No comments about My Jesus Year: A Rabbi's Son Wanders the Bible Belt in Search of His Own Faith.

No comments about Stolen Innocence: My Story of Growing Up in a Polygamous Sect, Becoming.

5 comments about The Last Mazurka: A Family's Tale of War, Passion, and Loss.

1. I can only echo the praise of other reviewers. I am not a big non-fiction reader, but this book really captured me. These people led lives more fascinating than fiction could ever have been.



2. In this outstanding book, Andrew Tarnowski describes the fairy tale like lives of his Polish aristocratic relatives from the early 1900s up until world war II, after which their highly privileged lives came to a crashing halt. He continues to describe what happened in the lives of key relatives into the 1970s, '80s and '90s. For instance, his parents, Chouquette (Sophie Jaxa-Chamiec)later married Malcom Wolfe Murray and his father Stas Tarnowski later married Ada Lubomirska (with whom he had six children). They all lead fascinating lives but their past haunted them even then. The author did a marvelous job of chronicling and piecing together his family history from interviews, memoirs, historical documents and oral family history. As the old adage goes "truth is stranger than fiction" and it holds true for this book which reads like a fictional account of immensely exaggerated proportions, only the stories in this book are facts, they are true and really happened, just as they are recorded.
   
   We learn that the beautiful tall thin, auburn-haired Countess Wanda Zamoyska of Dzikow, who was strong willed and self-assured and loved glamour and high society had - through parental guidance and arrangements married Count Hieronim Tarnowski of Rudnik, in 1914. He was congenial looking, had dark wavy hair, a high forehead and a rather too prominent a nose but most importantly was the heir to a substantial fortune, which was the main consideration for Wanda's widowed mother whose family fortunes had fallen on hard times. Hieronim was highly educated and besides his native Polish, he spoke seven other languages fluently, English German, French, Greek, Italian, Spanish and Latin. His ancestors played prominent roles in Polish history from the 14th to 16th centuries. His father Professor Stanislaw Tarnowski was a renowned academic who was showered with great honors and held a prestigious postion with the Jagiellonina University in Krakow. His ancestors helped found the university over 500 years before. Unfortunately, this couple was ill matched from the beginning and their lives and those of their children, Sophie and Stas, showed the after effects of their less than happy union throughout their lives. Furthermore, it was whispered that Wanda was likely the illigitimate daughter of Hieronim's first cousin so -it was a marriage which should not have happened. The aristocracy hid these types of indescretions very well ...
   
   Wanda and Hieronim had two children, Sophie who was born in 1917 and Stas (Stanislaw) born in 1918. Stas was the father of the author of this book. He was a handsome man, with a somewhat arrogant attitude, who resembled the actor David Niven. Just prior to the outbreak of World War II, his sister, Sophie had married Andrew. Their marriage had taken a papal dispensation because both were too closely related. They were second cousins, grandchildren of two brothers from Dzikow. They had twelve great-grandparents in common. Although the marriage was discouraged because they were so obviously in love, a family friend intervened and got Pope Pius XI to provide the proper approval.
   
   This book is filled with many fascinating details about Polish aristocratic life at the turn-of-the-century, including arranged hunts for wild game in the nearby forests and lavish balls. The book shows how this aristocratic family managed to survive World War I, and rebuild their lives after the damages done to their property and many residences. It shows how due to circumstances of birth, they lived highly privileged lives compared to the majority of the population. The threats of World War II loomed, so the Tarnowski's planned an escape route via an auto caravan into Romania. Forty four relatives narrowly escaped to live in poverty compared to their previous lifestyle. They became refugess like the majority of those who escaped their homeland. Unlike many, they had contacts such as relatives or close friends who worked in embassies abroad. These people helped ease their adjustment to their new status. Through chance, two unrelated young ladies, Chouquette and her sister Boule, were visiting the Tarnowski's home when Hitler bombed Poland on Sept. 1, 1939. They escaped along with the family. Fearing Romania was getting too close to the Germans, they remained only one month in Romania, and moved to Belgrade because the Serbs were determined to fight Hitler and the Nazis. In Belgrade, the author's mother, at the age of 19, Chouquette married her fiance Stas Tarnowski who was 21 years of age that year.
   
