Georgia Books

I was only recently introduced to Harry Crews, but this memoir should be required prior to reading any of his compelling fiction. One does not need to know about Mr. Crews to enjoy his fiction, but to read this book first is to build an affinity for the author. His memories of southern Georgia during the great depression and war years are the most accurate in tone of any non-fiction that has come out of the South. He has been linked to Flannery O'Connor, but to me he seems to be a more existential William Faulkner.

Although this book is not a typical work by the literate master of the hard South, it is a testament to his talent. This book made me see and feel the life of a 6 year old dirt farmer in Bacon Co, Georgia, and also give some insight into the basis of characters in Crews' fictional works. This is one of the best quasi-memoirs ever written, and even has a slight belief in human goodness not seen in his other work. Mr. Crews' more typical works (such as Feast of Snakes or All We Need of Hell) are very good novels in their own right, yet Childhood stands apart and above all of his other books combined. If you read nothing else by Harry Crews (which is not a good idea--you should read many of his books), this is the one to choose.

I would suggest this book to anyone who has ever read anything published by Harry Crews; specifically to those who haven't read anything by him, but who are interested in this magnificent author. After reading it, I found myself wondering how Crews was able to escape childhood, much less become of the the greatest Southern authors since Faulkner. Truly a fantastic book that will stand the test of time and inevitably cast Crews as one of the greatest authors of the 20th century!

Several associations, as I was born in Bacon County in the unincorporated community of ScuffleTown.I have never written A review of a book before. I really enjoyed the book because of all the associations of the area of my birth. My qeestion in my review would be. "How does one get from Bacon County to becoming A Professor at the UF?"

I was assigned this book in a tutorial class on the "mind of the south" by a professor during my senior year of college. I was immediately drawn to the author's experiences with tenant farming; being the son of a mother whose own father was a farmer that oversaw several tenents to his own farming operation prior to, and shortly after WWII. Crew's accurate depection of tenant farmer life was valididated, to this reader at least, by his portrayal of an agricultural system that was difficult to not only rural agricultural African Americans, but their white supervisors. Crews has done a wonderful job of incorporating the distinctly southern phrases and dialogue of the rural, agrarian south. I though my own mother was the only person who pronounced "hurricane" as "harrakin". Charachters such as Willalee Bookatee and his family were strikingly similar to those poor blacks, and whites, described in my mother's stories of working in the tobacco fields of rural NC. This book will shed some much needed light on the fact that the hard-core, rural south is not so far removed from the remodeled "New South".

I have had a very difficult time setting this book down since I recieved it. If you have any interest in Astrology, you need to read this book! If you are interested in the events of 09/11/01, read this book!
Not until I received the book did I notice the long list of astrologers/authors involved in it's creation (Robert Hand and Johnathan Keyes get special mention as they are two of my favorite authors).
All I can say is "simply astounding, I love astrology".

This work is a terrific resource for anyone interested in understanding not only the astrological correspondences to 9/11/01, but also the implications for the economy and for the collective psyche. Essays are written by top-notch astrologers and are accompanied by maps and charts for illustration. Well worth reading!

The nature of the subject and the writing quality of the seven astrologers involved (the most famous being Robert Hand) make this a very unusual book. A very, very, very broad range of astrological and non-astrological perspectives are very carefully covered in this assessment of the terrorist attacks on America and some of the possible implications for all of us.

Astrologically the main emphasis is on interpretations of the charts of the events in September, together with related charts such as those of the United States, George W. Bush and, to some extent, Osama Bin Laden. Many other charts are also considered such as the World Trade Centre bombing in 1993 and the national chart for Israel. Interpretations of the Saturn-Pluto opposition transit through 2001 and 2002 receive particular attention throughout the book.

The astrology is continually placed in a broad context, with extensive considerations of the historical, political, and economical background to the attacks, together with similar perspectives on the consequences. Many questions are asked. Did the perpetrators use astrology? Did the terrorists intend to crash into the White House? Where do we go from here? Very occasionally some of the views appear rather fanciful, but overall this is superb stuff that does intelligent justice to modern astrology.

