Authors Books

Ive just finished speed-reading the last pages of The Coast of Chicago (I had my public library deliver it to me via their shut-in service & theyll be picking it up today.) My Polish-speaking psychotherapist (from Chicago) suggested I read it because Im half-Polish myself (maternally; my Polish-speaking mother was even a postulant of the Polish-speaking order of nuns of St. Felix, the Felicians.) Reading Dybek is a frightening & disturbing experience for me because the Polish Roman Catholic image-obsessions he writes about were once just beneath my skin, too. Dybek & I are the same age (b. 1942); but I grew up in Lynn MA. I had once thought Jack Kerouac wrote for all working-class Roman Catholics, but I now know Dybek writes for Polish Roman Catholics, & is the Polish Kerouac. I hope he writes a lot more stories & also tries writing novels.

Lovely stories that take place in the intersection of dream and waking life, stories you'll want to read again and again from one of the most original and lyrical writers working today.

You would have to search long and hard to find stories anywhere with this originality and beauty. They will stop you in your tracks. Dybek has staked out a territory purely his own, the lost and dispossessed of Polish Chicago. Chicago has proudly produced Dreiser, Norris, Algren, Levin, Bellow and Farrell--and now Dybek. His work is enduring, funny, incisive and unforgettable.

I have read all of Stuart Dybek's books and have even had the privilege of having lunch with him and discussing his works. Being of Polish descent, I have lived in the neighborhoods that he describes. All of his books accurately depict real Southside Chicago people and their histories, their hardships, their heartaches, their woes and their lifestyles. I read his stories and I am transported back 20 years to my childhood neighborhood. I am always overcome with a feeling of nostaglia after I finish one of his books.

It is only fitting that this collection of 14 short stories was chosen for the One Book - One Chicago program hosted by The Chicago Public Library this spring. What a better way to promote communal reading in Chicago than to sponsor a book about life in their own city. While reading each short story it is apparent that Stuart Dybek has an intimate knowledge of Chicago. He successfully uses his memories and fondness for the city from his childhood of growing up in the Little Village and Pilsen neighborhoods during the mid-20th century. Each short story details with the passage of time and what it means to live in Chicago. A sense of place is an important factor running throughout each story and successfully unites each story into this collection. The story that resonates the most for me is "Chopin in Winter" about one boy who is immensely affected by an upstairs neighbor who plays the piano each night. The portrayal of the grandfather Dzia-Dzia and his relationship with the principle character are noteworthy and memorable. THE COAST OF CHICAGO is a wonderful collection of short stories that will remain in a special spot on my bookshelves for enjoyment for years to come. I love living in Chicago; and these stories resonated strongly with me. Highly recommended.

Glyer's book provides valuable insight for fans and scholars of The Inklings collective works. She has a fresh slant on material that most Tolkien and Lewis readers have seen in other formats. Her agenda, though, presents the idea of "influence" in a changing light. I think that she opens doors of critcical opportunity that will allow much more fruitful sorts of investigations of Lewis, Tolkien, and William's work.

The Company They Keep is scholarly writing at it's best. I used it with gifted high schoolers with excellent results. The students became excited about how Glyer did such extensive research and then wrote about it in such an interesting and readable way.

The fantasy literature of C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkein is so imaginative and idiosyncratic that one accepts that they wrote such lasting works somewhat obstinately and mainly privately almost as a hobby with little hope they would ever be published, much less popular. The picture of J. R. Rowling writing the beginnings of the first Harry Potter book sitting along at a table in an English shop comes to mind with this image of the earlier authors. Lewis and Tolkein are known to be good friends as well as professional colleagues at Oxford University. But as professor of English at Azusa Pacific U. in California Glyer puts forward, Lewis and Tolkein were part of a circle of academics and writers who had a large, discernible, and often documented influence on their works. From diaries, memoirs, letters, and other sources, Glyer finds that this influence is most evident with Tolkein. This circle which acquired the name "The Inklings," "modeled the behavior of poets and storytellers, provided feedback on his drafts, helped him develop his own critical faculties, recommended reading material that supported and shaped his imagination, and suggested that certain pieces be started, reworked, completed, or submitted for publication." Glyer continues, "It is no small matter that all of this early influence took place within a highly interactive group setting." What the author says with respect to Tolkein applies as well to Lewis, though not quite so overtly recognizably. In their turn, Tolkein and Lewis were active participants in the group offering the same support and suggestions to its other members. Shortly after arriving at Oxford as a student, Tolkein founded the literary society named the "Apolausticks."

