No comments about The Thinking Body.

5 comments about Ethel Merman: A Life.

1. This is a masterful bio of Ethel Merman. Worthy of 5 stars! After you have finished reading it you will feel like you know "The Merm" as never before. Author Brian Kellow has created what is the definitive work on Ethel Merman. Kellow recreates the world of Broadway in which Merman thrived and by so doing allows the reader to understand just how such a wonderful performer came to exist. Merman is very much a product of her era and vice versa and Kellow clearly tells us why.
   The later years of Merman's life are particularly well handled by Kellow and the reader will finish the book quite moved.
   
   Reading this bio has greatly increased my enjoyment of the many Ethel Merman recordings, as we now know the woman behind the music. And Kellow has interviewed scores of people who worked with Merman and we get a glimpse of what it is like to be in a hit Broadway show with such a great star.
   
   Unlike other books on Merman's life, this one is highly accurate, well researched, has great photos and above all is an INTERESTING READ!
   I highly recommend this book. You will not be disappointed!



2. This book reads like a PlayBill blurb all the way through. Facts, dry facts, with no hint of the personalities or the motivation of a potentially facinating actress included. I was so completely disappointed in this book that I'm writing my first review in order to warn others. Do Not Buy, don't even bother to read. It's dull, dull, dull.



3. I have been in Show Business all of my life. Still am doing it at 72 years and Merman is one of the very best Show Business Bio's I have ever read. I knew a lot about her Life and Career but this Book tells it all. Great Read.
   Mark Carroll



4. January 16th, 2008 will mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of Ethel Merman. (In her autobiography she claims it was 1912.so to be fair we can celebrate again in 2012.) Brian Kellow offers a well-researched and fairly definitive overview of both her career and personal life.
   
   If you read Ethel's two autobiographies (1955 and 1978) as well as Bob Thomas's I Got Rhythm and Geoffrey Mark's sloppily researched The Biggest Star on Broadway, and combined the best of all of these the result would be what Brian Kellow has accomplished: a thoughtful portrait of a lady who became the top star on Broadway from 1930 to 1970.
   
   At this point there is not a great deal of new information, but Kellow goes to greet lengths to dispel the myth that Merman at the height of her career was little more than a loud, vulgar diva who drank a lot. She was tough in a business that at the time demanded women be tough or else they'd be taken advantage of. Her level of professionalism, however, was enviable. In a 40-year career she missed only a handful of performances due to illness and always gave the same performance closing night as she did opening night.
   
   Kellow's book would have been enhanced had he included a detailed discography, and he repeats the same basic listing of shows (with only the songs Merman sang) and films that appeared in her 1978 book Merman.
   
   All in all it's an enjoyable read and an accurate portrayal of this legendary lady.



5. Finally, a worthy biography of Ethel Merman, one of the 20th century's greatest performers, has been published -- two, in fact, in honor of the 2008 centenary of her birth. They supersede all previous attempts. The question now is, which to buy? I've just read both. Here's my take.
   
   If you had the books in front of you, the first thing you'd notice would be the difference in length. "Ethel Merman" by Brian Kellow is 326 pages, including the (rather incomplete) index. "Brass Diva: The Life and Legends of Ethel Merman" by Caryl Flinn is a much-weightier 542 pages, including a more-detailed index. That's indicative of their very different approaches. Kellow adeptly hits the highlights of Merman's personal and professional lives, and places them in historical context. Flinn, a university professor, goes for the comprehensive and scholarly approach. There are advantages and disadvantages to both.
   
   Here's an example. Flinn spends five paragraphs sorting through all the stated dates for Merman's birth, before settling on the correct one: 1908. Kellow simply notes the right date. And that points to Flinn's main shortcoming: Having obviously done a tremendous amount of research for the book, she's loath to exclude anything.
   
   I got the sense while reading Kellow's that he wants to convey the woman behind the image (he succeeds). As a professor of women's studies, Flinn seems to care more about how Merman was perceived, specifically as a woman in a certain time period. If Kellow and Flinn had decided to collaborate on a single book, we might have had the ideal Merman biography.
   
   As it is, Flinn at times tends to overreach in an attempt to deconstruct, as in this doozy after a Merman quote: "Again, this seems less the real Ethel Merman talking than the voice associated with 'Ethel Merman,' the public production, whose iconoclastic toughness was being extended to her body itself, almost a Deep Throat avant la lettre." Ironically, Flinn's book is an intellectualized approach to an admitted non-intellectual. If Merman would have lived to read this, I imagine she would have said something like, "What the hell is she talkin' about, anyway?"
   
