1 comments about Scuffletown: Adventures of a Boy Growing up In the Rural South.

1. A.T. Hope grew up in another world where there were no video games or cable television, no satellites or ICBMs. In fact, his world had not any television, color or black and white.
   Scuffletown is the story of real life in this other world, a world before Sputnikk and men on the moon, before Toyotas and Hondas, Suzukis and Yamahas. This is the story of a young man who grew up with his family with no air-conditioning and the only early warning given for hurricanes was a neighbor with a radio and a voice strong enough to holler out the news just hours before the storm hit.
   Hope doesn't try to compare his world to ours, he just tells it as it was -- and that was pretty amazing.

2 comments about Who Needs June Cleaver?.

1. I enjoyed this book. Easy read and selection of short columns gave a very good variety of incidences of life in the 50's-60's.



2. Constance Alexander has written an easy to read, easy to laugh,and easy to remember memoir about her growing up years in a small, wonderful town. I know because I was there, too. I did not know Connie until high school but I could well relate to her young experiences.
   This is a must read for all baby boomers who grew up in the late 50's and early 60's.
   If you have scary memories of black hooded , pinched- faced nuns teaching you to read...if you have nightmares about being the only wallflower during a pre-teen ballroom dance class...if your family ever shared a holiday dinner with some very memorable but forgettable non-relatives...this is the book for you.
   More importantly, Connie paints a truthful but concerned portrait of all her family members. Although some were more intricately involved than others, Connie's siblings and parents all played their unique roles which contributed to her whole.
   I read this book in one sitting. I'm sure you will, too!

1 comments about Love from Blodwen.

1. This is a wonderful book, Margaret Wyles spins the magical tale of her childhood set in rural Wales in the period just before the outbreak of World War II. Ms Wyles obviously comes from that long line of Welsh bards, storytellers, who value the spoken and written word in ways that sadly our world is now leaving behind. Her mother Blodwen, upon who's letters this book is based, was herself a prolific writer. We are fortunate that many of her letters were treasured enough by their recipients to survive and find form again in this book. It truly brings to life the world that Margaret Wyles grew up in and makes one long for times like that again............

3 comments about Becoming Ann: A Baltimore Childhood.

1. This is a basic biography of the author, Ann Hennessy. Of course as with all biographies of people who are not famous outside their immediate area the question comes up as to why someone should read it. Ann Hennessy does an excellent job of not only telling her childhood story but vividly portraying the time period and quirks of living in the Baltimore area in the 1930's through the 1950's. Her writing style effectively draws the reader into her life as a friend and clearly shows what it was like to be a child in this time period and place. Becoming Ann is a recommended read for anyone interested in the general social environment of the time.



2. I enjoy reading autobiographies and "Becoming Ann" did not disappoint me. The descriptions of people and places makeyou feel as if you are right there with the author. AnnHennessy's spirit of adventure and optimism shines through.I consider this book a very enjoyable read.A reader from Maryland



3. A revealing description of the author's life and thoughts based on a daily journal that she wrote during six decades. She treats you as she would a good friend by telling both the good parts and the not-so-good parts of a real life; the highs and the lows, the wonderful and the embarrassing. The difficulty of trying to deal with her emotions regarding her different relationships with her mother and father is a constant theme that runs throughout her life, and clearly has an impact on how she also relates to friends and neighbors. One especially delightful aspect of the book for anyone who attended parochial school on the East coast during the mid-twentieth century is her recitation of daily events; you feel as though she was sitting next to you in class! After finishing the book, I felt that the author had truly welcomed me into her home and life and made me part of it. A very enjoyable read, and an impetus to reflect on my own life.

No comments about Childhood to Womanhood: A Memoir--Seattle and Juneau, with Stops along the Way.

2 comments about A Child's Christmas in Brooklyn.

