Art Books

I thought I was reading a book on how to write together
with a group but the author spends too much time with
too many mundane details. She talks about setting rules
for a group and kicking out members that don't come
on a regular basis. I was teaching a vulnerable group
and reading her book at the same time. I wasn't in a position
to just kick out sensitive and vulnerable people. I thought
it was incredibly ELITIST for the author to say that if
the group doesn't like a member, then the group should ask
that person to leave. (I mean, the author talks about the
high turnover rate for her writing groups but doesn't take
responsibility for her behavior.)

Another problem I had is that she spends way too much time talking
about what MIGHT happen (and what happened to her) over the course
of several pages. By the time I got closer to the end, Reeves
finally delves into how to set up the group, writing exercises,
craft, etc. I thought the first half of the book could have
been summed up in one long chapter. I also thought that the
checklists were helpful, though but she doesn't spend enough
time talking about what kinds of writing exercises to do.

The book was really helpful after page 75 but considering it
only has 175 pages, that really only leaves 100 pages of
actual useful material and 75 pages of the author's nightmare
experiences with other would-be writers. Overall, this book
was disappointing. For a better book on writing, I recommend
Victoria Nelson's On Writer's Block and for groups, Writing
Alone and with Others, a book while being a little too dense,
actually prepares you for teaching a writing group and not
just a certain kind.

With this book, Judy Reeves secures her place as the best "writer about writing" we have. In this finely crafted work, as well as in her "A Writer's Book of Days," Ms. Reeves has single-handedly rescued thousands of writers from the fears and insecurities that can cripple even the most talented scribes. If you are serious about writing, wait no longer--BUY THIS BOOK, and write, write, write!

This is a great resource, whether you are trying to piece together your own writing group, deciding how to choose a group to join, or hoping to reinvigorate your current group. Ms. Reeves offers plenty of practical advice, with true-to-life examples. This is a great follow-up to her collection of writing prompts, A Writer's Book of Days, which I have used almost daily for the past four years!

As a lifetime lone writer, I owe Judy Reeves for pulling me-and other fellow writers-out of our caves. This review is not to undermine other books on the subject, for they all have contributed much. What is different about her book, is that words come from the heart with such a direct and deep understanding, they have no other way but to settle in the reader's heart. It sometimes soundss like she knows-and it matters to her-that we benefit from it. As someone who has worked with many writer's groups, she knows their doubts and confusions. Not only does she address the problems of writing in a group, but reveals solutions to help us deal with what we so affectionately call the "block". Although her second book does talk of "writing alone", it succeeds to open a new door to the pleasures and benefits of "writing together". Not only is the book a master's guide for the lost writer, but she connects with the reader and shows how to stop the distraction before it stops the artist. To me, this is a constant guide to fall back on time and again. It is a pleasure to share it with friends and I'll continue to make a gift of it to other fellow writers.

I found this book very helpful with the nitty gritty stuff about organizing my writing and working with a critique group and classes. It was also quite inspiring and full of ideas about how to write, where to write, who to write with, how to critique, how to revise, etc.

It helped enormously when three other writers and I formed an online critique group. Any questions we had, the book answered. It also gave invaluable suggestions for improving our group and our writing.

The author, Judy Reeves, has lead all kinds of writing groups and classes and gives concrete examples of what works best. Her book is well-organized, and an enjoyable read to boot.

That's How the Light Gets In: Memoir of a Psychiatrist by Susan Rako, M.D. The title comes from a song by Leonard Cohen: "There is a crack, a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in." Rako's book is remarkably candid, insightful, and wonderfully well-written. The writing just flows.

Roorbach guides you step-by-step with exercises and examples that help you write about your life. He also explains what makes good writing different from not-so-good writing. In other words, he holds you to high standards and helps you meet them. Your eventual readers should be grateful!