   Where Flinn's approach works better than Kellow's is in giving details of Merman's professional productions. For example, she meticulously covers each of Merman's movie shorts, including plot synopses -- that's valuable and interesting information, particularly since the shorts aren't all readily available for viewing (something one can only hope an independent DVD company will eventually rectify). Kellow hardly touches on them at all. On the other hand, as features editor for Opera News, Kellow has a better grasp of the evolution of Merman's vocal style.
   
   Interestingly, despite Flinn's greater focus on the details, Kellow is also the one to set the record straight on certain stories. For example, he convincingly puts forth what he's found to be the real reasons why the "Anything Goes" book by P.G. Wodehouse and Guy Bolton was rewritten by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. In this case, Flinn seems to accept the version put forward publicly at the time. In other cases, she tends to list all opinions as to what occurred in a certain situation, rather than try to figure out what actually happened. Again, my sense is this is because, to Flinn, perception and reality carry equal weight.
   
   As you might expect, Kellow and Flinn share many of the same sources. Flinn had at least one advantage: access to Merman's scrapbooks (compiled with her father). They are referenced constantly, but they really add little of note.
   
   In the appendix of his book, Kellow lists Broadway appearances, film appearances, and television appearances. This is where one would like to see more detail. Surprisingly, Flinn's appendix is hardly more extensive. Under stage work, she adds the musical numbers by act, and then she has a filmography.
   
   In the end, Kellow's book is the one to get. But if you're a fervent Merman fan, then you'll also want to get Flinn's for the extra details (albeit too many) and cultural perspective.

4 comments about The Wadsworth Anthology of Drama.

1. This Anthology's shortcomings in no way reflect poorly on the material in the book, but rather in what the editors chose to exclude. All the pieces (and there are many) come with excellent background information, interesting and relevant theory, and most importantly source text from many of the relevant playwrights, including original essays by Brecht and Artaud. The anthology includes many of the classics, and where it proves itself especially useful is in its inclusion of sociopolotical plays such as "Information for Foreigners" and "Los Vendidos", contemporary rewrites such as "Hamletmachine" and the clever pairing of the classic "Tempest" with the lesser known searing colonization commentary "A Tempest" by Cesaire. But totally lacking is treatment of the entire Roman and Medieval periods, as well as the post-Shakespeare pre-Ibsen area. The anthology remains an invaluable tool for survey courses (I used it for a Intro Theatre Studies Class) but perhaps is too limited for more specific Theatre applications.



2. I would first like to mention that this book has stunning supplementary materials (theory, performance discussions, etc.) that make the book well worth using for a general survey of Western dramatic history.
   But it is what is excluded or glossed that makes this collection fall somewhat short. I teach out of this book for a major university (it is the required text for multiple other classes, so it is requested that I use this text as well.) While it does cover many major and significant periods, the Romans are entirely ignored and non-western theatre is seemingly thrown in as a sidethought... leading many of my students to question whether there is really a worthwhile eastern theatre tradition. When teaching Greeks and Renaissance drama, it is critical to understand the approach that the Romans took to the theatre. Even a Senecan tragedy would have enlivened the "Classical" section of the anthology.
   I do understand that not ALL periods can be given equal weight, but by disrgarding periods and regions (or even worse, by giving them such short shrift that nobody even considers them beyond a passing comment) our students are presented an incomplete history of theatre. I must order a number of other texts to fill these holes in the historical timeline.
   That being said, what this anthology does include is well documented and supported by appropriate texts. As I mentioned, it is a good basic introduction to theatre history and theory (and is possibly the strongest out there for this task) and should deserve 4 stars, but the 3 stars reflects my reservations above.



