Nebraska Books

Great stories. Loved how each story delved into a particular aspect of the main charactor's past or caused them to question the life choices they made.They all had regrets and wished they has done certain things differently. As we all do! The stories were enteraining and made you think about your own past and the choices you have made. Can't wait until the next collection comes out.

Wonderfully fleshed out characters, moving stories and excellent writing combine to make this one of my favorite reads. Many of the characters and situations reminded me of events that took place in my own life. Good gift for the discerning reader.

It's not often that I can honestly say I enjoyed a collection of short stories. Ms Jeffrey was able to succinctly capture her characters' emotions and the complex relationships between people. I particularly enjoyed the last three stories.

This is a great read even if you are not a huge short story fan.

The short stories in Omaha Beach felt to me like messages from a writer well-acquainted with joy and regret, love and loss, anger and wonder. The stories reveal what is going on under the masks we wear in our everyday lives, hiding the ugly truths we don't want anyone else to see. Whether or not I've experienced exactly what the characters in Omaha Beach have lived through, I know their emotions because I've felt them too. In addition, her description of the 1970s resonated so much with me, I can actually see the off-color, grainy, instamatic photos we all took to chronicle that time. I contacted the author, Erica Olsen Jeffrey and she has offered to write discussion questions on these stories for my book group, or any other book groups or literature classes.

Well-written collection with great character development. My favorite of the bunch was "Trail's End," followed by "Catch and Release." I look forward to reading more in the future by Erica Olson Jeffrey.

I discovered this book by accident many years ago, and have since purchased several more copies to share with friends (some fellow quilters and some not). I started quilting as part of my treatment for depression so it was deeply satisfying and encouraging to read of Janet's ongoing journey through fabrics. SO much to consider and feel. I've returned to this volume time and again and portions of it have even inspired some of my own quilting (notably Thirty Years Later, a quilt created along the lines of one essay titled "Smashing Those Dresden Plates").

This book didn't quite grab me the way it seems to have grabbed other reviewers. I can appreciate it, reading about her life and historical aspects of quilting were interesting, but it just wasn't my style. For me, having a visual reference would have helped. I would have loved for her to have added photos of the quilts she was making and writing about and/or photos of the historical figures and quilts she wrote about.

Although this is not a long book, I found myself spacing out my reading to enjoy each and every tidbit that Ms. Berlo had to offer. I didn't want it to end and savored each scrap. She is a wonderful writer that captures what it is to be a woman entreanched in family issues, life in general and how crafting can lift you up and out of a "funk". My only regret is that I can't see her beautiful quilts that she describes so poetically. That would complete the circle.

I am PASSIONATE about this book! It's written as a mix between a journal and an autobiography and lays bare a lot of the feelings that I thought only I had about the importance of quilting. I love the way that the passion for quilting is woven into Janet's love for her sisters and her sometimes difficult relationship with her mother. As you read, you begin to see her working her way out of the depression that imobilised her, and it shows how she re-chanelled her creativity after her writing "avenue" of expression was blocked. This is a book for anyone interested in the stresses of 21st century woman, and even if you don't quilt yourself, you will still enjoy the sharing of emotions. I defy anyone not to say at some point "I have felt exactly like that!", whatever your interests or background!

Berlo describes the way a sudden depression turned her from a highly esteemed, publishing professor to an almost obsessive quilter overnight.
She talks movingly about finding balance, and the way that "playing" with colors, patterns and fabric helped her find that, both in her work, and with friends and family.
In a society that undervalues "women's art" (especially textile arts), Berlo makes an interesting case that it is both therapeutic and historically significant.

I really liked this book. It only took me about 5 days to read it (and that was with my time being limited by life being busy!!) I liked how it started, it caught my attention. I liked the end too, a little surprising. I thought the characters were realistic and interesting. I love this time period too, historical fiction is always fun! I think the book was easy to read and very enjoyable. If you like this book you would probably also like Treasures of the North by Tracie Peterson (also about the gold rush - but only in Canada).

Laina Gray is an ex-showboat singer sold into slavery by her unscrupulous father. Rescued by army officer Nathan Boone, she discovers a new life at the fort under the watchful eye of faithful Christian Granny Max. Will Laina escape her past or is it doomed to haunt her?

I enjoyed the first half of secrets of the wind. Laina is a truly likeable character and so is Granny max. Granny Max is the soul of the book, and so is Laina, and any scene with those two in it was heartwarming...

However, the preaching became quite heavy in the second half of the book, almost to the point where it was unenjoyable for this reader. I can handle it when it seems natural, but in many cases it seemed forced. Long discussions of characters faith or (lack therof) do not particularly excite me.

