2 comments about Greetings From the Gayborhood: A Look Back at the Golden Age of Gay Neighborhoods.

1. Donald F. Reuter is a gifted writer and a very talented illustrator. Always with his pulse on gay America Mr. Reuter has hit another home run with "Greetings from the Gayborhood". For those of us who lived through these changes in neighborhoods, it's a walk down memory lane. For those who are currently experiencing them, it's a valuable, historical look at the important role gay culture has played in the changing landscape of America. This is a must have for every gay American, or anyone interested in pop culture.



2. Reuter, Donald F. "Greetings from the Gayborhood", Abrams Image, 2008.
   
   Remembering
   
   Amos Lassen
   
   Remember when there were actual neighborhoods where gay people lived? There was the French Quarter in New Orleans, the Castro and New York City's Greenwich Village among others. Donald Reuter looks at those "gayborhoods" all across America and gives us their stories through photographs, images from archives, nostalgia and some very naughty little anecdotes. He gives us looks at twelve different American cities and the neighborhoods where the gays lived and in some cases still live. The book is postcard-sized and it is a little scrapbook which is a great souvenir of gay living.
   "Gayborhoods" are enclaves that came into being because of shared interests--be they social, economic, political, moral, geographical or what have you. There was a time when we needed to be together because there was safety in numbers. Today the very same factors that brought about their creations are what are causing them to fall apart. "Gayborhoods" were where we went to celebrate our sexuality and be ourselves without having to answer to anyone. The "gayborhoods" became even more distinct with the white-flight to the suburbs and in some cases, downtown areas fell into our hands. This coupled with the fact that gay men know how to survive and we were able to make difficult situations better. We began to gentrify the slums and build our lives. It was between the 60's and the 80's that "gayborhoods" came into their own.
   Some of the things to notice about "gayborhoods" is that they were usually located near to where the inhabitants worked and played and other points of interest like parks, universities and hospitals are nearby. Many times we are located "on the wrong side of the tracks" and the railroad served as a line of demarcation. Nothing was separated by great distance. For example in New Orleans, most of the gay bars are within walking distance of each other and the residences are nearby as well. We usually decorate our neighborhood so that other will know it is a "gayborhood".
   I love this book. It is just fun to read and look at. I must admit that the section on New Orleans made me misty. Remembering the My-Oh-My Club reminded me of those days in high school when everything was said in whispers and as I write this I am longing for coffee and beignets from Café du Monde. Little Rock, Arkansas is very, very different from the French Quarter and as wonderful as the memories are, I think we are probably better off by not being restricted to live in "gayborhoods". They were great but we have come a long way yet we need to give Donald Reuter a thank you for taking the time to remind is when "the friends of Dorothy" lived behind their rainbow colored walls.

3 comments about Candida Hofer: Architecture of Absence.

1. A quiet humor wanders like a ghost through the laconic photos of Candida Höfer -- no people can be seen but via the devices of the rooms, libraries, hotels, halls, museums, canteens -- one can suspect still the existence of human beings indirectly. With a similar humor understanding the physicist Georg Christoph Lichtenberg once wrote: "If the posterity of the year 35.000 (or another planet's class of sensible nature) would find a lady suit completely undone and if they wanted to determine the figure of the ladies who would have been covered with that, -- what figure would come out?" The aesthetic experiments of the German Photographer Candida Höfer activate such associations. One of her book publications is entitled "Room Monuments" (of course without any human being). Before the beginning of her studies (learning from the renowned professors Bernd and Hilla Becher in Duesseldorf, Germany) Candida Höfer had taken photographs of Turkish fellow citizens in business, tea-rooms and parks. The people then disappeared from her photos. Was this the bad influence of her studies with the married couple Bernd and Hilla Becher, who had photographed only the industry architecture of the German Ruhr district maniacally (stubbornly ignoring all that connections between Nazi-politicians and steel-industry, around Hitler and Krupp, Goebbels and Thyssen) ? Or is there hiding a shock, Candida Höfer experienced, as the role of her father, Werner Höfer, a famous TV-talkmaster in the 1960's, was criticized by investigating journalists, checking his own role in the Nazi-era? Did this chase the daughter in a kind of social phobia? Although there is a coffee-table book of Candida Höfer with live (locked in zoo animals) she mostly prefered to make pictures of prepared, dead animal bodies in museum collections. Is such a misanthropic distance necessary to create a counterbalance against traumata, suffered by the modern mass culture? Writers like Canetti (Austria) or Saul Bellow (USA) reacted with comparable feelings -- or philosophers like Arthur Schopenhauer (Germany) or Ortega y Gasset (Spain). Perhaps there is a third evident explanation of Candida Höfer's decision how to work (besides the Becher-studies and the father trauma): the minimalist aesthetics theory of the Bauhaus tradition; quiet, empty rooms help to fulfill a meditative, calmed, laconic life-style attitude -- a task to which the painting of Piet Mondrian or Josef Albers also felt obliged -- why not photography as well?



