Form-3 Books

What makes this book so good is that it is equal parts intellectual history and literary criticism. Elliott has a provocative way of thinking about "culture," and he shows how foundational the culture concept has been to American literature. He also has a lot to say about the history of African American and Native American writing, and it is much more interesting than talking about those works as being completely separate form each other.

This is a great book about the history of the culture concept -- and especially about all the different kinds of literature related to it.

Barry Dordick's rollicking book of poetry for youngsters, Dear Cow, Not Now, I'm Busy, is full of rhymes that could give Odgen Nash something to muse about. "Hugs," for example, features such marvelous rhyming couplets as "Schnauzer"/"'Yowzer!" and "koala"/"scholar!" Sometimes Dordick elicits the latent onomatopoeia in a word by juxtaposing it with another, as when he links "tickle" with "pumpernickel" (87).
Animals with human abilities, foibles, and desires are a staple of kids' poetry, but Dordick's rhyming rejuvenates these conventions, as in "Maxwell," named after a turtle who knows how to "fax well" and "play/The sax well" (6) and in "Irving the Armadillo."
Various poems celebrate art as a vehicle for exuberance, expansiveness, and admirable individuality.
In his poem on Marc Chagall, Dordick's matter-of-factness about Chagall's refusal to explain his folk surrealist drive- why, for example, his "houses . . . leap"- is itself a lesson for kids to be open to possibilities. When the "extraordinary" powers of the unconscious are at work, events of "sleep" permit the artist to "leap" beyond common sense or, somehow, to "float away on a cloud." Of course, the force of art can be perilous to the boundaries that audience members may erect: "I got chased/ By a couple of oboes,/ I got chased/ By a band of bassoons./ I got chased/ by some wild percussion/ Through so many/ Different rooms" (24).
The innovative "Boy, Do I Love Math!," undermines math's stereotypical association with tedium or absence of emotion and expresses the aesthetic joy that actual mathematicians experience. Even if the poet is being a bit ironic, such artful propaganda- the user-"friendly" animation of math, emphasis of the "cool," "surprise" element in solving problems, and the intellectual freedom and play that so-called "homework" might deliver- is good for children: "We oughtta teach [this to] the teachers"! This book will teach children much about the pleasures of language along with opportunities for the imagination's exercise, and these subtle, witty poems also offer considerable enjoyment to adult readers.

Barry Dordick's rollicking second book of poetry for youngsters, Dear Cow, Not Now, I'm Busy, is replete with rhymes that could give twentieth-century light-verse master Odgen Nash something to muse about. "Hugs," for example, features such marvelous rhyming couplets: "Schnauzer"/"'Yowzer!'","iguana"/"wanna," and "koala"/"scholar!" In "Say Cheese!" the poet says the names of several kinds of cheese and pairs them with hilarious rhymes and slant-rhymes: "Gouda"/"cuter," "Cheddar"/"letter," "gotta"/"Ricotta" (36).
Animals with human abilities, foibles, and desires are a staple of children's poetry, but Dordick's rhyming rejuvenates these conventions, as in "Maxwell," named after a turtle who knows how to "fax well" and "play/The sax well" (6) and, especially, in "Irving the Armadillo."
Various poems celebrate the notion of art as a vehicle for exuberance, expansiveness, and admirable individuality. Marc "Chagall wants to paint the universe," and Dordick shows us how he does:
the "extraordinary" powers of the unconscious are at work, when the events of "sleep" permit the artist to "leap" beyond ordinary aesthetic or representational possibilities or, somehow, to "float away on a cloud." Of course, the force of art can be perilous to the boundaries that members of its audience may erect: "I got chased/ By a couple of oboes,/ I got chased/ By a band of bassoons./ I got chased/ by some wild percussion/ Through so many/ Different rooms" (24).
The most innovative poem in the book is "Boy, Do I Love Math!," which undermines mathematics's stereotypical association with either tedium or absence of emotion and gives a sense of the aesthetic joy that actual mathematicians experience when "numbers . . . bounce around/ in friendly shapes and sizes./ Equations seem to smile and wink,/ They come with cool surprises" (67.)

