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Animal, vegetable, miracle : a year of food life / |
Kingsolver and her family move from Tucson, Arizona to rural southern Appalachia with the intention of growing or raising their own food or obtaining it locally. This significant change by Kingsolver's family was fueled by several concerns including the copious amount of oil that it takes to transport food, the unethical practices of the corporate agriculture and meat industries, and personal health concerns. This engaging narrative is part muckraking journalism, part charming memoir, and part musings of an epicurean. Whether battling an overabundance of zucchini, encouraging moody turkeys to procreate, or relaying poetic descriptions of heirloom tomatoes, Kingsolver's unpretentious tone, humor and captivating prose make this an informative and enjoyable read. |
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Chicago under glass : early photographs from the Chicago Daily News / |
There's something for everyone in this spellbinding collection of old photographs from the defunct Daily News. A sports section includes odd crazes like pushball and indoor baseball, as well as the famous Jack Johnson and the infamous Chicago Black Sox. Architecture buffs can appreciate long-gone wonders like the ritzy Palmer Castle. Historical figures (Jane Addams, Mother Jones, Lucy Parsons) and celebrities (Theda Bara, Will Rogers) rub elbows with ordinary folks. A section on criminals includes Beulah Annan and Belva Gaertner (the murderers who inspired the movie Chicago) and Leopold and Loeb. The annotations are remarkably interesting: the caption for labor racketeer "Umbrella" Mike Boyle (nicknamed for the vehicle he used to accept bribes) mentions thugs known as 'Chicagorillas.' Elsewhere the authors inform us that grafters were called 'boodlers' and good-government reformers were known as 'goo-goos.' But this reader's favorites are the portrait of the eccentric Captain Streeter (as in Streeterville) and the funny photo of actress Mary Pickford recreating the experience of having her iconic long curls cut as she updated her look to a modern Flapper-era bob. |
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The commoner : a novel / |
Schwartz's heartbreaking novel is loosely based on the life of Empress Michiko of Japan, the first commoner to marry into the imperial family. Haruko (based on Michiko) comes of age in post-WWII Tokyo. Her father runs a successful company and Haruko lives a contented life with her supportive and loving parents. Catching the eye of the crown prince during a tennis match, Haruko soon receives an official proposal of marriage. Although the feelings of affection are mutual, Haruko's parents are concerned that their daughter's freedom and spirit will be stifled by the unconventional marriage. Despite her husband's affection and quiet support, Haruko begins to suffer shortly after vows are exchanged, especially by the rigid formalities required by her elevated status as a princess. Years later she observes her daughter-in-law endure cruel public scrutiny when she fails to produce a male heir and decides to intervene on her behalf. A quiet sadness is present in the delicate prose. Schwartz presents us with an absorbing and moving story. |
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The hummingbird's daughter : a novel / |
Urrea uses some of his family history as the basis for this humorous historical novel set in late 19th century Mexico. The story centers on Don Tomá s Urrea, a wealthy land owner, and the happenings on his ranch during a time of political upheaval in the country. Tomá s is a larger than life character, charismatic and noble if a little too free with the ladies. Unbeknownst to him he has fathered a young girl, Teresita (the author's great aunt). A beautiful and curious child, Teresita charms her way into the Urrea home and is taken in by one of Tomá s's servants, the revered medicine woman Huila. The old woman guides Teresita on her journey to become a powerful healer when she sees that she has the touch. Teresita grows up to be quite extraordinary under Huila and Tomá s's watchful eyes eventually becoming so well known for her magical healing that she is denounced by Mexican President Porfirio D�az as "the most dangerous girl in Mexico." As the government encroaches on the Urrea land and begins to regard Teresita and Tomá s as real threats to their power, the drama escalates and becomes all the more gripping. Full of wonderfully drawn characters set against the sprawling backdrop of old Mexico and rife with wonderfully rich language and dialogue, this adventurous story is over far too quickly. Luckily Urrea has already said that he will write a continuation to Teresita's story. We can only hope it's as good as the first. |
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Magic for beginners / |
Kelly Link's collection of short stories feature zombies, witches, spooky rabbits, and the Devil, but they also feature confused teenagers, estranged spouses and lonely convenience store clerks. It is the delicate juxtaposition of the magical and the ordinary that give the stories in this collection both their surreal allure and their poignant immediacy. In the story "The Hortlak," two men run a convenience store at the edge of a mysterious abyss, where their main customers are zombies and lost tourists. In another story, "Stone Animals," a couple moves to an idyllic house in the suburbs with a strange rabbit problem. They soon find however, that various things they moved in have become haunted. Not the house, but things in the house like bars of soap, a microwave, a hairbrush. All the dizzyingly imaginative and darkly fantastical embellishments simply highlight the human emotions that the author explores. This collection contains stories that are so lyrical, charming, bizarre and resonant that they will leave the reader wondering if they read them or dreamt them. |
