No comments about Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood (Art of Century) (Art of Century).

5 comments about The Diaries, 1898-1902.

1. Is it true that Alma claimed she was for decades the main authority of Mahler's works, values, character and his day-to-day actions and movements?
   Is it true that, initially, and for many years, her various publications quickly became the central source of information and references for Mahler scholars and music-lovers alike?
   Now we can know why, later, her accounts have been treated as unreliable, false, misleading and often impaired soundness? It is a fact that these imperfect accounts have nevertheless had a great influence upon several generations of music-lovers, hence the legend: " Alma's Problem""
   How about what she wrote in her two books (memoirs) and their impact on Mahler studies'. (Why did she write two memoirs? - My Life, My Loves, and My Diaries 1898-1902) - Alma was a graceful, well-connected and influential woman who outlived her first husband by more than 50 years. (This reminds me of Cosima and Wagner. Cosima outlived Wagner by 47 years). How trustworthy is any story laid by women who outlive their notorious husbands for so long? Shouldn't they be given credence, though there may not have been full and final grain of truth in it?) - The greatest difficulty in writing one's memoirs is to keep a certain detachment at a time when passions were running high. True in her old age Alma wouldn't admit that her apprehensions with the past `'husband and wife"" days had been influenced with the benefit of hindsight when she now perceived the significance of events after they have occurred. Within 50 years Alma's reminiscences of past events couldn't pass without nostalgia or without an urging wistful desire to return, at least in written thoughts (modified and garbled), to a former time in one's life when young - I saw her picture, indeed she was very beautiful. Alma claims that Mahler 'feared women' and that their relationship was never really without danger, arguing that he had almost no sexual intercourse right up to his forties (he was 41 when they met). In fact, Mahler's long record of prior love affairs-- including a lengthy one with Anna von Mildenburg -- suggests that this was not the case. Whereas Alma's flirtation and first kiss was in her teens - as she boastfully said so. ".In her memoirs she must have been looking for an edge over Mahler. True?
   Alma Mahler (then Schindler) played piano from childhood and in her memoirs reports that she first attempted composing at age 9. Was that false or true??(She knew that Mahler's parents had arranged piano lessons for him when he was six)
   After Mahler's death, Alma did not immediately resume contact with the young architect Gropius. Between 1912 and 1914 she had a highly agitated affair with the artist Oskar Kokoschka, ((who created many works inspired by his relationship with Alma, including his famous painting: Bride of the Wind.)) Strangely enough, I read something like this: "" After Alma's departure from his life, Oskar Kokoschka notoriously ordered a custom life-size doll resembling her in details. Rumors say that he was seen at a local theater in Vienna holding the doll as his companion"" Could this have been true? Was he mentally insane? Was it plausible that Alma has had love affair with a mentally sick man that she did not recognize his flaws from the very beginning? Oscar must have been a most difficult partner, impetuous and mentally unbalanced. Such rumor must have made him the laughingstock for the intellectuals. How could Alma have been `attracted"" by such character? Gustav vs. Oscar (quite the opposite, yet she could sustain the dissimilarities! - Was she so eccentric?)
   During the emotional instability in their marriage after Mahler's discovery of the affair (Alma's infatuation with Walter Gropius 1883-1969 - a German architect and founder of Bauhaus and is widely regarded as one of the pioneering masters of "modern" architecture) Mahler took a sincere interest in Alma's musical compositions; completely regretting his earlier attitude when he dropped her talents out. (Was Mahler a capricious person - dictating his authority - as when he dropped Alma's talents in the past?) (Controversial-no doubt!)
   Upon Mahler's endeavoring, and under his coaching and assistance, Alma prepared five of her songs for publication (they were issued in 1910, by Mahler's own publisher, Universal Edition). During this time, Mahler had one and unique consultation with Dr. Sigmund Freud. Why? Backlog of hard feelings I believe; they had watched with apprehension the gradual encirclement of the Jews or was it the curse of the ninth - Mahler knew he would not live long after his composition of the Ninth symphony that he completed in 1908 (perhaps!) If it were to seek guidance from Freud on Mahler's unsatisfactory relationship with his wife, this would sound absurd to me. Okay, but what was the outcome of such consultation?? Did they discuss the behaviors of Mahler's wife' or the anti-Semitic backlog of hard feelings? (Mahler was Jewish, so was Freud- Sigmund Freud knew his compatriots only too well - they give in to moral pressure) At the Opera, Mahler stubbornness in artistic perfection had created enemies, and he was subject to perpetual attacks from anti-Semitic circles in the press. His resignation from the Opera, 1907, was hardly unexpected. (Incidentally: Dreyfus affair divided France from the 1890s to the early 1900s and its repercussion continued until well after WWI)
   The hard feelings of anti-Semitism must have adversely impacted his marital relationship with Alma? Initially, under Austro-Hungarian laws, no imperial posts were to be filled by Jews!!! Hence, in 1897 when he was 37, Mahler could not occupy the Directorship post at the Vienna Opera.
   Something else, Mahler has had a clash with Brahms (Didn't he?) While at the university, he worked as a music teacher and made his first major attempt at composition with the cantata Das klagende Lied. The work was entered in a competition where the jury was headed by Johannes Brahms, but failed to win a prize. (Did he feel the brunt of Jewish curse?? It could be!!)
   (In later years, however, Brahms was greatly impressed by Mahler's conducting of Don Giovanni.)