Dear Cow will teach children a great deal about the pleasures of language along with opportunities for the imagination's exercise, and these subtle, witty poems also offer considerable enjoyment to adult readers.

The early seventies was a time when the American involvement in the war in Southeast Asia was winding down and Watergate was spiraling, not winding upward. Recent events and attitudes in the United States have demonstrated that the collective American memory of that time has largely been lost. The administration of George W. Bush has run roughshod over many areas of civil liberties and the truth in a manner that Dick Nixon could only have dreamed of.
This collection of cartoons from the Doonesbury strip of the early seventies is a journey back to that era and presents the events in a way that only a quality cartoonist can. From these captions, you can see the rapid demise of the Nixon administration, the early days of the Ford presidency and the first stages of the feminist movement where women are applying for positions in graduate professional schools.
If you lack the basic knowledge of the events of that time, these cartoons will not make much sense to you. The humor is there, but without the historical context, it is almost impossible to grasp. I remember those times and I loved the look back through the Doonesbury lens.

In 1975, for the first time in the history of journalism awards, the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning went to a comic strip: Garry Trudeau's nationally syndicated Doonesbury.

"It is not only the best comic strip, but the best satire that's come along in a long time." -- Art Buchwald

Carried today by over 350 North American newspapers, Doonesbury's unique blend of social-political satire, cartoon humor, and comic-strip continuity has won a following both improbably diverse and fanatically devoted. In Washington, where Doonesbury is required reading, requests for original strips have come from White House aides, senators, congressmen, and -- remarkably -- most of the major Watergate conspirators whose maladventures gave the strip grist for some of its most celebrated moments.

"There are only three major vehicles to keep us informed as to what is going on in Washington: the electronic media, the print media, and Doonesbury, not necessarily in that order." -- President Gerald Ford

So loyal has been this following that on occasions when Doonesbury was suddenly notable for its absence from a paper following a satirical thrust that had somehow offended editors' notions of comic strip propriety, readers have always managed to protest it back onto the page.

The Doonesbury Chronicles marks the first hardcover appearance of Michael J. Doonesbury and cohorts, and is their first collection to include Sunday color pages. In all, 572 strips are presented, as selected by Garry Trudeau and encompassing the full Doonesbury canon, from its cozy campus origins at the frazzled end of the sixties through the stumbling first half of the seventies. Conducting us along the way is a motley though always redeemable cast that includes a student radical turned disc jockey, an immaculately dense but nonetheless charismatic quarterback, a nature freak who has nightmares about Mark Spitz, and a runaway housewife who ends up as a Berkeley law student by way of the Walden Commune Day-Care Center. For those hooked on Trudeau, as well as those still somehow deprived, for giving or hoarding, The Doonesbury Chronicles is a rich and Recession-proof treasure of a book.

I think that Doonesbury, along with Calvin & Hobbes, are probably the best comic strips published!

This book is a look back to the trying times of the middle seventies, when President Nixon resigned; Ford assumed the Presidency and then Jimmy Carter came from out of nowhere to win the 1976 presidential election. It was a cynical time, American involvement in the Vietnam War came to an ignominious end, there were revelations of illegal and "secret" wars being waged in Cambodia and Laos and the Soviet Union still loomed as a powerful adversary. Energy prices soared, there were shortages of many things and the American economy entered a period of stagnant growth.
Through his cartoon characters, Trudeau managed to keep us smiling through all of these difficult and interesting times. His characters express the frustration of the American people with these events and also describe the wide differences in beliefs. The characters in Doonesbury express idealism, cynicism, hope, despair, greed and sometimes nothing more than hedonistic drug use. This sums of the seventies in as few words as possible.
If you lived through those times, then you will get the humor, which is sometimes a bit subtle. However, if you did not, the lack of historical context may leave you confused and clueless.

I loved this little book. The artist has an edge to him that not many people can match. I would like to read more by him.

Enter the noir-world of Dry Shave's hard-boiled businessmen, profanity spewing dames, and drunken drifters. Filbrandt brings these and other characters to life with his distinctive pen-and-ink style and widly bent humour.