3. I read so much about the anthology, but nowhere did I find what plays were actually presented, for those interested here is the list: Orestia, Agamemnon, Liberation Bearers, Eumenides, Oedipos King, Medea, Lysistrata, Matsukaze, Chushingura, Second Shepards' Pageant, Everyman, Doctor Faustus, Hamlet, The Tempest, Life is a Dream, Tartuffe, Phaedra, The Rover, Loa DIvine Narcissusm Recruiting Officer, Doll House, Father, Cherry Orchard, Major Barbara, Six Characters..., Mother Courage, Endgame, Homecoming, Hamletmachine, Cloud Nine, Our Country's Good, Trifles, Hairy Ape, Glass Menagerie, Dutchman, Vedidos, True West, Fences, M Butterfly, Angels in America I, Fires in the Mirror, America Play, Lady Aoi, My Beatles, A Tempest, Information for Foreigners, Death and King's Horseman, Translations, Gangsters, No Sugar, Dry Lips Oghta..., Valley Song. On top of it all, there are incredible and insightful critical reviews.



4. I had to buy this book for my dramatic lit classes in school and fell in love with it. It covers plays from the early Greeks to modern plays. Before every play there is a bio of the writer that outlines their history and how they came to write the play you are about to read. At the beginning of each section there is an essay about that time period. It talks about what was happening then, the different writing styles that evolved, the layout of theatres and how they changed and the different prominent writers of that time. The book also includes many pictures from different productions of the plays in the book. It shows pictures with traditional stagings and also updated or stylized stagings. Pretty much all of the plays also have at least one critical essay included as well. This is a great assortment of plays with lots of good background info to get you going. Whether you are just looking for a good collection pf plays to read or are a drama student looking to broaden your play collection for scene study and monologue work this is the book for you.

2 comments about The History and Theory of Rhetoric: An Introduction (2nd Edition).

1. I purchased this book for a class, rather than for enjoyment. That said, I found the book to be very informative and relatively easy to read. Of the two textbooks that I purchased, I most definitely prefer this one.



2. Logically enough Professor Herrick begins with an overview of his subject. He concludes with some of the better known modern rhetoricians. In between these two chapters he traces the history of the field and the various contributors. Timelines in the chapters enable the reader to see where the content of that particular section fits in the overall scheme. Sources are clearly identified throughout the book. Sidebars are another asset found in each section.

   The glossary in the back of the book is a ready reference for students seeking to quickly understand a term. Herrick seeks to combine modern example with ancient methodology in some places. Generally speaking this book introduces the subject well. It is clear and comprehensive. I have used with favorable results as a textbook when I was teaching in Massachusetts.

5 comments about Against All Odds: My Story.

1. My son requested this book (bonus enough he ASKED for a BOOK!) :) for Christmas, & he was ecstatic to get it! He's really enjoyed reading it & says to please tell you it is an honor to read about a real life American hero in his own words, & is (he told me to capitalize this) CHUCK NORRIS APPROVED! WE LOVE CHUCK!!!



2. This book is very inspirational, easy to read, full of Chuck Norris pictures through his career. a very interesting story. I'll recommended.



3. I bought this book for my wife for Christmas. She is a fan of Chuck. She finished the book in a matter of days and gave it to me to read. I'm glad I did. Learned tons of things I never knew about him. I would recommend this book even if you are not a big fan because it tells a good rags to riches story.



4. I gave this book to my adult son when he achieved his black belt in karate. He found it very inspiring and hard to put down! He has suggested that I read it which I will.



5. Chuck Norris is undoubtedly a stright shooter of high moral character.
   It would have been more interesting if he had gone into more detail about his life from childhood to when he started with the martial arts. Bottom line, I did enjoy the book.

5 comments about Jitney.