   From Belgrade, this young married couple moved to Palestine, along with Stas' sister Sophie and her husband Andrew. The young men joined the Polish Independent Carpathian Rifle Brigade, who trained in Egypt, to fight the Nazis along with the British in Northern Africa. The ladies settled in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv but soon moved to Cairo, Egypt to be the guest of a family friend, PrinceYouseff Kamal ed-Dine, third in line to the Egyptian throne. From turmoil and confusion, their lives transformed into indescribable luxury. They were provided a villa complete with a servant and cook. By then, Chouquette had given birth to Andrew, the author of this book. He was nick-named Boubi Pasha but more often was called, gnomek, Polish for "little gnome." The ladies moved in a select circle of friends. They were often the guests of the royal family and of British diplomats and British officers, at polo clubs, sports clubs, race tracks, tea parties and special functions held in the best hotels. Their husbands fought with the British at some of the most famous battles of the war in North Africa ...
   
   This book is a fascinating true story which the author shares with the reader. He also provides the history of the lives of his grandparents, Wanda and Hieronim, who remained in Poland and managed to survive the war. He gives very interesting details about the love lives of his Uncle Andrew and even of his own father, who was a womanizer and often cheated on his mother. In fact, his father had an affair with someone in Belgrade, the night before he married his mother, Chouquette. The story of the strained relationship of his parents is a very worthwhile read ax is the story of their divorce. The story of the lives of the author's Aunt Sophie and his Uncle Andrew are also complex, and sound more fictional than real. Andrew's father is a colorful enigmatic character who could be the leading character in a best selling novel, a figure larger than life, more a figment of someone's imagination than a real person. Both of his parents eventually built new lives but remained close due to their shared history and past which created a bond that could never be broken. Despite having lost their Polish homeland and the privileges of a lifestyle that totally dissolved after World War II - the past remained a constant shadow which followed them wherever they lived, no matter how different their current lives were. Erika Borsos [pepper flower]



3. This is a great book about a country and a culture and a time that too many of us know too little about.
   
   The narrative begins just before World War I and carries through World War II, the Communist period and the present day. It provides insight into the life of one family that made up part of Poland's priveleged class. The shortcomings and weaknesses that plagued Poland through much of its history seem to be manifested in this one, markedly dysfunctional family--the author's own.
   
   Mr. Tarnowski's writing is clear, descriptive and enjoyable. He is forthright in telling the story of his family's disintegration--a process that began long before the Nazis ravaged Poland and the Soviets subsequently crushed and neutered it.
   
   His writing quickly makes the reader familiar with the main characters; all of them are colorful, but only a few are likeable. In the end, although he doesn't say so, it is obvious that had the Germans and Soviets never crossed into Poland and stolen the riches of the ruling classes, the author's volatile, arrogant, greedy and alcoholic father would likely have singlehandedly destroyed the family's wealth and standing anyway.
   
   It reads nearly like a novel--but is all the more enjoyable because the story is real. Although a sometimes painful read, it is a thoroughly gratifying one. I'm glad the author had the talent and courage to write it.



4. Excellent and interesting historical review through one family's experiences offering good insight into the times.



5. I found this book to be one of the most fascinating books I've read in years. It is the story of the demise of an aristocractic Polish family during World War II written by a family member born during during the war. Their odyssey took them back and forth across Europe, into (then)Palistine, Egypt, etc. During their travels, they rubbed elbows with King Farouk and Ali Kahn. On more than one occassion they were saved by family connections originated in more prosperous times. When all else was gone they sold their last possession of any value, Romanov jelewry from Catherine the Great.
   
   What really caused their demise was when, after the Germans left, the Communist regime, similar to Russia in it's revolution, took away the ownership of their estate. This was the Communist's effort to end the concept of aristocracy. In the end, some of the main characters went from enormous wealth to poverty.
   
   This book is an easy read and gives an aspect of WWII that was new to me. An interesting side light that was not in the book, but I read in another review, was that the author was ostricized from his family for writing this book. Much of the book came from family interviews and I guess they didn't want this to be aired to the public. This included the breakup of marriages and family bickering.

5 comments about Until We Meet Again: A True Story of Love and Survival in the Holocaust.

1. In the small town of Hrubieszow Poland, two lovers Meyer and Manya attempt to escape to terrible hands of the German Nazi Soldiers. When many atempts to escape fail, both lovers suffer deportation, seperation, and close-to-death situations. Going to camps such as Flossenburg and Aushwits both Manya and Meyer struggle to hold on, but at the same time rely on one day being together back in Hrubieszow. When both of them believe they will never be reunited with they're families after the war has ended, Meyer and Manya's son Michael Korenblit finds out some informations on his mothers family while making this book.
   