As I am sure with most folks, I felt a strong need to look for answers after 9/11. I have always looked to astrology as a focusing point in my life, to get guidance and answers, and was delighted to find a book with an astrological perspective on the tragic events of that day. It is written in a not too techinical way, very professionally done. The authors obviously are experts in their field. It looks at the major players, the city of NEw York, the Trade Towers, Bin Ladin, Rudy Giuliani, and analyzes their charts, and most importantly the interaction of their charts that lead up to the tragic events.
To summarize, I found this book extremely helpful on a number of levels.

Explore these powerful astrological evaluations of the causes and effects of the September 11th attacks. With a selection of readings from popular astrologers such as Robert Hand and Jonathan Keyes, you'll have the opportunity to look at these events from several perspectives. How were the charts of George W. Bush and the United States itself, impacted? What were the economic influences involved?

I particularly enjoyed the fact that every perspective wasn't devoted to the USA, corporate, we are the chosen children of capitalism viewpoint. Instead, we're treated to far more objective looks at the events (and the provocations) which led up to them.

Finally, we're shown a glimpse of what is to come. Offering some astrological probabilities of upcoming aspects, we are invited to see fresh possibilities and insights.

I enjoyed this book far more than I usually do, when several astrologers get together and caucus over the same bit of information. The repetition we may see only serves to reinforce particular ideas and the articles are woven together into a seamless and unified whole.

Expect Sunshine is a ray of hope for those in search of quality writing. Don't pick this book up if you have some where to go. You will not want to put it down.

For a first novel, Betty Bush has written an excellent story about love, family, fear and the south. The characters were wonderful, the setting was perfect and it is a must read for all. I look forward to her next novel.

Betty Bush listened to the old people. She wrote it down and in doing that, she let the sun shine in on some of the deepest darkest secrets of the Old South. Betty's book tells the stories we've heard told around the kitchen tables, in the barbershops and beauty parlors since we were old enough to listen. They are the stories our parents prefered we did not hear when they gathered, and shooed us away.Betty's book is the American story about our connections to our land, and our sad losses of the connections. She finds hope and strength in the human spirit and she warns us that if we don't wake up, we will all be sharecroppers for generations. This is a "must read" for anyone who wants to know the truth about why we are the way we are. Her book is filled with compassion, forgivness and love of life; it is a relection of her soul.

This book grabs the readers attention from the very begining. It is well written with descriptive delight. Southern culture is vividly intertwined with the experiences of Ms. Bush as a child of southern farm life. The characters bring reality into the plot. The reader gets to really know them, as the story progresses into an experience well worth sharing. I look forward to more books by this writer.

Expect Sunshine grabbed my attention from the moment I started reading. It is one of those books that I could barely put down for long at the time. This book provides much insight into the struggles related to farming, particularly the plight of the African American farmer in earlier times. The story certainly is worthy of a sequel! When I finished the last page, I was dabbing my eyes with tissue. Great book!!!!

This amazing pictorial record of Tibet as it is today - its people, its children, the religious orders, the landscape, is breathtaking in its scope & beauty. Mr. Chapman has captured the very soul of this country and its people. You will treasure this book and the window it provides to a far & little known place.

This amazing pictorial record of Tibet as it is today - its people, its children, the religious orders, the landscape, is breathtaking in its scope & beauty. Mr. Chapman has captured the very soul of this country and its people. You will treasure this book and the window it provides to a far & little known place.

This amazing pictorial record of Tibet as it is today - its people, its children, the religious orders, the landscape, is breathtaking in its scope & beauty. Mr. Chapman has captured the very soul of this country and its people. You will treasure this book and the window it provides to a far & little known place.

This book has received an Honorable Mention from the 2001 Southern Books Competition. "An unusually effective travel album beckons the reader with a truly dramatic dust jacket. Exceptional end papers charm and lead the reader forward. Color and theme continue from the clear, attractive dedication page. Bright, energetic color images engage the reader in a simple, easily viewed format." Congratulations to the author, designer Erin Kirk New, and the University of Georgia Press.