1. August Wilson is the greatest American playwright. Not the greatest living American playwright, but the greatest, period. His best plays stand comparison with the best work of Eugene O'Neill, Arthur Miller, and Tennessee Williams. No American playwright has produced such a consistent body of work, and no American playwright has attempted a cycle with the scope and ambition of his series of plays. Wilson's subject is the Great Migration, the story of the African-Americans who emigrated from the southern states to the cities of the industrial North and their slow construction of satisfactory lives in the difficult and changing world of 20th century America. Wilson has written 10 plays on this subject, one for each decade of the 20th century, amounting to a fictional history of African-Americans in the urban North. This is, however, history from below. Wilson's heroes are garbagemen, short-order cooks, day laborers, self-taught musicians, and street vendors. One of his great gifts is his ability to use common speech in a way that is consistently interesting, frequently eloquent, and often powerful. He gives poetic voice to people usually regarded as inarticulate and invests ordinary struggles with real but not exaggerated significance. The African-Americans of Wilson's plays are a doubly uprooted people. Uprooted initially by the grievous trauma of slavery that sundered their connection with their native traditions, the emigrants fleeing the Jim Crow south and its brutal racism are uprooted also from their homes, families, and the traditions developed in the aftermath of slavery.
   Wilson's overall story is the reconstruction of African-American identity and family life in the cities of the North over the course of the 20th century. Wilson's plays often feature protagonists whose sense of identity and families have been damaged greatly by the oppressions of racism and the atomizing effects of the industrial economy of the North. Over the course of the cycle, Wilson shows characters re-establishing a sense of connection with their ancestors, even back to Africa, and gradually developing the family ties to sustain them. Wilson repeatedly uses supernatural elements in his work, particularly as a device to advance his theme of the importance of developing a sense of historic connection with ancestors, including those originally abducted from Africa. This could easily be hokey, but his matter of fact use of these elements is very effective. Another recurring theme is the importance of music, particularly the Blues tradition developed by African-American musicians, which he sees as a vital and creative force in African-American life, often carrying truths across generations. Some of the most affecting parts of Wilson's work are his demonstrations of the direct and indirect destructive effects of American racism on family life. Even more powerful are those scenes in which his characters overcome these obstacles to reaffirm family connections.
   Not all of Wilson's plays are outstanding, but all are at least very good. Readers will differ on their favorites. In my opinion, Joe Turner's Come and Gone, Fences, and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom are outstanding. The rest vary from excellent (The Piano Lession) to the very good. Cumulatively, they are a really impressive achievement. Mention must be made of the fact that Wilson has been aided by outstanding collaborators. Wilson's plays usually go through a series of versions before the final version emerges. Wilson has had the benefit of working with unusually talented directors, notably the gifted Lloyd Richards, who was responsible in large measure for recognizing Wilson's talent. Wilson has benefited also from the existence of a whole generation of remarkably talented African-American actors. These people made it possible for Wilson to realize his vision. We have all been the beneficiaries of the work of Wilson and his collaborators.



2. It's clear to say, that one outstanding act in this play may be one of August Wilson's most powerful and emotional. It is a scene where a proud father who refused his son for twenty years now encounters him when he is released from prison for murder.
   
   
   In the series of plays that chronicle the black experience, Jitney is set in the early 70s and is about jitney (car service) drivers who provide low fares to the black community in Pittsburgh. The setting is in a dilapidated section of town that is experiencing the city boarding up buildings, a practice that characteristically doesn't result in improvements. The building that houses the car service with that of several men's livelihood is considered for boarding up.
   
   The characters are young and old, a busybody, an alcoholic, a young father, a Korean war vets, etc. These characters have minor stories, but nothing as profound as the main character, 60ish Becker, who manages the jitney car service. It is his son Booster who was spared the death penalty and is released from prison.
   
   At that time of the murder, many young blacks did not take well the treatment from whites that their parents were subjected too. These younger blacks grew up with an attitude and were shamed that their parents didn't stand up to white folks. The younger generation resorts to violence. Consequently, Becker's son Booster kills a white girl for lying that she was raped by him.
   
   Becker, a man of honor, is humiliated by the actions of his son. Becker also confirms that Booster's mother died very soon after sentencing. She could not bear to hear from the judge ...."that the life she brought in the world was unfit to live."
   
   This lengthy exchange of dialogue between Beck and his son is profound and with Act 1 Scene 3 and 4 makes up the entire worth of the play.....Rizz



3. Becker and Booster, estranged father and son have a scene, which shoots out into hearty emotional territory from the get, that is the heart of this play. A destinctly male play, featuring some standard types, the core being: young & ambitious Youngblood, pesky instrusive Turnbo, older drunken Fielding, settled/sedate veteran Doub, father/manager/coach-like Becker, and Booster-who is actually a mix of youthful intentions and elder understanding.
   I read this and cared for Becker and Booster. I was hopeful for Youngblood, and was held in suspense about what would happen between Turnbo and Youngblood.
   Jitney is a positive play, with a surely hopeful attitude and a redemptive feel. Wilson deals sparingly with outside circumstances: impending eviction/unknown future, alcoholism/senseless violence, black & white relations, lies that can be tolerated and truths that can't, community/family outside of blood, etc.
   I did think it ended too easily, but maintained a sense of hopefulness and redemption, that I imagined satisfied the on-going life of the characters.



4. I am so happy Wilson revived this script from the trashcan of the his past. It is the clearest and most engaging story he's written since Jor Turner's.