2. Biographies can easily become subjective, as they rely upon the person telling the story. With diaries, we have almost a first-hand look at what the writer was thinking.
   
   These diaries of Alma Mahler reveal the usual thoughts and feelings of a teenage girl and young woman. Alma desperately wishes to "be somebody," but she's not sure of how to achieve it. She spends years studying music, and practicing composition, but her works are simply fair or good, but not remarkable.
   
   Then, she finds out what she's really outstanding at: attracting brilliant artists from all fields. This includes men such as Gustav Mahler, the composer, Walter Gropius, the Bauhaus architect, Franz Werfel, the novelist, Alexander von Zemlinsky, the composer, Gustav Klimt, the painter, Oskar Kokoschka, another painter, and many others.
   
   Although her own art never achieved for her the fame she would have liked, perhaps she inspired all these other greats to go beyond what might have been their own limitations. There is a tendency, as you will see from photographs of Alma, to believe that men were attracted to her because of her spectacular beauty. But as you will see from these diaries, her personality must have also played a large role. She is coquettish, yet honest, and vacillates between between overestimating her successes, yet feeling humble about how much more she wishes she could be.
   
   But what I believe you will find the best feature of this book, is seeing geniuses like Gustav Mahler and Walter Gropius, through the eyes of a young woman, who saw them up-close, as real, live men. It's like traveling back in time, for a close-up, personal look at these famous artists.