Running in Vancouver's "The Georgia Straight" and Toronto's "eye weekly", Dry Shave grew to become one of the best subversive cartoons available. This collection brings the entire run of Dry Shave comics to it's fans. A gritty tableau that pokes fun at societies seamy underbelly, Dry Shave titillates the darkest recesses of humour.

If you like comics such as Red Meat, Tom The Dancing Bug, and The City, Dry Shave will be right up your alley.

EBONY RISING is a preeminent collection of short fiction written during the Harlem Renaissance Era. What makes this book stand out from other anthologies with similar subject matter is that the book features a well-planned organizational structure and includes many lesser known writers and works. Beginning with the preface, editor Craig Gable showcases his breadth of knowledge of the era and it is clear that this book will not only be good reading, but also educational.

The selections are organized by the year of publication, with each year (or group of years) serving as its own section. At the beginning of each section a timeline of significant historical events and African-American literary accomplishments is included to help readers get a sense of the times in which the writings were published. In addition to including writers often omitted from anthologies, such as Eloise Bibb Thompson, and J. Saunders Redding, the collection has a good balance between male and female featured authors. At the end of the book there is a detailed listing of sources for further reading, brief biographic sketches of the featured authors, and a handy chart that highlights many of the major themes in the included works.

EBONY RISING is one of the best anthologies I have read. With clear organization, a unique selection of authors, and the inclusion of historical information, this book is a must-have for anyone interested in literature, particularly those with an interest in African-American literature or the Harlem Renaissance. This book is a refreshing yet educational treat.

Reviewed by Stacey Seay
of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers

I like everything about this collection: the fact that it encompasses 52 stories covering over 27 years and a wide variety of content and styles; is gender balanced; presents works by both the famous and the lesser knowns beyond the actual boundaries of New York (plus lesser-known stories by the famous); and its chronological arrangement that allows the era to "grow." With the help of the author's preface, I dove right into the stories not previously anthologized, like Mercedes Gilbert's hilarious "Why Adam Ate the Apple" (with the memorable line "He started to rave, and jes' raised Cain.") I was not disappointed. Additional useful resources include a history of the era and a checklist of common issues, topics and plot components. This indispensable resource for the study of American literature belongs on every library shelf.

Great book! Tarzan remains one of my favorite fictional characters and Edgar Rice Burroughs is my favorite action/adventure writer.When you couple this with the extraordinarily beautiful artwork and incredible visual storytelling ability of Russ Manning you get an irresistably compelling,engaging,and entertaining work of art!
I strongly reccommend this and all other Russ Manning works (particularly Tarzan and Magnus,Robot Fighter.)

With beautiful Russ Manning art, an exotic prehistoric setting, and a non-stop action plot that never slows down, Tarzan in the Land that Time Forgot is one of the best Tarzan comics ever. Edgar Rice Burroughs never took Tarzan to Caspak, but if he had, the results might have been a lot like this story. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and recommend it to anyone who likes adventure.

Lolah Burford gives the reader a story as subtle in words as the demands in the 1700's require.Subtle innuendo,metaphors,dreams,the locking of a door,the biting of a sheet to quell a scream,a pillow on a face to control.Control is the only thing The Earl knows,craves,needs. He is a man with 'unusual'tastes (strong suggestion of s&m)
So with this man who was never loved comes an innocent six year old boy who may or may not be his son. Over the course of the boy's life with the Earl he is given everything...and nothing. A vacation to Vienna,and the beginnings of touching,kissing,arousal. He is educated and beaten.Forcibly confined even when attending Oxford, he is humiliated,isolated,and loved.
The Earl creates Edward to be his perfect lover.Telling him to abstain from snuff,coffee and too much food. Edward falls in love with his cruel master and lover. The Earl regards Edward,the young man as his possession, his lover,his muse.
The Earl loves begins to literally and physically destroy Edward health. Even on his sickbed, The Earl cannot resist his Edward.
This books is erotic in it's simplicity of words and actions. Could not put it down.
To those readers who enjoy power struggles,tortured souls in the gay genre..you will never regret reading this excrutiating love/hate relationship.

