Fresno State Books

Not a practical cabinet making how to book, but not intended to be. This is a wonderful book of philosophy and idealism designed to inspire artistry in wood. It is easy to see and catch Krenov's passion for producing beauty.

The most influential modern book on cabinetmaking, July 9, 1998
Reviewer: A reader
First published in 1975, The Cabinetmaker's Notebook is a modern classic for those who wish to pursue cabinetmaking as a mode of sensitive self-expression. That may seem like a mouthful, but you either build cabinets because you need to store things, or for some less practical reason. As Red Green says "If your wife doesn't find you handsome, she should at least find you handy". That is one reason beyond the practical, A kind of I want to impress people stage. But when you get beyond that; the house is full of furniture, and your wife actually wishes you would come in from the shop once in a while, what keeps you out there? If it is a desire to do your best work, with the best tools and wood you can find then this book may be for you.
Why do I call it the most influential book of its kind? Well partly because it influenced me, but it also struck a cord when it first came out in the seventies and the woodworking revival was underway. It is pretty much as valid today as then. Krenov, who grew up in the U.S., wrote these books while living in Sweden. They proved so popular that a school was created stateside at which he still teaches. Krenov's insights are of some use to people who pursue other crafts.

The most likely volumes to share shelf space with this and other Krenov books are; George Nakashima The Soul of a Tree (worth it for the pictures alone) and Sam Maloof Woodworker (ditto)

As woodworking books go, James Krenov's "A Cabinet Maker's Notebook" is an anomaly. What you won't find is any detailed plan on how to build Krenov cabinets. On fact, what you will find is the reason why you won't find step-by-step instructions. This is as close as woodworking comes to a philosophy book. Krenov is sharing the inside of his head, and his head doesn't quite work like anyone else's. It is a chance to look at the why's, not the how.

Krenov's life has been a serendipitous one, living in Siberia, Alaska, Sweden, and parts in between. And holding a number of jobs while he was at it. The result is a woodworker who has had so many influences that his style has become unique and often imitated. But imitating James Krenov is a lost task unless you are willing to work and think the way he does. And, as truth would have it, if you would do that you would be a fine craftsman, but your work would be different from Krenov's, and that would be the point.

Krenov the woodworker is a careful meticulous man who does much of his work with hand tools. One who accumulates wood and makes it part of the family, waiting patiently until idea and material gel in his mind. Then, with a few rough sketches in hand, produced another of his pieces that he will be quick to tell you are unobtrusive, soft, and friendly. They are also unmistakably Krenov's in their subtlety and total commitment to craftsmanship.

This book is about many aspects of Krenov's like - his love for wood and cats, his personal history, and his philosophy. There is one sizeable section where he talks about several of his pieces - quick tours that may very well leave you stunned when you realize the completeness of his vision. If I just once accomplish something as beautiful as a Krenov cabinet what a proud wood shaper I will be.

Another of the essential books for woodworkers. Even if you don't like the style of Krenov's work you can't help but be touched by his philosophy and be a better woodworker because of it. This is the authors most philosophical work but don't let that scare you - there's noting dry or academic here - just good advice on loving what you do. Another classic.

I just read the book. It is a personal statement, and an inspiration to those who wish to do fine woodworking, and learn attitudes that will help you excel at whatever you do. Just as weightlifting helps your strength overall, this book helps you improve your outlook on life, your work ethic, and most importantly, how to deal with the struggles of frustration and finishing long difficult projects. I was surprised to read that he was plagued by self-doubt regarding his ability for many yrs. He talks here about his childhood, parents, and how he met his wife, so it's more personal. His cabinet work is astounding in its attention to detail, and he can literally work with thousandths of an inch by hand...as well as design beautiful pieces, work with wood grain, types of wood, etc. This book covers the personal, emotional, ethical, environmental, and even spiritual aspects of fine craftsmanship and personal fulfillment. Does it have all the answers? No, he himself says he can't tell you whether or not to "sell out" and do fast, cheap, commercial work. But his insights, intelligence, and experience can go a long way to help you work out these issues for yourself, as we all must do at one time or another. Read this book, then "The Fine Art of Cabinetmaking" which discusses details of how to sharpen planes, chisels, select wood, etc. A must-read for any thoughtful craftsman....

