5 comments about Full of Secrets: Critical Approaches to Twin Peaks (Contemporary Film and Television Series).

1. After there was no hope for the show's return, I found some of the essays from this book at my college library during the mid 90's. It is great to be able to own them!
   
   Sure, some of the essays are somewhat pretensious and in some cases in accurate, but you will not find the series analyzed like this anywhere else. This book is a very unique resource. If you are a fan of the show, then you will absolutely love this book.



2. Twin Peaks offered a door into that which is below the Matrix that we assume is "reality." In many ways it is like the red pill that Morpheus offers Neo. This book explores the various elements in the show that opens up vision. To see more does not mean there is some final answers. What does happen is-- what we assume proves to be wrong. When we hear the music of the show it is not just supportive sound, when we see people act they are not carrying out the cliches of the ordinary. We see the typologies of our pop culture but the cliches of their characters are violated or turned upside down. There is humor in the show because humor liberates and the apparent order of the town is seen to be an accomplishment of all kinds of human evnergy and possibility hidden below the cliches. If you hated the show-- the book will be of no value. IF you liked the show or are passionate about the work of David Lynch-- this book can give you words and pathways to walk to learn why.



3. If you've been wondering what serious academic scholars think about Twin Peaks,
   this is the book for you.

   On the other hand, if you want fun reading about a fun show, Agent Cooper's
   Autobiography or Welcome to Twin Peaks: Access Guide would be a better bet. ;-)

   A dozen in-depth analyses of the unique TV series, written by a raft of PhD's,
   including professors from leading universities. No matter how many times you've
   watched the programs, I guarantee that this book will tell you things you've
   never noticed . . . or even imagined. There's a complete listing of characters,
   a calendar/timeline, and 50 pages of scene-by-scene descriptions of all the
   episodes, plus the movie.

   The last chapter is a sort of free-for-all panel discussion (or, as the eight
   co-authors describe it, "a writing strategy that privileges the dialogic
   interchange rather than the monologic pronouncement"). Here are the concluding
   remarks:

   REEVES: Maybe David Lynch is possessed by BOB so he is not responsible
   for his actions.
   ALL: Hmmmm . . .

   In my opinion, this book's sometimes pompous, sometimes far-fetched, sometimes
   incomprehensible attempts to dissect the products of David Lynch's wild creativity
   are--if one takes a step back--wryly appropriate to Twin Peaks' own blending of
   the mundane and the weird.




4. "The echolalia and subvocal signs of the semiotic - what we might call feminine Twinspeak - therefore co-exist with and challenge both the patriarchal canonization of Laura Palmer and its Freudian subtext. (104)"

   The above sentence comes from arguably the best of the twelve essays contained within this book, Christy Desmet's "The Canonization of Laura Palmer." She makes some extremely insightful points, but to reach them, you have to wade through pretentious written-with-thesaurus-in-hand idiocy like the preceding paragraph.

   In general, those expecting to find opinions on what the Red Room really is, or whether coffee and cherry pie are a metaphor for something deeper, will have to parse through endless masturbatory babble, and for the most part will be ultimately disappointed by the lack of any revelations about the show itself (one notable exception is Angela Hague's interesting "Derationalization of Detection," which delves briefly into what actually happened to Cooper in the Black Lodge).

   Some essays, such as Jonathan Rosenbaum's "Bad Ideas..." might simply be re-titled "Why I liked Twin Peaks," as it comes off more like high-brow film criticism than anything else, revealing nothing about the show other than why the writer thought it was good. Ditto Marc Dolan's essay "The Peaks and Valleys...", which contains only speculation as to why the show might have lost its audience. Henry Jenkins' is awful, doing nothing more than chronicling ultimately irrelevant discussions on alt.tv.twinpeaks while the show was airing.

   A few of the feminist writers are equally terrible for different reasons. Martha Nochimson's "Desire Under the Douglas Firs..." had potential to be very interesting, but went on a "phallocentric" tangent, and from her we read insights like "The phallic nature of the thumbs up sign, and the phallic incapacity of the Old Bellhop, who cannot stand up straight, are complemented by the visionary presence of The Giant, a phallic presence, as emphasized by the visual foregrounding of The Giant's crotch. (153).

   In addition, I fear, some of these writers seem to be a little out of their depth, and readers who are specialists in any of the fields contained within might be able to find numerous mistakes. For instance, in the essay about music (my own area of specialty) Kathryn Kalinak misidentifies leitmotifs, writes musical examples in the wrong key AND mode, and generally reveals herself to be musically illiterate. She also assigns import and symbolism to things that deserve none. She notes that in one scene, "a country and western selection on the jukebox mysteriously disappears for Shelley and Norma's entrance only to reappear a few moments later," citing this as proof that Lynch is trying to make us aware of the line "between illusion and artifice." Nonsense. It was an editing mistake. I could wax philosophical that the chess game between Cooper and Earle (which contained impossible positions/illegal moves) was Lynch trying to symbolically demonstrate any number of things, but it was really just Lynch being lazy, and that's fine.

   The essays alone really only merit two stars, but following them "Full of Secrets" has several excellent appendices which contain writing/directorial/acting credits, a Twin Peaks calendar of events, and a complete scene breakdown from the pilot through FWWM, all very well done and useful.

   For the rest of the book, well, you've been warned.