   This book is the most amazing, Holocaust book I have ever read. There is not one book that has takin my breath away or have drawn tears to my eyes such as this one has. Imagine having nothing to hold on to, Do you think Manya and Meyer would have survived without one another? As hard as it got, thoughts of being with eachother kept Meyer and Manya still holding on. I recomend this book to anyone, because out there there really is a God and if you ever loose everything, faith is one thing you cant loose.



2. I'll admit that this book started out a little slowly for me, but by about chapter 18, I began to be drawn more and more into the story of teenage sweethearts Manya and Meyer, Manya's little brother Chaim, and their friends (even though the writing style employed wasn't always that dramatic or riveting). The story begins when Manya and one of her brothers, Chaim, make the very difficult decision to leave their family in the hiding place in the wall of their house in the ghetto of Hrubieszow to join Meyer's family hiding in a haystack, in 1942. Perhaps I would have been more drawn into the story initially had it begun earlier on and slowly introduced the characters and situation, instead of starting off rather in media res. And perhaps the events might have come even more alive for me had the book been written in the first person instead of by two secondhand parties. It also kind of kills the dramatic surprise by revealing at the beginning that Chaim was discovered in early 1982, with the reader knowing all along he survived instead of only saving it for the epilogue, when it would have had far greater dramatic effect.
   
   All that said, however, the book does a rather good job at conveying the increasingly trapped and horrific situation the characters found themselves in. Many of the decisions they made, and breaks from outsiders they got which ended up contributing to their eventual survival, could be attributed to only luck, since many other people in similar situations might have had far different fates for making or not making those same decisions. After leaving the haystack, Manya, Meyer, and Chaim returned to the new ghetto in Hrubieszow, where they were put to "legitimate" work, though always in constant danger of brutality and deportations. Sometime in 1943 (the book isn't very good at all about giving a specific timeline of when exactly a lot of this stuff happened), Chaim was taken, and then a bit later on Manya, Meyer, and a few of their friends were deported as well. Initially the young lovers were in the same camp, but were eventually separated, promising to meet again in Hrubieszow at the end of the war. The two of them went through a seemingly endless stream of camps over the next two years, suffering bestial treatments and conditions, but got through with a little help from their friends, and, most importantly, their love for one another. Under such intense times, what would have been just a routine teenage romance in ordinary time turned into something much more serious, emotions magnified as people turned and clung to those they already had a powerful connection to, nurturing and keeping alive the one remaining thing that they still knew for sure, that kept them sane, human, hopeful, normal. It seems amazing to people living in comfort in the present day that love could have survived and even flourished under such awful inhuman conditions, but after reading a powerful story such as this one, it doesn't seem like a surprising phenomenon at all.



3. I think this is an incredible book and I don't think the Editorial Review does it any justice. The Editorial Reviewer understood that the story was incredibly moving and wanted it to be written more fairy tale-like, however it is not any fantasy-like because it is and was SO REAL and I think Korenblit perfectly captures its highly-emotive atmosphere. I suggest this as a read not only for historical information about the Holocaust but as an overall life-lesson that love can make you strong and that among all evil there will always be some good.



4. I met M. Kornblit, received his book, and read it in two days! It caused me to be thankful for every minute I live in a peaceful country, every morsel of food I partake, every single material thing I have...It is truly the most unforgettable book I'll ever read.



5. I had the the privilege of meeting Mr. Michael Korneblit during a recent book signing at the Holocaust Museum in DC. He personally shared what the book is about, then apologized for "making me cry". I could not wait to read the book! Let me admit that I am an audible learner and not an avid reader, but this book is a turning point. It is easy to read and definitely holds one's interest. The authors wisely chose, in this case, to focus on the love story more than the atrocities of the holocaust -- yet certainly get the point across. This is a lovely story about commitment and integrity tested to the limits. God bless these families and all survivors or relatives of those lost. Thank you for this book.

2 comments about Our Roots Are Deep With Passion: Creative Nonfiction Collects New Essays by Italian-American Writers.

1. This book is wonderful for us in our 60s who grew up with Italian grandparents or parents. The essays are reminiscent of holidays, activities, everyday life & phrases from our youth. While it is always pleasurable to remember the "good old days", it is nice to share these memories with our children. This book is a great way to do it.



