Michigan Books

I was born in Detroit in the 1950s before my family moved to Wayne, Michigan in 1958. We moved back for a year in 1962 and I attended third grade at Bow Elementary School. It was a thriving city with streets full of cared for homes with neat lawns. After decades of decline, it appears that Detroit is making a comeback and I find that encouraging. Nevertheless, Detroit has hundreds of years of rich history. This book covers a bit more than a century of that history through nearly two hundred beautifully presented photographs.

One of the traps we fall into regarding photographs is that we tend to gravitate towards a small set of vivid photographs that become the standard for presenting the images of this event or that place or these people. This book is fresh and refreshing because it uses terrific images that are much less well known images of Detroit and its people. The author, Mary J. Wallace has made her selections from the Walter P. Reuther Library at Wayne State University and from the Burton Collection of the Detroit Public Library. She has worked as an audiovisual archivist at the Walter P. Reuther Library for several years and her familiarity with the material shows in the selections she has made.

Wallace has divided the photos into four chronological groups. The first runs from 1860 to 1899 (from the Civil War until the arrival of the automobile), from 1900 to 1919 (the birth of the auto industry through the end of World War I), from 1920 to 1941 (the early boom of the auto industry through the Depression), and from 1942 - 1969 (from World War II through the 1967 riots and the aftermath).

What I most appreciate is the balance she shows in showing us images of the development in architecture with the photos of real people at work, in their fashions, and some historical events. Even when she picks the historical events, she selects an image that gives us a different perspective on the event. We all know the images of the fight of the Battle of the Overpass at the Rouge Plant. Not many of us have seen the image she shows us here of the peaceful demonstration before the struggle began.

The author has supplied about a page of text at the beginning of each section as well as captions for each picture, but wisely lets the images do most of the speaking. The credits for the photos are given in a list at the back. These are images that are worth lingering over. They are full of captivating details that will show themselves as you spend time looking into the pictures for things beyond the obvious main object of the photograph.

If you have any interest in Detroit and its history, this is a fabulous book to own and refer to often. It is printed on great paper and bound handsomely.

I've always thought that it is very important to know the history of one's local area and have always loved to read books about regional history. One of the very best one's I've come across in sometime is "Historic Photos of Detroit" from Turner Publishing Co. Detroit was one of the most important early colonies due to its strategic location along Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair and was founded as a fort by French explorer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac in 1701.

The book covers four periods of Detroit history, 1860 - 1899, 1900 - 1919, 1920 - 1941, and 1942 - 1969. The photos date as far back as the 1860's, less than thirty years after Michigan became the 26th state. What first surprised me is just how busy and bustling Detroit was nearly 150 years ago. We tend to think of the 1860's in terms of the dusty old west but Detroit already had numerous multi-story buildings built including the massive Old Russell House Hotel on Woodward Ave. It's fascinating to just sit back and flip pages to "building watch" all of the types of businesses that were in operation back in the mid to late 1800's...Grocers, dry goods, shoes & boots, carpets, drug stores, furniture...in other words, it really wasn't much different than today. People are out and about on the town, working, shopping, or just enjoying a walk.

These photos also serve as an important archive since most of these buildings are long gone today. For example there is the Old Federal Building, looking like a gothic French cathedral that was torn down in 1932. It's educational as well...even living my entire life in the Detroit area I never knew that Detroit once used street cars. Besides the architecture of the era one should also pay attention to the fashion of the day. Women stroll along the streets in their finest clothes: tailored dresses and their Sunday best hats, highlighting an era that was certainly more refined and cultured.

Even in 1910 the Detroit Auto Show was one of the city's most important events. A beautiful photo shows off the brand new models, accented by bright lights, at the old Wayne Gardens. The photos range from the humorous of three boys holding on to the side of a car for dear life on a flooded West Grand Blvd. in 1925, to the tragic destruction of the riots in 1967. One wonderful photo that will surely warm the hearts of all Detroiters is Santa Claus waving to a crowd of thousands at the end of Detroit's annual Thanksgiving Day parade. For many residents of SE Michigan, a trip downtown to watch the parade and look at the Christmas displays in the old J.L. Hudson's department store windows was an annual rite of winter.

It's a beautiful book from cover-to-cover highlighted by brilliant photography. I would have loved to had seen a photo or two of the old Olympia stadium but no Detroiter will be disappointed with this book. Hats off to author Mary J. Wallace for a wonderful job of research.