Brief Summary: Bill Roorbach understands that memoir writing is not as simple as putting everything you can remember about your life on paper. Memories are no different than any other source - the characters and the plot must be interesting. To that end, he combines instruction and advice with a series of exercises to produce "the bones" of a good memoir. Starting at the beginning, he covers: finding a good place to write, mapping your memories, scene making and exposition, the ethics of writing about real people, method writing and voice, metaphor and adumbration, and texture. You might not do every exercise in this book - there are 94 in all - but most seem worthwhile. Roorback encourages his students to think of the exercise work as "good, clean rocks for an eventual stone wall." Several of the exercises use a process which Roorbach calls "cracking open," which might involve finding a sentence or phrase from something you previously wrote that condenses or skims over a possible scene, and building a scene of at least two pages. (As a writer, I like thinking of myself as a cracker and polisher of stones and a builder of walls.) Other great exercises include: looking at as many books as you can to make a list of your ten favorite first sentences, making a map of the earliest neighborhood you can remember, and making a list of the subjects upon which you are an expert. The final chapter gives some good, practical advice about how to locate appropriate editors and agents, with a final cautionary suggestion: "The only helpful ambition is to write something good, something that will satisfy readers unknown to you in both predictable and unpredictable ways. If your ambition is about the work, the dream of publication won't eat at you and make a fool out of you."

Sample Excerpts: Roorbach doesn't just "tell" us the rules, he "shows" us the rules. In this example, he shows us how a good scene replaces many pages of explaining. "Instead of a passage about your family's socioeconomic status, you show your dad pulling up in the brown Ford wagon, muffler dragging. Or does he pull up in a shiny Mercedes? Or does he walk up the hill with his jacket over his shoulder, car traded for shares in a new invention? Let the reader write the passage about class."

Primary Strength: Writing Life Stories is to memoir what Joy of Cooking is to cooking. If you can follow directions and do what the book tells you to do, you'll have everything you need to create a fine memoir or a tasty meal.

Good book. Instructs with small easy-to-follow "chunks". Writer has a good sense of humor--evident in his writing. Writing isn't overly academic or political (unlike some of the other "memoir-writing" books out there).

After following Roorbach's lessons, you should be able to competently put out a very nice selection of some of the turning points in your life, special occasions, and those great memories. You'll have enough vivid "word-pictures" that folks will enjoy reading about your experiences rather than fall asleep from extreme boredom.

Overall, this is a good book that will get you started with getting your own story out there. Don't let your part in history be lost--start writing now with this book as a guide.

Regards,
Dave (aka "EditorDave" -- Capture_the_Memories on Squidoo)

This book has lots of exercises for those just beginning to edge near the writing-ledge and will help you dig into your own story. However, this book is only for those wanting to write an auto-biography and those just beginning to venture forth in their writing. If you buy this expecting help on writing someone else's life story you won't find what you're looking for. If you're not a beginning writer and you purchase this, it's likely that you'll be the proud owner of a book full of exercises you've long outgrown.

I was fortunate enough to be a student in Dr. Trimble's American Liturature class at the University of Texas in 1989. Before I took his class, my writing was poor and insincere. I did not know how to use my own voice in my work.

After reading his book several times--and finally "getting it", I improved my writing significantly. I am a more successful person because of this book.

Thank you Dr. Trimble.

I've read a lot of books on writing over the years, so many that I've reserved a spot on the corner of my desk for the very best of them so I can refer to them every so often. Only a few books are in this pile: they are the special ones. And one of them is Trimble's book. I discovered it many years ago when it was in its first edition, and have held it in high esteem ever since. Not only does Trimble give you a lot of useful information, he does, indeed , do it "with style." I enjoy both the information and the way he presents it. He covers all aspects of writing, including grammar, and usually when I see a section on grammar in such a book I skip over it, but not in this case. Even it is a delight.

You can read the book very quickly(2-3h) because it is written with great style(Trimble applies what he tells you,which makes the book a very good example to what he says). The advice is very practical, even the chapter on punctuation is useful-very useful i would say. Reading it once was enough for me to start using more expresive punctuation. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to improve his writing,whatever he may wish to write.

ps:this is the first book on writing i read. it might be that some/much of the advice from this book can be found in other books on writing.however, i think it's good to read this book, because it is short and nicely written;in the end it is a good idea to rehearse some things,sometime

If you only have time and money for one book on writing, get this one. But if you want two books, get this one and "The Elements of Style" by Strunk and White.