The use of digital photography and the Hexachrome printing process results in a visually stunning book. The essays are insightful and thought provoking. This book is enjoyable regardless of how familiar you are with the artist's work.

This book is a must for lovers of art, especially those who are interested in the California artists! Stunning photographs show Rollin Pickfords progression of style from his early days until now. These are interwoven with an account of his personal life and the influences contributing to those styles. This combination makes for a fascinating story as well as a beautiful book for the coffee table. Uniquely beautiful!!

Nowhere in the history of our planet has one place given the world's population such a bounty of harvest like the San Joaquin Valley has. Rollin Pickfords paintings are a historical record of this place; a place where beauty may not always be apparent, but nonetheless, exists. This is not only the work of an artist, but the work of someone who truly sees the world around him. A true lesson.

Mark Arax and Joel Pickford capture the spirit of Rollin Pickford's work and the connection with that great valley. The technical information on Pickford's work is interesting, but I find the biographical and background info on the valley and how Pickford's paintings and life are intertwined with it the most fascinating. It is a life lived well. Not only is it a wonderful treat for the eyes, but a good read as well. The valley is a hard sell; this book makes me want to go back.

This astonishing book contains 120 watercolors selected from more than 12,000 Pickford works spanning 60 years, creating a painter's workshop of styles and experiments. A collaboration of owners, art lovers and even commercial photographers and printers (using digital techniques), it is professionally edited by the artist's son, Joel, himself a photographer, writer and filmmaker. The quality could not be higher. I wish I had had this book open in my house when my children were growing up.

..that it wasn't 500 pages longer! What a fun read about often tragic stories. I haven't lived in Fresno all that long, so ALL of these stories were new to me. I am a history and a crime buff, so this well written book was right up my alley. Now I need to take a Saturday and go on a self guided "ghoul tour" using this book as a sort of road map.

Just one glimps at the cover, and a quick skim of the first few pages was enough to draw my family into this book. My wife and I read the book out loud, taking turns every few pages. This book has a little of everthing suspence, history, etc. I reguad this book as esential reading for anyone who lives in the central valley, and a must for lawenforcement.
jason

This book is of interest to me because I live in the Corcoran, CA area and am impressed with the attention to detail given to these historical crimes. The pictures were superb for being as old as they are and the author worked very hard collecting all this data. I am a fan of mystery/crime novels and was enthralled all the more since it is a true account of actual happenings. Hats off to all who made this publication possible!!!

I cannot begin to describe how much I enjoyed Scott Morrison's new book, "Murder in the Garden." Who would have guessed, when walking to school as a child near the corner of Cedar and Dakota Avenues, that a grizzly murder had occurred there. Or, riding down Gettysburg Avenue on a family outing passed the site of another murder. Living far away now so many years later, what fun it is to read of events that once shocked Fresno County citizens. Great reading! I hope more stories will follow.

A great book for all Fresno fair lovers. A lot of fun to read and a lot of history.
Great gift too.

If you thought that intentionally-staged train wrecks only took place in old Addams Family re-runs, check out this little slice of Fresnocana - a pictorial history of the annual Big Fresno Fair.

In 1919, some promoter actually did stage as the fair's feature attraction - not a crash between two cars on a model railroad - but the REAL THING: a collision between two locomotives purchased from the Santa Fe Railroad.

The two locomotives were named the Fair Special and the Raisin Express. Well, this is Fresno, after all. No doubt, in Hawaii, it would have been called the "Pineapple Express".

What exactly took place on that fateful day still seems to be a matter of dispute, and this collection includes a 50-year retrospective by then-Fresno schoolboy, Pulitzer Prize winner William Saroyan - an excerpt from his 1969 Fresno Bee article on the Great Train Wreck.

Claude "Pop" Laval was the early 20th century Ansel Adams of the San Joaquin Valley (though his photographic collection is by no means confined to rustic settings), and his pictures can be found in a large number of libraries, courthouses, offices, and other public settings in the area.

This portion of his collection, edited by his great-granddaughter, Elizabeth Laval, exclusively covers period shots of the yearly county fair that takes place in the city of Fresno on the fairgrounds located at Ventura and Chance.

