Biographies “St. Fulk - Catholic Online” plus 4 more |
- St. Fulk - Catholic Online
- Top 10 Complaints About Google Wave - eWeek
- Twin Biographies of a Singular Woman, Ayn Rand - New York Times
- Tell It In Words and Pictures: Outstanding New Biographies of African ... - School Library Journal
- Spoof biographies look to spoil Sarah Palin's book launch - The Guardian
| Posted: 26 Oct 2009 12:00 AM PDT This content has passed through fivefilters.org. | |
| Top 10 Complaints About Google Wave - eWeek Posted: 26 Oct 2009 12:57 AM PDT This content has passed through fivefilters.org. | |
| Twin Biographies of a Singular Woman, Ayn Rand - New York Times Posted: 21 Oct 2009 03:58 PM PDT Ayn Rand poses theatrically in her signature cape and gold dollar-sign pin on the cover of a groundbreaking new biography. Rand also poses theatrically in this same Halloween-ready costume (Rand impersonators have been known to wear it) on the cover of another groundbreaking new biography. The two books are being published a week apart. And both have gray covers that make them look even more interchangeable. Yet Rand, whose Objectivist philosophy is enjoying one of its periodic resurgences, loathed the very idea of grayness. She preferred dichotomies that were strictly black and white. Skip to next paragraph 
AYN RAND AND THE WORLD SHE MADE By Anne C. Heller Illustrated. 567 pages. Nan A. Talese/Doubleday. $35. GODDESS OF THE MARKET Ayn Rand and the American Right By Jennifer Burns Illustrated. 369 pages. Oxford University Press. $27.95. So in a Rand universe — like those of "The Fountainhead" and "Atlas Shrugged," the doorstop treatise-style novels that have given her such staying power — it would be unacceptable that one of these books would be only moderately better than the other. And the versions of her story should not overlap as vastly as they do. But both authors, Anne C. Heller ("Ayn Rand and the World She Made") and Jennifer Burns ("Goddess of the Market: Ayn Rand and the American Right") make many of the same points and touch on many of the same biographical details. That repetition is especially surprising since Ms. Burns had access to the supposedly crucial Ayn Rand Papers at the Ayn Rand Institute in Irvine, Calif. Ms. Heller did not. Still, Ms. Heller's research is more intensive. It is so thorough, in fact, that it seems to inform Ms. Burns's parallel but more cursory account of Rand's personal life. (The Heller manuscript has been in circulation for long enough to be cited in one of Ms. Burns's footnotes and included in her bibliography.) Ms. Heller has delivered a thoughtful, flesh-and-blood portrait of an extremely complicated and self-contradictory woman, coupling this character study with literary analysis and plumbing the quirkier depths of Rand's prodigious imagination. Ms. Burns glosses through all this to arrive at her book's best section, a lengthy coda about Rand's intellectual and political legacies. Neither book is the work of a slavish Rand devotee. Ms. Heller's book is worth its $35 price, which is not the kind of detail that Rand herself would have been shy about trumpeting. When Russian Bolshevik soldiers commandeered and closed the St. Petersburg pharmacy run by Zinovy Rosenbaum, they made a lifelong capitalist of his 12-year-old daughter, Alissa, who would wind up fusing the subversive power of the Russian political novel with glittering Hollywood-fueled visions of the American dream. While Ms. Heller sifts carefully through Rand's early literary influences (very notably a French boys' serial adventure story called "The Mysterious Valley," whose dashing hero, according to Ms. Heller, greatly influenced Rand's tastes in both real and fictitious men), Ms. Burns gets her out of Russia more hurriedly. Both books take her to California, and to the fishy story of how this young Russian ingénue, on only her second day in Hollywood, was plucked out of obscurity by Cecil B. DeMille, who cast her as an extra in "King of Kings." Ms. Heller's book does not let this fable go unquestioned. Ms. Burns doesn't do more than replay it; her primary interests lie elsewhere. So Ms. Heller provides the far more nuanced version of the strange dynamics between Rand and her husband, Frank O'Connor, whom she called "Cubbyhole." (He gave her the unlikeliest imaginable nickname for such a steel-willed woman: "Fluff.") Ms. Heller also provides a more evocative, detailed account of the long, duplicitous affair that Rand conducted with Nathaniel Branden, who