This book was a required text in a writing class I had as an undergraduate and I actually enjoyed reading it. In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I kept my copy instead of selling it back to the bookstore as a used copy at the end of the semester and I've used it for a reference ever since. It often comes in handy when I run up against obstacles in getting a writing project done.

As someone else pointed out, it's not as in depth as some other writing books. It is infinitely more readable and enjoyable, though. I know "enjoyable" is not a word that academics like since there seems to be an attitude of "it's only good if it's painful."

This book shows that good style and enjoyment aren't mutually exclusive. In fact it advises to turn your views and resources to best account to produce writing you'll be proud of. It also gives much more practical and understandable advice for inexperienced writers than anything else I've read.

This book should be a required yearly read for academic writers everywhere. It seems that many have forgotten the reason that they're writing--to communicate effectively--not simply to show off and get a publication under their belt.

When you want a great recipe, turn to Betty Crocker. But when you want a great recipe for success, turn to Bella Vlasis. Her book helped me out tremendously! And here's why:

Throughout most of my adult life I've been told that I look like a certain celebrity, so on a whim, I moved out here to Los Angeles to pursue jobs in the look-a-like business. But once I got here, I didn't know where to go or who to contact. I bumped into someone at a bookstore who suggested Ms. Vlasis' book and boy it was exactly what I needed!

After reading this step-by-step book thoroughly, I got myself some headshots and found an agent and have been well on my way to success. This book has helped me to gain confidence in what I do and the knowledge to go above and beyond what most others are doing in my line of work. From look-a-likes to agents to actors to performers - I recommend this book to anyone looking to get into the entertainment field. And as the author Ms. Vlasis writes at the end of her bio, "Break a leg!"

Just a quick note to say how pleased I am with Denise Bella Vlasis' latest book. If you produce corporate events, private events or anywhere that you use unique entertainment this is truly a wealth of information. if you think you've got the "look", then this definately is the best road map to success you can find to become a look-a-like and professional entertainer. Thank you Denise for a job well done!

As an agent booking lookalikes, I frequently get calls from people who want to get into the business. I refer them to this book. It will answer all their questions and get them started. There's also lots of excellent resource material for the seasoned performer including a list of agents who book lookalikes. A wealth of good solid information. I highly recommend this book.

this book has really helped me as a look-like-and modeling and acting- I was a student looking for a part-time job and then discovered this book- thank you!

This book covers it all! Not only is it a step by step guide, but Denise provides names, phone numbers, addresses and email addresses for all the services one would need to pursue a look a like career. Everything from photographers to agents. It's easy to read, and the fact that she let professionals write in their own words shows that Denise does not have an ego and you know what you're reading is fact, not an opinion. This is great "how to" book for anybody to read and follow!

Love this book! Now I allways know what to pick at the video store! And LOTS of great movies. Thanks.
-Torfinn-

If you hate reading spoilers, don't read about any movie in this book unless you've seen it already. Duralde gives away FAR too much in his synopses, which are in my opinion completely unnecessary anyway. It is his commentaries that are the interesting element here, and motivate us to see the films. Why he chose to reveal plot turns, and thus needlessly deflate our enjoyment of the films is beyond me.

Love it, love it, love it - short, sweet, funny, smart. Or as I like to call it, "the best bathroom reading book ever."

Oh, and my copy of "Can't Stop The Music" is on its way from Netflix as we speak ;)

This is far more than a simple list of films that may be aimed at a gay audience. It is 101 hysterical fan rants from someone who has a wicked sense of humor and extraordinarily evolved taste in film.

This is a book that every film student should read because Duralde has a genuine passion for movies and the understanding of them to back up his opinions.

Many of Duralde's choices surprised and delighted me; he didn't go for the easy selections. Any book that mentions "Tarnation" and "Without You, I'm Nothing" in the same breath is aces by me.