Predominant are ag exhibits and other domestic displays, livestock exhibits, air shows, auto racing, horse racing - memories of which are lovingly preserved in Laval's old black-and-whites. One photo of the fairground's parking lot from 1941 shows it studded from top to bottom with old Model T's.

Also included is some interesting history on the fair's closure during the Second World War ("War Fair") and the facility's temporary use for military purposes, including a brief stint as a relocation center for Japanese internees.

Baby shows were once annual events from another era, and their importance was underscored at a time when the fair was continuing to operate during the First World War.

There is a 1916 Fresno Bee editorial written by an Agricultural Department employee explaining the utility of the Fair during wartime, in which he humanely observes (with an eye to the long view), "Though soldiers are in tremendous demand, the most important people in the world today are babies. The flower of our youth may come back mangled, nerve-wracked and devitalized, unfit to be the sire of coming generations. How important then, that every baby be born well and raised well."

Proceeds from the sale of the book benefit a restoration project aimed at preserving negatives of other images of the Great Valley captured by Pop Laval. In the end, I find myself wondering whatever happened to the old Raisin Day Parades - and what sort of exhilarating act of destruction might be performed (considering the sensitive times we live in now) at the 2019 County Fair to commemorate the centennial of the great train wreck!

The Mobil Travel Guide for California was invaluable for our recent trips on the California coast and to Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon. My past experience with other Mobil Travel Guides is that their information is complete and accurate. The ratings system for hotels and restaurants are reliable and will steer you to excellent values and quality establishments. Unless an establishment is brand new, it is a safe bet that it has not been included in the Guide for a reason. The Guide is especially helpful for families who are looking for a quality hotel room or meal for a reasonable price.

We have used the maps in the Guide and it has helpful information for planning trips, including mileage and time between destinations. The individual listings of motels, hotels and restaurants give useful information regarding decor, amenities and pets. We moved our family and pets across country using the Mobil Guide to find hotels that accepted dogs in our price range. This is the finest resource for domestic travel that I have seen. I recommend that you buy it for planning your trip and don't forget to bring it along. We changed our travel plans in the Mojave desert and made reservations on our cell phone using the Mobil Guide to California and the West!

The guide has a nice layout, which makes things easy to find. Each section gives a general overview of what there is to do in an area; this is a great starting point if you are not familiar with the location. I think this would be a great asset to anyone traveling about in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah.

review of: William Saroyan, An Armenian Trilogy, edited by Dickran Kouymjian William Saroyan (1908-1981) was a major voice in American literature during the 1930's and 40's. He had a brief influence on theatre, with his Pulitzer-prize winning play, "The Time of Your Life," in 1940, and other lesser plays. He wrote and produced several others, then fell into obscurity as a playwright. The "Armenian Trilogy," edited by Dickran Kouymjian, marks a departure in play writing for Saroyan, from theatrics to introspection. The three plays contained in this volume are the most "Armenian" of his writings. "Armenians," the first play, is about countrymen in diaspora, in Fresno, CA in 1921, six years after the last round of atrocities by the Turks against Armenians. Saroyan deals with regional stereotypes and larger issues of diaspora. "Bitlis," is a one-act play that features Bill Saroyan, the Armenian-American writer and his pilgrimage to his ancestral home in what was once Armenia. "Haratch," the most political of the three, Saroyan takes the stage in a visit to the Armenian daily newspaper in Paris. As strong as the plays, is Kouymjian's brilliant introduction that provides the perceptive explanation of Saroyan, the writer and the Armenian. The book is a necessity for fans of his dramatic works and those that enjoy the writings of William Saroyan, the "Buffalo Bill, " of American letters. -Y. Stephan Bulbulian, Fowler, CA

Not only can one read about some of Mr. Wright's many idiosyncrasies about such things as religion, science, music, ethics and morality, to name just a few, the book comes with 2 cassette tapes that allow you to actually HEAR selections from Sunday talks to his apprentices.

This book is a "must hear" for all Wright lovers who want to know why he was such a great architect as well as a brilliant speaker.