began as a fan 25 years her junior and spent years as her foremost acolyte and officially anointed intellectual heir. Both books characterize Rand's long relationship with Branden as the most important connection in her life. And both use it to illustrate how drastically Rand's personal ties could rupture. The amphetamine-addicted, self-styled goddess in both books becomes so moody and volatile that her associates do not simply part ways with her. Some, like Branden and his wife, Barbara, wind up excommunicated. When Rand died, Heller reports, there were bodyguards at her funeral to keep the Brandens away if they tried to attend. Ms. Burns ignores that detail, preferring to cite the dollar-sign-shaped topiary that was part of the funeral décor. Crucially, both authors understand the reasons that Rand's popularity has endured, not only among college students dazzled (and thronged into packs) by her triumphant individualism but also by entrepreneurs. From the young Ted Turner, who rented billboards to promote the "Who is John Galt?" slogan from "Atlas Shrugged," to the founders of Craigslist and Wikipedia, who have found self-contradictory new ways to mix populism with individual enterprise, it is clear that (in Ms. Burns's words) "reports of Ayn Rand's death are greatly exaggerated." Ms. Burns gives a lucid account of how Rand set herself at odds with religious conservatism, how Rand-inspired libertarianism has shape-shifted, and even how Rand disciples of the 1970s adopted a hippie aspect to rival that of Students for a Democratic Society, confounding everyone, Rand included. She referred to libertarian fans as "scum," "intellectual cranks" and "plagiarists." Rand also complained, "If such hippies hope to make me their Marcuse, it will not work." That era was one Rand moment. This seems to be another. Both of these books cast light on why Rand's popularity can be rekindled by economic turmoil, and on how much her real life and reputation diverged. Both capture the temperament of a woman once described as "the Evel Knievel of leaping to conclusions." But of these two authors, it is Ms. Heller who comes closer to conveying what is missing from most images of Rand: "a personal warmth and charm that Rand most assuredly possessed," on the evidence of her hypnotic effect on those in her orbit. Rand might have expressed disdain for that charisma, but it was enough to stop DeMille in his tracks. She would have been nowhere without it. This content has passed through fivefilters.org. | |
| Tell It In Words and Pictures: Outstanding New Biographies of African ... - School Library Journal Posted: 21 Oct 2009 03:12 AM PDT Joy Fleishhacker, Curriculum Connections -- School Library Journal, 10/20/2009
Related TeachingBooks.net resources »»» Librarians and educators will want to have these recently published biographies on their shelves in time for Black History Month and for use throughout the year. Presented in picture-book format, these first-rate offerings will grab readers' interest and satisfy their curiosity with a dynamic balance of engaging narrative, striking artwork, and storytelling flair. These depictions soar beyond straightforward biographical summation to convey an intimate sense of time and place and underscore the enormity of challenges faced and achievements accomplished. Read these books aloud with students to introduce courageous and committed men and women, to enrich discussion of the African-American experience, and to ignite interest in American history. Or put these volumes in youngsters' hands for involving, you-are-there reading adventures that will inform and inspire. Sojourner Truth (1797-1883) Filled with lyrical phrasings and resonant rhythms, the text reads aloud like a foot-stamping dance tune, fluently conveying the essence of a woman who was large in stature ("almost six feet tall while still a child…with size-twelve feet…and hands like hams"), steadfastly devoted to helping others, and a fiery and fearless orator (the book climaxes with Truth's famous "Ain't I a Woman?" speech). Aglow in ember-bright hues tempered by softer earth tones, the vivid illustrations effortlessly echo the verbal imagery. The artwork has an abstract, flowing quality, with heavy black lines riveting the eye and nailing down details. One dramatic spread focuses on Truth's face as she speaks her mind to a crowd, capturing her passion and commitment and reiterating the text's refrain: "Big. Black. Beautiful. True. That was Sojourner." A biographical