2. OUR ROOTS ARE DEEP WITH PASSION: CREATIVE NONFICTION gathers new writings by Italian American writers, compiling over twenty essays on the ways in which Italian ancestry enhances the lives of Americans. Essays cover everything from food and romance to cultural history, and offer both Italians and non-Italians an affection survey of Italian impacts on American culture.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch

4 comments about Strangers in Paradise: A Memoir of Provence.

1. A reviewer describes Strangers in Paradise as a book for those who have "longed to spend a summer in the French countryside" or "even considered such an escape." But the book is far more than this-it is about a family's immersion in another culture, about how outsiders become insiders, and about comparative cultural values. It is also about France-not the tourist's France, but the real present and historical place, with local legends and characters. Information that in other context might be dull is enlivened by the writer's interpretation of its meaning. Christensen examines the particulars of the place more closely then we who have not chosen or considered our homes do. The road into Apt, the closest city to his home, he describes in such detail that the reader can travel with him along this road, and even the more negative images have their appeal: "The southern fork is gone, the other winds along the north side in a walled trench with scattered bridges crossing it. The lycee Charles de Gaulle stands on the far side, with its dusty playing fields and gray buildings, where all three of my children would later attend. The water crawls over marsh grass and sandbars, the riverbed littered with tires and rubbish from the spring floods; a blackened tunnel arches where the river still takes in tributaries from the hills."
   The French live more than Americans do through their senses, and this book shows the author and his family's eager adoption of the French love of food and drink, colors, fragrances. The senses are bound to the spirit in France, in particularly in the south of France. Meals are truly sacraments, and the life of the table is parallel to the life of the heart. The delight and communion of the dinner table, casual meals on terraces, sharing of food and conversation surfaces often. Food becomes bond, and true friendship is inextricably woven into the sharing of meals and time.
   Indeed, the friendships made by the Christensens are an important element in their experience of their new location, and specific names appear frequently. The friends were the conduit of the real France-a way of learning that could not be approached in any other way. Each step of immersion in another kind of life requires preparation, and the new neighbors and friends helped the Christensens prepare. Anecdotes about those they befriended give another perspective on village life, allowing the reader to catch glimpses of it as it would appear to those born into it.
   The writer's adopted France becomes a magical place, its hills and valleys charged with metaphysical meaning. There is a pantheism to Christensen's perspective, and a metaphysics that is not associated with any religion. It has to do with the effects of light, the natural surroundings, the presence of art in everyday life, the visibility of the past in the present. This sense of the sacred illuminated all aspects of the renovation of his house, much of which was undertaken by the owners themselves. Cathy Christensen's skilled photography brings the visual to the verbal through carefully chosen scenes of the village and countryside and of her family in the stages of their becoming part of it.



2. This book came to me as a gift. It had never occurred to me that I'd want to see Southern France. Nevertheless I eased into it, and very soon this writer's lyrical prose drew me into his narrative. I began to not only see this place Mr. Christensen and his family had fallen in love with, but I could smell it, feel its warm breezes -- and I began seeing myself touring Provence.
   
   Here's a prose master, a writer at the top of his craft, and whether or not you are interested in this part of France now, soon enough you'll find yourself pulled along, eager to see and feel and smell the old hills and tiny hamlets that are the center of this memoir.
   
   Paul Christensen is now on my list of writers to be read for style as well as content. A wonderful find!



3. Most travel stories don't have the depth. This book was more philosophical and spiritual. There were passages worth remembering and reflecting upon. I better understand my keen interest and attachment to France and nature. It was food for my soul. I especially related to the idea of the three types of people on the planet. I'm now reading a novel by Gustaf Sobin who befriended Paul in Provence. I too love the Luberon and all it signifies and offers that's not available in the U.S.



4. Anyone who has already fallen in love with France and its South or may want to, but has dared not, order in this beautifully written memoir of the author and his family's love affair with the French and Provencal people and cultures. Travel guides about Provence abound. This book is much more than a sight seers handbook, intended to lure us to the villages, marketplaces, restaurants, and ruins of one of the most interesting, beautiful, and ancient regions of France. Its uniqueness lies in its author's careful crafting of his philosophy of life and how Provence has supported his ongoing search for meaning, value, satisfaction, true pleasure, and spirit. Those of us who have been torn between two loves, in this case, the love of our own country and that of some foreign land, will find validation in Professor Christensen's self-disclosure and exploration of his ambivalence, which he did not allow to interfere with his family's choice to make France their home, while honoring that choice and his commitment to teaching at his Texas university. As a frequent visitor to Provence and to the area in which Professor Christensen and his family made their home, my own senses and memories were stirred--the sights, sounds, aromas, tastes, and grace of my favorite place to nurture my soul. If you have not shared this experience yet, you just may want to, if you read this inspiring book.