This exquisite pictorial collection captures my heart just like the previous "The Spirit of Tibet: Portrait of a Culture in Exile" by Alison Wright. William Chapman has captured the soul and spirit of the Tibetan people, a people in exile. I have always have a strong interest in Tibet, and, hpefully, one day I can experience the roof of the world myself. The collection has unveiled the people, the land, and the religion behind the facade. You may experience and sense the peace, joy, meekness of the people. Beautifully done!

While we hope we never have need for the information gained by reading Mr. Tumlin's, Fi-Fa's, Levys and the collection of Judgments in Georgia, it is wonderful to know the information is available. Every family should own a copy to keep in their book case should the need arise. Mr. Tumlin's 32 years of experience in law enforcement is definitely showcased in the topics and references he has placed in this amazing and informative book. Just knowing which website's are available to us, which forms to use etc...is critical for collection of judgments and delinquent debts. This is a book which layperson's like myself should feel grateful to have at our disposal.

The author takes a potentially dry subject, the collection of judgments, Fi-Fas, and levys, and translates it into easily understandable terms while unraveling many of the mysteries of our legal system. Everyone in law enforcement, legal or financial business, and anyone who has ever tried to collect a debt and was confused by the procedures will benefit greatly from this book. Mr. Tumlin utilizes all of his more than 32 years experience as a Deputy Sheriff to provide a practical, readable and useful guide through the collection process. "Fifas, Levys and the Collections of Judgments in Georgia" is an extremely helpful book and is highly recommended.

An absolutely "must read" volume for those in law enforcement or the legal profession. Mr. Tumlin brings a breadth of experience and knowledge to a complex and difficult subject. It is written in an easy-to-read style that walks the reader through each topic. For those beginning a journey into the world of judgement collection, this book will help avoid many common mistakes and misunderstandings. Highly recommended!

This is an awesome book. Anyone who works in the Criminal Justice system will find a wealth of knowledge here. This is a very helpful and to the point reference tool. In today's internet world the links will be extremely helpful and useful for the end user.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in a helpful tool for our Criminal Justice system. This was written by someone who has spent many years themself in the field.

Our Gwinnett County Courthouse library didn't have this book, or anything like it, so I ordered it. I'm the civilian, in this mess on a one-time basis, learning lessons that I should have learned by now, and this is now another textbook to keep forever.

May you never have the courtroom drama or trauma that leads to your needing to know what's in this manual, but once you need this information you probably also need at least two attorneys and the specialized services provided by an expert like Rickey Tumlin. I'm a CPA, in public accounting for over a quarter of a century, and I never needed to know any of this until it became a personal matter. The Justice System, including courtrooms, attorneys, judgments, and law enforcement, makes the Income Tax Code appear reasonable by comparison.

I'm sure that if your business dealings require this information, and mine never have, this book is invaluable. I was searching for this information online at the same time that the book was published, and this was THE relevant source. I've had further questions for Mr. Tumlin, directed to him via his web site, and he's been very helpful.

I do wish that he'd deal more with The Runner, The Gingerbread Boy, the debtor who moves to another county, another job, another bankruptcy filing, the pathological liar who claims a right to privacy while dodging creditors, but that's too massive a scope for two or three books, I imagine.

For reader information,the novel 'The Funeral Club' was recently written as a stage play and produced in Georgia by Habersham Theatre and also enjoyed a run at the exclusive 14th Street Playhouse in downtown Atlanta. 'The Funeral Club' is a quaint, warm and funny story about a group of five senior-aged women who battle a Wal-Mart-like mentality in order to save their small business and cozy Southern community. The book recants the same story heard all over the United States --in reality--concerning the death of many small towns and their businesses at the hands of corporate America! Enjoyable read and now, theatre production. --The Author

Our book store has sold over 100 copies of this regional book since its release late last year. Great read for your summer vacation