1. Reading this beautifully packaged book will give you a Proustian experience. Regardless of your age, you will be transported back to the world of your childhood, when the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas was the longest of the year. You will lose that adult reality that the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas doesn't even seem as long as a three day weekend.
   
   In my experience, only Calvin and Hobbes comic strips or Jean Sheperd's memoirs rival Frank Crocitto for being able to bottle the mind of a child from an adult perspective. Everyone who owns this book will probably reread it, possibly every Christmas season.



2. Frank Crocitto's A Child's Christmas In Brooklyn is a wonderful memoir of growing up in Brooklyn in the 1940s. What is particularly striking is not just the wonderful anecdotal stories but the way they are physically and visually laid out for the reader in a line-on-the-page format that is almost lyrically poetic in its presentation. A Child's Christmas In Brooklyn is marvelous reading for any Christmas season and a delight for anytime of the year -- especially for that "window in time" feeling taking us back on a nostalgic tour of Brooklyn through a child's eyes.

No comments about What's My Secret?.

5 comments about Dining at the Lineman's Shack.

1. The cookbook as memoir probably began in 1959, when Alice B. Toklas' collection of recipes included one where she suggested serving, at a DAR Meeting, hashish fudge as a snack. John Weston's memoir, Dining at the Lineman's Shack doesn't serve up such confections, but it's a lovely book, and there are some fascinating recipes as well.

   The book is essentially, a loving tribute to his mother, Eloine, who raised Weston and his siblings in a remote shack desert during the Great Depression. Like Steinbeck's Joad family, Weston brilliantly captures life in Skull Valley, AZ. Eloine had the remarkable knack of transforming whatever foodstuffs were available into culinary delights. Among the most surprising menu items Weston delights in describing are Calves' Brains and Scrambled Eggs, Rabbit Jerky. Eloine could disguise the more questionable fare as creatively as possible, making it exceedingly edible. Weston serves up the actual recipes for Mountain lion Barbacoa. Margarita's Yam Soufflé. Pastel de Choclo (Rodeo Pie) and Miss Ruby's Cupcakes. One hopes that Eloine's cooking pleased her diners in the manner that Toklas' delighted the robust Picasso and intimidated Hemingway.

   Reared in the South and trained in the preparation of Southern cooking, following the death of her husband, a miner referred to, simply as "the dad," Eloine moved her family to Prescott, AZ and embraced Southwestern cuisine, including a love for chile peppers. Weston even includes authentic recipes for salsa and chile sauce. The loss of his father deeply affected him, and for a time, Weston fantasized his father's return, hoping their relationship would grow and change. Of course, this was never to be.

   From chapter to chapter, Weston makes constant connections and strongly focuses on the presentation of his memories, much as a fine restaurant will focus on the presentation of a featured dish, as it's served to a leading customer. A fan of Opera, Weston would escape his Arizona childhood, rearing a family, teaching and writing. (His novel, Hail, Hero! was filmed in 1969, serving as Michael Douglas' film debut.)

   Toklas lived in Paris with her "longtime companion," Gertrude Stein for 29 years, and her recipes are heavy with cream and butter. I've had little success with her recipes. Eloine's recipes are more accessible. Weston has settled with his longtime companion, Jim, in Palm Desert, CA. A genuine taste treat, Dining at the Lineman's Shack should be a prime addition to your summer reading list.

   Reviewed by Steven LaVigne in White Crane Journal




2. Dining At The Lineman's Shack by academician and novelist John Weston is a memoir of 1930's Arizona, about growing up in a lineman's shack, coping with the difficulties of rural family life, enduring tough times with the comfort of a mother who can cook miraculously well with next to nothing for ingredients. A compellingly personal story, and one which is vividly descriptive to such an extent that it virtually transports the reader through time and space, Dining At The Lineman's Shack is exceptionally well written and very highly recommended reading.