101 Must-See Movies for Gay Men is a seminal tome in more ways than one. Well, actually, only one. It hasn't got any of the good pictures in it. But it does have 101 movies that are essential to a broad range of the gay aesthetic. It's got movies for drama queens, diva queens, show tune queens, bears, disco queens, grunge queens and size queens. The only gay subgenre it's lacking is the queer sports movie, and I'm sure once Duralde has seen Summer Storm and Guys and Balls he'll add something appropriate to Bride of 101 Must-See Movies for Gay Men he keeps promising (unless that what he's titling the lesbian companion piece he keeps promising as well, in which case he'll have to include Bend it Like Beckham or, better yet, Personal Best).

When I came out, I was told I couldn't get my queer card until I'd seen Torch Song Trilogy and Murder by Death. Both are missing from 101. I'm not going to fight too hard for Murder by Death which is simply a very good example of camp and not particularly queerly significant beyond that, but I will say that I can't imagine a list of queer movies complete that doesn't include Torchsong.

But what is in the book is delightful and insightful. I knew Fight Club is about the slashiest thing every made, but it didn't occur to me to put it in a list of must-see movies for the queer cognoscenti. But even the obvious choices - Whatever Happened to Baby Jane, Sunset Boulevard, Valley of the Dolls, Sunday, Bloody Sunday and many more - are given new life and new perspective with plot synopsis, evaluation of what's important to the queer viewer, quotes from the movie and an interesting visual classification system.

Duralde examines these movies with wit and sensitivity. He makes you want to expand your DVD library, and in some cases your VHS library, not only with the movies he lists, but with the movies he mentions in passing discussion about other movies.

And, for the record, I've seen The Broken Hearts Club and it isn't nearly as awful as Duralde makes it out to be, but it is awful.

I cannot remember the title or anyone who was in it, but it you're looking for a movie emblematic of what bad queer cinema is, the one with the fireman who begs his girlfriend for a threesome without specifying the gender of the third participant and then is horrified when she brings some guy from the neighborhood who's been crushing on him for years into the bedroom is the one to choose.

Great book! I give it five stars! Fun projects you can build cheaply using stuff you find in thrift stores or for free if you are willing to look inside Salvation Army dumpsters! Projects are great if you are a private eye, company internal security guy, or a kid who wants to really bother your family, friends and neighbors! On the more serious side,if you are into nature, you could probably use alot of the night scope and amplified ear stuff for bird/ animal monitoring. Be rational using this stuff! You could get in trouble if you follow your evil genius side! But...that's why you are looking at this book isn't it...MAH!, HA!, HA!, and HA!

In this world where unexpected suprises are not always welcome - and if your thoughts lean toward keeping an eye on things, this publication will certainly help. There are chapters the younger set would appreciate as well the seasoned info gatherer will not hesitate to start putting something together.
Not electronic savvy? Not a concern. Just a few of the ideas presented here will get you headed in the right direction with property protection, keeping tabs, and real time viewing scenarios.

Before reading this I thought; "Get a camera, put it up, check it once in awhile." Wrong. This easy reading material will get you thinking in important directions about surveilance you probably haven't thought of previously, unless you were a professional.

This is a fun book, with lots of great ideas. However, it really needed tighter editing. There are several instances where the text did not agree with the schematics (schematic has 50K ohm pot, text discusses 50 ohm, etc). This is unfortunate, since novice readers may not spot the problems, and end up with circuits which don't work.

I'd also recommend a more traditional, left-to-right layout of the schematics. Some are left-right top-down, others are right-left. This makes it more difficult to follow the "flow" through the circuits.

Regardless of these hiccups, I'd recommend this book to those who'd like to tinker with "spy gear" or who are looking for simplier project ideas.

I got this for my friend's 16 year old son and he LOVES it! He is so excited about just knowing how all these things work, even though his mother refuses to let him into a Radio Shack in case he tries to build some of it! I've made him promise not to use any of his evil knowledge against our family and in return, I'll get him book 2 for his birthday! Great fun!