5. This play is horrible! Not only was it a flat narrative that was as shallow in it's arc as a puddle it was simply an amalgum of sterotypes parading as realistic characters. The dialogue was utter tripe, full as it was with clichés and predictable euphamisms. Why is that we accept bad writing through the use of stereotypes as long as that bad writing is coming from a member of that stereotyped group. All of the subplots were tact on, as if Wilson knowing his play did not have enough substance to sustain itself said "Oh crap! I better put more into this!". In the end they just add to the mess. Shame on you August Wilson! Hang your head in shame!

No comments about A Midsummer Night's Dream (The New Cambridge Shakespeare).

5 comments about Without You: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and the Musical Rent.

1. Anthony Rapp tells an emotional story about personal life, love, and loss as he describes the years surrounding the phenomenon that is Rent. This is a book no Renthead should be without. Afer reading this book, I feel like I have gotten to know Anthony as a person, and gotten a rare glimpse through Anthony's eyes of the man that was Jonathan Larson.



2. Anthony Rapp was in on the creation of the masterpiece which became the Broadway sensation "Rent," almost from the beginning. He has written his memoir of that experience with great sensitivity and insight.
   
   This book is a riveting tale about the creative process, how a play goes through its evolution to get to Broadway, and how every once in awhile a theatrical miracle can happen which changes everyone's lives. "Rent" is such a miracle. I just saw the play once again on Broadway this past weekend. I took my teenaged daughters to see it. After eleven years, it is finally closing down some time this year. If you cannot get to New York to see the play, rent the movie. It's not as good, but almost.
   
   I loved this book, and recommend it to anyone who has ever overcome adversity to pursue a dream.



3. This book is amazing. It's a great read, easy to follow and really hits at your heart. I would reccommend it to everyone.



4. I am a fan of Anthony Rapp's and a major fan of Rent, so I felt the need to pick up this book. It gives you such great insight into Anthony as a person and there was a lot in here to which I could relate. Plus, you get to follow along with the backstory behind Rent, which I also found very informative and entertaining. But above all, Anthony pleasantly surprised me with his writing talent. I thoroughly enjoyed this read and I hope he continues to write in the future.



5. At first when I wanted to get this audio book I went to Barnes and Nobles. Figured, Hey, might as well save on shipping and handling. They never told me a price and told me it'd be in soon. TWO months go by and still no book! I go in every week and ask them, do you have my audio book yet?? they say No, we can't find it in any warehouse anywhere. Finally I say take me off the list, I'm going to Amazon.com. I also ask them what was the price? They say "about $70" I am so glad that I never got it from them!! I saved FIFTY bucks with amazon.com and also got it in TWO DAYS!! And that was with the cheapest shipping they have! It made the entire process worth it. And the audio book is simply amazing, I read the book about two years ago and now I listen to the Audio Book in the car while I'm driving. It's extremely relaxing and Anthony's voice is so soothing and I don't feel alone when I drive alone at night.

5 comments about Creative Clowning.

1. My absolute favorite clowning book! If you can only get one clowning book get this one! Covers everything!!! Whenever I am writing clown shows I always go to this book. There are so many skit, gag and prop ideas in this book to build off of. It is truly GOLD!!! In addition to all the skit, gag and prop ideas it also covers make up techiniques as well as costuming. This book stays not on my book shelf or even out on a table but in my truck, so I always have access to it even when I am at work. I think one of the things that really makes this book so special to clowning is the fact that it is not just one author, there are around 10!! Each one writing on their speciality or passion.
   
   I really wish they would come out with a second eddition of this book that would include websites and email address of clown scripts, ideas, gags, etc.



2. I'm considering setting up as a childrens entertainer, so I purchased a good few books. This is without doubt the best of the bunch.

   The book covers lots of aspects of clowning, gives great ideas, and is an easy read.

   The only downside is that it does not have space to go as in depth in some areas as I would of liked - but there are plenty of speciality books to do so.




3. Every hobby has one or two definative books. This is it for clowning. Everything I wanted to find out and more. Like any good reference book it started me down the path and I have read several books recommended.

   If you are going to get into clowning you need this book.




4. Having read four customer reviews of this book, I might have had high expectations. Maybe I didn't realize it's true value at first, but after learning various skills, you may want to try others, which didn't catch your interest at first. Then you realize how powerful a tool this book is.