3. I have just finished a week of savouring "Dining..." bit by bit, bite by bite, many unexpected meals of great enjoyment. The work is compelling from the cover to the end, which of course begs a sequel. It is so like a novel, yet better than a novel with its many surprising branchings and final lingerings, the true stuff of life. And so erudite. And so generous with its scattered recipes for life. I feel richer having the book hand, both for its range of insights and its range of yummies. I know of no other memoir that yields this particular mix of pleasure.



4. I've just finished a week of savouring "Dining..." bit by bit, bite by bite, many unexpected meals of great enjoyment. The work is compelling from the cover to the end, which of course begs a sequel. It is so like a novel, yet better than a novel with its many surprising branchings and final lingerings - the true stuff of life. And so erudite. And so generous withi its scattered recipes for life. I feel richer having the book handy, both for its range of insights and its range of yummies. I know of no other memoir that yields this particular mix of pleasure.



5. Blending memoir, recipes, and fiction, John Weston revisits his childhood in Arizona during the Great Depression, where his mother worked hard to create splendid meals for her children. There are a lot of brilliantly written passages where Weston reminisces, letting his mind drift from memory to recipe, and these moments are captivating. The fictional stories interspersed throughout, however, abruptly confuse the reader. The ingredients seem to all want to mix together properly, and at moments they almost achieve their purpose, but ultimately, by the final pages, they flop. Weston flips through his life's memories and doesn't share enough with the readers for us to understand the course of his life. He mentions having children, and briefly references Jim, his companion of over thirty years, but the threads connecting his life after childhood are meagerly explored. I wanted to like the book more, but I was left bewildered and wishing for more from "Dining at the Lineman's Shack".

4 comments about The Coterian Retreat: Growing Up in Hamilton, Ohio.

1. This is an easy to read, very real autobiographical story -- a "memoir" -- of an intelligent, inquisitive, and observant boy. His story takes the reader on his personal journey through a variety of adolescent scenarios which are somehow familiar, yet intriguing; mostly typical -- yet somewhat tumultuous. The writing is honest, yet provoking; thoughtful yet humorous; sometimes almost painfully sincere; and as sensual as it sensitive. The chapters each tell an individual story, with thoughts, senses, and emotions evoked in the reader, much like those subtly aroused by a familiar scent from the past, or being surprised by encountering a love from long ago. It is a sweet, nostalgic, funny and very vivid story of an adolesence which was surprisingly like my own -- and maybe somewhat like yours...



2. Standing on a hot baseball field, a first kiss. Eluding confrontations with a larger, motivated kid. Parents splitting up. How my grandfather always says "much obliged" when he was truly grateful to someone. Comic Books.
   
   These are some of the memories that come pouring back as the pages turn through this well written tale of thoughful recollections that had me teary eyed on one page, and chuckling by the next.
   
   I did not grow up in Hamilton, and have never been to Ohio. But, through the thoughtful eyes of Tim Simer, somehow, I see splendid similarities to my own hometown. Also I recall, with great clarity, what it feels like, smells like, and is to grow up in a place of character.
   
   For that, I am truly, "much obliged"



3. This book captures much of the innocence and beauty of growing up in a small midwestern town in the sixties, as well as expressing the essence of "growing up" in any genre. It also exemplifies, in beautiful detail, the magic of community and a true congregation and fellowship in the stratum that they do positively effect themselves. A lighthearted and easy read, it gently transports the reader to revisit some delightful and comfortable personal nostalgia and, in what is equally satisfying, exudes hope for humanity still through community, fellowship and coterie.



4. Coterian Retreat is a lovely, well written book that chronicles the life of a boy growing up in the midwest in the 1960's and early 1970's. It's 33 chapters each tell of a particular event in Mr. Simer's life. Some are funny, many touching and sweet, some poignant, but all written with honesty. The descriptions of family and friends are so vivid that even without the pictures included in the book, I feel like I would recognize them on the street. Having grown up in the midwest in this same time, I found I could well relate to many of the incidents that are recalled. I have enjoyed the time spent reading this book and it is one that I will keep and re-read in the future whenever I have a need to go back to a simpler, more innocent time.