5 comments about G.I. Joe & Lillie: Remembering a Life of Love and Loyalty.

1. This book was more than I expected. Joe Bonsall's biography of his parents was beyond what I expected. I highly recommend this to anyone and especially to people who have parents that are veterans.



2. I have been a supporter of our veterans and a fan of the Oak Ridge Boys for as long as I can remember. When "G I Joe and Lillie" was presented to me to read, I could hardly wait. It turned out to be better than I ever expected! What a story of love and dedication to one's country and to each other! I admire and respect Joe and Lillie for their faith and commitment. Their story is one we should all learn from. Thanks "Joey" for sharing your parents with us. You must be so proud to have had them as your mom and dad.



3. Oak Ridge Boy Joe Bonsall is from very good people...and his
   heart-warming account of his beloved parents,G.I. Joe & Lillie,
   is ample proof of this.
   Joseph S Bonsall has written one of the most inspiring books
   that I have ever had the pleasure of reading.He provides the
   moving story of their struggles and triumphs throughout their
   lives.Read of their home life growing up,how they met and reared
   their own children,their service to their country,and their unwavering
   devotion to each other...
   Joe and Lillie are the greatest of examples of those who lived the
   American dream...they are the Greatest Generation.
   I am proud to learn of the story of G.i. Joe and Lillie.I am proud to
   be living in this great country.I am also proud of Joe Bonsall.....



4. This book really hit home. It shows you what sacrafices were made to give all of us the Freedoms that we enjoy today in addition to being a beautifull love story. It brought tears to my eyes. Great Job Mr. Bonsall.



5. I loved this book. My parents were also of this generation and dad in the Normandy Invasion, both from dysfunctional families. They built a long and happy marriage and gave us children a fine childhood. Today's generation can learn from this book. It's another great tribute to a the WWII generation.

5 comments about New York Rocker: My Life in the Blank Generation with Blondie, Iggy Pop, and Others, 1974-1981.

1. If you are one of the millions of Blondie fans who ever wondered what happened to Gary Valentine (the composer of Blondie classics "Sex Offender" and "I'm Always Touched By Your Presence Dear") after mysteriously disappearing from the lineup in between the eponymous debut LP and Plastic Letters--and if you wondered why Valentine looked so uncomfortable being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame next to Debbie Harry and Chris Stein -- then this is the book for you. Valentine spent ensuing years as a writer and it shows in this gripping, insightful and informative book. Though there are some awkward misspellings--like Ric Ocasek of the Cars' name-- this is an absorbing, entertaining and anecdotal account of the birth of punk, the malaise of latter-day new wave, and the rivalry within a classic band--by someone who lived it every step of the way.



2. I got this book the other day here on Amazon and I couldn't put it down. Especially during his years with Blondie which were from my point of view the most interesting stories in this book. He has a lot of crazy, funny, scary, and sad stories to tell in this book and they are very entertaining and gripping to read. I couldn't put it down. I had to know more. I love his insight into the whole scene from that period. He links the glitter period to the punk period and back again very well.
   
   Read this book.



3. Actually I'd probably give it 2 and a half stars. I did finish it. But inbetween I read a true crime murder story. I found the style of writing a bit elementary and hard follow. Especially the first 2 years with Blondie. Lots of blank spaces in this book, so maybe it really does live up to the title.



4. Extremely readable memoir of Mr Valentine when he arrives to NYC as a young teenager. What's makes the book a worthy read is that he has a knack for offering interesting details about what it was like being part of the music scene in NYC in the late 70's. Even when he wasnt in a band he was a active "fan" and part of the scene. The book is well-edited and it moves along at a nice pace. As some of the other reviewers point out, the writer isnt particularly nasty in his opinions but he also doest shrink from saying what he feels about other folks he knew at that time. There was prodigious drug use going on around him and it was eye-opening for me that so many rockers where sticking needles in their arms in those days. If you like NYC Punk, this is quite an intersting and informative read.