One will need an electronics background to understand this book. The author has some amazingly great ideas, I just wish I could understand half of what he wrote! I persuaded my uncle, who is an engineer, to explain them to me. This book is not meant for laymen. The series needs a prequel teaching the basics of electronics, and the parts the book that try to explain electronic basics is still too advanced for us regular people. So either take a class in 'electronics 101' or have an electronic engineer tutor you in this book. Too demanding for my intellect. However, it still deserves 5 stars for innovation.

Excellent content for 24 fans, from Season 1 to Season 5, with plenty of professional pictures of very high artistic quality, to get insights into the show cast, crew and into some of the most challenging scenes.
You have a look at off screen actors relaxing and having fun while waiting for the next shot or discussing about it or trying to focus on their lines.
Finally you feel the strength of that "24 family" Kiefer Sutherland writes about in his nice foreword of the book.
Also excellent quality of the editorial format.

Get this book. Especially at the price, you can not go wrong. If you are a fan , get this book. If you've never seen 24 before, watch it , and then get this book.

I have become an avid "24" fan and really loved this book. I highly recommend it to any fan of "24".

Loved the book--lots of color pictures and lots of great behind-the-scenes info. I would highly recommend this book to any "24" watchers.

Loved the book - came with a CD which I haven't seen yet. Unfortunatly I read it all in one day - but it is great to get a glimpse of how they put together this amazing show and a sneak peak at all the interesting people that make it work so well.

I looked at many writing books for my child. A school teacher recommended this one to me. After we used it as the primary writing guide, my child's writing took off. It's so effective that his writing has jumped from average to outstanding in his class. Now the book is one of our two MUST-DOs every week (the other is Beestar online ELA and vocabulary exercises, a wonderful web site www.beestar.org). Writing is a life-long skill. We will continue use this guide to improve writing for a long time.

English teachers have it tough -- no matter how hard they try, they cannot avoid a degree of subjectivity when it comes to grading papers. This book, 6+1 TRAITS OF WRITING, will not make the process a totally objective one, but it will provide a definite structure that will be invaluable to both new and experienced teachers alike. In workmanlike fashion, Ruth Culham devotes chapters to the traits (ideas, word choice, sentence fluency, voice, organization, and conventions) PLUS one (presentation) with a series of indicators for teachers to assess each one.

It's a great primer in the technique, and the chapters all follow a similar pattern with definitions of the traits, a list of reasons on why students struggle with that trait, steps on how to assess the trait, and sample papers to practice assessing using the 6 + 1 method. Each sample paper is followed by the scores the author gave it, along with their reasoning. Finally, the chapters are nicely rounded out with a series of practical ideas on how you can TEACH each trait. Teachers trying to get a handle on grading papers will appreciate the practicality and the structure.

The caveats I have with the book are minor. First, the sample papers range from Grades 3 to 9, and it's often difficult to assess sample papers because elementary teachers may not know how far along a secondary student should be and secondary teachers may have no clue about what's expected from third-grade writers. The wide range in ages, in other words, creates a bit of extra confusion for teachers who are well-versed in their own age-group of students. Also, the extra batch of "practice papers" to assess at the back of the book are directly followed by the author's scores, meaning the papers and their scores often share the same page. It would have been more helpful to separate them so as to avoid accidentally seeing a score while trying to finish the paper.

Culham's book is a great start, but a lot more practice assessing will probably be necessary to successfully implement the program. Also, I found that I had many questions about judgment calls while assessing some of the indicators and, in a workshop type setting, could have used further explanation from an experienced hand. Alas, the book cannot provide anything like that, but still, it's a start -- and a good one. Recommended.

I really enjoyed reading this book and I am excited about starting to use this method when school starts again. Teaching writing can be difficult, but how to give constructive feedback is even harder. I am optimistic that the ideas in this book will make it a whole lot easier to help my children.

I originally had to buy this book for a graduate level pedagogy course. I ended up using this book constantly to help teach 4th graders how to write. Ruth Culham explains each trait well and includes a handful of awesome lesson plan ideas for students to practice the trait. I'd recommend it as a resource for any writing teacher (Grades 3-12).

