No comments about The City and the Theatre: The History of New York Playhouses: A 250 Year Journey from Bowling Green to Times Square.

5 comments about Drugstore Cowboy.

1. No one can accuse James Fogle of not having done his research. The man spent the majority of his adult life behind bars for apparently the exact type of lifestyle that he presents in DRUGSTORE COWBOY. I guess he took the lesson of writing what you know to heart.
   
   Despite my lukewarm rating, which I base on an objective reading of the book, DRUGSTORE COWBOY is actually an enjoyable read. The cowboy himself, Bob, has probably ripped off more pharmacies than anyone else on the West Coast. We follow Bob, his lady Diane, and his compatriots Rick and Nadine on a few such romps. The situations they get themselves into, or more appropriately, that Bob gets them into, are often quite amusing and I laughed several times throughout. The book is easy reading and even a slow reader will be able to get through it in a few days.
   
   What Fogle has in authenticity, however, is offset by the writing itself, which often feels contrived. This is particularly acute with respect to dialogue, which unfortunately often goes beyond contrived into flat-out cliched and even corny. The free-wheeling style of writing is usually not my thing but is probably appropriate for a novel such as this.
   
   I am a bit surprised that the book DRUGSTORE COWBOY (as opposed to the movie) was never more popular. It has that Jack Kerouac feel to it that would seem to straddle the line between popular novel and cult classic. It may not be highbrow, but it is fast and fun.



2. great charecter delvelopment, fast pace, exhilerating, amazing voice, interesting plot line, accurate vocabulary, beleiveable story of a genius junky who is neither good nor bad living a life that is neither good nor bad.
   recomended to everyone who's looking for a realistic somewart comical read
   you can really get into this novel



3. Drugstore cowboy is a novel about a crew of traveling junkies. the bands leader is Bob Hughes "one of the cleverest, ringiest, most notorious dope fiend drugstore cowboys on the entire West Coast, including Alska." It is an incredibly real examination of a dope fiends domain. Some how you can't help but fall in love with the charecters. They are portrayed acuratly without being betrayed or praised. James Fogle really knows what he's talking about.
   You may have noticed that this is a kids review and may be wondering why it is here seeing how this is certainly not a kids book. I am 12 years old and live in the city so,as you can imagine, i have had some run ins with dope. Drugstore Cowboy had an impact on my life, for better or for worse i can not say, but i am glad i read it because there is nothing more honest out there.
   i would recomend this novel to everyone at some point in their lives.



4. How many times have you seen a film and then read the book on which the film is based and said to yourself, "God, that film was awful - the book is so much better!"? Rare are the cases where book and film compliment each other and live in harmony. Drugstore Cowboy is one of those rare cases. If you like the film, you will love this book. The lovable junkies, hilarious adventures, and poignant mishaps of Bad Bobby Hughes and cohorts are further fleshed out and even more entertaining in print.



5. fun and exciting yet compelling and profound, beautifully written with a distinctive style that gives life to all the characters. plot is excellent and moving. (the movie by Gus Van Sant is excellent too)

No comments about Educational Drama and Language Arts: What Research Shows (Dimensions of Drama Series).

No comments about Communication in The Family: Seeking Satisfaction in Changing Times (2nd Edition).

5 comments about Gold Buckle: The Grand Obsession of Rodeo Bull Riders.

1. I've rode bulls for quite a while and thought this book was great.



2. I just finished the book and I have to say this is the best I've ever read. If you watch the PBR, you have to buy this book. Donnie Gay, Tuff Hedemann, Ty Murray, Charles Sampson, they are all here.



3. Just finished the hardback version. As a bullrider and saddlebronc rider I have never read anything as painfully accurate about our sport as this book. The only drawback is I couldnt put it down and as i finished I wanted MORE. I hope he writes a second book..because Jeff Coplon knows more about rodeo than some cowboys. NICE JOB.



4. Highly recommended, excellent book about a misunderstood sport. While Rodeo and Bull-Riding fans will enjoy this book, it is a great book for folks not familiar with Rodeo/Bull Riding and the culture that gave birth to it and sustains it. As the PBR circuit grows in popularity it will be interesting to see if the PBR stays true to it's Western Values and Culture. I hope so...



5. This is a very good and captivating book and something every rodeo fan should read. If you want to learn more about bull riding legends like Don Gay, Myrtis Dightman, Wacey Cathey, Tuff Hedeman, Lane Frost, Jim Sharp and Ty Murray, this is probably the only place you can find it told so colorfully and honestly. It is also nice to read about the days when the world's top bull riders were cowboys and actually competed at rodeos, and not the pretentious PBR events. It also takes a look at how bull riding's popularity surged in the 90s. I just hope a similar book on bronc riders comes out soon.