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The stolen child / |
Fairy tales illuminate our fears by showing us the dark things that lurk on the edges of our lives. Kevin Donohue's fairy tale of a first novel starts with the story of the changeling, in which a human child is stolen and a hobgoblin takes his place. In alternating chapters, we learn the story of human child Henry, now called Aniday, who must live among the hobgoblins, and changeling Henry who has to make his way in the human world. Completely magical, yet rooted in a richly detailed real world, this novel explores the nature/nurture relationship, while seducing you with lyrical language. |
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As this Korean drama written and directed by Ki-duk Kim opens, a young man on a motorbike is making the rounds of a quiet neighborhood, hanging menus on doorknobs for the local takeout place. What could be more humdrum? But as it turns out, the young man is actually an odd and rather mysterious drifter working an ingenious sort of scam. When a troubled woman catches him in his routine, it would seem that the jig is up, but to our surprise she seems almost as strange as he is, and a unique partnership begins. If you can imagine a Zen Buddhist Bonnie and Clyde, it might look a little something like this quiet film. At the same time it's a kind of ghost story, and its style is so inventive that it makes cinema feel new again. And, yes, the title does refer to a golf club. | |
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Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant star in this brilliant 1938 screwball comedy that reaches an outlandish level of nonsense without ever losing its charm. Dr. David Huxley (Cary Grant) is a brainy paleontologist steadily working to complete a dinosaur skeleton but in need of additional funding for the project which he is attempting to secure from a rich heiress. In walks Susan Vance (Hepburn), her niece, to spoil his plans at every juncture. Huxley is incapable of ridding himself of the screwy, accident-prone Susan and soon finds himself on a frenzied chase to recover an invaluable dinosaur bone that her dog, George, has taken. If that weren't enough, they have a leopard called Baby in tow. Some of the finest physical comedy is on display here, and the movie moves at breakneck speed with Hepburn and Grant captivating us every bit of the way. If you are willing to suspend your disbelief for a while and indulge in the hilarity and delicious ridiculousness this classic Howard Hawks film has to offer, you won't be disappointed. | |
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Lajos Kotai's first film, adapted from Imre Kertez's semiautobiographical novel, concerns the harrowing experience of Gyrua (Macell Nagy), a 14-year old Hungarian boy, as he is transported to a series of concentration camps. First his father is taken to a work camp, and Gyrua is soon detained with a group of other adolescent boys and sent to a camp as well. This unsentimental look at the Holocaust is affecting. Macell's performance displays a subtle and gentle brilliance, with his facial expressions telling much of his story. What the movie lacks in narrative (it is more akin to a sequence of sketches), it makes up with the beautiful cinematography. Not surprisingly, Kotai is a critically acclaimed cinematographer. The film is visually stunning; each frame is artfully constructed. This Academy Award nominee is definitely worth seeing. | |
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Persuasion |
Film adaptations of Jane Austen are not hard to find, but few are as emotionally resonant and beautifully acted as the film of one of her lesser known books, Persuasion. Eight years ago, Anne Elliot was convinced by her friends and family to reject the marriage proposal of a handsome but poor naval officer. In the intervening years, Anne has become a quiet kind of drudge to her father and sister, both of whom have overbearing personalities that the quiet, commonsensical Anne cannot hope to overcome. Anne's father's extravagant spending soon forces them to rent out their family home and move to a smaller house. Their tenant is a retired navy admiral whose brother-in-law is the very Captain Wentworth who Anne rejected so many years ago but never stopped thinking about. The nuance and expressively suppressed emotion that both Amanda Root as Anne and Ciarin Hinds as Wentworth bring to their roles will keep audiences rooting for the pair as they overcome misunderstandings and misgivings on their road back to each other. |