3. As a long-term diary writer myself I was interested in Mahler-Werfel's diary and the manner in which the voice of the nineteen-year old woman is expressed (and the next two years of her life). Often when I reread my own writings I cringe at my ideas and philosophies when I was young and it takes some time for me to empathise with myself and regain a feeling for the person I was. One of the great features of these diaries is that they truly express the voice of the nineteen-year old, they have not been edited to provide a more sophisticated voice. Perhaps Mahler-Werfel cringed a bit at herself in the way I do, perhaps that is why she never published these diaries during her lifetime, although we do know she gave it some consideration. But I think it is important that we heed the voice expressed in youthful writings because it reassociates us with the people we once were, and hopefully gives us greater empathy with the youth of today.
   The most challenging aspect of these diaries is Mahler-Werfel's revelations of her growing sexual awareness with its contradictions, rapid changes of view, hesitancies, self criticism, and intemperate admissions. This is emotional and at times erotic writing. While we can allow Mahler-Werfel the licence to say what she wants about herself, it is less readily acceptable that she describes the behaviour of her partners - some of them quite historic figures. But this is the voice of youth going through very tumultuous personal times. Most people move through these times with varying degrees of ease and distress. Mahler-Werfel's writing reminded me of Wedekind's play `Springtime Awakening'. The awakening is not satisfactory for all - and is sometimes disastrous. For Mahler-Werfel we can only speculate.
   Mahler-Werfel associated with many great artistic figures - in the times of these diaries there are Gustav Klimt, Alexander Zemlinsky and Gustav Mahler. Her reflections on these figures make them more alive than many histories. For her, they were living pulsing human beings and we see them in that way.
   But was Mahler-Werfel extraordinary herself? I find it hard to decide. She obviously was not your average woman of the time, and yet it is possible to see her as just a spoilt rich girl who happened to have a pretty face. In her diaries she speaks of writing a song (lied) in a day, playing the whole of Tristan on the piano in an evening. And yet her musical examples noted in the diary are so poorly notated and often so inaccurate that it is hard not to think she had little genuine talent. Perhaps someone else completed the lieder from her tenuous musical ideas. But equally possible is that she was a real talent and, as popular history tells us, was suppressed by Mahler in their marriage. To me, however, there is another reading in that marriage to Mahler enabled her to renounce her musical ambitions, which she knew would never match those of Mahler no matter how hard she worked. To be fair about her musical notation however, we need to remember that all her writings border on the unreadable (perhaps that was deliberate - a sort of code?) although the single-minded line drawings she included are quite fine in a limited way (are they all of pretty Alma herself?).
   Another way to judge her musical astuteness is her reviews and critiques of the many concerts she attended. At first look they seem to match the views of the day - wildly supportive of Wagner, dismissive of Bach, Saint-Saens and even Mozart. Was she just copying the view of the day? But then there are the changes of view - suddenly the opinion on Mozart changes, she starts to see some flat spots in Wagner. This does seem to suggest self-awareness in her musical views and even if it is selective acceptance of different critical opinion she shows a capability to make the change. There is one final thought that came to me as I read the diaries - perhaps her influence was so great (it certainly wasn't trivial) that she went some way to actually forming the critical view of the day.
   I was immensely fascinated by these writings. If you are interested in human development and artistic creativity I recommend you do not overlook them. One thing is certain - Mahler-Werfel was an impassioned writer as a young woman.



4. Alma Schindler - the goddess, the muse, the center of attention ... How did she manage that? How did she become an obsession of so many genial men, a thing of admiration of the Secessionist Vienna? But simply - she was a remarkable woman. And also, happened to be pretty and at the right place at the right time, born into an artistic family. It was said that she had a hearing defect. She would move closer to her companion in order to hear better. Men found that irresistible.

   One would expect her to be vain and conceited. Through her diary, we entered her mind - she is none of that. At least, not more than any of us. She is an insecure girl. She has fears, doubts about herself, she loves passionately... Alas, her anti-Semitic feelings are shocking. At first, she is quite tolerant and objects anti-Semitic sentiments. Then she changes. One can only find the reason in propaganda being already pretty aggressive. She lives among Jewish families, loves Jewish men and marries two of them. Why then? And how did it happen that she married Mahler so quickly?

   "Please God, give me some great mission, give me something great to do!" She could have been quite a good artist. Her drawings show certain talent that could have been developed into something much more. She could have taken drawing classes and maybe, her mission would have been even greater. But she pursued music even though it
   seemed that she lacked the talent - not one of her opera impressions on the notepaper correspond to the real score. She never composed a great opera she dreamed of. But she left her mark in the history of arts and love.

   This book is a great document. The correspondence between the authors just adds to the value. I only wish there were more photos of Alma as well as letters that she received. It would have been nice to read passionate words of her admirers. At the end, instead of an epilogue, there should have been a short biography. And a word of two about her sisters and mother would have been valuable. What happened to her sister Maria? I guess I need to start searching.




5. Alma Mahler was a fascinating woman and this diary gives an unique insight into her personality and those she knew. Her growing years, developing both emotionally and in personality come through as does her determination and zest for life. Her time with Gustav Mahler is fascinating and sheds an interesting light into his character and fears at this time. A fascinating read.

5 comments about Audrey Hepburn: A Biography.

1. 
   She looked like a princess; she deported herself regally. Her life followed the fairy tale plot of rags to riches. Regrettably, it did not often have the requisite happy ending.
   