I recently read this book at Clemson University. I bought it at the Barnes & Noble Store on Campus. I come from a small town and had heard that is was really funny. It was a quick read and I laughed out loud many times over the weekend. This guy really knows how to tell a story. Also, a great message for those who are tired of seeing small towns run-over by big business. Great book

Stafford has captured the true "steel magnolias" who live in the south and often operate a business around the corner from me and you. We all know the ladies. B. Mayo--San Antonio, Texas

The Funeral Club is a well written work of art. The author combines small town humor and the internal dialogues of a funeral home staff to keep the reader from putting the book down until the end. Thumbs up from this reader! Can't wait to read the next one - Summer at Hope's Croft

Rachel Loden talks with the second half of the 20th Century using a wealth of tones, creating some of the smartest, most aesthetically pleasing, social poetry of our time. Interesting both in its subject matter and in its engagement of poetic structures, Hotel Imperium is a must read for anyone interested in what poetry can accomplish. This is truely the sort of poetry that presents the "news that stays news," where the voice of Richard Nixon can speak (from within others): "This is the new socialist brain. This is the statue / of Dzerzhinsky falling over. This is my wife Pat. / This is an ode to the Bratsk Hydroelectric Project. / And I just want to say [abort, retry, fail . . .] / / the kids, like all kids, love the little dog." --from "The Death of Checkers"

Rachel Loden's elegant writing transported me. I was challenged by the political and historical references, touched by her tenderness and reduced to giggles by her wry humor. This book is a "must read" for readers interested in American history and compelled by incisive writing.

Rachel Loden's HOTEL IMPERIUM is the best kind of political satire: passionate, wildly comic, and aimed at the language and mentality which make possible the folly and cruelties of the twentieth century. The poems are witty, as the poems of Donne, Dryden and Pope are witty--agile, musical, possessing an elegance of form that is put to use in the service of this poet's moral indignation, which often manifests as irreverence. "She is not there, except her body/ is the specter in her Living/Underwear." Or "EMPIRE'S the thing/ that totters forward with its mouse/ears on, paterfamilias/ of so many little feet." Like Swift, she is often savage, while at the same time exhuberantly clever: "I remain the rhapsodist of cunning, blithering/songbird of iniquity, and while-u-wait/ the law I love moves through here/ like a wall of fire, and it is leaving/ everything exactly as it stands, and/ saving nothing in its wake.

The poet's enterprise is weighty, and though the poems are a romp, beauty has a place here as well. Take the following from "The Rowboat at Vladivostok:" "Now your voice is full/ of what it was to leave the Marianas. on that morning. Antares graying in the sky,/ the tradewinds blowing through the porpoises.

I could not put this book down, once I started it. Then I went back and re-read at random, for pure pleasure. Loden has accomplished a rare feat--she has taken on the enormous foolishness behind evil and harnessed it in these tight, energetic, and graceful poems.

"The heart's a mouth" running a "rivulet//of chatter." But make no mistake about it. Rachel Loden may be talking as fast as she can but what she has to say and how she says it is neither idle nor trivial. The poems in HOTEL IMPERIUM are brilliant, sassy, boldly irreverant, disarmingly subversive. Nothing and no one, from Chinese terra cotta warriors in Xian to Richard Nixon, from Dead Sea Scrolls to Elvis Presley, escapes her relentless yet "amiable eye"-an eye honed by a keen intelligence determined to cut everything down to size as it stalks and demystifies the "irrational exuberance" which seems to afflict our end-of-the-millennium world. In the HOTEL IMPERIUM of Rachel Loden, guests "sleep uneasy." The "terrible beauty" of William Butler Yeats undergoes a stunning metamorphosis/incarnation as Cruella de Ville: a "terrible beauty/is bored" while she plots "on her red/bedside telephone." The revenant of Psalm 23 becomes a "beautiful murderess" asking, "Who is the victim? That is so hard to say/Male or female, mineral or vegetable" as she draws "a hot bath/in the presence of her [my] enemies." Indeed, the HOTEL is a "break and enter paradise" in which Loden, "rhapsodist of cunning," "songbird of iniquity," doing time among "plump/and ripening perfidies" and "masterful deaths," test markets "our epic innocence." Reader beware: The poems in HOTEL IMPERIUM will crawl under your skin as they speak their way to your heart.