2. As with other Becher students, Hofer's images are captivating because of their expansiveness and detail - neither of which are reflected in the layout of this book. The images are tiny for no apparent reason. This effectively reduces Hofer's amazing work to a series of oversized postage stamps.
   
   Unless the design is intended as a tongue-in-cheek acknowledgment of the title, this dilettante overview is a miserable failure.
   
   I suggest purchasing Candida Hofer, A Monograph. It is large, bold and a substantial compendium of her work.



3. 
   The collaborative work of Constance W. Glenn, Mary-Kay Lombino, and Virginia Heckert, Candida Hofer: Architecture Of Absence is a spectacular full-color monograph featuring the photos of Candida Hofer, who has taken snapshots of cultural centers such as libraries, museums, theaters, cafes, waiting rooms, universities, and churches for over thirty years. The images reveal structures created to gather, organize, and perpetuate human purpose. An introductory essay guides the reader through the photographer's intent and efforts in capturing such locations on film, but the majority of Candida Hofer: Architecture Of Absence is simply devoted to the sweeping images themselves - empty of people at the time the picture is taken, yet showing rows of seats or broad hallways just waiting to be filled. This is an exceptional and welcome addition to architectural as well as photography collections.

5 comments about Napa Valley Style.

1. This is NOT a very good idea to buy if you are looking for decorating ideas. It was not at all what I was hoping it was going to be, if you are building or decorating this "style" of house.



2. OK, its not a home run, but its pretty good. If you are building a home in the tuscan or californian tradition, you will find some inspiration here. There are some great outdoor rooms as well. What it really makes you want to do is move to Napa!!! Great ideas for exterior details on tuscan homes and casual yet elegant structural details. Worth the money, get it.



3. This is a very nice book with stunning, crisp and clear photos of Napa Homes. There is a description for each home, many of which are estates on family run wineries. There is some text and a few photos of beautiful Napa itself that made me want to book my trip right away. Many of the photos in the book really focus on the homes exteriors - their architecture, gardens and beautiful views. That is followed by only a couple of photos of the interiors. I wanted to see so much more of the interior spaces to get a better sense of design inspiration. So while this is really a nice book it just left me wanting more for the price. If it had more Napa descriptions and listed some hot spots and had more interior design inspiration I would have raised my rating...oh well.



4. The photo on the cover and the home in the book is the only part of the book I enjoyed. The rest of the pictures were lacking. It has not been a book that draws me back to look some more.



5. Private tour of the houses and the marvelous gardens that make the California Napa Valley so very special. This book illustrates for the first time the extraordinary Victorian mansions, Italianate villas, hillside cottages, converted barns, wineries, and custom-residences that make Napa Valley a place you'll want to return to again and again.
   Beautiful photographs and informative commentary. You won't regret this purchase.

3 comments about Our National Parks.

1. Another stunning book of American Landscape!!
   He never cease to amaze me after so many years.
   Bob Kim



2. After seeing these photos, I'm further inspired to visit all the national parks!
   The essays were unnecessary and took space away from additional photos.



3. What a beautiful book! Covering all of our nation's National Parks, David Muench's photography is incredible. From the Great Sand Dunes to Canyonlands, from Carlsbad to Glacier, he's captured our nation's most beautiful land. Great quality book--I immediately wanted to hike up a mountain.

4 comments about Bondi Road (Bondi).

1. Have to say I think this book is the least interesting of the four in the series. The guy on the front features in around half the pictures with maybe six other guys making up the rest. Got the feeling that Freeman had run out of ideas and models for this book.



2. I have all Paul Freeman's books and this guy never disappoints me. He knows how to capture the essence of what a real man is. And the aussie guys that he puts in his books are everything a real man has to be. This book is for guys who loves real men.



3. I have the entire collection and this one is one of the best that I have ever bought. Sensible nude photography ,not porn. Only art. It's worth buying.



4. Of the three previous photo books by Paul Freeman.
   The fourth Bondi Road is the best.
   It has an even more casual feeling to it than Bondi Urban.
   The other two books Bondi Classic and Bondi Work were more staged and
   posed than they should have been.
   As with the other books the men in them are as all ways spectacular!

3 comments about Brooklyn Storefronts.

1. Any New York library or collection strong in New York architecture or retail will find photographer Paul lacy has done something special here, capturing disappearing Brooklyn mom and pop stores which have been part of Brooklyn's look for decades. All types of stores are featured in a series of fine color photos, with addresses on facing pages allowing visitors to come see for themselves. A fine display for any library strong in New York history and culture.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch



2. I've lived in Brooklyn most of my life and this book just proves what a great boro it really is!



3. 
   