Reviewed by Tim Janson

The Hope of the Air is a collection of poems by songwriter, actor, literature teacher and award-winning poet Barry Spacks. Each poem is no longer than a page or two, but all have an indefinable lighter-than-air quality that lends a whispered, lingering impression upon one's consciousness. An absorbing treasury of simple reflections, sometimes witty, sometimes wistful, upon the simple challenges and celebrations of daily life. "Message to the Widower": In an envelope in a favorite book / she left him her final message: a lock // of her hair... and with it the thought that she knew / surely one day he would find it there // and how he would feel, / finding it there.

If, as Franz Kafka says, literature is the axe that smashes the frozen sea of the heart, then after reading this book your heart will be in smithereens. Buy it, buy it, buy it.

A revisionistic view of many of the orgins of the central beliefs of classical economics.

Economics has long been called 'the dismal science' supposedly as a response to the writings of Malthus, who grimly predicted that starvation would result as projected population growth exceeded the rate of increase in the food supply. And because economics so often discusses the less plesant aspects of life such as depressions, starvations and the like.

The author of this book looks at some of the writings of the time and presents a view of the time where slavery was being held as morally correct in that the 'colored races' need the protection of the white. He quotes heavily from Thomas Carlyle's 1849 paper 'Occasional Discourse on the Negro Question.' Carlyle was arguing that freeing the slaves had led to a moral and economic decline.

For a mind-blowing companion to, and crucial expansion of, this theme, see the superb *Lost Literature of Socialism,* by George Watson.

Nathan Rosenberg, Department of Economics, Stanford University, says: "Levy's scintillating volume offers a startlingly original reinterpretation of Carlyle's well-known characterization of classical economics as 'the dismal science.' Levy examines the positions of classical economics and its nineteenth-century Victorian literary critics, as seen through the specific prism of the antislavery debate. He argues, persuasively in my view, that it was the economists, and not the poets, who were the 'true friends of humanity.'"

What a wonderful marvelous simple exploration and subtle exposition of a family history with the weaving of that sense of humor so often found in the Jewish culture. Page after page is filled with loving kindness expressed by Gootie's grandson.

I am reading this book slowly since I don't want to ever finish it. It is such a joy to read.

P.S. I find it most interesting that "I Love Gootie" is out of print. But, as is often the case, some of the best works of literature are not always popular. In closing, I would like to say, I chanced upon this find while browsing through, of all places, a [LOCAL STORE]. Yes indeed, on one of the shelves I saw around a dozen copies of same and was immediately attracted by the title (and the picture on the cover). I took out my one dollar, and smiled all the way home, since I knew this was going to be one great read. Shortly I am returning to that store in hopes that there are still some copies left. There are a few colleagues of mine that would most appreciate having this gem in their library.

After thoroghly enjoying Max's previous book (Roommates) I must admit I was looking forward to reading I Love Gootie. Now I feel even closer to this loving, quirky family that I have never met. In this book Gootie grows on us and makes us wonder how we would adapt to being "thrown into the next century" -- surely we would hold onto the "old ways" as well. I wish all grandchildren and grandparents had the good fortune to have such a close and caring relationship -- driving each other crazy at times, but underneath it all a deep love that is shown in different ways each and every day of their lives. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good story and appreciates the humor of everyday life. Thanks, Max, for revealing more about your family and capturing a story that would have otherwise been lost.

Having come from this area of west Michigan, Idlewild has always intrigued me. Stephens' book is the definitive work so far, and is well documented and researched. The photos are priceless. I would recommend this book for any student of black America.

This book is an exceptional and accurate account of historical Idlewild. Although it is slightly slanted based on the authors assessibility to information (a wide variety from one or two sources) they are execellent sources. Having grown up in Idlewild on Idlewild lake and gone to the local schools from pre-school through high school, I would recommend this book for any scholar or novice who is interested in the development of Black America in small towns; the rise and fall of the Black entertainment industry; and Black resort towns and Black Ghost towns.

Edited by historian David Lee Poremba, If I Am Found Dead: Michigan Voices from the Civil War presents written letters that comprise firsthand testimony of the Civil War from four Michigan soldiers. Of the four, one perished during the conflict; one returned to a normal life; one was accused of murder and tried three times; and one invented a brand of ginger ale that remains famous in the region to this day. Though the four were of disparate backgrounds, their letters each provide an equally vivid glimpse of wartime life through a soldier's eyes, from observations of officers' leadership abilities to the suffering of residents who lived where the war was waged to the omnipresent threat of death on the battlefield - many of the letters were penned just before or just after an armed conflict. A welcome addition to private and library collections of primary sources and testimonies of the Civil War, highly recommended.