I also felt the author's depiction of male characters was pretty bland. Neither of the male characters (Beau or Nate) were particularly thrilling. Nate was a bit of a mary sue and Beau seemed like a loser to me. I found the romance between Laina and her chosen beau to be quite tepid. It seemed almost as though the last few chapters the author remembered it was a romance and tacked it on. The issue of rape recovery, childbirth, loss, and death are not particularly romantic subjects and these issues are being dealt with during the heroine's very brief 'courtship,' was a bit of a downer. I'd like to see Laina get a romance, but so soon after her ordeal didn't work out for me somehow.

3 stars. A little too much preaching and unappealing male characters, sloppy romance.

This is the first Christian "romance" book I have ever read, and was pleased that the Word of God was shared repeatedly throughout the book (KUDOS Stephanie) without sounding "preachy" or forced. A+ and how 'bout the hot girl on the cover!

Stephanie Grace Whitson has done it again with this one! Indians play a part, the Army an even larger part-- as well as various and sundry "orphans and abused victims" all of which sway the reader one way or the other.

She portrays Laina in a positive light in spite of her infamous and horrible past. Boone is a leader in the Army who just cannot move on past the death of his wife 2 years earlier. The reader gets geared for a relationship that keeps you guessing, wondering and finally letting out a big sigh of surprise. Everyone's hero is Granny Max, her faith,healing touch and counsel and patience never waver. Tears will spill over Granny in this book, trust me.

Another "little lamb" who is running is Jackson, a young soldier with a past. He has a temper and some habits that make you want to alternately shake him and hug him. Good job, Stephanie!

When Laina feels she has done it all, borne it all and is finally is on her way to recovery from her dugout ordeal and her earlier past, she finds out she is NOT disconnected yet, and will be asked to bear the ultimate humiliation. Can she-- in this small, close-knit community? She has a plan. Is it God's plan, though?

Whitson definitely has another winning series and I am out the door to purchase book number 2, thanks again Steph, for your courage and determination to keep love, history, Indians and Christ all woven throughout this book and most likely the rest of the series if I know you!

Capturing a slice of history set in an outback U.S military post, the first book in the Pine Ridge Portraits series tells the story of three very different people who all want to make a new start in their lives. Saved from certain death, Laina struggles to overcome her hideous past and all the nightmares that resulted, with the gentle wisdom and support of Granny Max. Still reeling from the death of his wife two years earlier, Sergeant Nathan Boone endeavours to help Laina regain her footing, all the while unsure of how to move forward with his own life. And then someone who figured in both Laina and Nathan's past re-emerges with a new identity...
Stephanie Grace Whitson tells a story of hope and redemptive grace in the midst of 1870's Nebraska, bringing to life characters with heartache and determination. SECRETS ON THE WIND sets the pace for a gripping new series by this award-winning author. Recommended for fans of Janette Oke, Stephen Bly, Al and Joanna Lacy, Alan Morris and Gilbert Morris. ~~Ellie Schroder, owner of The Christian Fiction Site

More than a century later, it is still a classic detailed study of irregular warfare. It is interesting and instructive with insights into modern warfare years ahead of the 4th generation warfare proving grounds of the 20th and 21st century. For the case study approach to real conflicts, this book is worth the price and worth keeping to re-read on later occasions.

The author is one of the earliest and most influential writers on counter-insurgency. He was a British military officer writing to teach junior officers on how to defeat non-European forces. While many of his tactics seem rather tough and barbaric, one must be careful to judge him by the standards of his time (early 20th century), not by the whims of today. If one is able to look past many of tougher stances, like destroying the food and water sources of uncooperative local citizens, there is quite a bit worth learning. The Marine Corps Small Wars Manual of 1940 owes much to this work. While more modern counter-insurgency writers have overshadowed Caldwell's teachings, he still deserves credit for being one of the first to record the lessons and basic tenets of counter-insurgency. It is amazing the see how little has changed and how well this book holds up. I understand why this book is still required reading at the Marine Corps Command and Staff College.

Colonel Callwell's book is a "must" for any student of military history and also practicing members of the armed forces. The wealth of detail and the numerous references to actual events and the ability to clearly convey the concept of how to manage such operations. I return to this volume constantly.

Long before the term "insurgent" entered the military vocabulary the British had developed a long experience in fighting them during much of the 19th century. Colonel Callwell's book is an excellent source if you want to understand the roots of counterinsurgent warfare in the 20th and 21st centuries. Callwell covers the topic completely from strategy to tactics used against different fighting styles e.g. mounted troops, fanatics, etc. hill and bush warfare, the use of infantry and mounted troops as well as night operations. Callwell supplies good examples accompanied by nice action maps for his subjects. Before reading this book I found it helpful to read "Queen Victoria's Little Wars" by Byron Farwell which gave me a much better appreciation of entire small wars from which Callwell takes his examples. If you are doing an indepth study of insurgent warfare this is a must, but if your time is limited you might want to come back to it and move on to more contemporary readings first.