No comments about Lorca Plays: One: Blood Wedding, Doa Rosita the Spinster, and Yerma (World Dramatists Series).

No comments about The Architecture of Drama: Plot, Character, Theme, Genre and Style.

5 comments about Cagney by Cagney.

1. James Cagney was one of my favorite actors but I'm sad to say that I didn't enjoy this book at all. I looked forward to reading it because it was coming from Mr. Cagney himself. Unfortunately, I found it very boring. I struggled to get through half the book and put it away without finishing it. The book was written like a speech where the writer went off topic numerous times.



2. James Cagney writes like he acts..you walk in the scene...you look the other actor in the eye and you tell him the truth....a rich portrait of e legend and the incredible down to earth qualities that made him into a star and legend..



3. Cagney By Cagney seems to be narrated in such an honest and unpretentious voice that I was surprised to learn that it was ghostwritten but the ghostwriter did a decent job, in terms of tone at least.
   
   The book is at its best when Cagney is talking of his impoverished childhood, the text really comes alive with his many anecdotes and memories. Once he gets to Hollywood though he seems to quickly tire of the movies he made and is disparaging of the scripts of nearly all of his films.
   
   Cagney litters the book with selections of his poetry which, while not terrible, is not at home here and the reader gets annoyed each time another one turns up.
   
   The revelation, if there is one, is Cagney's passionate ecological message which comes out in the later chapters and is quite thought provoking. His explanation as to how we turned from a socialist/liberal to a conservative is not.
   
   Good fun, a tad bitter and jaded, but an interesting view of his life.



4. I could not put this book down! I read it in a day! I recently rediscovered this book, and boy am I glad that I did. I love the passages about his early childhood they were so vibrant so full of life. His loving relationship with his mother and siblings. There were many funny stories like the one about the Eastside Kids and Bogart. There were also many touching stories. Especially the one about his mom's death. Reading this book also reminded me that not only was he a good tough guy, but he was a great song and dance man too!! Cagney by Cagney is reccommended to anyone who loves James Cagney. He was definitely one of a kind.



5. Iam a big James Cagney fan!!!! I got this book when it first came out and read it in about a week!!!!! I still have it in my collection of books on Mr. Cagney. He wonderfully goes through his childhood. His love of his family and how much he loved his mother. A very gentle man, who showed such a mean side on the screen, goes to show what a great actor he was!!!! To learn he painted and was a fine poet too was interesting. Reading of his career and how he looked at acting as just a job, nothing more. There is humor too, that Mr. Cagney always had and expresses very much so in his book!!!!! Iam glad I got it back in 1976, but for all Cagney fans, if your able to find this book, it is a must read. Very enjoyable!!!!!

2 comments about Ravished Armenia and the Story of Aurora Mardiganian.

1. I have read many of the books written by survivors of the Armenian genocide carried out by Turkey, and this is by far the best of them all. Aurora Mardigian (her name was subsequently changed by "Hollywood") was 14 when her story began, and what makes this book the best is also what makes it the worst: she gives many specific examples of how Turks murdered and tortured Armenians, told quite dispassionately but in no less horrifying terms.
   I've already bought copies to give to my brother and sister, even at its high price, because it's worth every cent, and so that all will KNOW what the Armenian people went through at the hands of the still-denying Turks.
   Those who don't know what Armenia and her people are about will also learn the true nature and identity of our wonderful culture, and all that it emcompassed both in early times as well as currently.



2. This book is truly interesting. It explains how an Armenian Genocide survivor's memoir was turned into a motion picture in 1919, a year or two after her arrival to the United States. The beginning of the book explains the whole movie production process, and even lists reviews given at the time of its showing. The movie apparently was very popular in 1919, however all copies of it seem to have been lost. However, the book has about 6 still photos from the movie. The bulk of the book is simply a reprint of Aurora Mardiganian's account of living through the Armenian Genocide. It is amazing, sad, sickening. This is an extremely excellent book for anyone knowing little about the Armenian Genocide, and an original and interesting one for those more familiar with the subject.

1 comments about Little Shop of Horrors.

1. One of Menken's timeless masterpieces, the songs of "The Little Shop of Horror" cover many aspects of music - from good ol' fashioned Rock'n'Roll in the theme song to some serious blues in "Feed me" and rather heavy chords in "Don't feed the plants" A must have for all Menken fans, it gives one the opportunity to view his early work, in this case, the 80's. Ony of my friends has a copy and in fact I've used it more than he has so now I'm looking for my own copy! Get this!