   Until now I've focused on juggling and unicycling. The book not only teaches you how to ride a unicycle, -it also provides a lot of amusing variations. Though I knew how to ride before buying this book, it taught me how to ride in a very ridiculous way, seemingly out of control. I've experienced a tremendous effect when acting upon these hints in front of an audience. ...

   Just recently I grew interested in the stiltwalking sections and made a pair of wooden tie-on stilts. I'm not exactly an engineer, but following the instructions, all I needed was a saw, some wood, a drill, some glue, some bolts and screws.

   Reading the ingenious instructions given sometimes make me laugh out loud, thinking of how it would work in real life. The illustrations are really amusing, and I do enjoy all the hints on starting a clowning business. Lots of detailed information.

   Also, the book is packed with numerous jokes and material that can be used for shows. The next stage for me will be learning how to twist balloons into different animal shapes.

   I was actually looking for a book on how to put on clowns' make-up for my unicycling. This book is all you need to know about various types of make-up for various clown types, plus so much more. If you're thinking about clowning, either for fun or for money, I highly recommend this book!




5. I thought this book was informative, extremely informative for new clowns. You get a history of clowning, pictures of famous clowns, and jokes on most of the pages to use when performing. There is a chapter on how to develop your own clown character which also explains the different types of clowns (Whiteface, Auguste, Tramp and Character), their makeup and their character. Mimes are not excluded either! Topics covered are: clown outfits, props, routines, expression, timing, and working with partners. There are even chapters on balloon art, puppets, juggling, stilt walking, unicycling, and balancing objects. I found the last few chapters very helpful. They gave tips on designing your own business cards so people won't throw them away and how to get bookings and also how much to charge. There is a great Publications and Organization section full of books and suppliers. I would certainly recommend this book to any one who is interested in clowning around! This book has it all!

5 comments about Arcana: Musicians on Music.

1. Arcana is a book that you will go back to again and again.Whether it is to look at Fred Friths notes on composing and playing ( great fun for Frithophiles deciphering the music involved)or the fingering techniques of Bill Frissel this is a book that inspires the act of making music.All of the contributors have uncovered some real gems and John Zorn has done a great job editing this book.
   This is not a how to book by any means, in fact Arcana offers far more than that.This is a what if book, a glimpse rather than a map.
   If you are a musician I feel you will find lots of things in this book to inspire, and for music fans we have a history of sorts that I am sure will enrich your listening pleasure.
   Highly reccomended.



2. largely this is a oblique promo book for Zorn & Company,and other CD labels Tzadik,Hat Art, RecRec, Avant,Atavista etc., as already noted in other reviews, well the avant-garde gotta survive, some do and some don't.
   Some are erased from history,
   Most of the contributors here play outta The NYC Big Apple,anyway,although writers were selected from all over.It'll be interesting now to see how the cultural scene in NYC develops in light of the World Trade Bombings,especially the free improvisors.
   Zorn's a good editor,however, and books like this bring a sense of solidarity in what remains a asymmetrical culture, with no one knowing what each other does and responds to. The musical world is notorious for this social/cultural fragmentation.
   I suppose George Lewis,who doesn't now live in Chicago represents the Midwest since his long time,'lontano' long ago association as a kid with Chicago's own AACM. Well that don't cut it.There are other in Chicago who contribute greatly to the scene as the CUBE Ensemble,and Chicago free improvisors. I guess we should get our own promo book.
   Garland,Ochs,Rosenboom represents the West Coast, Yeah I guess!Bill Frisell offered renderings on different guitar fingerings was useful, although quite brief,like something he wrote on the bus on the way to the Gig.Likewise Guy Klucevek,Accordeonist/composer as well added some notes,real music notes,I never read anything he wrote,but again something on timbral poossibilities of the Squeeze Box for composers might have been incredibly useful. and,pianists S.Drury and Marilyn Crispell should of talked more about how they play,they play great!, and varied,I'd like to know in print what excites? them why they choose the music they do?, Yes we all know why they choose it, but a little explanation for us unwashed- dispossessed out here who pluck down our Bucks to buy the stuff would have been helpful, a little.
   