In an appendix by a David Bratman, relevant background on 17 members of the Inklings besides Tolkein and Lewis is given. Most became university professors of English or medieval literature or of language studies, with most doing scholarly writings on literary criticism. This work of literary criticism and author biography is obviously timely given the current interest in these authors as evidenced by widely-popular movies made from books of theirs.

Glyer has put together an incredibly researched study of the relationships of "The Inklings," the social gathering that included C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien among others. "The Company They Keep" is not a casual read for the Narnia fan; it is a scholarly exposition of the influence that the Inklings had upon one another and the way that that influence appears in their works.

Using a formula for determining influence created by another scholar, Karen Lefevre, Glyer analyzes the way the Inklings served as Resonators (encouraging voices), Opponents (thoughtful critics), Editors, and Collaborators (project teammates) for one another. She then adds her own fifth category, that they were Referents who wrote about one another and promoted one another's books to publishers and the public. Ultimately, Glyer rejects what Inkling scholarship heretofore has asserted: that the Inklings by their own admission did not largely influence each other. Glyer argues that such claims were aimed at acknowledging their independent credibility, but that in fact they had significant roles in shaping one another's works.

So the book is important on two levels. It contributes notably to biographical scholarship on the Inklings. But is also makes thoughtful contributions to literary criticism, which traces and debates the nature of influence. Glyer is immersed in the field and defends her thesis well.

It's a great book; not a "fun" read, but definitely a fascinating one for the serious reader.

James W. Miller is the author of God Scent: A Devotional

This book shows scholarly intellect, hard work, dedication, and insightful thought that I have only achieved in lofty dreams. Diana Glyer presents interesting, insiteful, and inspiring information about the Inklings that you will not find anywhere else. I have never read a book that so skillfully puts scholarship in such an accessable read. For anyone who is a fan of the Inklings, Lewis, Tolkien, Williams, or anyone remotely related to these men do yourself a favor and read this book.

Wonderfully insightful. Truman's own words give you an entry to this great writer's philosophy. It's a fast read.

everything and perhaps a little more than you want to know about Truman Capote. A nice easy to read bok.

Truman Capote was a great writer and self-promoter. Both characteristics come through in these interviews with Lawrence Grobel, an interviewer who has done his homework and only intrudes when he has something to add.

The book stands up well on its own merits, but will prove more enjoyable if you read some backgound material first, notably (in order of priority) "Music for Chameleons," Gerald Clarke's first-rate biography, and "In Cold Blood."

After you've read it, you may want to watch A & E's excellent documentary on Capote's life.

I own several books of conversations with authors. This is the first one I've wanted to read cover-to-cover without pausing for a breath. It's the first one I haven't been tempted to skim, looking for the best nuggets, because this one is FULL of nuggets. Capote isn't afraid to say, flat-out, what is on his mind. The chapter about his contemporaries is particularly interesting to me.

For instance, of Faulker he says: "Well, he was completely reckless. I'm not a great admirer of Faulkner. He never had the slightest influence on me at all. I like three or four short stories of his, 'That Evening Sun,' and I like one novel of his very much, called LIGHT IN AUGUST. But for the most part, he's a highly confusing, uncontrolled writer."

Which is all absolutely reasonable. Then Capote adds, "I knew Faulkner very well. He was a great friend of mine. Well, as much as you could be a friend of his, unless you were a fourteen-year-old nymphet. Then you could be a great friend!"

And Capote doesn't hold back about any of his other contemporaries, either, like Ken Kesey, Jack Kerouac, Norman Mailer, Gertrude Stein, and more. For instance, when the interviewer expresses his respect for Bellow's HENDERSON THE RAIN KING, Capote says, "Oh no. Dull, dull."

This book also has several photographs of Capote. The quality of the photos, at least in my softcover edition, are rather poor, unfortunately, but many of them I've never seen before, such as the one with Truman showing up to a court appearance on a drunk driving charge in shorts! The caption reads: "He [the judge] was very insulted...Actually, I looked quite smart. I had a very smart pair of shorts on and a very smart jacket and shirt and sandals."

In some ways, this is like reading a great comedy routine, yet there are definitely undercurrents of anger and sadness in this book. I highly recommend it.

This is the book that makes you sad at the prospect of Truman Capote dying before he could finish his last novel, but you suspect that he didn't have to finish it since you get a lot of it from these interviews. He was one of the most fascinating figures in literary history and his insights into art, literature and celebrity are amazing.

