Archive for November, 2007

The Brando of Ballet

Friday, November 30th, 2007
Julie Kavanagh traces the route that took Rudolf Nureyev from starving peasant to international star.

Not Pretty

Friday, November 30th, 2007
Umberto Eco’s “On Ugliness” asks whether repulsiveness, too, is in the eye of the beholder.

The Dead and the Naked

Friday, November 30th, 2007
Chapter 13: The wind was picking up, and Dick went out to check on his boat.

‘Portraits and Observations’

Friday, November 30th, 2007
“In the courtyard there was an angel of black stone, and its angel head rose above giant elephant leaves; the stark glass angel eyes, bright as the bleached blue of sailor eyes, stared upward.”

The Decade That Won’t Die

Friday, November 30th, 2007
A design critic reminds us that the ’70s spawned many of the values that define our society today.

‘The Great Funk’

Friday, November 30th, 2007
“If you wanted a world that was orderly, where progress was guaranteed, the seventies were a terrible time to be alive.”

Editor’s Cut

Friday, November 30th, 2007
The hero of Steve Erickson’s new novel is obsessed with movies.

‘Zeroville’

Friday, November 30th, 2007
“On Vikar’s shaved head is tattooed the right and left lobes of his brain. One lobe is occupied by an extreme close-up of Elizabeth Taylor and the other by Montgomery Clift.”

Weekend Reading List

Friday, November 30th, 2007

Here's what we'll be reading this Saturday and Sunday in Seattle:

Tom
Memo to the President Elect by Madeleine Albright
Release Date: January 8, 2008
We're going to be interviewing her for an Amazon Wire podcast in a couple of weeks.

BTP
The River Cottage Cookbook by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
Release Date: May 2008
HFW's River Cottage Meat Book was my favorite cookbook of the year and I just received a galley of the US version of his 2001 River Cottage Cookbook, coming this spring. There's as much quality reading as there is cooking with his books--I hope to do a little of both this weekend.

Anne
Libra by Don DeLillo

Customer Rating: 4 stars out of 5 (1 review)
I was talking to a friend (and huge DeLillo fan) about the musical "Assassins" recently. We ended up on the topic of Oswald and JFK and before I knew it, Libra was tucked away in my bag, with the claim that it’s far and away DeLillo’s best. So far, so good.

Dave
Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman  by Yvon Chouinard
Customer Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5 (45 reviews)
I'm a big fan of how Patagonia is run, as founder Yvon Chouinard stayed true to his beliefs while building a global brand.

Lauren
Borkmann's Point: An Inspector Van Veeteren Mystery by Hakan Nesser
Customer Rating: 4 stars out of 5 (15 reviews)
It's a mystery worth recommending.

Mari
In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto by Michael Pollan
Release Date: January 1, 2008

Daphne
The Host by Stephenie Meyer
Release Date: May 6, 2008
The publisher is calling this “Meyer’s first novel for adults,” which is a little weird, considering that I’m an adult and I devoured her Twilight series (did anyone else find Eclipse terribly disappointing?). Aaaaanyway, I’m looking forward to it.

Map Quest

Friday, November 30th, 2007
The Library of Congress shows off its collection of historical cartography.

Coming Up Roses (and Weeds)

Friday, November 30th, 2007
Ethel Merman’s professional successes and personal disappointments.

When the Future Looked Brave and New

Friday, November 30th, 2007
A book of letters, many previously unpublished, reinforces the impression that Aldous Huxley was attracted to eccentric ideas.

Editors’ Choice

Friday, November 30th, 2007
Recently reviewed books of particular interest.

Once Upon a Time in China

Friday, November 30th, 2007
A biography of Marco Polo reanimates the exploits of a champion traveler.

A Sinner’s Tale

Friday, November 30th, 2007
The British novelist talks about why atheists crave atonement, his long-lost brother and Martin Amis’s beef with radical Islam.

‘Heil Hitler! Love, Bobo’

Friday, November 30th, 2007
The Mitfords’ lives, revealed in their letters, intersected with important 20th-century events.

The Greeks

Friday, November 30th, 2007
In “Great Moments in Greek Archaeology,” scholars share their stories of discovery with a general audience.

Mad

Friday, November 30th, 2007
“The Completely Mad Don Martin” includes every drawing Martin ever did for Mad magazine.

Snow Men

Friday, November 30th, 2007
Bob Eckstein traces the cultural history of the snowman in a new book.

Weather

Friday, November 30th, 2007
In “Storm Chaser,” the photographer Jim Reed covers a quarter-million miles in pursuit of his singular passion.

Art by Writers

Friday, November 30th, 2007
“The Writer’s Brush,” reproduces the visual works of such literary heavyweights as Goethe, Dostoyevsky, Faulkner, Yeats and Proust.

Rock Portraits

Friday, November 30th, 2007
A new collection of classic images from rock photographer Lynn Goldsmith.

Political Cartoons

Friday, November 30th, 2007
In “The Art of Ill Will, ” Donald Dewey traces the history of the American political cartoon — and provides more than 200 examples.

Fashion

Friday, November 30th, 2007
“The Golden Age of Couture” is a sumptuously illustrated look at the renaissance in French fashion that occurred in the decade following World War II.

Visuals

Friday, November 30th, 2007
A romp through new art and design books.