   Larry Orchs of Rova Sax Quartet, gets into it, ya might think its pedantic to give licks, noodles and fragments of it, as he does but its a world of use,I sat down ans played all of it, loved it.
   Some get into philosophy and the results are abysmal like David Rosenboom's shibboleths,too much science sometimes is a bad thing, and he's a great contributer to the electronic thinking of music,computer base pieces,But I'd rather read Kristeva,Derrida,Baudrillard,or Habermas on the Public Sphere if I wanted to read philosphy.But there was a practical side to his essay on the idea of propositional music.
   A bit more useful was Miya Masaoka "Notes from a Trans-Cultural Diary". Since the real operative term is multi-culturalism not postmodernity, this was infinitely useful to read other persepctives, and means of performing and improvising with non-Western instruments.
   
   The most political here was Pauline Oliveros's Questions answered by David Mahler, on how we all survive??, what our music is suppose to do???, how happy are we with the results??, who listens to our stuff?, all this throws quite directly the political question into the discursive/dialogue mix. Whom do we Serve? I believe Rzewski asked many many years ago.
   There's also some neat goin exegetical excursions into the real sound timbre experience as Elliott Sharp's CARBONic History, Hey man whatever floats yer boat.
   I know it's easy/facile playing 'Monday Morning Quarterback-Composer', But there was nothing on the Voice,Diamanda Galas,or Anna Homler,or Carol Genetti,should have written,scribbled something for this.
   Peter Garland,the man of the Desert, is always interesting to read, another who has the guts of throwing the political question into the mix. Since Mickey Mouse and Bill Gates won the Revolution, he has some great stuff to say.
   I think there should be more writing like this,no matter what the price, Again the greatest observations of Oliveros is that the avant-garde should serve itself first, we should all help each other work at each other's music,Yeah Right! Well not in this best of all possible Worlds.But it's a neat profound concept to contemplate
   I think Charitable behemoths might loosen up on their tight purses for more writing emanating from improvisors,pianists,thinkers,composers,conceptualists, as those in 'Arcana' here,of course, ya all have to learn how to wryite, not like me,ee,Charitable people like to hold onto the objects they throw bucks at(not their's) than the music they will never hear, nor go to a conceert anyways,Music is toooo much part of the ether,rareified air,and it's all part of the hypocrisy we all live by and with.



3. As John Zorn outlines in his introduction to the book, he assembled this project as a reaction to the lack of insightful critical writing about the generation of adventurous musicians he is a part of. This group of artists and their work is not easily defined, although critics have tried applying ambiguous terms like 'comprovisation,' 'postmodernism,' and 'totalism." Anyone familiar with the output of record labels like Tzadik, Avant, Atavistic, and Knitting Factory will recognize several names among the contributors. Unlike the usual music essay which dissects an artist's recordings, most of these are very informal and intriguing peeks into the thought processes and compositional practices of the musicians themselves. Bill Frisell provides an approach to guitar fingering, Marc Ribot talks about earplugs, Ikue Mori discusses how she works with drum machines, and Bob Ostertag details how he adapted the sounds of a queer riot for string quartet. There's a discussion on plunderphonics with John Oswald, an overview from Elliott Sharp on his group Carbon, and David Mahler expounds his responses to a set of nine questions posed by Pauline Oliveros. The writings range from brief 2 or 3 page entries (Mike Patton's "How We Eat Our Young," Marilyn Crispell's "Elements of Improvisation") to long and elaborate essays (Scott Johnson's "Counterpoint," David Rosenboom's "Propositional Music"). Some of the contributions are more unusual, such as Zorn's "Treatment for a Film in Fifteen Scenes," Fred Frith's notebook extracts, or Peter Garland's journal of his trip to Australia's Northern Territory. All of them provide for inspiring and thought-provoking reading, making this an invaluable book for both fans of these artists and aspiring musicians of the avant garde. An appendix of brief bios for each artist ends the book, along with short lists of recommended listenings.



4. This is an excellent book, with brilliant music contributors like Marc Ribot, Fred Frith, Mike Patton, Bill Frisell, and many others (mostly Tzadik/John Zorn related musicians) - a must read for the contemporary musician/composer, and for those who listen to and appreciate the music of John Zorn.



5. This collection of essays, notes, scores and proclamations of artistic vision serves as an amazing "manifesto" for the Downtown New York improvised/avant music scene. Edited by Maven John Zorn, the text features contributions from guitarist Bill Frisell and trombonist George Lewis (both of whom, along with Zorn, released the wonderful "News for Lulu" LPs in the late 80's and early 90's) among others. A definite must-have for a fan of this scene, free/avant Jazz, or music in general.