Even though this book is made up of the journals and letters of Michigan Civil War soldiers, it's not necessarily a book strictly for Michiganians. The words that these four men wrote pertain to all who fought in that awful war, including camp life, long marches, and invlovement in the battles themselves.
Here's a few entires from May of 1861:

29th Wednesday - drilled and paraded and received our shirts, drawers, and socks from the government.
31st Friday - I was Colonel's Orderly; received our coats and pants.

June 1861
3rd Monday - the 3rd regiment of Michigan Volunteers had a banner presented to the by the Ladies of Grand Rapids. A large crowd of spectators on the ground, the largest ever known.

Here's a snippet of a letter from James Vernor to his father from 1862:
"We...passed Perryville afternoon. 300 Rebels dead on the battlefield of last Wednesday. I asked some of the folks why they were not buried & the 'oh they are Secesh.' I think if I lived around there I should want to get them out of sight for they are anything but pleasant to look at."
James Vernor, by the way, would eventually make his fortune in Vernor's Ginger Ale.

This is one of my favorites that shows life as a soldier in 1861:
"I have ten dollars in gold in my pocket & I would give half of it for a quart of water & the other half for a loaf of bread. I had nothing but hard bread and raw pork. I went without and today I have had no time to eat. I have had no water today, only what I sucked up out of a mud puddle..."

The details these folks wrote in their letters and journals tell the tales of the Civil War far greater and with more impact than modern historians could ever muster. And the maturity level of these young men (ages late teens / early 20's) were far beyond those of the same age today.
I will say this, however, if you are just looking for a book on the Civil War, this may not be for you. It's not a concise history. But, if you are already a scholar of that war and are looking to add to your knowlegde then you just might want to check this volume out, as there are, in well over 200 pages, many tedious details presented here in first person not found elsewhere that will heighten your image of the CW soldier.
Engulfing reading throughout.

Cancer is not simply an "opportunity for personal growth" writes Dr. Kathlyn Conway in this timely, lucid, and provocative book. Conway knows her subject first-hand. Five years ago she wrote: "I'm a 47-year-old woman with one husband, 2 children and 3 cancers." She was diagonsed with Hodgkins disease at 26, with brast cancer at 43 and lymphoma at 45. Her 2002 memoir, "Ordinary Life" told the story of agonizing decisions, physical incapacitation and medical mistakes. (They aimed the radiation too high, which destroyed her hearing in one ear. They then aimed it too low which caused cancer in the other breast.) As she eventually returns to "ordinary life" her young daughter, Molly, asks: "Is breast cancer over, Mom." She replies reassuringly, "Yes, honey, breast cancer is over." In "Illness and the Limits of Expression" Conway lets us in on a secret. Just as the galleys of her previous book arrived in the mail, her doctors discovered another cancer. Should he re-write the ending or stop on a positive note. Deciding that all memoirs need to end somewhere she chooses the latter but with significant ambivalence. As she recovers from her 4th cancer, she begins the project of reading every illness memoir she can find. Conway discovers that her decision to tend the book on a positive note reflects a major trend in American books on the subject. A huge number tell of "doing battle" with cancer, "showing great courage in the fight" and ultimately "winning that war"--what she refers to as the "triumph narrative." She quotes William Dean Howells to good effect. "What the American public wants in theater is tragedy with a happy ending." The New Age authors can be particularly troublesome, asking patients why they "invited" cancer into their system. Deepak Chopra seems to believe that serious illness is caused by hostility, resentment-- a bad attitude. New Age thinking offers comfor to millions because it offers a sense of supreme control over our bodies. (This is in contrast to the Buddhist view, for example, that teaches: Life is suffering.) The notion that we are in charge of everything is something worth examining. In refreshing contrast to New Age triumphalism, Conway assures us that despite having a wonderful husband and supportive family and friends, she was grumpy and unheroic most of the time and that her illness had "no redeeming value." She writes: "We long to hear from someone who admits that even enormous love from others does not erase the essential loneliness of illness." Conway attributs her recovery not to positive thoughts but to the fact that her cancers were caught early and that she could afford health insurance. (INcidentally, anyone who might imagine that being a famous writer, a celebrated journalist, a respected physician or all of the above might result in fewer medical nightmares or better bedside manner needs to read the illness memoirs of Audre Lorde, Barbara Ehrenreich, Anatole Broyard and Oliver Sacks--each summarized in her book.) What illness does is shatter belief in a unified self, and language offers a means to construct coherence. Language must also fail, however, because it can only approximate the experience of having body parts--breasts, feet, tongues--lopped off. She concludes by pointing out that this very failure of language and of literature "paradoxically allows us as readers to approach the ground of desolation where consolation will or will not come to each of us in our own time and in ways of our own making and unmaking." This is not the language of victory, and yet in its clarity and authenticity there is a kind of overcoming. "Illness and the Limits of Expression" then points to a worldview that is less sunny, a self whose coherence is always greatly exaggerated and to a psychology that might embrace and map rathern than turn away from our basic brokenness. This book is an intelligent, loving guide for the journey.