5. I've been a fan of the band Blondie for quite some time and I read everything I can get my hands on about this band. Gary Valentine's book is by far the best look at Blondie's early years. It's a witty, funny, insightful view of the New York rock scene of the 1970's. Since Gary was a member of Blondie during their early days he has all the stories you could hope for about life with the band when they were just beginning and he lends insight into the creativity that went into the writing of his two most notable Blondie contributions - X Offender and Presence, Dear. Just about everyone you'd be interested in from this time period makes some sort of appearance in this book - Johnny Thunders, David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Patti Smith, Richard Hell, Captain Sensible, Tom Verlaine, etc. I will read this one over and over again. Gary takes a good long look at what differentiated the New York, London and LA punk scenes and it's one fun and fascinating read. If you are a fan of Blondie or the 70's glam or punk scene or the early 80's new wave scene then you must get this one!

5 comments about The Virgin of Bennington.

1. With the title of The Virgin of Bennington and knowing Kathleen Norris as a contemplative Christian author, one might expect something of a coming of age memoir on the heathen campus of Bennington. After all, Norris has written The Cloister Walk. Some of that expectation is met as Norris describes how a not very worldly girl arrived at the very worldly New York City campus. But Norris also writes about how she was accepted at Bennington for who she was and her meeting other poets (Jim Carroll, Stanley Kunitz, etc) and how she wanted to be a poet as well. But, more specifically, The Virgin of Bennington is about poets and poetry and most of all about Betty Kray, Norris's mentor and a guiding voice in American poetry.
   
   I held off on reading this for years even after I was enthralled by Dakota, The Cloister Walk, and Amazing Grace; and so I was pleasantly surprised by my enjoyment of the book. In a sense, it is nothing like her other non-fiction because it does not focus on religion or spirituality, but rather on the other love of her life: poetry. There is a major treatment of her relationship with Betty Kray and how important Kray was to the shaping of American poetry even though Kray was so unassuming that if you didn't know her you didn't know of her.
   
   Think of this book as a prequel, of sorts, to Dakota. It tells of how Norris went to Bennington, was immersed in the poetry scene, but finally ended up at her grandmother's home in South Dakota and truly found her voice. I found it most interesting because I am already familiar with her other non-fiction, but this book lacks the impact of her other work. There is enough to interest those looking to read about poets and poetry, but not nearly as much for fans of Norris's non-fiction. Fans of her poetry may very well find value here.
   
   -Joe Sherry



2. For admirers of Kathleen Norris' excellent "Dakota" and "The Cloister Walk," as well as those interested in the Academy of American Poets whose Betty Kray created the template for visiting writers programs, this is an engaging read. The principal attraction here is that of Norris's other books: she is very good company. When you read her work, you have privileged access to someone who leads a true life of the mind and the spirit. Her dedication to Kray is one of the book's major themes but Norris is also worthy of her mentor, someone who learned to stand on her own and create personal memoirs of a very high order. I would recommend Norris for anyone who wants a sane alternative to the values of American consumer culture.



3. This book contains the memoirs of the formative years of Kathleen Norris. Norris attended high school in Hawaii, where her father, a professional musician, was stationed with the Navy orchestra. When it came time to start her undergraduate studies, Norris found herself at Bennington College in Vermont, completely unprepared for the sexually permissive culture of the East Coast in the 1960s. During part of her senior year at Bennington, she worked as an intern at the Academy of American Poets in New York City. Following her graduation, she took a full-time position at the Academy, assisting with all manner of office chores, from fetching the mail to escorting poets to their readings for the Academy around the City. This book relates Norris' adventures during those years, when she was finding herself both as an adult and as a poet. The book is also a record of Norris' relationship with her mentor, Betty Kray, executive director of the Academy.
   
   Far from the titillating blurb on the cover, which mentions Norris' acquaintances in New York, such as Jim Carroll or Erica Jong, the book is focused more on Betty Kray and her tireless campaign to bring poetry into the mainstream through her work at the Academy. Indeed, some of the anecdotes of the people Norris met during her time in Manhattan almost come across as name-dropping. In some places, the text drags a little as Norris breaks off the main narrative to give details about seemingly unrelated events from different time periods. Nevertheless, the story provides a slow-paced tale of Norris' early years as a poet, which may help fans of her other books better understand some of the events that continue to influence her today. The book is also a beautiful memorial to the remarkable work of Betty Kray.