I loved the poems in "Hotel Imperium", which manage to be topical, witty, passionate, tender, and elegiac-sometimes all within a few stanzas. Rachel Loden speaks to-or channels-Richard Nixon and (Little) Richard Penniman, Svetlana Stalin and Marilyn Monroe; I would call these poems political, but only in the sense that Auden meant when he wrote "There is no such thing as the State/And no one exists alone." As for the style, I hardly know what to call it except "bebop Augustan," if that's any help. Read the poems yourself.

If you're a fan of nature or outdoors writing, especially the sort that provides a good deal of local color, you'll probably enjoy this book. It reminded me of William W. Warner's wonderful little book, Beautiful Swimmers, which was about the blue crab and other fisherman of the Chesapeake Bay. (By the way, I can highly recommend Warner's book as it is not as well known as it should be, but it is a much loved classic among those who do. Try reading the reviews here on it and you'll see what I mean. They're practically all rave reviews).

But getting back to White's book, White recounts the life of a Georgia small boat builder and waterman from his earliest childhood to his more mature years. White was practically born building small boats, and it shows, as his knowledge of small boat building and craftsmanship is as broad and deep as the waters he has plied for decades in his homemade canoes.

But the book isn't all about boat building, as White is a first-rate raconteur and tells many funny stories and anecdotes along the way, in addition to giving you his down-home philosophy about people, boats, and life in general. Overall an enjoyable read and if you follow other authors in the genre, like Randy Wayne White, you'll probably want to try Robb White (no relation as far as I know) too.

Robb White's descriptions of growing up along the Florida Panhandle sets the stage for one of the funniest, most entertaining books I have read in years. Beginning with a gang of kids, toddlers in diapers to gawky teenagers, who wandered shallow bays and sandy beaches from dawn to dark, White moves on to his Navy years in Puerto Rico, where he spent his off hours (and there were a lot of off them) watching local boat builders, and finally beginning his own boat building business. Stateside, he followed the boat-building trade as best he could, struggling to earn a bare living, with long periods of cash-money work such as crewing aboard tugboats which pushed oil-laden barges around the Gulf Coast and up tiny tidal waterways. I practically rolled on the floor laughing at his accounts of life aboard the tugs, which included ritual trading of tattered "porn" magazines and a crewmate who literally "gutted" an annoying tug captain. Interspersed through lively, often hysterical, accounts of his travels and travails, are delightful chapters about small boats and boating: jury rigging ancient outboard motors, building classic fishing skiffs and featherweight sailing canoes, capturing and cooking the sealife of the Gulf. I couldn't put the "Tin Canoe" down, read it through without stopping and loved every page!

In this slim but tugid volume, Robb White, heretofor known only to a narrow audience of small-boat nuts, introduces the wide world to his native waters, the Florida Gulf Coast, just like Mark Twain did for his, the Mississippi. This is no idle comparison: Like Twain, he has played with and piloted all kinds of boats upon his waters, met all life's characters there, and kept his eyes wide open all the time. If you think his language can't be as pungent, his characers as rich, his stories as deceptively simple -- well, don't judge till you read him. Then you might agree, Huck Finn ain't got nuthin' on ol' Robb White.

I got this from the library as I am a canoe nut. Turned out more of a continuing "autobiography"(?) in the McManus tradition (THEY SHOOT CANOES. DON'T THEY?)only this is all in the deep south. It is funny, informative and best of all highly irreverant. This guy was corrupted by some of the same forces that did me six decades ago. I am ordering it now for a keeper.

