and quickly went on an expedition to find the first two novels in the series. Since then there have been four additional Sam McCain novels and one novella. I've read each of them at least once, and I just read the most recent addition to the series: FOOLS RUSH IN.

It's 1963. The civil rights movement is charging across the country. The townspeople of Black River Falls, Iowa are concerned about the tumultuous changes that are happening across the country, but their town has been insulated from the turmoil until a young black man is murdered. His name is David Leeds, and he is a motivated, attractive, and well-liked young man who is attending University in Cedar Rapids, and scandalously dating the daughter of a local Senator.

Sam is again heralded into action by Judge Whitney--the last of the gentrified Whitney family who came to Black River Falls in the 1860s after a disagreement with the Treasury department sent them running from the East coast. He is ordered to find out who killed David Leeds and stop Cliff Sykes, the incompetent local Sheriff, from fouling the investigation. Sam quickly finds himself in a mystery that goes beyond mere racism--he does discover plenty of hate, but he also finds corruption, blackmail, fear, and even a little love.

FOOLS RUSH IN is darker than the previous entries in the series. We find Sam in a new world--the beautiful Pamela Forrest is gone, Mary has returned to her husband and Sam feels himself getting a little older. His father is ill and his world is changing. He is still a wiseacre, philosopher, pulp reader, part-time lawyer, and part-time private eye, but the world is changing around him. Or maybe better said, he is losing his youth and his vision of the world is changing.

The mystery is top-notch. Mr. Gorman gives enough false leads to keep the reader guessing at what is happening, and when the climax arrived I was surprised by who did what, and why. I enjoyed FOOLS RUSH IN a whole lot. It is a worthy addition to one of the better private eye series still being produced, and I hope--oh how I hope!--there is another story or two still waiting to see print. But if there isn't, FOOLS RUSH IN isn't a bad title to go out with.

Ben Boulden, Gravetapping

In June 1963 in suburban Black River Falls, Iowa, Judge Esme Anne Whitney assigns attorney and private investigator Sam McCain to end the shenanigans of a blackmailer who may derail the reelection of white Senator Williams, whose daughter is seeing a Negro David Leeds. Sam goes to the cabin of the extortionist photographer Richie Neville only to find him dead from two close-up shots to his face and nearby also killed is Leeds.

The American heartland has not been directly impacted by the civil rights movement that has the Freedom Riders all over the south and the nation listening to Negro demands for equality in DC. In Iowa, Sam quickly realizes just below the surface of calm lies plenty of anger and resentment as a black male does not date a white female. However, he also sees another scenario possible as Sam finds wads of money and photos of other victims; he ponders whether one chose to make remittance by murdering the blackmailer with the Negro being at the wrong place at the wrong time. The police want him to stay out of their case although he expects some sort of whitewashing of the truth.

Sam's seventh song titled civil rights era mystery (see BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO and EVERYBODY'S SOMEBODY'S FOOL) is a terrific whodunit. However, it is the small town relatively serene Iowa backdrop that enables the audience to witness the demands for freedom in 1960s America; this seemingly out of the way from the prime civil rights focus allows readers to understand the scope of the movement. Ed Gorman once again combines a fine murder investigation with a touch of nostalgia inside of the grand scale of the local, regional, and national freedom marches that changed America.

Harriet Klausner

Set against the backdrop of civil rights leader Martin Luther King's impending March on Washington, Fools Rush In finds lawyer/PI Sam McCain investigating the murders of suspected blackmailer Richie Neville and one of his alleged victims, David Leeds. Found together in a wooded area near Neville's studio, the two men are connected by some photos that Neville threatened to release to the press, photos of law student Leeds, a charismatic young black man, pursuing a romance with Lucy Williams, daughter of conservative white Senator Lloyd Williams (this being Black River Falls, Iowa, circa June 1963, the pictures are certain to negatively impact the staid Republican Senator's quest for reelection). McCain doggedly pursues the truth, discovering that his home town is even more insular and bigoted than he previously imagined.

Ed Gorman's seventh Sam McCain adventure (each installment bears the name of a popular period song as its title) displays all the positive attributes its predecessors possessed, namely Gorman's stripped down, not-a-word-wasted prose, his deft plotting, and his dead on characterization (all reasons why he's won the Shamus, the Spur, and the International Fiction Writers awards for his significant contributions to genre fiction). As with previous adventures, Gorman marries these attributes with subtle commentary on the social mores and historical figures of the era, providing a mirror which, while certainly reflective of the past, also provides a telling perspective on problems and issues which still face (plague?) us today.