4. A valuable history of several decades of poetry and "poetry politics" in the United States. As many other reviewers have noted, the title has little connection, however, to the contents. This fact was annoying to me, and perhaps detracted from my appreciation of the book's contents.



5. . . . with a somewhat misleading title, autobiographical "look back" at the influences which shaped the life of the author, poet Nathleen Norris.

   From her extremely sheltered background to the crazed culture of drugs and sex at Bennington in the late 1960's through her own personal conversion experience, this book traces the life -- and loves -- of an extraordinary 20th century American woman.

   The book will not satisfy all. The ultra-conservative will be uncomfortable with the sexual honesty expressed by the author; the far-left will be equally uncomfortable with the author's spiritual awakening and personal conversion. Those persons either too young to remember or too old to have been quite so involved in the whirlwind which "was" the late '60's and early '70's in the United States will be uncomfortable with the author's honesty about her own activities, both positive and negative.

   Nevertheless, the story is in the journey -- and the journey is told with depth, with clarity, and with honesty.

   Recommended.

3 comments about Northern Songs.

1. ...however, this book will mainly appeal to those interested in the fields of publishing, and, to a lesser extent, songwriting. Extremely well written and researched, it provides the missing pieces to the Lennon/McCartney legacy, and bursts a couple of bubbles as well.



2. Even the youngest Beatle fans who have followed the recent financial travails of Michael Jackson know that John Lennon and Paul McCartney long ago lost the publishing rights to their own songs. Exactly how that happened is one of several important topics covered by Brian Southall's latest book on the greatest musical act the world has ever known.
   
   The book provides, perhaps for the first time in one place, a detailed, understandable explanation of music publishing in general...and a history of the Beatles' Northern Songs publishing empire in particular. Specifically, it describes what music publishers do, how they make money, and to what extent, if any, publishing profits are shared with song composers.
   
   Southall starts out by providing a quick history of music publishing practices and norms from its beginnings in the 18th century, followed by a vivid snapshot of the industry as it existed in the U.S. and Britain in the early 1960's when the Beatles sprang forth upon an unsuspecting world.
   
   For John Lennon and Paul McCartney, a truly pivotal moment in their lives occurred on a cold morning in early 1963 when they were taken to an office to sign a contract...one which they apparently hadn't read, didn't understand, and didn't even ask questions about. What that document did was to give a guy named Dick James, a struggling London song publisher looking for a musical gold mine, a one-half ownership share in the future songs written by Lennon and McCartney.
   
   Why he deserved to own half of their songwriting catalog is never satisfactorily explained, mainly because it cannot be explained, but the Beatles' manager Brian Epstein offered it to him, and he quickly accepted it. The remaining half was divided between Lennon, McCartney, and Epstein...so that the two main composers of the Beatles songs began their commercial song-writing careers with a minority interest in the ownership of their own songs.
   
   Southall presents a lot of quotes from a lot of people who knew the players involved in this deal, many of whom seem to insist that Dick James and Brian Epstein truly believed they were looking out for the Beatles' best interests in this and subsequent deals affecting their song catalog.
   
   The reader is of course free draw his or her own conclusions. It just seems terribly ironic that a musical group known for such astonishing musical innovations was utterly lacking in imagination from a business perspective.
   
   If Epstein truly believed at the outset that the Beatles would be as successful as he claimed they would be, he might have obtained some expert advice and arranged for John and Paul to own 100% of their songs in their own publishing company...and to hire someone like Dick James to administer their song catalog in exchange for, say, 10% of the gross publishing profits, more than enough to make anyone rich given the prolific output of the Beatles' two main composers.
   
   Instead, Brian Epstein did what he did, Lennon and McCartney signed off on it, and Dick James gleefully made more money from those great songs than John or Paul ever did until he eventually sold his interest to ATV in 1969 behind the backs of the Beatles.
   
   That episode and many others that followed in subsequent years eventually resulted in Northern Songs being owned by Michael Jackson and Sony Corp. instead of Paul McCartney and the estate of John Lennon. All of it is covered in this fascinating and understandable account of an area of Beatles' history rarely discussed and little understood.
   
   Highly recommended.



3. As a life-long Beatles fan and avid Beatles collector for the past 30 years, I have, like most serious fans, read all the major books on the Beatles over the years. Up until now, the best serious attempt at trying to explain the business side of the Beatles was Peter McCabe and Robert D. Schonfield's "Apple to the Core". Well-researched and decently written, it focused on how Apple's legal and financial mess tore the Beatles apart. But it was published in 1972 and thus covers only a small piece of the full history of the Lennon and McCartney songwriting legacy.
   