Robb White writes of his wild childhood and wild boating life. And he gets away with it because he's so good! This is candid, uproarious writing of the best sort. It's specific. And you know he knows what he's talking about because he's been there. What a tonic! His work reminds me of Jack Saunders. : ) --A fellow folk writer who hasn't gotten his break yet. Robb's is rough'n'tumble family storytelling, yet it's gentle. It's personal...and it's general. Just the right stuff. More! ...OK, I have to let the cat out of the bag: if you want more, subscribe to the thrifty, friendly little magazine "Messing About In Boats" right now. Robb has been writing biweekly columns for it for years now. What great good times! And fiesty, helpful boating (and living) info, too. (Did you know that Robb is the world's best bass fisherman? He'll tell you why sometime...)

Marvin's book is very inspirational. He shows us that with hard work and determination you can conquer any obstacle. He grew up in a poor family a child of a truck driver and a domestic worker, but he managed to graduate from high school, college, graduate school and became a lawyer, city council president and a judge. He was faced with racial discrimination in his early years growing up in Atlanta. He discusses his involvement with the civil rights movement and how that shaped who he is today. He was one of the first black men to attend Emory Law School in the 1960's. My favorite quote in his book is "I believe that all children given appropriate guidance and instruction from their families, teachers and communities can achieve success." I believe he is a great example of that belief. I think this book is a great read for a young adult and anybody else who wants to be inspired by Marvin's success.

Marvin Arrington has crafted a lucid and accessible narrative that details his experiences growing up in Jim Crow Atlanta. In addition to describing his rise to the presidency of the Atlanta City Council, he offers many anecdotes from his childhood that give an idea of just how painful racism can be through the eyes of a young boy. Throughout, he encourages his readers to learn from his example of hard work, which is fortified by his experience growing up in public housing projects, attending segregated schools, and working a wide variety of jobs. Then, having integrated Emory Law School's full-time division along with his friend (current U.S. District Court Judge) Clarence Cooper in 1965, he carries forth the lessons of his youth to the legal profession. He would later partner with famed civil rights attorney Donald Hollowell to form Arrington & Hollowell, one of the top 10 black law firms in the nation. He is currently a Superior Court Judge in Fulton County, Georgia, having been elected in 2003.

Arrington's book is both the story of one man's personal odyssey through hardship and success, as well as a short history of the city of Atlanta.
Thanks to his involvement in politics, his book sheds light on other major figues in Atlanta life with whom he had frequent contact, such as Q.V. Williamson, Maynard Jackson, and Andrew Young. Thanks to his wealth of experience, Arrington also gives an impressive insight into the duplicitous nature of city politics, culminating in his loss to Bill Campbell in the 1997 Atlanta mayoral election. In October 2008, Campbell will be completing a stint in federal prison for tax evasion.

The lessons that one can glean from his autobiography are just as relevant today as they were more than four decades ago. Arrington's recent collaboration with Bill Cosby in addressing the myriad problems plaguing urban communities has only helped to buttress his timely message. I agree with other reviewers that this book should be required reading for middle school and high school students thanks to its power and relevance.

I first met Marvin Arrington when I was a college senior and editing the Emory Wheel and he a second year law student, though I doubt he remembers that. We had many encounters after that and I had the opportunity to follow quite closely his legal and political career for many years. Yet as close as I felt I knew him, it was not until reading his memoir that I better understand the inner soul of this gentle and committed man. I thanked him for writing it, because as a son of the south and as a white man who had many friends who were Black Georgians, it wasn't until I heard or read the stories Maynard Jackson, Vernon Jordan,
Andrew Young, and Marvin Arrington told in their personal memoirs that I felt I had understood my own time with them. Whether a reader knows him personally or not, I enthusiastically encourage people to read this well-told narrative of growing up in the Jim Crow and post-Jim Crow south. That Marvin has brought his unique and heartening experiences to the courtroom and has had children follow him into the law is an evolution that could have been expected, but nonetheless still very gratifying.

This book should be assigned reading for every fifteen year old. The story of Marvin Arrington is proof that poverty and apparent lack of oppuritunity can be overcome.