As a classroom teacher and workshop leader, I have found this book very useful. It includes sample student papers that can be used by teachers and students to hone their assessment skills. The ideas for teaching each of the traits are concrete ones that students enjoy. When I've read forty papers and have run out of new responses to give my students, there are even lists of responses for me to use. I recommend this book to both new and experienced teachers of writing.

This was a wonderful story, both entertaining and heart-wrenchingly honest. I've always admired Jameson Parker as an actor - I admire him even more as a man! Loved, loved, loved the book!

I am still in the middle of reading this but I have enjoyed so far and the dekivery was amazing it took less then a week to recieve it Lenore

You never would have known an actor from the 80's would turn out to be a modern day cowboy. Well, it seems that Jameson Parker has. You always wonder what happens to a person after a successful tv stint and now we know. The parts in this book that explain the shooting incident were intense. True, the wounds turned out not to be life threatening. Be that as it may, how would any of us react to looking down the face of a gun and watching as the bullet comes straight for us. I can understand where the PTSS would come in later in life. This book is recommended for anyone who wants a good read about cowboy life, life's ups and downs, stress, loss, ect. It is extremely well written and will hold your attention. Bravo, Mr. Parker. I already own Absent Friends and anxiously await further works from Jameson Parker.

I loved this book. I have been a fan of Mr. Parker since he starred in "Simon and Simon" in the 80s, and always wondered what had become of him. In "An Accidental Cowboy" I found out.

I commend him for writing about things that he probably would have rather forgotten -- his depression, his suicidal thoughts, etc. It is very hard to explain things you do not know yourself. And to open yourself up to total strangers, even when you don't have to look those people in the face, is especially difficult. Thank you for being so honest.

The stories about ranch life were very entertaining. Even people who have never been on a ranch before should find them fascinating. I grew up on a farm in Oklahoma, where we had cattle and horses, and I was caught up in the day-to-day life of the California cowboys. I will never forget this book, and I hope anyone else who reads it enjoys it as much as (most of) the reviewers here did.

I've read a lot of books, and while many of them may be fun to read, they are not always well-written. This book is both. I grew up on a farm and thoroughly enjoyed Mr. Parker's account of ranch life. His account is witty and fun to read, as well as being right on target with how cowboy life really is. At the same time, Mr. Parker has a wonderful grasp of the English language. His descriptions are easy to visualize and some of his comparisons are poetic as well as funny/heart-rending depending on what he is depicting. All in all, this was a thoroughly enjoyable read and one that is worth reading a second time.

A look back in time to understand the struggles in defining-and reaching your goals. A study in human nature. Things haven't changed. Great lessons still!!

This book is a down to earth, heart warming story of how Moss Hart became a premiere playwriter. Good book for those interested in working in the theater.

Moss Hart is arguably one of the finest and most successful authors of the 20th century theater in this or any other country. Like many successful men in the theater, he came from a background of serious poverty and the true drama of Act One is his perseverence and victory in extremely trying circumstances. There are fascinating glimpses into the theater world of NYC in the 40s and 50s, excellent sketches of George Kaufmann, Beatrice Kaufmann and Max Siegel, and poignant views into the people and places that forged Moss Hart into the extremely urbane, charming and successful man he became, against the hardest possible odds. Superb book!

A great read; very inspiring and funny and well written. A tale of a writer in a city which he knew so well, at least Broadway, his own neigborhoods, and the subway. His spontaneous decisions are what great showbiz tales are made of and from! His book made me want an Act Two and Act Three....excellent investment. Book in GRAND shape. Quick delivery too.

Act One is one of my favorite books. I have rearead it often since the first time I picked it up in my late teens. I love the anecdotes about the Broadway greats ans near greats and how Mr. Hart became famous, but my favorite parts of the book concern his memorable Aunt Kate, a woman whose fate in life was other than she deserved. She is very humanely portrayed, and so is the rest of Mr. Hart's family. I also enjoyed learning more about George Kaufman and his wife. This book's great!