   35 years after that book was published, we now have "Northern Songs: The True Story of the Beatles' Song Publishing Empire" by Brian Southall with Rupert Perry. This excellent book documents the full story behind the management (and mismanagement) of the Beatles song publishing rights over the past 40+ years. And what a fascinating story!
   
   Northern Songs was the company set up in 1963 by Brian Epstein (the Beatles' manager) and Dick James, a fledgling London music publisher recommended by George Martin, to handle Lennon and McCartney's song publishing. The deal that Brian cut meant Dick James (and his partner) owned just over half of Northern Songs, with the remainder being split between Lennon, McCartney and NEMS (Brian Epstein's company).
   
   Whether purposeful, or simply a byproduct of Epstein's lack of experience, the ownership design of Northern Songs kept Lennon and McCartney from having any controlling interest in the company that was formed to manage the rights to their own songs. By 1965, Northern Songs decided to go public - leaving John and Paul with even less control over the company -- minority stakeholders answerable to the thousands of other shareholders.
   
   Probably the single greatest act of incompetence by Brian Epstein was the fact that he didn't even negotiate a "first right of refusal" agreement that would have required Dick James and his partner to give Lennon & McCartney the first rights to purchase their share of Northern Songs should Dick ever decide to sell out. And so, in 1969, when Dick James and his partner decided to sell their shares to Lew Grade's ATV, neither John nor Paul were notified of the impending deal.
   
   In the midst of all of the financial turmoil at Apple and their weakening relationship, Lennon (who wants Allen Klein to manage the Beatles' affairs) and McCartney (who wants his brother-in-law, Lee Eastman, to run things) can't coordinate any strategy to try to gain ownership of their songs -- and they both end up selling out to ATV under some bad advice.
   
   It's at this point (just 70 pages into the book) where the story really begins to shed a tremendous amount of new light as we follow Northern Songs through the Lew Grade/ATV ownership period and beyond. We see John and Paul going through the 1970s as they try to ensure they can at least control their own solo songs - while they continue to negotiate separately with ATV, now being run by Lew Grade, a very shrewd business person who is, at least, honest in his business dealings. When Lew Grade decides to sell ATV in 1982, he offers McCartney and Yoko a chance to buy ATV Music together. In recent years, McCartney has put the blame on Yoko for not wanting to pay Lew Grade's asking price. While true, the fact becomes clear that Paul could have likely pulled the deal off himself - and would have multiple opportunities to purchase the catalog over the years (though at increasingly higher prices).
   
   The most eye-opening element of this excellent book is the 1982-1985 period when ATV was purchased/owned/run by a ruthless millionaire from Australia named Robert Holmes a Court. So little has been previously known of this period until now -- but it's Holmes a Court who tears the ATV empire apart and sells off its assets for a quick (and substantial) profit, leaving the entire staff of ATV Music out of work, and selling the ATV Music publishing catalogs (which includes Nothern Songs) to Michael Jackson (though forcing him to "gift" the rights to "Penny Lane" to his daugher - who still owns it today!).
   
   The remaining years are an often-told story - where Jackson gets in financial stress and sells half his interest to Sony. But even then, the book sheds a tremendous amount of new light on the actual deal to form a new company, Sony ATV - half owned by Jackson. Seems Michael Jackson is quite a shrewd and aggressive dealmaker (though his personal issues are certainly well-known).
   
   The author Brian Southall and his co-author, Rupert Perry, are both true record industry insiders - with decades of experience as executives at EMI and other record companies -- and are well-qualified to tell this story. But unlike so many other books by Beatles "insiders", they do not attempt to interject their own personal opinions or views, relying on the the first-hand accounts of the many lawyers, publishers, songwriters, and others involved in the many negotiations and business dealings. And this is what makes their effort so admirable -- and so much easier to read. We aren't subject to personal theories, hunches or interpretations that can frustrate the reader of so many other Beatles books. The authors let the story unravel naturally through the words and recollections of the people who where there (and the letters and memos of those where are no longer here to tell their story). And they assume the reader is smart enough to make their own interpretations and conclusions.
   
   The bottom line is: this is a must-read for Beatles fans - or anyone wanting to better understand the complexities (and huge financial potential) involved in song publishing.