There's a running rivalry with Norman Mailer, a dismissal of the beats, discussion of Breakfast at Tiffany's. He talks about interviewing the killers for In Cold Blood and how that led to other interviews with convicted killers. He discusses Hemmingway and leaves the reader with one of the best lines ever - "I am the man that Hemingway pretended to be." which is even more interesting when you consider Hemingway's repressed homosexuality (or accusations thereof) in light of Capote's openly gay personae that he displayed when that could get you killed.

Be warned. Once you start reading this book, you won't be able to put it down. So set time aside so you can finish it in one sitting.

The stories in the book should each be taken singularly. The writing itself is pure nostalgia. You should be warned: if you're easily offended by racial slurs - this book may not be for you. The writers use words appropriately to set the mood. A couple of stories have surprise endings!

The other reviewers misunderstand "Pick Up", (****warning -- spoiler****) which is a fascinating novel because the narrator is mentally disturbed and completely unreliable. This fact explains the "twist" ending, a number of apparent editing errors and the unlikely events that occur throughout.

In this area of noir, I suggest starting with Raymond Chandler. If you've whipped through his books, like me recently, as well as those of Micky Spillane and Dashiell Hammett, then you are definitely ready for this collection and its partner volume of crime novels from the '30s and '40s. I need to mention, in particular, a real treasure in this collection, which is The Real Cool Killers by Chester Himes.

At this point, allow me a brief political comment. These days, when I see an anthology of five books, and one of the authors is a woman and one is an African-American, perhaps you will forgive me if I guess that something other than storytelling merit went into the selection process. Too harsh? Keep in mind that we are talking about a genre (in this case, hard-boiled crime stories from the 1950s) where you don't exactly expect to see a rainbow coalition of gender and ethnicity. What's more, my suspicion was initially confirmed by reading The Talented Mr. Ripley, which is clearly the weakest story in the collection, and only then observing that this was the first novel in the field I had seen written by a female author.

That introduction brings me to the Real Cool Killers, by Chester Himes. I have since learned that he was an African-American author who wrote many books. But I will fight it out with anyone who claims that Real Cool Killers was selected because of Himes' race. This story is the best of the lot, and I look forward to reading more of his work in the future. In fact, our era of political correctness in literature and academia probably means that Himes does not get nearly the attention he deserves. He is wonderfully impartial when it comes to skin hue in his presentation of nasty characters and their evil deeds. He is equally impartial in his socio-economics. The poor are not automatic angels; the police and the wealthy are not cardboard oppressors. Himes is just a great writer. His novel, which is the last in the book, was a surprising treat.

This book is the second volume in the Library of America set on American crime noir. I enjoyed the first volume so much that I decided to read the second one during Christmas break. Once again, the LOA has done a nice job of collecting a fine series of stories. These stories were written during the 1950's and 1960's. The book is nice to look at too; it's covered in red cloth with a cloth bookmark.

The first story is from the demented mind of Jim Thompson. This story, called The Killer Inside Me, is much better than The Grifters, a book by Thompson that I read some time ago. The Grifters seemed to be pretty one-dimensional with respect to its characters. This story is the exact opposite. A deputy sheriff in a Texas city has a terrible secret. He plays dumb on the outside, but inside he is a cunning sociopath. A long simmering resentment leads to a terrible revenge. Bodies quickly stack up as a result. This seems to be the story that Thompson is best known for and it's no surprise why. This is a dark, twisted tale with a grim ending.

Patricia Highsmith wrote a whole series of stories concerning Tom Ripley. The one included here is The Talented Mr. Ripley, probably better known due to the recent film with Matt Damon. This tale isn't as noir as I would have liked, but it still has enough twists and turns to keep anybody in suspense. Ripley is a low class conniver who ingratiates himself into a wealthy family who wants him to go to Italy and bring back their son. Ripley sees the potential for bucks and meets up with the kid and his lady friend. Of course, things take a turn for the worse and the bodies start stacking up. This story was probably my least favorite out of the entire collection.

The next story, Pick-Up, by Charles Willeford, is a depressing tale about two alcoholics who go bump in the night. The story follows the adventures of this alcoholic couple as they attempt suicide, check themselves into a mental hospital, and drink themselves into a stupor. After the female half of the couple dies in another suicide pact, the story switches to a prison tale. The end is somewhat of a twist, but really doesn't impact the story that much, in my opinion. Again, not really noir as noir can be, but still a fine story that can stand by itself.

Down There, by David Goodis, is a wild ride of a tale. Full of suspense and death, this is a great story that deserves to be included here. A family of ne'er-do-wells drags their talented piano-playing brother into their personal problems. The background information on Eddie, the piano player, is phenomenal. The tragedy that has struck him once is bound to repeat itself again. This story has great bit characters that really liven up the background.