I bought this book because it appeared to fill in the void of my knowledge on colonial wars. The author has clearly stated that all of his examples used to illustrate his principles will be that of properly formed armies versus irregular native troops (the Boers are an exception). Thus, the American War of Independence is excluded but surprisingly, several examples from the European Vendee rebellion are also included. The author's style is to state principles, followed by a litany of examples to illustrate his point. He cites many unknown engagements as examples but many of these examples lack firm details. A textual description apparently suffices as examples. The same examples could be used to illustrate other points. I found this approach rather boring and it began to read like a manual to me. On the plus side, there were some examples with more details given, including a sketch map which livened the proceedings somewhat. Douglas Porch provides a neat introduction into the background of Col Callwell, including the fact that he had numerous entries selected for the Encyc. Brittanica. Except for the one on Guerrilla warfare for which the editors selected TE Lawrence. I can see why - Callwell wrote from the perspective of the formed troops - Lawrence wrote from that of the guerrillas.

Very interesting book,although my favorite by this author is still "The Earth Abides". This book obviously pre-dates today's doppler radar systems, and deals with the evolving art of weather forecasting. The fact remains that George R. Stewart was a very accomplished writer, and could be counted as a very creative storyteller.

For most, weather happens! It affects our lives in countless ways and sometimes wreaks havoc on them. Unless one personally experiences the sheer violence of weather like a tornado or a hurricane, we go along just being inconvenienced by it and muttering how it forced cancellation of the picnic or the golf game. Stewart's novel is a wonderful story of the seeming innocence of an obscure storm system developing far, far away that eventually will dramatically impact men's and women's lives in western United States. The people stories are poignant and suspensful as each is tied to this relentless and powerful storm as it develops and makes it's way to our shores. One gains tremendous appreciation and respect for the patterns, intensity and often times the unpredictable nature of weather -

The book was written in 1940. I read it in February 1943 at the U. of Wisconsin. Unaware that I needed glasses, I had been rejected by the Army Air Corps as a possible fighter pilot. I stumbled into weather forecasting as a bad second choice, having no interest at all in weather. This small book, given to me by the Army, instantly converted me into an avid, aspiring meteorologist. I am so glad Amazon.com recently found a used copy for me.

The novel is unusual in its construction. The storm called Maria (this book started the custom of giving storms feminine names) is the all imposing, domineering character in the story. There are 12 chapters, one for each day in the life of the storm. Each chapter has 6-12 subchapters that tell of the two or three dozen human characters who are in the plot. We know most of them by job title, not by name. Maria connects them all together in an ever rising crescendo that reminds me of Ravel's Bolero.

This is a unique book, as there are no real characters other than the storm of the title. The story traces the birth, approach and impact of a storm, and the effect on persons and communities in its path. It is the literary equivalent of the disaster movies of the 1970's and 1980's (presaging them by several decades). Tightly written with the irresistable forward movement of a storm front, it an interesting, and surprisingly educational story. Although a bit dated, weather itself (the main character) has not changed, thus it remains current. Truly a novel novel.

A must read for anyone who knows and loves the big california storms- you know who you are. For the rest of you, it chronicles the lifespan of one of the big pacific storms.

Instead of depending on the foolish politically correct hollywood movies to learn history about this country and the people involved, read about history from those closest to the actual events. This book appears to be generally unbiased and fair about the events surrounding the Apachie and Geronimo. Of course there is always some bias because people are influenced by their own perspectives and feelings, but on the whole it was a pretty good book.

This book is one of the true historically significant accounts of events that have been forever shrouded in lies and fiction. If you are interested in historically accurate accounts of the late Apache wars, this is one of the must-read books. Davis just wanted the truth told, so he did it himself after watching glory-seeking sycophants take credit for, and be lauded for the heroic actions of others. Davis's views on his enemy Apaches, as well as the Apache scouts, show the wisdom and respect only a true and sage adversary can attest to. You won't be sorry you bought this book. Another must read is "On The Border With Crook" by John G. Bourke.

For any one interested in the real facts of the Apache campains this is for you. It may take a little patience to get through the early reading, Davis is very detailed in names and dates but he has real first hand accounts of things that acctually occured. This is a man I think saw and admired the native people and did his duty in a fair and just manner. Davis is an admiral person and does a great justice to the Indian and the attrocities they endured but at the same time points out that just like in every culture a few bad apples can spoil the lot. He also points out that the government did far more decieving to the Indian they ever did to the government. I always respected the Native Americans and even more so after this book.