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Joseph Gordon Leavitt stars as Chris Pratt, a former high school hockey star whose life is dramatically changed after a car accident leaves him with severe brain damage, affecting his memory and even his ability to conduct basic tasks. He lives with a blind man named Lewis (Jeff Daniels) and works nights as a janitor for a local bank, managing to have some semblance of an independent, normal life. At times Chris seems frustrated with the hand he's been dealt, and it's at one of these vulnerable moments that he meets the charming, smooth talking Gary (Matthew Goode). Unbeknownst to Chris, Gary's had his eye on him. He lures Chris into his circle of friends with the help of the beautiful Luvlee (Isla Fisher), and it's not until Chris finds himself in the midst of planning a heist that he realizes he's in trouble. This film is unbelievably tense. Gordon-Levitt has become the "it" name in indie films and deservedly so, giving an understated and effective performance. Matthew Goode is an excellent bad guy. You'll be in knots wondering what he'll do from the moment he walks on the screen. This small film flew under the radar last year, but it is one you won't soon forget. | |
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Back to black |
The offstage troubles that follow performer Amy Winehouse like a black cloud are the only exposure some have had to the British singer. That's a shame, because she is one of the most talented R&B artists to appear in years. Her soulful, expressive voice and unerring instinct for phrasing and delivery enhance Winehouse's second album of terrific, bluesy material. There are echoes of the great girl groups of the 50s and 60s in songs like the ironic "Back to Black" and "Me and Mr. Jones," but with Winehouse's own sarcastic and witty stamp. Tracks like "Wake Up Alone" are sweet and sad, but the hot single "Rehab" is perhaps the most poignant due to her current battles with addiction. Let's all hope she does get some help in rehab, because the music world would be poorer without her. |
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Odessey and oracle |
The Zombies have a reputation as a band ahead of their time. Although they produced a few hit singles in the mid-60s, they'd decided to call it quits in '67 with this album as their final statement. Two years later, album closer "Time of the Season" became a fluke hit, their biggest single ever, though ironically the band members had moved on to other projects. Still, the album itself arguably never got the attention it truly deserved. The Zombies had an exceptional knack for melody rivaled only by the era's giants, and here Rod Argent's contributions in particular feature infectious melodic writing ("Care of Cell 44," "Hung up on a Dream"). Lyrically, like the Beatles at this time, the band had progressed from penning simple love songs to tackling broader and more creative subjects. "Care of Cell 44," with its clear Beach Boys influences, is about a woman getting out of jail. "A Rose for Emily," inspired perhaps by Faulkner as much as "Eleanor Rigby," creates its own tragic character. More musically psychedelic are "Beechwood Park," with its nostalgic pastoral imagery and Procol Harum-like organ work, and the WWI soldier's lament "Butcher's Tale," with its haunted house instrumentation. The CD also offers 10 extra tracks, including alternate mixes. |
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Orchestral works |
A superb three-disc selection of a great composer's orchestral music. Maurice Ravel is often lumped together with Debussy as an impressionist, and some of his music bears comparison (the dramatic "Une Barque sur l'Ocean" and the lush ballet "Daphnis et Chloe" especially), but his music is almost neoclassical compared to the romantic, sensual extremes of his compatriot, often anchored in traditional structures (consider the waltzes in this collection, for example). Ravel is revered as a master of orchestration as much as composition. Many of these pieces were originally works for solo piano, but given his brilliant understanding of orchestral timbre you might never have known it. No work shows off his genius for orchestration better than "Bolero," one continuous crescendo that repeats the same theme in variation after variation with subtle changes in harmony and instrumentation that always mesmerizes. Ravel's mother was Basque, and much of his work reveals a strong taste for Spanish flavors, here represented by pieces like "Rapsodie Espagnole" and "Alborada del Gracioso," which draw on distinctly Iberian rhythms and melodies. At nearly four hours, it's too much for one sitting. In fact, there's enough here to occupy you for weeks. |
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Yankee hotel foxtrot |
Adored by legions of fans before it was officially released, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, has gone on to be the band's top selling record. A departure from their previous three albums YHF also received much critical acclaim upon its release. With the experimental risks they took on their fourth release, Wilco succeeded in reaching a broader audience. The songs on Yankee Hotel range from the catchy "Heavy Metal Drummer" to the atmospheric "Poor Places." There are many tracks on this disc that are instantly affecting - "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart," for one, but it is the nuances worked into every single song that make you want to listen to it over and over. There is not one that disappoints, and many stay with you long after the CD has stopped playing. For longtime fans this may renew your love of a local favorite and for those who've never given Wilco a chance, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is a perfect introduction. |