The final story, by Chester Himes, is The Real Cool Killers. This is noir on acid: pornographic violence, massive doses of grim reality, and characters you're glad to see get killed. The story is set in Harlem and involves two tough cops named Grave Digger Jones and Coffin Ed Johnson. Someone kills a white guy in Harlem and the cops try and track them down. This story contains one of the funniest descriptions of a person falling off a balcony that I've ever read (and I've read a few, disturbingly enough). The writing has enough similes and metaphors to give Raymond Chandler an apoplectic fit. A cool story that certainly deserves a place in this book.

If you like noir, read these two LOA novels. They are long (together they're almost 2000 pages) but it is definitely worth the effort. These kinds of stories are just a great way to while away some free time and relieve stress.

"Crime Novels: American Noir of the 1950's" is the second and last volume of the hardboiled anthology published by the Library of America starting with the volume devoted to the genre in the 30's and 40's. This follow-up continues the saga of run-down characters hardened by experience and tough luck. The familiar cast of roguish males, femme fatales, and temperamental and violent detectives set the stage for a diverse and entertaining ride into the depths of the underworld.

"The Killer Inside Me" - Jim Thompson's most popular work is a memorable tale of a Texas law enforcer with a sinister past whose dark and psychotic nature is cunningly veiled behind a genial facade that barely contains "the sickness" which the main character has successfully concealed. A sudden turn of events unleashes the beast inside leading to a tragic odyssey of disillusion, violence, and murder. Pioneering in it's time for revealing the inner mind of the serial killer, the bracing prose and chilling character development makes this work one of the best in the genre.

"The Talented Mr. Ripley" - Tom Ripley is a con artist successfully making ends meet through one of the most reprehensible professions in New York City. A drifter and social outcast, one night in a bar he comes across a parent of an old acquaintance he barely recalls and is asked to do a favor. When he consents, his true nature unfolds in this story of murder, sexuality, and identity. Made into film in 1999 starring Matt Damon in the leading role, this cosmopolitan travelogue with a Decadent touch in the end introduced the world to one of the most oddly sympathetic and diabolical characters in Literature.

"Pick-Up" - Charles Willeford's winning style successfully conveys the sad and tragic tale of two lost alcoholics in the skid row section of San Francisco in the 1950's. Scene by depressing scene the author chronicles the faith, hope, and disillusionment of a couple whose time revolve around the contents of a bottle. The engrossing prose is marred unfortunately with an unbelievable twist and dissapointing ending.

"Down There" - The best selection of the entire series, "Down There" is an unforgettable account of a barroom piano man whose days of glory were ended by tragedy. Rendered indifferent to life by his soul-breaking experiences, he meets an equally lost soul and together they encounter adversity supporting each other as only similarly dark-fated individuals can. The heartbreaking ending still haunts me whenever I think about it.

"The Real Cool Killers" - Blaxploitation on speed! The talented Chester Himes vividly conjures this adrenaline yarn of two black detectives taking on the streets of Harlem in no holds barred action. Race, violence, and loathsome scenemakers feverishly grapple in this heat-inducing neon nocturne of urban society. Black humor at one of it's very finest.

Flawed but highly readable, these long forgotten and out of print works have been handsomely restored and given ample tribute by the laudable Library of America. Wanting to familiarize myself with the enduring genre, reading the two vols. of the "Crime Novels" series has been a pleasant introduction and reading experience to me.

Okita is a poet with a unique style. If you are looking for poetry that is off the main stream, but quite artistic, his work is for you.

When creating the setting for the poem, pieces of the environment are linked to emotions, creating a world of the tangible that creates a better understanding of the intangible. "Love, that busy street" is the environment for "Crossing with the Light". In "Kitchen" the room is really more like a secluded cell for the main female character. "Parachute" takes Dwight and his friend on a playground swing ride of human relations.

And there are many other poems to explore in this collection. Give this one a chance and you won't be disappointed.

i cannot start by simply praising his words. he is beyond that. he has a way of making the ordinary incredible. making you think twice about each second in life. enough for you to cherish the unimaginable. his eyes see, what others cannot. i recommend his words to enrapture you......

Dwight Okita offers us a masterful achievement in Crossing with the Light. This slim volume contains 60 poems that build a cohesive vision in a highly accessible style. The poems are at once loving, bold, and humorous. Most of the poems describe relationships as a subject, but the collection is not about relationships. Okita has something far deeper in mind. The poems are a triumph in combining tone and image. The images are everyday, powerful, and elegant, even delicate.