"It is a hunting tale of a strange romance between a worldly and dissolute man, James Noel Holland, Earl of Tyne, and the golden-haired young Edward, his ward--or perhaps his son. Homosexuality, sadomasochism, and incest are elements in their relationship--and so are affection, love, and the saving quality of grace.

The time of the story is the beginning of the nineteenth century--the pre-Regency years of domestic unrest, of the Napoleonic Wars, and of lawlessness, cruelty, and the vast chasm between the rulers and the ruled. The place is alternately the cold Northumberland wild country where the Earl has his seat, the grim and beautiful city of London during the Season with all its pomp, the retreats of Devon and Brighton, and eventually Vienna at the acme of its musical splendour. The background figures include Mrs. Siddons, the famous courtesan Harriett Wilson, various noted rogues, Beethoven and Schubert, Castlereagh, Godwin, George III, and particularly, in retrospect, John Wesley, whose religious teachings, precipitates and early crisis in Edward's life but is to prove an enduring force.

In the course of the narrative a great many warring elements shape Edward's character. He is sent to Oxford, where he proves a brilliant student. Holland takes him to London to spend some months living in his resplendent townhouse while he is grooming him--assisted by Beau Brummell, among other famous figures--to take his rightful place in the world of society when he comes of age and receives his inheritance--for the Earl has by now privately acknowledged that he is Edwards father. He obtains the skilled services of two of his former mistresses to introduce Edward to the techniques and arts of heterosexual intercourse--an experience which replulses Edward at first, and then proves pleaseant indeed. Soon Edward finds himself growing fond of a young girl--but both families violently oppose a match, in true Montague-Capulet fashion.

Many times the two men, father and son, abjure their passionate lovemaking, only to resume it more violently than before. Finally Edward's apparent duality, augmented by a serious psychological and physical breakdown, have all but destroyed him utterly. Deeply concerned, the Earl takes him to Vienna and dramatically demonstrates that now Edward must make one of two choices: life or death. And in the end of the story is the beginning...."

This book arrived promptly, well packed and in perfect shape. Very please with the overall transaction!

This is just a great book . Fantastic photograghy and great writing. It made feel like I was there ! This book is just great!!! If your wanting a good book on Egypt you should get this one . This book you get more than your moneys worth !!!!

Andre Breton s'interessait a la poesie creee au hasard. Ensuite son copain Max Ernst en faisait le meme dans l'art. Il representait, par des images creees au hasard, la super realite au-dela du quotidien. La dedans se melaient toutes les influences: de l'art dadaiste et expressioniste, des drogues, de l'hypnose, de la philosophie. Par son art - de collages, decalcomania, frottages, gouttages, grattages - il ouvrait la porte aux artistes de l'abstrait et du culture pop, de l'apres-guerre.

Surrealism founder Andre Breton wondered if random creating could work in art as it had in poetry. His friend Max Ernst made the effort by drawing on experimentation with hypnosis and mind-altering drugs, his own studies in philosophy, his years as an Expressionist and then Dada artist, and influences from fellow Surrealist Giorgio de Chirico. ERNST's collages, decalcomania, drippings, frottages, and grattages personalized images from the conscious and the unconscious into an eerily mysterious, unexpected super reality different from the waking world and not so easy to understand. He went on to influence post-war Abstract Expressionists and Pop artists, as seen by reading Carter Ratcliff's THE FATE OF A GESTURE and by viewing "Pollock." I used to think that the Dali dream sequence in the film "Spellbound" was the best glimpse of what Surrealism was about, but editor Jose Maria Faerna also gives a clear, compact view. This well-illustrated and organized book, along with his DE CHIRICO, shows what happened after William Vaughan's GERMAN ROMANTIC PAINTING. It also pigeonholes Ernst's place in Robert Motherwell's THE DADA PAINTERS AND POETS, Herbert Edward Read's A CONCISE HISTORY OF MODERN PAINTING, Peter Howard Selz's GERMAN EXPRESSIONIST PAINTING, and Patrick Waldberg's SURREALISM.