   Sent to boarding school in England, Audrey Hepburn rejoined her family in Holland prior to the German occupation in World War II. Along with her fellow countrymen, she suffered greatly. Virtual starvation permanently affected her health.
   
   How impossible it would have seemed to her during those war torn years that she would some day become a sought after movie star, sharing the screen with Fred Astaire, Humphrey Bogart, Gregory Peck, and William Holden. A lucky break - she was seen by Colette in a hotel lobby - took her to the Broadway stage as "Gigi." Another lucky break won her the lead in "Roman Holiday."
   
   Although family was more important than career to Miss Hepburn, her two marriages failed. She found solace in motherhood, her friends and, in later life, through her untiring labors for UNICEF.
   
   Audrey Hepburn forever changed America's view of glamour. As a New York Times reporter wrote at the time of her death: "What a burden she lifted from women! Here was proof that looking good need not be synonymous with looking bimbo."
   
   This biography offers a wide-screen view of one of our favorite actresses.
   
   - Gail Cooke



2. With a face that still resonates over the McCarthy era of Hollywood, Audrey Hepburn was an elegant image of purity in a corrupt world. Unlike Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey's image never tanished and she a backseat only to Marilyn Monroe as Hollywood's most famous leading lady.

   Audrey's life is mostly public facts: she married a second rate actor, Mel Ferrer; won an Academy Award for her first film, Roman Holiday, and a Tony for Ondine; earned five Oscar nominations; had two sons and obsessed over her career and family; and remarried an Italian playboy. But only an Audrey insider like Harris can go beyond the well-known myth making and draw a complete picture.

   Previously it has only been the subject of major speculation, but Harris confirms that Hepburn had several affairs with her leading men such as William Holden. The biography isn't all gossip though. Harris covers the later movies and Andrey's work with UNICEF. Although this prjects her Mother Teresa side, what is really interesting about Audrey is not her war experiences, her rise to fame, or her post-Wait Until Dark family life, but the period between 1952 and 1967 when she made fifteen great films including Charade and Two For The Road.

   Harris recognizes Hepburn's peak in the 1960s and uses the bulk of the book to detail this period of her life, but his knowledge doesn't protect him from the obvious shortcomings in his own work. He does tend to be repetitive. He's not much of a prose stylist. Beyond that, there is another major gripe to raise: there are only sixteen pages of Audrey photos in this book, and they don't go far beyond the standard postcard set. Obviously, anyone reading a Hepburn biography craves that classic look and an illustration of the movement from film to film.




3. Warren G. Harris's biography on Audrey Hepburn is an unbiased, straight-ahead account that details her ups and downs, from her childhood in the war-torn Netherlands, her first starts at stardom in England, her breakthrough in Roman Holiday, marriages to Mel Ferrer and Andrea Dotti, to her declining movie career from the late 1970's onward, and to her work as UNICEF spokesperson.

   The initial quotes from Billy Wilder, Cecil Beaton, Hubert Givenchy, and Stanley Donen give what made Hepburn a star. Wilder says that God kissed her with that gift of stardom. True enough: that 5'7" height, slender birdlike figure, prominent eyebrows, squared off chin, princess-like elegance and beauty that continued in her fifties, a wistful fragility, and soft voice that spoke perfect English and ended a sentence in a girlish query. And that European sophistication she exuded no doubt came from a multinational heritage that included British, Dutch, Austrian, Hungarian, French, Scotch, and Irish. And she is very distantly related to Katherine Hepburn, as both traced their lineage to James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell, the third husband of Mary Queen of Scots.

   And she was a professional actress, someone striving for perfection and a trooper when it came to her work. She took time studying her background material, whether it be reading Tolstoy's War And Peace, where she played Natasha Rostova, Kathryn Hulme's biography on her experiences as a nun, and even going to see Hulme, resulting in The Nun's Story, and her going to a college for the blind for her part as Susy Hendrix in Wait Until Dark. That's not to say Audrey was perfect. Her one vice, smoking, came from the cigarettes she saw American soldiers smoking when her homeland was liberated. She became addicted to life on them.