note and photos of Sojourner are appended. Students (and teachers) can step-stomp over to the Sojourner Truth Institute's Web site to find out more about her life and times, view historical photos, and access a virtual library of her speeches and other information. The book begins with an edge-of-your seat showdown between Reeves and a desperado who fires four shots before he is done in by Bass's Winchester. Colorful quotes from contemporaries (on both sides of the law) and Nelson's own tongue-twanging language and clever metaphors relate specific incidents to introduce a quick-witted, gutsy, and tough-as-leather hero who was respected and feared throughout the land. The author makes clear that despite his size and strength, the "biggest thing about Bass Reeves was his character. He had a dedication to duty few men could match. He didn't have a speck of fear in him. And he was as honest as the day is long." Textured brushstrokes, rich colors, and eye-catching perspectives make R. Gregory Christie's paintings as arresting as the action they portray. Parchment-like backdrops and candid poses give the illustrations the old-time aura of an antique photograph. A portrait of Reeves, a glossary of "Western Words," added historical tidbits, and a list of kid-appropriate resources are appended. Youngsters will be awed and intrigued by this amazing true-life story, presented here with the flavor, suspense, and drama of an Old West yarn. A podcast of Christie discussing his work and other resources are available at the publisher's Web site. Paul Robeson (1898-1976) Set against a warm, cream backdrop, George Ford's stirring monochromatic illustrations use strong lines and shading to convey Robeson's power as a performer and his unwavering sense of purpose. According to Greenfield's afterword, Robeson "lived and sang a purposeful life." Be sure to enhance studies of this courageous and charismatic individual by sharing the "power, the richness, and the beauty of his voice" with your students (recordings and videos of Robeson performing classics such as "Ol' Man River" are available on Youtube). Coretta Scott King (1927-2006) There is much to discuss and elucidate here, including Ghandi's belief that "the humility of millions could free/more than just one people/it could free the world;" the "long journey" begun by the Montgomery bus boycott; and the inexorable fact that "tragedy accompanies growth/no matter who we are." This stirring ode to a remarkable woman fittingly ends with an uplifting excerpt from the traditional gospel song, "Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Round," providing a wonderful opportunity for a listening experience. A photo of King and a biographical note are appended. Wendell Scott (1921-1990) Though he lacked "big-money backers"' and drove only "hand-me-down cars," Scott's tenacity and talent eventually earned him a dramatic (and unacknowledged until later) win at a championship NASCAR race in 1963. "And when Hollywood made a movie about his life [1977's Greased Lightning], he built three cars for the film and even drove in action scenes." Done in warm pastels, Eric A. Velasquez's paintings employ varied layouts, sequenced panels, and changing perspectives to keep the visual pace moving just as swiftly as the narrative. Kids will enjoy discovering this engine-revving, automobile-tinkering, risk-taking trailblazer. Muhammad Ali (1942- ) The narrative capably covers Ali's accomplishments in many arenas, discussing his finesse and pizzazz in the ring, his religious conversion and growing social consciousness, his 1971 victory in the Supreme Court justifying his status as conscientious objector during the Vietnam War, and his ongoing fight against Parkinson's disease. With scintillating color blends, vibrantly flowing lines, and shimmer-filled shading, the paintings convey both Ali's audacity and sincerity, while expanding the text with details of time and place. Supplement this wonderful biography with a visit to "The Official Site of Muhammad Ali," where students can access more information, browse an interactive time line, and view video clips and photos of this American hero in action as athlete and humanitarian. Related TeachingBooks.net resources »»» TalkbackThis content has passed through fivefilters.org. | |