Ex-FBI profiler and crime investigator consultant Robert Payne is asked by his friend Monsignor Steve Gray to "sniff around" in the sordid murder of a parish priest at a skeevy local motel. The twisty plot suggests several possible suspects. The suburban/rural Cedar Rapids, Iowa, setting gives the story a vivid Midwest placement. Robert's personal life also hits turbulence when his step-father Vic shows up on his doorstep. Vic, a Good Time Charlies in the old days, is dying of lung cancer, and Robert has to swallow his dislike and care for the elderly Vic. Robert's sweet and wise girlfriend Felice convinces Robert to do the right thing (as all significant others do) by Vic. A profile of each murder victim is given to add depth to the mystery. Ed Gorman's elegant, lean prose style is always a treat to read as well. This solid entry in the series hits its stride.

As I lifelong resident of the Cedar Rapids area, I found the locale of the story attractive. However, as I was reading it, I found many aspects of the plot stale. However, much of that was due to my having read other books published after this one where the basic plot was the same. To be specific, it involves Catholic priests whose piety is lacking and whose actions are definitely not going to get them into paradise after their demise.
It begins with the death of a Catholic priest in a shady motel, he was murdered and his body mutilated after the fact. Robert Payne receives a call from his old friend Steve Gray, now a Catholic priest and at the time of the call, in the room with the body. Robert comes to aid him and then is hired to privately investigate the murder. He does so and finds many different suspects, a trail of infidelity, lies and other nasty deeds.
As the investigation continues, Robert discovers a series of murders where the body was mutilated after death. As the story unfolds, there are sidebars of explanation about the victims. None of them are particularly attractive people, all are criminals of one form of another, and for each there is a list of possible suspects.
The climactic conclusion is not particularly strong, it comes and goes quickly and it was obvious to me when it began how it was going to end. I liked the story and Gorman deserves credit for being more original in his plot than others who have followed and used the same plot device. I recently read and reviewed, "God's Spy" by Juan Gomez-Jurado and published in 2007. Gomez-Jurado uses the same basic plot device of the bad Catholic priest(s) and the action there was much stronger. Therefore, the lower ranking here is largely due to the comparison to "God's Spy."

Monsignor Steven Gray asks his old childhood friend, former FBI psychological profiler, Robert Payne to investigate the murder of Father Daly. Robert, who now works as an investigator for a Cedar Rapids, Iowa law firm, does not want to get involved with what looks to him like an internal church affair. However, for old time sakes, he agrees to look into this and a similar grisly murder of a priest.

Among Daly's possessions are a series of articles about the brutal killings of members of St. Mallory Church. From these clippings and other information, Robert develops a profile on a vicious serial killer. As he gets closer to identifying the culprit, Robert knows he must pick up the pace before another parishioner becomes the next brutalized victim.

HARLOT'S MOON, the latest Robert Payne novel (see HAWK MOON and BLOOD MOON), is a tremendous hard-boiled detective story, starring a great protagonist. When it comes to crime, Robert is as tough as they get, but Ed Gorman makes his star profiler seem human because he provides him with compassionate traits too. Throw in a well-designed fast-paced story line and a strong support cast that constantly move the plot forward and the audience has a top rate psychological who-done-it.

Harriet Klausner

One of the best prize-winning collections I've read. I picked up this book about 4 years ago and still have the stories stuck in my head. They are very smart and cleverly written, and after revisiting them, I am even more amazed at their power. If you are a fan of modern short fiction, about mostly urban characters, you will really enjoy this collection. So many fresh moments in here - lines that just stick in your head. Feitell is a great writer and I hope to see a lot more of her books in the future.

The Publisher's Weekly summary of this book is right on target: most of these stories are poignant depictions of characters in search of love and acceptance. Feitell does a good job of sketching familiar character types in literary fiction: men and women in their late twenties or early thirties with vague commitment problems and a lingering feeling of missing out on what makes life special. Only one of the stories doesn't work: Such a Big Mr. England is actually an unlikeable story, and should have been left out of the collection. Otherwise, Feitell provides thoughtful and well-crafted pieces. This collection works best if you take a break between reading the stories, as the similiaries in theme and language make the stories blend together if you read them in one or two sittings. The best way to approach this book is one story at a time, and allow a few days between stories. Fans of literary fiction won't be disappointed.

Each of the stories in this collection are rueful,clever,energetic and big-hearted. Feitell's prose is a revelation-- finding humor in the bittersweet details, the essential stuff of life. I know that the brave and conflicted characters who populate these pages will stay with me. This is a true gem of a book.