Here is the point of view concerning a particular portion of the late Apache/Euro conflict involving the last rag-tag remnants of the Apache tribes and the United States Army units involved in trying to keep them subdued. Its an enjoyable read because the author gives a first-hand, eye-witness account of the series of incidents known as "The Geronimo Campaigns" and he does so without injecting the slobbering Politically Correct dogma that has become so common in present day literature dealing with frontier history (of course, Davis lived at a time when Political Correctness didn't exist, so naturally his book wouldn't contain any!)

A book like this easily destroys the sky-pie nonsense found in sob-story exercises such as Dee Brown's "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee" and blatantly absurd and Politically Correct motion pictures like "Dances With Wolves" and "Geronimo, An American Legend". In fact, its a very nice counter weight to the drivel out there that seeks to leave unaware people with the impression that the American Indian was some sort of Red Aristocrat or Feathered Philosopher/Sage who was unfairly victimized by unreasonable invaders.

However, I have even better works to offer you if you are sincerely interested in FACT and Truth concerning the White/Indian conflicts. These are all available right here at amazon.com, and the titles to look for are; THREE YEARS AMONG THE COMANCHES ( a first-hand narrative by a Texas Ranger who was captured by Comanches and how he was brutally and sadistically treated, how he escaped, and how he evaded re-capture.) LIFE AMONG THE APACHES ( a first-hand narrative by John Cremony of the famed California Volunteers, who dealt with Apache, Comanche, Kaddo and other hostiles at a time BEFORE the United States Army had even a small force in the southwestern region of North America.) and lastly, SCALP DANCE ( a book consisting of detailed military and civilian/settler accounts of the chilling, blood-curdling wars with Southern Cheyenne, Comanche, Arapaho, Sioux, and Kiowa on the high plains). These three books will serve to provide you with an excellent AND HISTORICALLY ACCURATE overview of frontier history, and an antidote to all the Politically Correct dogma out there that is being passed off as "fact" by glib leftist "educators", self-proclaimed "experts" and psuedo-historians. Read them all, none are dry or boring, and all are of the "couldn't put it down" type of literature.

After you've finished THREE YEARS AMONG THE COMANCHES, LIFE AMONG THE APACHES, and SCALP DANCE, get "Indian Wars" by Robert Utley. By reading these books in this order, you'll grasp the gravity of the incidents that Utley superbly, but only generally deals with, and you'll not only appreciate Utley's work even more, you'll also appreciate the fine line a genuine historian like Utley has to walk while trying to make a living within the Politically Correct jungle that surrounds the academic slums of so-called "modern education".

Britton Davis's reason for writing this book in the 1920's was to set straight some outlandish tales that were being published about who "captured" Geronimo, and some even more fictitious writings on the "Indian Wars."
This is an excellent book, as an adventure tale, as a look at the 'civilized' persons' outlook toward "the Indians" of the day, as a look at the horrific way our government tried to solve the 'indian problem' with a one-size-fits-all method (sound familiar?), and a look at Apaches as individuals rather than all-bad or all-good.
For a tremendous balance of outlooks, read this book along with Eve Ball's "Indeh".

Hilda Raz and Aaron Raz Link write the story of Aaron's young life. He starts off as a young woman, Sarah, and becomes a transgendered gay man in his early thirties. That's the short version. The book is honest, but the words that I kept thinking were "tenderness" and "compassion." Both mother and son handle each other so carefully as they negotiate the difficult passage of losing one person and gaining another. Sarah is gone, Aaron has emerged. As a mother, I feel Hilda's boat rocking on and on and how compassionately she negotiates the waters, compassionate with her son, compassionate with herself for being confused. I love this book and would recommend it to anyone who wonders how much gender determines personhood, to anyone who has thought about family and the delicate threads that bind family.

This book tells the much needed minority story of what it means to be transgendered. The author did not necessarily experience his difference as one of gender in early childhood. Instead, he just felt different than the other children. He came to see gender as part of his problem as he got older. Even then, he doesn't identify with the feeling of being a "man trapped in a woman's body". Literature usually tells the stories of transgendered people who have always known they are the wrong gender, and who easily fit stereotyped notions of what transgendered people are. It is nice to see someone who doesn't fit the mold and to hear a story told from a different perspective.

While this does add some diversity to the literature on transgendered people, it is not a good introductory book. The author takes an unusual and highly dangerous approach to obtaining medical care, so this book is not a good way to learn about the process of transitioning. Also, there is very little factual information in this book about what is involved in a transition. Since that is not it's primary purpose, though, it still makes a great narrative.

Raised a woman, Aaron Raz Link became a man - a gay man - at the age of 29. At least, he initiated the hormonal and surgical processes to alter his appearance toward a form closer to the person he had always felt he was inside. Because Link was trained as a scientist - specifically, taxonomy, the science of naming things - he is uniquely fit to analyze his unusual experience. It doesn't hurt that he's a beautiful writer as well as a thoughtful and witty one.