   This small book celebrates the random communities that have serviced local neighborhood needs, in this case Brooklyn and surrounding areas, Bedford Stuyvesant, Flatbush, Crown Heights, Sunset Park, even the waterfront neighborhoods from Greenpoint to Gowanus. As the author witnesses a favorite local bodega replaced by a trendy upscale restaurant, he realizes that these multi-cultural stores will soon be demolished to make way for the urban blight of gentrification that forces rents higher and years-long residents from their homes in search of more affordable housing. Unfortunately for the unique individuality of our cities, these iconic venues will disappear all too soon under a wave of economically viable franchises that have spread across the country like a virus. The erratic, hand-painted signage will be replaced with corporate logos and molded plastic furnishings.
   
   So take a slow walk through the pages of this nostalgic collection of Americana. Stop at the Best Fish Market on Fulton Street in Cypress Hills, or purchase fresh produce from Golden Gate Fancy Fruits and Vegetables on Flatbush Avenue. Repair and purchase TVs, VCRs and computers at Save1 Electronics, with its wavy, hand-lettered marquee. Maybe you will discover that favorite record album in a recessed corner of New Lots Music, or select duck, lamb or goat at Bacchus West Indian Market. Everyone's needs are catered to at the Peace and Love Unisex Beauty Salon, where you can rent a stylist's booth or a nail table and enjoy local gossip with the other beauticians and barbers. The bright red paint of Ferailles Botanica promises candles, incense and oils; in contrast, Carlos Shoe Repair in Flatbush advertises its presence in sunshine yellow.
   
   The stories behind these places are as varied and fascinating as the visual collages of storefronts that dot the landscape of local neighborhoods, an individuality that perhaps speaks more to the past than to the present, but a poignant reminder of the real identity of a country come together in common purpose and needs, a vast stew of language, food and services, bearing the proud colors of many cultures, existing side by side in colorful disharmony. These are the unique characters that so define a nation built on the humble dreams of a better life, the creative endurance of free enterprise and shared community that will all but disappear in a global market with no appetite for differences. Just like the interstate highways once traveled by tourists on family driving tours across America, this book offers a glimpse into the great energy of Brooklyn neighborhoods, a brief but powerful moment in history. Luan Gaines/ 2008.

5 comments about Snow Crystals (Dover Photography Collections).

1. Snow Crystals by Bentley represents the exhilarating beauty and complexity of snowflakes in photographs taken with painstaking effort and enterprise. The book has a very useful introduction, though most of it is devoted to the diverse patterns exhibited by snowflakes. The quest to understand why snowflakes have their delightful shape and symmetry has intrigued the scientists, poets and philosophers for centuries. For example, in sixteenth century, Kepler's essay (On six-cornered snowflake) presents a very illuminating (and perhaps first scientific) account of his thought process on the physics of why snowflake is formed. He discussed several key ideas relevant to packing problems, and on their shapes, and the book by Bentley surely dazzles in being able to present a diverse range of possibilities realized by nature. Highly recommended to science enthusiasts, artists, photographers and atmospheric physicists.



2. In case you are trying to decide between "Snowflakes in Photographs" and "Snow Crystals", both by Bentley and published by Dover, this book is the better deal. Ironically, you get twice as many snowflake photos in "Snow Crystals" than in "Snowflakes in Photographs". Both beautiful books feature stunning black and white photographs of snowflakes but this book definitely has better 'text' support. I bought the two books at the same time thinking that this one focused more on Bentley and the other one focused more on the pictures, but it was a mistake. This is a case of "you get what you pay for" and the only reason to buy "Snowflakes in Photographs" over this one is that it is a bit cheaper. Buy "Snow Crystals", it is a blizzard of beauty with gorgeous photographs of snowflakes, nature's fragile crystalline miracles.



3. This book is a collection of some of W. A. Bentley's finest snowflake photographs. At the beginning of the book is a 20-page introduction to the photography and science of snowflakes (as of 1930). The photographic advice is more of value today as historical documentation about how the pictures were taken- -we no longer use photographic plates or develop and fix our own negatives. The scientific section consists mostly of descriptive and classificatory commentary, with relatively little in the way of explanation as to why the snowflakes take on the shapes that they do. Some of the commentary cites specific plates as examples. The real value of the book is in the plates themselves- -two hundred pages of high-quality black and white photographs, depicting over two thousand differently shaped snowflakes. A reader could spend many hours poring over the magical snowflakes. In looking through the plates, it becomes clear quite quickly that Bentley was a man of genius and dedication.