Quoting poetic elements out of context is a dangerous trade, but I cannot resist a few examples. "Kitchen" tells of a woman whose dreams are dashed in a marriage. The poem opens "Here in this room/ where many women go under...." We see the despair and loss the woman experiences. At one point she silently asks her husband while he is sleeping "What have you done with my husband?" Reminiscent of Nora in Ibsen's Doll's House, but we hear no slamming doors, no screaming arguments, no threats. Okita does not do histrionics. Rather the last lines tell us "When she leaves that room, she leaves for good, / she does not bother to push in the chair." Okita here reminds us that most of life is made up of small things, small things done and left undone.

In "The Life I'm Walking Towards" we read: "I buy green bananas/ and put them on a rattan tray./ I watch them bring yellow into this house/ a brightness./ I wish I could do that,/ whatever the place." "Letter to a Friend Who Left" tells of the unexpected announcement by a shop clerk that a mutual friend has died: "your Iranian friend working behind the counter/ told me you died as he was giving me my change. / I can still hear the quarters fall, / hitting the floor with a metal sound.... //Funny how things slip through your fingers."

There is a zen moment on almost every page. You should not miss this poet.

With his vivid and beautifully haunting images, Dwight Okita shows the reader a new way of seeing the world. "Facing the Mannequin" takes the reader into the world of a department store mannequin. I will never forget the image of the mannequin watching the narrator's shirt move as he breathes.
Also in this collection are the widely anthologized "Note for a Poem on Being Asian American" and "In Response to Executive Order 9066: All Americans of Japanese Descent Must Report to Relocation Centers." Both poems hold up to being read again and again, as do the other poems in this fine collection.

In "Crossing with the Light," readers can see, feel and taste Okita's words. His clean, vivid images evoke many different worlds: the scientific and the romantic, the foreign and the familiar. He delicately links familiar objects to intangible feelings, such as in the following poem, "My Next Life":

A young man coming into his own, you said of me
and in my head I see seedless green grapes
dripping in a glass of icewater on the terrace,
a grand piano I could press my fingers against
when I am lonely. And big parties:
celery stalks swirling on glass platters,
staircases to descend from--everyone
I have ever loved climbing down them:
forgiven, delivered. (Okita 3)

These concrete images of "seedless green grapes/dripping in a glass of icewater" and "celery stalks swirling on glass platters" subtly express the abstract feelings of maturity, loneliness, and love.

A wonderful first book of poetry, hopefully to be followed by many more.

In 2006 our county was challenged to read "Captains Courageous" in preparation for the "Tall Ships" event that summer. I have to admit I seldom read fiction. I like to learn something when I read. If I want to be entertained, I'll watch TV or go to a movie. The local Library arranged for Dr. Engel to be the guest speaker and give his take on Kipling. It was the nost enthralling talk I have ever been priviledged to hear! Our "county read" this year was "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitsgerald. Dr. Engel was our guest speaker again. I was able to tell him personally how much I have enjoyed his book and CDs! The CDs are great for travelling time listening. His essays on famous authors cannot be topped!

I started reading this book while recovering from surgery and finished it in two days. When I'd finish reading about one author, I couldn't wait to read the next. A wonderful book that I can't wait to pass on to all my friends.

It has been my great privilege to hear Dr. Elliott Engel in
a wonderful lecture on Margaret Mitchell. Elliott has produced
countless audio/video CD's and cassettes for those interested in
a general knowledge of the great writers of Western Literature.
This is a wonderful book! If more people read it there would
be rejoicing in this old English Literature major's literary
heart!
Engel writes in a light, lively and easy to understand. Enjoy
learning about the greats from Shakespeare to Dickens, the Brontes, Twain and others. Enjoy!

I really didn't know what to expect when I picked this book up. A friend heard the author lecture on Shakespeare and bought a copy for our daughter, a Ph.D. candidate in English (Shakespeare). She sent it to us to deliver, since she didn't have our daughter's address. My wife and I both read a little bit, and then decided we had to read it all. Our daughter will have to write a thank-you for a used book.
Engel belongs to the school of biographical literary criticism, and thinks that authors' works are influenced strongly by their lives and the times in which they live them. The brief, and partial sketches of these nineteen literary greats are based on his classroom lectures. All I can say is that I wish he had been one of my teachers. These lectures in writing are cleverly written, with a very pleasing dry wit, and are informative while being interesting. Do you know the origin of the term "box office" and the actors' wish to "break a leg"? You will after you read Engel's snapshot of Shakespeare. And no one ever told me before that Chaucer was satire. Finding this book was a fortuitous accident. I hope my daughter enjoys it as much as I did.