   Hepburn's wartime hardships in occupied Netherlands is given quite some coverage because the experiences affected her later in life. One was the closeness to her mother and brothers, one of whom, Alexander, became a "diver," people who avoided conscription by the Axis army by hiding. Second, being malnourished in the final years of war led to a metabolism that prevented her from significantly gaining weight. And finally, the suffering she went through made her empathize with the starving children in Africa when she joined up as a UNICEF spokesperson during the last years of her life. Her generosity extended to Givenchy, whom she fought to get him credit for his designs, and to William Wyler, to whom she felt indebted for Roman Holiday and thus agreed to star in The Children's Hour, which wasn't among her best movies.

   All of Hepburn's movies, from her bits parts beginning with 1948's Dutch In 7 Easy Lessons through her final performance in Always, depending on how significant the movie, is given 5 to 7 pages coverage, from a brief synopsis, recollections by Hepburn herself, the directors, and co-stars. So far, the only person who hated Hepburn was her Sabrina co-star Humphrey Bogart, who thought Audrey, Billy Wilder, and others were conspiring against him. Others, such as her Roman Holiday co-star Gregory Peck, were gentlemanly.

   Harris hits early on that actor Mel Ferrer, husband #1, was constantly being overshadowed by his wife, as he never got into the star tier and that led to a simmering resentment that finally ended their marriage.

   Harris's coverage on her career is unbiased. He gives what the critics thought of her performances and movies, even bad ones like Paris When It Sizzles and Always, where she was clearly the best thing in the film. But through it all, he makes it clear why many, myself included, grew accustomed to her face.




4. One and ½ stars.

   Tedious. Not recommended. Gossipy, but full of "facts", that do not flow. Each paragraph of this biography stops and starts alone. Though it seems well researched, it drips with small, but unmistakable unknowable ideas presented, again, as (gossipy) facts by the author. It was a pain to get through the initial pages. Page 13 - "Ella picked "Hepburn" because it wash the only noble name... [OK] That he may have also murdered Mary's second husband, Lord Darnley [she actually knew this? hmm. unsubstantiated], didn't seem to bother the Baroness when she borrowed the name". Well, she may have `shamelessly' borrowed the name, but the author clearly begins filling in supposed knowledge of the character and continues to do so with other ideas throughout the work. Page 14 - "Ruston and Ella made a strikingly and highly volatile couple.": [OK]. "Tall and handsome, he'd grown a mustache to compensate for his receding hairline." What? Is the author struggling with same? Back then a mustache was worn prominently for the display of its own sake, regardless of receding hairline - you've seen the photos. Clearly a 90's cynical filter on earlier facts gets in the way in these simple examples as it gets in the way throughout the text. The work is littered with the 90's addiction of showing us supposed belly-button lint as somehow interesting fact. This is not biography. Sadly, selection of photos here seems the real strength. Wonderful photos. But this historical reader would rather turn back to reading about settlers taking bloody hatchets, as long as truth is presented. A thought; should I reward this 2 stars for effort? No. In this day and age, anyone can muster forth the so-called facts of anyone famous. Don't let the titles, the initial script of the opening pages, and the prior works of Harris fool you, this kind of fact/gossip intertwined crud can't be polished. Sadly, there may not be an Audrey Hepburn biography that flows and captures all the interesting facts and heart of her life until the end. But there is hope




5. I didn't apprecite it. As I haven't had any information of Audrey's life, I enjoyed knowing facts of her life. But the biography misses her personal experience at all! She goes through four abortions and the writer doens't give any importance at all to those facts! He has very detals of her years in Holland and the importance of her mother, but when she becomes famous, the mother is suddently out of the picture. As I said, her personal evolution is suddently forgot. It seens as there was two Audreys, the one that grewn up in nazist Holland and the one that made fame on movies. The pictures are very poor and of low quality. I brought the book knowing nothing about Audrey, and I finish reading it knowing less. Don't bother to get that book, there are betters of her.

No comments about Almanac of Famous People.

No comments about The Beauty Of Diana: The Story of a Princess.

5 comments about Reflections: Life After the White House.