Martin L. Fierman
Madison, Ga

Judge Marvin S. Arrington has been fixture in Atlanta, GA legal and political circles for more than thirty years. I expected his autobiography to be another in a long line of inspiring tales about tough warriors in the AFrican American quest for dignity, respect and inclusion. The title should have been my clue that it is much more. It is a saga of how his extraordinary life mirrors that of his beloved and iconoclastic city. Just as Atlanta rose from its ashes to become an international hub that defies its southern roots, Arrington forged his path from obscurity to a place of honor on the right side of Atlanta history. From the early chapters, where he offers a riveting picture of his early life in the neighborhood fictionalized in Tom Wolfe's Atlanta-based novel, to the later ones, he builds on the theme of refusing to stay in the place unjustly assigned to him by his city, his circumstances and his culture. A virtual who's who in law and politics endorsed this book including Pres. Jimmy Carter, Sen. Sam Nunn, Mayor Shirley Franklin, Ambassador Andrew Young, and Gov. Douglas Wilder. Tom Wolfe also lent his name. This book has been added to my collection of African American biographies. It is written in a narrative style that makes it accessible to a wide range of audiences, informative to multiple disciplines and enjoyable for re-reading over time.

Well researched and poetically rendered, this book tells a compelling story of The Little Town That Could. It's not just for R.E.M. fans, either; some of the best passages take the reader to the early 70s, when chance meetings, boredom, a thriving gay subculture, and some unsung movers-and-shakers who watched from the wings made things happen. Rodger Lyle Brown was there for much of the action and he captures the voices (and vices) of scores of characters who sowed the seeds that were reaped by bands such as the B-52's and R.E.M..

This book is a must for anyone interested in the Athens music scene (REM, B52s). Actually, it's insight on the challenges new bands face in breaking through makes it a must read for anyone in the music business. Greatly entertaining and a fast read. And I actually knew a few of the people mentioned in the book.

It's great to see this book back in print - seemingly a modest look into a grass-roots community of eclectics and artists, PARTY OUT OF BOUNDS actually presents a valuable piece of history - the rise of the Athens GA music and arts scene.

The reverberations from Athens ultimately threw a spotlight onto similar developments in Austin, Boulder, Chapel Hill, Winston-Salem, Minneapolis, Seattle/Olympia, Monterrey MX, and countless other places off the beaten track of the commercial culture industry, spawning a tremendous amount of great and influential work in the process, and this book is - amazingly - still one of the only documents of it all.

Browne was a part of the scene, so his resources, contacts and memories aid in the construction of a rich cultural history. The DIY spirit of the times has been reflected in other works (Clinton Heylin's FROM THE VELVETS TO THE VOIDOIDS springs to mind) focusing on other places, but certain other aspects - the diversity among the people and participants - is largely overlooked in most histories, and Browne gives the art influences, the 'Southern' influences, and the gay influences that all formed some of the scene's foundations the respect they deserve.

And Browne does detail just how stressing and grueling being in a struggling young rock band can be - the joy and the myth is here for sure, but so is the work and financial strain. Browne hits the perfect balance in the writing - he manages to convey, with equal import, the cultural significance, and the fun and energy in scenes like the one that exploded in Athens, and one is also left with a great picture of how such developments can impact (culturally) cities and towns for decades afterwards: again, though this book is Athens-specific in its' historical focus, this in many ways is the story of many places.

At every level, this is an essential recounting of the history of grass-roots and underground creativity in the US.

-David Alston

Just so that the author isn't the only one posting reviews, let me just say that I've lost track of the number of times I've enjoyed this book. Every time I reread it, it conjures up a movie in my mind, artistic college kids in the deep South living to party and play music. Although I grew up in Minnesota, the early punk/new wave scene of the late seventies was much the same here as it was in Athens, GA, and the (hazy) memories of that time are lovingly recounted here.

Hey folks. Yes, this is a facsimile of the original edition from 1991, except this one has a great new cover that's much more like what I wanted for the first edition. Got a new intro, too. Folks have been asking for copies for years, but it's been out of print (with used copies for as much as $50, if you can imagine). If you have any rem, b's, or otherwise fans of athens, let em know.

Any questions, email me at rodlbro@aol.com

rodger brown (author)