If you've ever heard one of Dr. Engel's lectures, you know what a captivating storyteller he is. Now, for the first time, the content of his lectures has been put into book form. You can almost hear his voice as you read through the pages of this book.

As other reviewers have already stated, A Dab of Dickens is a collection of short biographical sketches of over a dozen of the greatest authors of all time. What is unique about these sketches is that, although they are short, they are filled with fascinating tales about the lives of our most beloved authors - tales that I am sure most of us did not ever know. For instance, I was fascinated to find that when he was only 3 years old, Edgar Allan Poe was forced to sit on the front row of the theatre and watch his mother, who played Juliet, stab herself and "die" - eight times a week. No wonder he wrote the kind of macabre stories that he did!

The great thing about Dr. Engel's new book is that it gives you just enough to keep your interest, it doesn't overwhelm you, and it makes you want to know more. You want to keep reading the chapter on Poe because you just cannot believe that even more horrible things could have possibly happened to one person. You may be bored by Ernest Hemmingway (for instance), but you don't mind reading his entire chapter because it's not information overload. And at the end of this wonderful book you have a list of authors whose major works you now cannot wait to read.

If you love literature and are fascinated by the authors who have brought us so many priceless works of art, this book is for you. If you don't know much about literature at all but are curious to find out more, this book is for you as well. But this book is also perfect for the person who hated English class in high school, avoided literature like the plague in college, and has been glad to forget it completely ever since. I promise that even you will find something fascinating and inspiring among the pages of this book.

Great service. Condition of book was stellar and it was delivered in a very timely manner.

This is an interesting mix of Yasunari Kawabata's early work, well before he was Japan's literary superstar, and well before the works that would ultimately win him the Nobel prize. The title story (I can't say titular, can I?) is of a college student's crush on the youngest member of a dancing troup. Most likely autobiographical, it leaves the reader sharing Kawabata's youthful loneliness. The second larger short story (there's no better way to describe it) is Diary of My Sixteenth Year, which covers the disappating love of a youth and his dying grandfather.

The remaining stories are much shorter, ranging from 3 to 10 pages each. Birthplace is an interesting story of abandonment and leaving one's home behind. Burning the Pine Boughs is as much about reading between the lines as reading what's on the page. Oil is a deep work of overcoming childhood loss.

Three common themes permeate these stories. First is the idea of an imperfect, sour or unatainable love. Second is the idea that at least somehow many of them are autobiographical. Third is that much is left unsaid in the stories. In a sense they are a prose form of Zen art, where what is unsaid can be more important than what is put to paper. Despite being distinct, one can read inferences between the stories (the hands for prayer in both Master of Funerals and Hands, for example) and perhaps that is enough to tie them all together.

Although Snow Country is commonly referred to as Kawabata's greatest accomplishment, these stories were more accessible and emotionally powerful.

I recently read this collection of short (with the emphasis on "short") stories. This set of stories are very autobiographical; especially in the first part. The title story is a tale of young love. The message that came through to me was the innocence of the attraction of the two main characters. After that came a touching diary that told of the relationship of a teenage boy and the elderly, invalid grandfather who raised him. It reminded me of my relationship with my own grandfather. The other sketches were worth reading as well and most were only two or three short pages in length. There is certainly a poetic style in Kawabata's works. This particular collection is a good introduction to the writer.

Although Kawabata is most often associated with his better than good Palm-of-the-hand stories, I don't view them as my favorate Kawabata work. The Dancing Girl of Izu (mandatory reading for Japanese Junior High School Students) is a sort of coming of age story that made me step back and reflect. The semi-autobiographical work is tender, heart warming, and a keen glimpse into Japanese life. If you have read and enjoyed earlier works of this author I would strongly suggest this collection to you. If you have yet to discover Kawabata, I say there's no better place to start!

"The Dancing Girl of Izu and Other Stories" is an odd collection of sorts, mixing an elegant, straight-forward short story together with some autobiography and a fluttering of palm-of-the-hand tales. Each element contributes a unique flavor, and a different facet of Kawabata's style.

J. Martin Holman proves himself again a master translator of Kawabata, retaining the flow and most importantly the feeling of the originals, far more than other translators I have read. The only flaw I found was that he splits the book into two sections, which I personally found a bit jarring. I think it more naturally flows into three distinct chapters.

"The Dancing Girl of Izu" is as fine a short story as you are likely to read anywhere. Every necessary element is contained, with no superfluous decoration. It is heartbreaking in its subtlety, and masterful in its craft. Everything important is unsaid. Kawabata can manipulate emotions so deeply using so little, leaving the reader with an aching emptiness as great as that of the narrator. Beautiful, and fully worth the cost of the collection alone.