The book is nonfiction, he explains, and a memoir, but not autobiography: "It is a book about pieces that didn't fit the picture. As a result, the most confusing and difficult pieces play the largest roles." Strictly speaking, he writes, there is no such thing as a "sex change operation"; there are rather lots of little surgeries that were developed for other reasons, such as for badly mutilated soldiers, and infants and grownups whose bodies took an odd turn due to misbehaving hormones or cancer.

Link's analysis of his youthful fascination with movie monsters (they "were obviously the good guys"), of the Catch-22 of having to get himself diagnosed as mentally ill in order to qualify for the surgeries (legally speaking, "a mentally healthy person wouldn't want what I wanted"), and the absurdities of psychiatry and people's assumptions about gender roles, are all fascinating and well handled. There's even a kind of punch line: After an early lifetime of hating to be laughed at, following his sex reassignment, Link went to clown school.

Though a professor of English and women's studies who has been writing and publishing much longer than her son, Hilda Raz's less-than-a-third of the book is diffuse and less compelling - which probably reflects her passive and somewhat unwilling role in her son's transformation.

What Becomes You makes a terrific companion to Self-Made Man, lesbian journalist Norah Vincent's 2006 account of her three months dressing and living as a man. They're great food for any reader's thought.

"What Becomes You" is fascinating, moving, educational and revealing. In this book Aaron and his mother examine their lives within the context of their experiences and expectations of gender, what it is and what it isn't, what it means and what it doesn't mean. This book avoids sentimentality and sensationalism---instead it is gentle, intelligent and intimate. Reading Aaron's section, I felt as if I were sitting beside him as he told me the story of his life, his emotions as a child growing up feeling always out of place in a female role, and his struggles as an adult who chose to change not simply his body but his relationship to the world. Reading his mother's section I experienced the roller-coaster of emotions that she felt during the years of Aaron's self-discovery and gender change and, along the way, undergoing her own trials with breast cancer. Throughout the book the authors' love and respect for one another's lives is palpable. This book is not just a "trans" story. It is the story of family, longing, love, loss, society, work, literature, healing and much more.

I remember meeting Sarah many years ago.

Aaron has given me insights that will hopefully allow me to be a better friend to several folks who share her experiences, I plan to recommend the book, not just to these friends, but to their friends and famlies.

As a grandmother and great-grandmother, I share with Aaron the love of a wonderful person, his friend - my son. I thank him for the introduction, not only to Sarah, but now Aaron and the world he lives within. His book has furthered the limited education of this rural midwesterner, and I thank him so much for that.

And remember, Aaron, when you dig in the sand, fingers and flippers often bear a striking resemblance! But that doesn't mean a crime has been committed. Keep exploring, and keep writing.

I have been writing for over forty years, and it seems to me I might have done better with it all had I paid more attention to one central piece of advice given in this book, the advice about listening to the reader, caring to communicate with the reader, learning from the reader's reaction.
This book is a very friendly guide to the writer and would - be- writer. It is written with a clearness and common sense and real concern for helping out 'others'. Its spirit, its unpretentiousness, clarity are all in its favor.
The authors teach the value of writing every day, of concentrating on communicating with the reader. They also have a section on the business of getting oneself published. They advise against trying to go over the head of the reader with dazzling displays of knowledge or virtuosity, and instead communicating to the reader. They suggest that much good writing comes from everyday life, and is about telling stories of everyday life in a winning way. They go into details of the writing process to show how to make it more effective.
This is a small book with much in it.

This book is excellent for someone who may have inhibitions when it comes to expressing themselves in their writing...someone who just needs a slight push to feel less apprehensive. I felt it was more for someone who just started writing or who wants to write, but has been too afraid vs. someone whose seriously looking to improve their craft.

Good book to get beyond those vague fears about expressing oneself with the written word. Encouraging and helpful, I would recommend this book to any new writer who just needs a little boost.