4. I love this book because it gives me a unique feeling of spiritual unity each time I open it. It may be that you will appreciate it for different reasons, but for me, it is a graphic reminder that there is a creative and benign intelligence moving the Universe. Originally published in 1931 this unique book contains 202 black and white plates of snow flakes mounted and photographed with painstaking effort under difficult circumstances by W.A. Bentley aka Snowflake Bentley. Maybe you won't want to sit down and look at each and every one because, of course, they are nearly all the same even though each one is unique, but that's another reason I like the book. It demonstrates so simply and eloquently the unity in diversity.
   The photographs are very beautiful and they will be interesting to anyone who is fascinated with weather or with graphics in art, perhaps for textile patterns or silk-screen ideas. The images are copyright free and you can use up to ten of them without fees, permission, or acknowledgement.
   There is a very small amount of text at the beginning of this book that tells about the different kinds of snow crystals and a little bit about how the work to capture them on film was done. There is one nice photograph of Bentley at his camera which is charming, but for the most part, this book is dedicated to the snow crystals themselves. Anyone who has stood outside on a cold, crisp snowy day and caught snow crsytals on an upturned mitten and marveled at their exquisite beauty will enjoy this book. The crystals speak volumes and we have Mr. Bentley to thank for cummunicating their message to us.



5. W.A. Bentley spent fifty years painstakingly recording snowflakes, frost, rime, sleet and ice in all its forms. Even before "Snow Crystals" was published in 1931, his work was well known, and so popular that eventually a donor provided the (apparently large) amount of money needed to assemble this beautiful collection.

   There is a small amount of text at the front of the book, which is moderately interesting. It contains a description of how to take these pictures for yourself, if you'd like to; and a classification of the kinds of snowflake and other ice forms depicted here. The bulk of the book, however, is made up of well over two thousand black and white photographs, the vast majority of them of single snowflakes. You can get an idea of what they look like by clicking on Amazon's image of the cover picture, above; in the book, the images are white on black. You may also want to visit snowflakebentley.com, which contains more examples, and more information about Bentley himself (there is almost none in this book). In most or all cases, Bentley went to the trouble of making a duplicate negative of each snowflake and then cutting out, by hand, the finely detailed image, so that the background to the picture would be pure black.

   The results are spectacular. The snowflakes are ethereally beautiful, and the variety is just stunning. However, in case it's not clear from what I've said so far, this is a contemplative book. It's not a book to read: it's a book to browse through, put away, and get out again another snowy day. Children will like it, but just to glance at, not to go through steadily.

   Recommended.

2 comments about Helmut Newton: Private Property (Schirmer Visual Library).

1. Very good collection of great photos.
   The size of the book is the only I change, it's a little small



2. A number of the photographs in this small collection appear elsewhere in books of Newton's work, e.g., Big Nudes. That said, they do not disappoint, exhibiting the familiar taste for unconventional portrayals and quirky humor that mark his style.
   
   One other thing for potential viewer/readers to keep in mind is that this is a small book, almost identical in size to the (humorously named) Mammoth Book of Illustrated Erotica, which I have reviewed elsewhere.

No comments about Italian Style.

1 comments about Fools' Paradise: Remembering the Thousand Islands.

1. The Thousand Islands. The very name inspires visions of beauty and unbridled wealth.
   Shortly after the end of the Civil War, America's rich and famous discovered the fabulous islands of the upper St. Lawrence, and over the next fifty years made them into America's premier resort area. The best and brightest architects were engaged. They designed structures which fit each individual island so well they seemed to almost grow from the granite. Castles the like of which few kings or queens could afford, elaborate summer residences, and grand hotels abounded, as did restaurants and yacht clubs.
   It was possible to step aboard a train in New York Friday evening, and arrive at the river in time for breakfast the next morning - often while aboard the launch on the way to the "cottage". Not only could one enjoy the pristine beauty of the islands in total privacy, a rich social life was also possible. The family simply boarded the yacht and traveled to the evening's soiree in style. Rarely did a weekend pass without one or two gala parties, and in fact people-watching became almost as popular as the golf, polo, tennis, boat races and fishing.
   In this fine work, Paul Malo succeeds in conveying impressions of the way life was among America's royalty. Although the device used, a dialogue between the author and one of the last of the old time residents of the area, feels contrived at times, in choosing it Malo manages to deliver a tremendous number of facts and figures without allowing the recitation to become dull.
   In addition to the interview style, Malo adds photos and memories from his own youth on the river circa 1945. By then, many of the fabulous homes had been boarded up, and others no longer existed. These nostalgic images will haunt you. What a shame to lose these wonderful places. Overall, the author's after-the-fact memories add a very nice counterpoint to those of the interviewee - a woman who lived on the fringes of Thousand Island society at the turn of the century - and who describes a time when the resort was at it's peak of popularity.
   Although this is a trade paperback. It has been produced with care and given a durable full-color cover with flyleafs to be used as placemarkers. There are a few proofreading shortfalls, but otherwise it's an excellent addition to any library and an especially valuable tool for persons writing fiction set in the area.
   Art Tirrell, author of The Secret Ever Keeps ISBN 978-1-60164-004-8, coming April 07.