THE FRESNO ARMENIANS "The History of a Diaspora Community" by Berge Bulbulian

Reviewed by Stephen Barile

"Whether the missionairies (who first went to the Ottoman Empire in 1812 to convert follower of Islam to Christianity) helped save thousands of Armenians from certain death, or whether the conversion of many Armenians led to disunity that brought on the death of the Armenian nation depends on one's historical perspective." Christian missionaries in the Middle East ultimately led to the phenomenon of Armenians migrating to Fresno, California, to escape persecutions and prosper in a strange yet familiar land. At one point, Fresno had the largest population of Armenian people in the United States. Much more than a coffee-table edition of provincial or regional significance, "The Fresno Armenians," by Berge Bulbulian, is a modern history of Armenians in their former capitol of the New World. Armenians provided a tremendous contribution to the growth and culture of a community reluctant to embrace their arrival, but glad to have the benefit of their participation and labor. Fresno, California became , as a result, the center of agricultural production in the world. A huge array of crops grow on the fertile alluvial plain that rests between the Sierra Nevada mountain range and the coast range of California, with much thanks to the efforts of Armenians. To gain the distinction of the "Breadbasket of the World," the valley needed ingenuity, sweat and toil of the Diaspora immigrants to change the desert landscape into a garden that would rival ancient Mesopotamia. Among the earliest immigrants to Fresno, Armenians were directed to California by the Christian missionaries who infiltrated their homeland, splitting their ancient church in two. In Fresno, Armenians found a dusty village on the train tracks in the barren wastes of the Central Valley, and would have left immediately, save for one-way train tickets. The first Armenian arrivals established an outpost for others facing persecutions and slaughter by the pre-Ottoman Turks in the 1890's. Realizing what the future foretold at home, and in search of security and freedom, many found their way to the eastern United States. Armenians leaving the homeland were educated, prosperous professionals, craftspersons, merchants and city-dwellers. They found work in the factories of the East Coast and industrial belts of the U.S. Letters from Fresno provoked many to leave and join their brethern in the west to mold the possibilities of an undeveloped territory. One of the most comforting of the otherwise disconcerting arrangements for the immigrants in early Fresno was the climate and soil, much like the weather and land they were accustomed to in the Middle-East. Shortly after the turn of the previous century, Armenians became the largest minority population in Fresno. "The Fresno Armenians" describes a remarkable history of a determined people driven by massacre and religious hatred from their 3,000 year old home in the Caucus Mountains and fecund plains of eastern Cilicia. In the San Joaquin Valley, Armenians became pioneers of agriculture very soon after their arrival. Through determined efforts of perserverance, they became leaders in business, religion, education and governement, prevailing in a difficult time of virulent discrimination. Presented in chronological order, "The Fresno Armenians" begins with a brief history of the nation before emigration. Suffering through centuries of foriegn domination and persecutions, the real end for Armenia came when the Ottoman Turkish government, between 1915 and 1923, annihilated 1.5 million innocent Armenian people. Many of the far-sighted had already established themselves in Fresno. Maintaining balance in a history like that of "The Fresno Armenians" is difficult at best, but successfully achieved in this study. The book sings loud praise to the successes of the Armenian community. But then again, the Armenians brought good business sense, decorum and cultivated civility to an otherwise wild-west railroad town. "The Fresno Armenians" details the number of Armenian arrests, crimes, divorces in the community, but does not provide scintillating details about the sensationl crimes, like Mark Arax's, "In My Father's Name." What little dark underside that existed in the Armenian community is overlooked. Nevertheless, Armenians have caused Fresno, the city and it's people, to rise to the heights of the immigrant's rich history, determination and craftsmanship and the whole of thecountryside has benefitted. The book is a compendium of the Armenian's great efforts and individuals in Fresno and the surrounding area, and contains all the details.

This book presents Fresno as a city which is more than just the "Raisin Capital of the World." The photography is fabulous and the narrative paints a fascinating picture of this city which straddles northern and southern California, is the gateway to three National Parks and figures in the literature of Steinbeck and Saroyan, yet has often been overlooked by tourists as just a way station.

This is very helpful reference. Easy to look up cities and features since they are alphabetical. Not so great to follow as an itinerary. Includes modest price facilities so that makes it a good family travel guide.