This is not your every day how-to book about writing. Nor is it a writing text book. It's a solid, easy to follow guide to get you writing after all the years of saying you wish you could. It won't guarantee you'll be published. But it will give you realistic suggestions that if followed will help you improve your writing.
Co-author Ted Kooser follows his own advice: he communicates. To Kooser, all writing is communication and if it's poorly written communication fails. Kooser is a former Poet Laureate and winner of the Pulitzer Prize in Poetry. He is a professor of English at the University of Nebraska--Lincoln. Joining Kooser is Steve Cox who is an editor, publisher, freelance writer and director emeritus of the University of Arizona Press.
The 177 pages of the book are full of useable information for any writer--published or unpublished. Nine sections cover every aspect of writing from "What Do You Know?" to "Copyright, Libel and Invasion of Privacy."
Composition teachers will shudder at the section entitled: "Rules? We Don' Need No Stinkin' Rules!" Kooser and Cox quote author Elmore Leonard: "If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it. Or, if proper usage gets in the way, it may have to go. I can't allow what we learned in English to disrupt the sound and rhythm of the narrative."
Aaagh! Miss Spencer who taught Comp 101 would have a coronary!
"Many writers have been tempted to tell you everything they have learned about writing...Writing is a capacious activity that allows for a lot of individuality. Nobody's wrong, and nobody's necessarily right," the authors write.
Most new writers don't grasp the importance of revising. Kooser and Cox write: "It's a rare first draft that can be published or even read in public. Almost every piece of writing needs some rewriting, rethinking, and polishing before it is ready to take center stage." Their suggestion on the importance of revising is to "let it [draft] cool" a while before revising.
Stephen King, the authors point out, sets the first draft of his books aside for six weeks before writing the second draft.
The personality of your writing can determine your own personality, they write: "Expressing yourself positively will have a remarkable effect on your life...It turns out that writing positively leads you into the habit of thinking positively, and thinking positively leads you to behaving positively in other areas of your life."
The focus of the book is how to get started writing, how to keep going and how to get publicity. It does a good job of meeting that goal.

Imagine sitting down for coffee (or tea) with the U.S. Poet Laureate (who just won a Pulitzer) and a well respected author, editor and publisher and having them tell you how you can write better. This book does it. Conversational, fun, and full of wisdom and encouragement. Will you snag your Pulitzer? Probably not. But, if you take these guys' advice and start writing, there's a good chance that you'll have some words on paper that other people might just treasure long into the future.

Jay Rochlin

I'll put this simply: if you are what we in the art world call "artsy-fartsy," you will enjoy this book, as the writing is poetic and full of descriptive emotion. But if you're just looking for a good read, pass this one on by. It will confuse the living daylights out of you. But if you must, do some back ground work on the author and maybe a little on the subject herself. Good luck!

Atemisia Gentileschi, born in Rome in 1598, is one of the most fascinating figures in the history of art, though very little is known about her life. The daughter of a painter herself, Artemisia painted beautiful scenes of the women of Roman and biblical history even though she could neither read nor write.

Artemisia had, to put it mildly, a turbulent personal life. She was discredited in a rape trial, betrayed by her own father and abandoned by her husband. Her professional life, however, was far different. She was the first woman admitted to the prestigious Florentine Academy; she established a successful art school in Naples; she raised her daughter on her own and supported herself financially during a time when a woman's life was defined only by home, husband, children and the Church.

Although the above is about the sum total of all that's known about Artemisia Gentileschi's life, writer, Anna Banti, managed to flesh out these bare bones facts into one of the triumphs of 20th century Italian literature.

"Artemisia" is definitely not a biography or even a fictionalized one. It is not a historical work; in fact, the setting of this book is definitely ahistorical. It consists of an amazing dialogue between the author and Artemisia. There are, as way I see it, three levels in this book: the experiences of Artemisia, the experiences of the author and a blending of the two, to make a very fascinating third.

The very essence of this book consists of Artemisia's travels, all made for the sake of her art. Included are the young Artemisia's traumatic experiences in Rome, her marriage, her years of success in Naples, her long and undoubtedly arduous journey to England and back again to her native Italy.

One of the things that makes this book so powerful is Banti's constant authorial intrusion, a device that would weaken (or destroy) more conventional novels. Moving back and forth from the thrid to the first person, Banti holds fascinating conversations with Artemisia. This leads to a captivating, but very complex, narrative. As the dialogue between author and subject intensifies, Banti complicates matters even further.

In 1944, when the first version of "Artemisia" was nearly complete, events of the war caused it to be destroyed. The "Artemisia" of the first version constantly intrudes on the "Artemisia" of the second version, however. Confusing? No, not really. Banti is far too good a writer for that. Complex? Yes. And lyrical and skillful and fragile.

Despite the fact that this is not a historical novel, it is highly atmospheric. There are no detailed descriptions to weigh down the weightless quality of Banti's lyricism, but there are many vivid images of 17th century Rome, Naples, Florence, France.

No matter how fast you usually read, "Artemisia" is a novel that should be read slowly. This is a demanding book that requires much concentration on the part of the reader, but this concentration will be richly rewarded.

There is a vague, circular quality about this book and, in a sense, it ends where it began. In reality, however, nothing is known about Artemisia Gentileschi's life after her return to Italy from England.

This book is complex, intricate, self-reflective and extremely lyrical. Although it has an ephemeral, gossamer quality, it succeeds wonderfully in bringing Artemisia Gentileschi to life in a vivid and wonderful manner.