"Diary of my Sixteenth Year," "Oil," "The Master of Funerals" and "Gathering Ashes" are four short autobiographical sketches of Kawabata's relationship with his only relative, a blind grandfather who would figure into several tales. Not factual per se, but true impressions. They present an intimate portrait of youth trying to understand the aged, of responsibility and resentment of responsibility, and of the numbness of death. The stories are presented as recovered diary accounts Kawabata wrote when he was 16, and they may be so. I believe the feelings, and that is enough.

The third section contains the 18 remaining unpublished palm-of-the-hand stories, Kawabata's personal trademark and contribution to literature. A page or three at the most, each story functions like a Zen koan, a story or riddle with no obvious meaning used as a contemplation tool by meditating monks to clear their minds and make them go hmmm...as they try to decipher. Koans have been called "extremely brief vignettes enabling the individual to hold entire universes of thought in mind all at once," and I think this sums it up nicely. Do not attempt to decipher these palm-of-the-hand stories, but instead read them and feel them and go hmm...

The focus of this book is the automobile crash that ended the life of actor James Dean. Dean only ever made three movies but those three had a huge impact on folks of that period.

In any case, the details given here will present you with a clearly defined account of why and how this youth noir-icon died.

He was on his way to a race, in a racecar, when a young man pulled out from an intersecting highway. So, the question arises, 'Was Dean's speed the cause of the spectacular crash or, was it carelessness on the young man's part who possibly failed to yield the right-of-way?' (HINT: Dean was just issued a speeding ticket about an hour or so before the crash!)

This book has plenty of nice illustrations and I found it a real page-turner of a mini-biography.

We invite you to learn more about James Dean and other Warren Beath titles at http://jamesdeanindeath.com/

I first read this book almost 15 years ago and lost the original paperback whilst at college.But I can still recall the creepy passages of Beath's descripton of Dean's death and Beath's veiled admission of his own descent into madness and obsession-the young man that Beath describes throughout the book IS the author himself because if you read his bibliography at the front,he lists NOTES ON DYING which is the thesis the character writes in the book.Bits that stick out are the Japanese business-man buying the hulk of the tow-truck that carried away the crumpled porshe after the crash and the author stealing a high-way cornice and storing it in his room,only to find it infested with hornets and flies.Quite superb.

I read this book when it first was published, so I am obviously not in the best position to critique it at least a couple years later. However, when it comes to James Dean I am an admitted addict and have read almost everything that has been published about him over the past 30 years. What makes this book a standout is that it concentrates on Dean's death as opposed to his life. It provides very detailed information re: his last ride and how his death and the subsequent hoopla surrounding it was handled. It also provides quite a lot of previously unpublished material in regard to the period immediately before and after his death. The author has saved us all a lot of pain and irritation by researching this material in a factual and precise manner.
What makes this book a positive departure from the other Dean book is that there is no psychological stuff about Dean's tortured youth or attempts to affix a death wish to him, just a lot of good hard facts. Joe Friday couldn't do a better job in that area.
The best part of this book? It sticks to the truth and makes for an interesting read.

Beath makes the death of James Dean a very personal experience for the reader. This is not a book one reads and forgets - the reader has participated in the author's passionate search for the substance behind the tragedy and the reader is changed. I'm ready for more from this author.

A small in size book, being about 5 x 6. It is printed on glossy paper with many photographs. It is an exceptional buy for the amount of money tendered. If you read anything by Mr. Carroll you have to have this book too. Mr. Carroll's work is a must for anyone writing anything. The simple truth is his writing means nothing as far as plot, but his style is brilliant.

Is there anyone out there that knows what the name of the writing style used by Mr. Carroll. For instance his characters are telling a story to someone small Mr. Carroll aims his text at a small animal. The small animal answers back in small type. When someone is running and talking, there are long drawn out sentences.

I hardly ever buy nonfiction but seeing this at Borders I knew I had to have it. Lewis Carrol is one of the greatest writers of the nineteenth century, surpassing even Tolstoy,Dostoevsky,and Dickens. I have a complete collection of all of his works and enjoy them all(except for the math puzzles, math has never been my strongest point.) If you are a fan of Lewis Carroll then this is the book for you. Gorgous illustrations and photographs, an interesting and informative text, this is a wonderful little book to own. It is also informative if you are interested in Victorian England such as Iam (probably due to my Lewis Carroll fixation) There are also examples of Lewis Carrolls photography and pictures of the Liddle children. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves the world of Alice and who is obsessed with Mr. Dodgson's books.