What a magnificent, literate and thoughtful book. We all will face the terrible fact of debilitating illness at some point in our lives and how we do it and what it means will become especially important to us then. We'll turn to the bookshelves of our local Barnes & Nobles only to find books that entreat us to "act normal," to "live life to its fullest" and to "think positively," all homilies written by those who don't know -- or can't write -- any better. This book, the second masterpiece written by Conway, gives us a deeper look into why we, as Americans, desperately want to avoid the true nature of illness and its devastating consequences. It also looks at the very structure of our language, our literature and our lives to dig into the deeper literary reasons why we can never confront the true meaning of disease.

In its simplest terms, Conway maintains, the very structure of our language and our literary traditions make it all but impossible to really describe what serious illness is rtruly like. She plumbs the literature to find examples of writers who can capture even a little bit of the experience in words. From Virginia Wolff through Andrew Solomon she selects those few examples to examine the broad literature and the common culture of illness. It's an astounding and thought provoking -- and beautifully written -- read!

I read "Imagine a Woman" ten years ago. Its stories still haunt me today. I find myself pondering "Poe's Lighthouse" and "Linder Man" at the strangest times. Seltzer brings a depth of humanity and emotion to his stories that I am powerless to describe. Each story is so very original, so very intimate. I cannot recommend this collection highly enough. Read it. You won't regret it.

This series of short stories literally sparkle and overflow with emotion, yet the writing is tempered, measured and always intelligent. What I liked best were the quirky plots and the still quirkier people. But quirky should not imply "funny" - these tales contain sadness, depth and heartbreak. "Lindow Man" is one of the best - an archeologist is studying a recovered body from the bogs, a prehistoric man, when he meets his future wife. Upon marriage she becomes ill and dies. He is drawn to the bog and attempts suicide only to choose life at the last moment. "Pipistrel" is also a tour de force. A boy who has sonar abilities (like a bat) enters a cave and his mother goes in after him...eerie but satisfying.

There is an art to writing short stories and make them both interesting and "complete". Richard Selzer has perfected this style of writing into an artform. Highly recommended.

This book eloquently describes the events of Burma immediately after independence. The account here is vivid and captivating! The book is essential to understanding political events in Burma and reflects similar conditions in other newly independent countries. A must read for those interested in the history of Burma after independence!! And to any interested in learning more about a resilient society and post-colonial struggles. Everyone from authors researching this period to those who have never read anything about Burma will be SHOCKED by the story of this small district which reflects the situation of the entire country.

It is surprising to know that the government vanished in a single day!! The rebellion by various creeds brought Burma almost to dismemberment. The book shows the suffering of the Burmese people from both the insurgents and the government officials who attempted to establish normalcy.

This book eloquently describes the events of Burma immediately after independence. The account here is vivid and captivating! The book is essential to understanding political events in Burma and reflects similar conditions in other newly independent countries. A must read for those interested in the history of Burma after independence!! And to any interested in learning more about a resilient society and post-colonial struggles. Everyone from authors researching this period to those who have never read anything about Burma will be SHOCKED by the story of this small district which reflects the situation of the entire country.

It is surprising to know that the government vanished in a single day!! The rebellion by various creeds brought Burma almost to dismemberment. The book shows the suffering of the Burmese people from both the insurgents and the government officials who attempted to establish normalcy.

I picked this book up not knowing what it was and not sure if I would like it or not. After I finished the novel, I went back and re-read my favorite chapters. I enjoyed everything--the characters, the sense of place on the reservation, and the writing style.

Indian Summers ranks with Winter in the Blood as one of the finest examples of Native American literature yet written. The plot-threads flow together beautifully, echoing the best of what is done in the genre of urban fiction, yet transposing this technique onto the detailed world of a reservation. Gansworth is sure to become an important writer. One of the best first novels I've read in years.