Anna Banti's first draft of this work of love and devotion was destroyed in WWII. It concerns Italian painter Artemisia Bentileschi. While few concrete facts are known about her, she has fascinated art historians for centuries. Anna Banti, when she began writing her manuscript for the 2nd time, was influenced by her own experiences, and she elected to challenge the boundaries of traditional biography. Artemisia is fleshed out. Neither true biography (obvious, given the paucity of facts) nor historical fiction, Artemisia dives into spurts of detail to capture the feelings and images of `truth,' rather than to pin down verifiable `facts.' Such is the new genre: creative nonfiction, tho Banti definitely and admittedly takes liberties. Truth With Privileges would be a good description.
Artemisia is a rich, complex, and extremely thought-provoking book that demands the reader's careful attention.
Spectacular, but challenging.

This is an extremely well-written and moving account of Artemisia. It is a modernist novel and is a dialogue between the the narrator and Artemisia. I highly recomend it.

This is a haunting tale of a woman painter on the skirts of history. Anna Banti intertwines not only fiction with history, but also past and present and her own life with that of Artemesia. The story encompases a number of years and is written in a stream of conscious manner. It is not fully understood until the end. The reader becomes wraped up in the mystery that the author has created.

Absolutely deplorable people doing rather hardhearted things. Loved it! Couldn't stop reading it once I had scanned the first couple of lines. What's not to love about a cast of 18th century rogues and lowlifes? I just wish I could see this actually performed-- seems like it'd be extremely entertaining to watch.

The beggar's opera,: And companion pieces (Crofts classics) is good as it includes extra writings from Mr. John Gay, friend of Jonathan Swift (the Irish cleric of The Essential Writings of Jonathan Swift (Norton Critical Edition) and A Modest Proposal and Other Satirical Works (Dover Thrift Editions) and Gulliver's Travels (Oxford World's Classics)) and collaborator with Alexander Pope in the gathering and editting of Shakespeare's plays. Specifically the Croft edition contains excerpts from Trivia, or the Art of Walking the Streets of London.

We would wish very much to find a complete edition of the writings and plays of Mr. Gay, yet we are fortunate to find at least one here in this Regents Restoration Drama edition, the one for which he is most famous, as it was gratefully adapted by Mr. Bertolt Brecht some eighty years ago for the well known The Threepenny Opera (Penguin Classics), whose Kurt Weill music we groundlings know best in the one song Mack the Knife.

Here in the Regents edition we find the original play, with the longest section of this book the collection of sheet music with songs and lyrics, the melodies of which come from traditional airs of that time, as this was the earliest ballad opera. A brilliant introduction by Edgar V. Roberts presents fully the history, context, arguement and effects of this opera, which basically satirizes the felonoius larceny of the London aristocracy in the guise of cheap hoodlums and thieves, as if Dick Cheney's Halliburton ran and protected no more than your city, for a fee.

Read this book. Know your history. See what is happening today under our globalization and free trade agreements. Read this book.

A very helpful chronology completes this volume, setting Gay into the context of his day. This may be all we can hope for, and I certainly would like to read the rest of Trivia, and of Polly, and of The What D'ye Call It.

Life is a jest; and all things show it, I thought so once; but now I know it. - John Gay's epitaph As we sit here, nearly 300 years removed from the debut of The Beggar's Opera, it's hard to recapture the effect that it had on the England of 1728. So look at it this way, John Gay was the Sex Pistols of his day and The Beggar's Opera hit London like Never Mind the Bollocks....

Since Italian opera had first come to London in 1705, it had dominated the British stage. Replete with ornate sets, elaborate costumes, unintelligible plots and imported sopranos and castrati, it was less art than event. Audiences attended to share in the spectacle, as chariots swooped through the air & romantic tales unfolded on stage. Into this artificial world, Gay unleashed an opera about the scum of London society, set in taverns and thieves' dens. He tells the story of Peachum, a fence with a lucrative sideline in informing on fellow criminals. His daughter Polly has secretly married MacHeath, a highwayman. Now Peachum and his "wife" fear that MacHeath will inform on them & inherit their loot when they are hanged. After berating Polly for marrying, & not having sense enough to live out of wedlock, they decide to turn MacHeath in, before he can turn them in. As Peachum prepares his daughter for this turn of events he tells her: "The comfortable estate of widowhood, is the only hope that keeps up a wife's spirits. Where is the woman who would scruple to be a wife, if she had it in her power to be a widow whenever she pleased?" However, to the Peachum's disgust, Polly is actually in love with MacHeath and so, to her great surprise, are several other women, including Lucy Lockit who helps him to escape from prison. So, the stage is set for a madcap farce. Mix in a satiric look at the corrupt administration of justice, some political jabs at the political master of the day, Sir Robert Walpole and songs like the following:

A fox may steal your hens, sir A whore your health and pence, sir, Your daughter rob your chest, sir Your wife may steal your rest, sir, A thief your goods and plate. But this is all but picking, With rest, pence, chest and chicken; It ever was decreed, sir, If lawyer's hand is fee'd, sir, He steals your whole estate.