5. David Lavery's book is, beyond any doubt, a book to purchase for any fan of "Twin Peaks" or related Lynch material. This book of essays, focusing on different themes and messages in David Lynch's tv-serial, is most likely the best of its kind on the marked.
   Take a mesmorising trip through the fantastic of "Twin Peaks" or go looking for clues to unlocking its strange mysteries - this book will give you all the leads. So whether you are into exploring doubling, postmodern culture, detective fiction, the fantastic, or merely the world of David Lynch, I strongly recommend getting a hold of this book. An amazing a thorough read - even better than the otherwise strong "Weirdsville USA"!!!

No comments about Critical Moves: Dance Studies in Theory and Politics.

5 comments about Back Stage Guide to Working in Regional Theater: Jobs for Actors and Other Theater Professionals.

1. Anyone working in the theatre should own a copy of this book. As a theatre instructor and artistic director, it is so helpful to have a detailed and easy guide to assist my student actors. Very informative and inspirational!



2. "Guide to working in Regional Theatre" has been quite inspiring as a young man trying to make my way in the world of theatre. The book is great and serves as a reminder as to why I fell in love with the theatre in the first place.



3. At last! A book for those of us disinclined to make Broadway or Los Angeles our theatre homes. Whoever said you can't make a living working in regional theatre...had obviously never read this book.
   
   Dr. Volz's book is inspiring and knowledgeable; as a former managing director for the wildly successful Alabama Shakespeare Festival and president of Consultants for the Arts, you can be sure that the man knows EXACTLY what he's talking about!
   
   This book and his other masterwork, How to Run a Theater: A Witty, Practical and Fun Guide to Arts Management have absolutely changed my life. I have been trained in the performing arts; now all I can think of is running my own company, and working in regional theatre.
   
   Both books are inspiring, witty, fun reads. TRULY recommended. This reviewer has already worked for the Tony-award winning South Coast Repertory Theatre as well as having her own regional theatre projects financed by benevolent arts patrons...with no little help from the wisdom of Dr. Jim. :)



4. I have been searching for clues on how to break into the theatre industry, and Jim Volz tells you exactly how to break on through! He gives you the tools to overcome your fears, and the information that will get you that dream job. This book will change your life!



5. I am just about to graduate with a degree in theatre, most of the people I talk with (my parents included) don't think that people actually get paid to make theatre. But this book eliminates all their fears and mine too. I didn't really know where to start looking for jobs or interships Jim Volz's books gave me a start and actually did most of the research for me. I now have a stack of internship and job applications in progress and many sent off. I have already been offered two internships with a leading regional theatres in California.
   This book is so much more that a vast resource to find jobs and learn about theatres, it also give thought provoking advice (from networking skills to understanding human behavior and more)and not just for working in the theatre but living life. A big plus is that amoung all the information are witty stories about life in the regional theatre from leaders in this field.
   I am being completly truthful about this book changing my life, without it I would mostly likely be lost in the crazy expanses of the internet still searching for one percent of the information found in this book.

No comments about Tap Dance Fundamentals.

No comments about Christopher Marlowe's Dr. Faustus (Focus on Performance).

5 comments about Uncle Vanya (Dover Thrift Editions).

1. Enjoyed this adaptation by David Mamet very much. It arrived very quickly which was surely appreciated. Thank you.



2. "Uncle Vanya" is a beautiful play. I've read it many times in several languages and always enjoyed it very much. Don't read it unless you have attention span greater than that of a child. It's rewarding if you give it a chance. This is Chekhov's best play.



3. I was disappointed in Microsoft Reader's inability to print. I like the concept of near instant availability for e-books, but prefer to read from the printed page instead of staring at a computer screen. Funny, too, how I found out I couldn't print my document until after I had purchased this e-book and installed the Microsoft Reader software (with the additional step of having to "activate" a pc for it). In fact, Microsoft Reader's Help section doesn't make mention of the fact that one can't print its documents. A search in the help topics only produces the result that the word "print" can't be found.

   I'll avoid the Microsoft Reader e-book format in the future.




4. Really Really boring, don't think anyone should waste their time reading this garbage. Horrible!



5. I have read many versions of Uncle Vanya, but this edition is an up-beat, funny, and, ultimately wonderful version of the excellent story by one of Russias beloved writers. I was looking for the right edition to use in my school for the school play, and this edition the kids could connect to. It dosen't have a lot of that Shakespere mumbo-jumbo that you have to read 50 times. This is accesible and very good. rock on David Mamet.

No comments about Fo Plays: 1: Mistero Buffo, Accidental Death of an Anarchist, Trumpets and Raspberries, The Virtuous Burglar, and One Was Nude and One Wore Tails (Methuen Contemporary Dramatists).

No comments about Seeing the Big Picture: Exploring American Cultures on Film.

No comments about Shadow Puppets & Shadow Play.

3 comments about The Business of Acting: Learn the Skills You Need to Build the Career You Want.

1. An actor friend of mine gave me a copy of this book as a going away present. I am moving from New York to L.A. to pursue a career in acting, in television, mostly. It was feeling a little overwhelmed about what I was getting myself into, but this book has helped me feel empowered about my decision. There is so much to having a career in this business that I never realy gave a thought to. I never learned in school the stuff that's in this book. I'm moving to L.A. in three days and I can't wait! This book has become my lucky charm. Thank you! :)



2. I have read a lot of books about acting, but this is the first book I have ever seen (and read) about the business of acting. I learned so much about the business that I did not know before. This book showed me how being a great actor is not enough to have a real career as an actor. I learned lots of new tactics about how to take charge and how to stay in charge of my career.

   I have worked three times since I bought this book! Thank you!




3. This book has become an invaluable tool. It was easy to read and answered all of my questions. It has taught me more than my 4 years in college. I highly recomend this book!