| Spoof biographies look to spoil Sarah Palin's book launch - The Guardian Posted: 21 Oct 2009 03:08 PM PDT  Double take ... the 'genuine' Sarah Palin biography, and the spoof. For those unable to stomach Sarah Palin's forthcoming "mom's-eye view of high-stakes national politics" Going Rogue, small US publisher OR Books has announced that it will bring out Going Rouge, an alternative view of the former Republican vice-presidential candidate, on the same day. Parodying the cover of Palin's memoir (subtitled An American Life), which sees a relaxed-looking Palin in front of a blue, cloud-strewn sky, Going Rouge (subtitled An American Nightmare) places Palin in front of thunderous clouds and lightning. The book – the title is a reference to the US newsreader who mistakenly called the autobiography Going Rouge – will see a series of contributors examine Palin's origins in Alaska, her rise in the Republican party, and "the nightmarish prospect of her continuing to dominate the nation's political scene", OR Books said. It will be published as a paperback and ebook on 17 November, the same day that Palin's hardback Going Rogue is due out. Another spoof, Going Rouge – The Sarah Palin Rogue Coloring and Activity Book by cartoonist Julie Sigwart and Micheal Stinson, is also out on 17 November. Featuring mazes ("Help Sarah find her way to the White House"; "Where in the world does domestic Alaskan oil go?"), puzzles and word games, the authors promise to "mercilessly lampoon and parody everything Palin in 48 pages of hilarity". "We are environmentally conscious folks, and consider her to be a total threat to ecosystems everywhere, a continuation of the abominable legacy of George W Bush, an epitome of the stereotypical 'Ugly American'," Stinson said by email today. He promised that their book "doesn't just have a buncha words, we've got pictures" too. AlBut whether either of the Going Rouge books will have any impact on Palin's sales is doubtful. Going Rogue, written in just four months for a reported $7m (£4.4m) advance, pushed Dan Brown's new novel The Lost Symbol off the top spot on Amazon.com's bestseller lists earlier this month, over six weeks before publication. This content has passed through fivefilters.org. |
Andrea Davis Pinkney and Brian Pinkney's robust language and radiant artwork proudly promenade together to provide a magnetic look at this 19th-century abolitionist, lecturer, and women's rights activist. There's nothing quiet about the narrative, which celebrates Sojourner Truth's Step-Stomp Stride (Disney/Hyperion, 2009; Gr 3-6) as she trudged through years of hardworking slavery, treaded her way to freedom, and finally, "putting her foot down for what she knew was right," marched across the land to preach about her beliefs.
Eloise Greenfield's award-winning picture book biography of Paul Robeson (Lee & Low, 2009; Gr 2-5), originally published in 1975 and recently updated, is as inspiring today as it was more than 30 years ago. Beginning with a dramatic recounting of his father's escape from slavery, the narrative provides just the right amount of depth for young readers, describing Robeson's youth in New Jersey, his education, and the many roles he played an adult—actor, singer, social activist, and orator. The elegant and succinct text highlights particular incidents—a young Paul engaging in fistfights motivated by racial slurs, singing in the church choir, and later encountering instances of prejudice at Rutgers University—that will help youngsters to understand his motivations and passion for fighting injustice.
Coretta Scott (HarperCollins, 2009; Gr 4 Up), a biographical poem written by Ntozake Shange and majestically illustrated by Kadir Neslon, provides a lyrical introduction to this author, activist, and civil rights leader. Poignant and provocative verbal and visual images work in tandem to draw attention to significant moments in King's life and pay homage to her calling. A verse detailing how young "Coretta and her siblings/walked all/of five miles to/the nearest colored school/in the darkness/with dew dampening/their feet" is paired with an illustration of the three children striding along a shadowy road, their determination etched in their body language. Another painting focuses closely on the peaceful profiles of Coretta and Martin Luther King, Jr., backlit by a stained-glass church window, their eyes closed in prayer. A pulled-back perspective shows the enormity of the crowd that gathered at the March on Washington "listening to the words/that would inspire a nation."
| You are subscribed to email updates from Biographies - Bing News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
0 comments:
Post a Comment