and you've got Gay's recipe for what quickly became the most popular play of the 18th Century, fathering myriad imitations including Brecht's Threepenny Opera. A delicious romp. GRADE: A

The Beggar's Opera by John Gay is an artful yet honest representation of London in the early 1700s. As the Editor's introduction notes, it is a political satire that brings to life the actions of such notorious figures as Jonathan Wild and Robert Walpole. In the Beggar's introduction the reader is made aware of the author's intent to mock the recent craze of the Italian Opera, which is considered by Gay to be thouroughly "unnatural." Immediately after that we are exposed to the corruption of a city offical, Peachum (whose name means "to inform against a fellow criminal"), as he is choosing which criminals should live, as they are still profitable, and who should not, as they have turned honest. Peachum's character of both an arch-criminal and law man is interesting enough in his daily dealings; add to that his daughter's recent marriage to a highwayman (who the father then plots to send to the gallows). Not to mention what happens when the highwayman runs into an old aquaintance of his, who visibly shows his earlier affection, and you have what makes to be a highly entertaining, emotional, and educational story of 18th century London. The dialogue is well written, and the only problem a modern reader might have is the operatic aspect. I suspect that the mockery of the opera is not felt as much when read but rather when performed. Note to reader: it makes it much easier to understand if you read the introduction. There you will find instances of "real" London that the playwrite is satirizing. For all lovers of period English pieces who enjoy a cynical wit.

From its first performance, January 29, 1728, The Beggar's Opera was an absolute success. In that period a box office hit might be continued for four or five nights. Remarkably, The Beggar's Opera ran sixty-two nights in London, and was produced nearly every year thereafter to 1886. Its popularity quickly spread to Wales and Scotland, France and Germany, and even to the New England colonies (and became a favorite of George Washington).

A London revival in 1920 ran 1,463 performances. A Beggar's Opera Club had membership limited to those that had seen at least 40 performances. Bertholt Brecht's twentieth century version, Three Penny Opera, was immensely successful too. A jazzy rendition of one of Brecht's songs, Mack the Knife, became Number One on the Hit Parade in the early 1960s.

John Gay's innovative musical appealed to the masses with its rollicking, rowdy, English lyrics overlain on old, sentimental melodies. Formal, highly structured, Italian opera was shoved aside by this novel musical form.

The cast was equally original, being comprised of cutthroats, pickpockets, thieves, streetwalkers, highwaymen, and a corrupt jailer. Polly Peachum, the sweet, trusting daughter of the roguish Peachum, was the only honest character in the play. Miss Lavina Fenton, perhaps the best theatrical singer of her day, became immensely popular for her role as Polly and at end of the run - the sixty-two performances - she married the Duke of Bolton and retired from acting.

The audience was quick to associate Newgate Prison with Whitehall; the deceitful, avaricious Peachum (Polly's father) with Robert Walpole, the Prime Minister; Macheath's band of rogues (Jemmy Twitcher, Crook-Fingered Jack, Nimming Ned, etc.) with aristocratic courtiers, and Macheath's women of the streets (Mrs. Coaxer, Dolly Trull, Mrs. Vixen, Molly Brazen, etc.) with ladies of high society.

This short three-act play has some forty-five scenes, almost all with musical interludes. Gay holds this myriad of scenes together through nearly continuous action, more akin to a modern film than to the conventional eighteenth century play.

The Penguin Classics edition (titled The Beggar's Opera, as might be expected), edited by Brian Loughrey and T. O. Treadwell, is quite good and not difficult to find.

Another good choice (and my favorite) is The Beggar's Opera published by Barron's Educational Series, edited by Benjamin Griffith, and illustrated by Keogh with full page ink-line drawings of the key characters. The lengthy, three part introduction - the playwright, the play, and the staging - is quite helpful. The initial musical notes are presented along with the lyrics.

The Beggar's Opera, Regents Restoration Drama Series, Nebraska University Press, 1969 may be more suitable for English majors as it offers a scholarly introduction by Edgar V. Roberts. An extensive appendix, some 140 pages, is a compilation of the music of The Beggar's Opera with keyboard accompaniments, edited by Edward Smith.

The Beggar's Opera and Companion Pieces, Crofts Classics, 1966, edited by C. F. Burgess is particularly valuable - and somewhat unique - for including Gay's enjoyable poem Trivia (subtitled The Art of Walking the Streets of London), other poems (Newgate's Garland, 'Twas When the Seas Were Roaring, Sweet William's Farewell, Molly Mog, An Epistle to a Lady, and The Hare and Many Friends), and extracts from various letters. A possible drawback may be the absence of musical scores in the text, although the lyrics are embedded within the play itself.