This book provides a well written description of the conditions and environment that led to the writing of the Alice books. The reader is immersed in Victorian culture both verbally and visually. The profusely illustrated book is a joy to read and informative as well. It fills the niche between biography and textual analysis.

Joel Birenbaum, president of the Lewis Carroll Society of North America

I mention the 'train book' aspect because this book is just the size to tuck into a handbag. As one who loves Lewis Carroll's works, and has studied Victorian England in depth, I found this work to be a surprisingly rich, delightful treatment of Lewis Carroll's life and work.

It is not an in-depth study of all aspects of his life, and, somehow, I found it most refreshing that, unlike some books which are, there were no diversions into Freudian speculation or treatments of bizarre theories about Dodgson's ways. Instead, the reader is treated to a fairly thorough survey of biographical information and essentials of Lewis Carroll's writings.

The illustrations are exceptionally extensive, including many photographs (of or by Carroll), varied illustrations from editions of "Alice," and, as far as textual illustrations are concerned, excerpts from Dodgson's private correspondence and diaries. One comes to the end of the book with a sense of having covered an amazingly large scope. For example, other authors have mentioned (without showing) the supposedly notorious nude photographs of children which Dodgson prepared. This book not only includes the pictures (which tend to the cherubic, with no flavour of the erotic), but places them into the Victorian cultural perspective with taste and dignity.

The author's style is superb - with a blend of beautiful language, concise but thorough treatment of the material, and impressive dignity. There is none of the excesses common in many books on Lewis Carroll, where rash speculation and prurient "let's pander to the 21st century love for 'dirt'" ruin the essentials of the story. Lewis Carroll is presented in all his brilliance, humour, and eccentricity. The classic works, with all of their fancy, wit, and wonder, are not ruined by excessive analysis or so filled with 'dark' speculation that one forgets what every child can see: they are delightful diversions.

Pair this book with an annotated edition of Lewis Carroll's works, and you will have the perfect gift for anyone who has ever loved "Alice" and her creator. And creator indeed Carroll was, for, as this book shows well, the Alice of fiction was hardly a model of Alice Liddell. The author speaks in some detail of the relationship of the "real" Alice and Charles Dodgson, with no tired attempts to confuse them with the book's contents. As well, the references to other Victorian literature and art places Carroll's work, and the friendship with the Liddell family, in an enlightening perspective for the contomporary reader.

Witty, insightful, and extensively detailed for a pocket book, I would highly recommend this work for anyone who already loves Lewis Carroll or would like a further acquaintance.

This tidy, colorful book presents an evenly balanced look at the life and times of Lewis Carroll. The reproductions of rare photos are outstanding, and are cause enough to buy the book on it's own. The text aviods the loathesome practice of trying to find deep symbolism and imagery in Carroll's works, but rather focuses on them with a pleasant reverence.

If Dream Work was composed only of one poem - Wild Geese- it would receive 5 stars! In this poem alone Mary Oliver captures the heart of our souls. It is my "mantra".

I discovered Mary Oliver by reading a short story which referenced Wild Geese. Finding Wild Geese quite literally saved my life. The rest of Dream Work was hardly a let down. The opening poem, Dogfish... "I want to listen to the enormous waterfalls of the sun"... how do you get better than that? From Rage to Shadows to Sliver, Orion, Trilliums... every single poem in this book is pure. This book is my "Bible" so to speak.
Get this book. *Get it.*

I was a little tired of studying one day years ago and decided to pick up something entirely different and read it instead. I did a random search for whatever words came to my fingertips first. I was away at college and feeling a little homesick I guess. As I recall, the words included "moonlight", "home", and "dream". I got back Twelve Moons, House of Light, and Dreamwork. That started my romance with Mary Oliver.
I'm aware that many people say her imagery is too rich, too luxurious, and that it is not so much elemental as "stock". I also believe that that's like criticizing Tchaikovsky or Strauss or Puccini for being too melodic, too beautiful, too sad, too delightful.
I see no reason to believe that popularity and artistic value must be inversely proportional. Quite the contrary, I wish that more people could know about this wonderful woman to whom I am so deeply grateful.

This book, like much of Mary Oliver's work, breathes with true poetry, the beauty of nature, the spirit of life and dreams. This isn't just fancy wordplay.

I will be teaching language arts. I plan to use Mary Oliver in the classroom to get students interested in poetry. She writes in such a down to earth manner that she can be understood and discussed by people who aren't really "into poetry". Oliver gives us a new angle to look at the world with - but one that can be related to easily.