5 comments about The Last Marlin: The Story of a Father and Son.

1. As an ardent sport fisherman, I did not expect to find the great read that I did when I picked up "The Last Marlin" in the sportfishing section of our local library. A great autobiography of Waitzkin's growing up within a rather dysfunctional family, with a sportsman's love of his favorite sport (biggame fishing) told first hand from years spent growing up in Bimini on his father's and then later his own boat. Easy read, reads like a novel. I highly recommend for both the fisherman and non-fisherman.



2. When I first heard of THE LAST MARLIN I thought it was like most fishing books, long and drawn out with no real point. Then I found out it was written by Fred Waitzkin, who also wrote SEARCHING FOR BOBBY FISHER, I thought it must be good. How wrong I was. This book has very little to do with fishing and alot to do with Fred Waitzkin telling the story of his (not so) troubled youth. Although the title is somewhat misleading, and this is not the text I imagined it is written well, and has a few pages that will interest fishing enthusiasts. If you want a book on fishing try FISHING'S BEST SHORT STORIES edited by Paul D. Saudohar, or THE HUNGRY OCEAN BY Linda Greenlaw. If a memoir is more to your liking then THE LAST MARLIN might be for you.



3. I started the book on Friday and finished reading it on Saturday evening. I couldn't put it down. I loved it. I think it is a great book, in the genre of Frank McCourt's Angela's Ashes and Tis, but with more depth. It read well, read easy. And yet, it wasn't just about another fictional disfunctional family. It wasn't formulaic. It didn't manifest a protagonist hero overcoming of a difficult history. There wasn't even a clear hero or antihero. It showed a family, a history, that, to some extent or another is a common family, a common history, especially for Jews in America. It's a generational story, a fishing adventure, a history of sportfishing and Bimini and life in the 50s and 60s in New York Jewish society. It's a history of art and jazz and poetry. There is a lot of stuff going on in The Last Marlin. It's an interesting book, not easily put into a classification. It reads like a novel, though it brings to light the oft-quoted phrase that "truth is stranger than fiction." Because it's not fiction, because it's real, the reader will be able to identify with the characters either within us or within our families. Character development, especially of the four leading characters is terrific. Abe, Stella, Bill and Fred are unique characters and all of them, Fred included, are portrayed as seriously neurotic. Each has attractive qualities but each is, to various degrees, self-centered and awful. There is a lot of rage in this book, just like in most families. But most novels don't deal with rage like this, like most people in real life deal with rage. In a novel there would be a murder or rape. In the book, people cope or don't cope as best as they can. They survive, or maybe not, like Bill. I think that is how life is. I would have like to seen Bonnie's character developed more fully. Most readers are going to wonder what the hell she is doing putting up with Fred and the eccentric lifestyle he imposes. A MUST READ!



4. The Last Marlin by Fred Waitzkin is a wonderfully written memior which allows you to enter his world of big game fishing and a very unconventional childhood. Waitzkin's complete openess and honesty about his parents, Stella and Abe, will allow to feel the joy, anger and confusion he and his brother Billy had through adolescents. As if this side of his life isn't enough, Waitzkin continues to tell you about his incredible trips fishing for marlin, shark and tuna,with his family, as well as, some of the best fisherman in the world. Whether your a parent, angler, businessman or artist The Last Marlin is a sheer joy to read.



5. The Last Marlin is a truly exsquisitely written memoir. Fred Waitzkin writes about shark encounters and the passion of fishing with an exhilerating intensity that is balanced by his both hilarious and tragic description of the decline of his family. This novel-seeming-book spans from the consevative world of Fred's lighting fixture salesman father to his excentric artist mother and the wild waters of the Bahamas. You don't have to love fishing to love The Last Marlin, nor do you have to have a passion for flourescents (although if you do, you will certainly be touched), you simply have to love a great story.