1. I confess I didn't enjoy this book as much as her first one, Barbara Bush: A Memoir. Reflections was mainly a detailed activity of Mrs. Bush's life after they left the White House, i.e, I was invited to speak at such-and-such engagement and met such-and-such people, or such-and-such person spent the summer with us at Walker's Point. It was not as lively and a bit exhausting because you sometimes had to plow through seemingly endless pages of dinners, engagements, speaking engagements, etc., without a single interesting paragraph to hold your attention.
   
   Some bright spots in the book are numerous witty stories sprinkled here and there and the chapter covering the events surrounding 9/11. She said loyalty is a treasured quality in her family and it's something that's evident in the book: She tried to steer clear of controversies involving members of her family and never discussed issues that would put them in a bad light.
   
   Something else that's interesting is that she rarely says anything negative about anyone, even the Clintons. Not even with the books that she's read, and there were some you could tell that she didn't particularly enjoy, did she criticize the author, the writing or the storyline. It's perhaps her choice as she says in her book that this is her life as she sees it and it is very biased.



2. I collect books about the Presidential Families of the U.S. I am especially interested in the period of 1900-Present. I enjoy reading trivia about the White House, the political process and what makes our Presidents, their advisors, and our Congress human.

   I am very impressed by the narratives our current first ladies have left us. As I write this I reflect on Jackie Kennedy's memorial (she died this day 10 years ago). Because of zelous secrecy on the part of her family -- the country does not have one good narrative by or about her. This is a shame. Our first ladies have all seen and done lots to help their husbands and their countries.

   Barbara Bush wrote an excellent book about her time as First Lady. It is refreshing, seemingly honest, and well written. This second book does not measure up to her first effort. I think I agree with the other reviewers that the book contains lots of trivia regarding her speeches and fundraising efforts. She also does come across as sarcastic and elitist, but at least she is honest.

   It is because of her honesty that I feel this book has a place in collections of first ladies. It does give the reader a feel for life on the speech-giving/spin-meistering/fund-raising circuit. I think she held back on lots of opinions and events because her son in now in office and was/is up for re-election at the time she wrote the book. Even though I didn't like all of her opinions, at least I got to know them, and that is very valuable.

   Mrs. Bush has the ability to write well. I hope that after her son's presidency is over, and God willing she is in good health; she will offer us another book. Perhaps the book she really wanted to write in the first place. I am hoping she keeps a journal with the intent that it be published; because of her age. None of us get to live forever, so journals are important as well as permiting her personal papers to be printed at her descretion. She is a lively, feisty lady.

   By all means by the book for it's historical place. There are gems between the lines.




3. I found this book to be slow reading. The best parts of the book is when Barbara Bush talks about the over seas trips they take. I usually read a book in a decent amount of time. This book took me at least a month to read. I would pick it up and read a few pages then put it down. If you give up easy on reading a book do not buy this one.



4. This is a thrilling book -- I especially enjoyed the early sections which deal with the Bush's business activities in Medellin and Cartagena. Imagine a Jimmy Buffett song as it might have been filmed by Quentin Tarentino and you have the general idea.



5. I love old Babs but this work shows her to be shallow and with a dim little view of the big world she's privileged to be on. I know she's smarter than this. But sarcasm, snottiness, and lots of terrible grammar and endless, useless petty lists of people (she should fund an effort to teach herself some literacy) make this a waste of time. C'mon Babs give us yoour best - like the first book.

No comments about Gettyrama: Little known facts about J. Paul Getty and more.

5 comments about Vin Diesel XXXposed.

1. This book gives a better look at the man behind the best movies. It tells you what he did when he was young and what he wanted to do as a career. It also tells you about his family and hrad work that they endured all togetherto help make dreams come true. This book is great!



2. THIS IS A VERY CASUAL AND PICTORAL LOOK AT THE VERY POPULAR ACTOR. IT IS NOT IN GREAT DETAIL BECAUSE VIN WANTS HIS PRIVATE LIFE TO REMAIN PRIVATE. I FOUND THE BOOK TO BE VERY INTERESTING AND ENTERTAINING. VIN IS A VERY LIKABLE GUY WHO IS VERY UNDERRATED AS AN ACTOR. THIS IS A MUST FOR FANS OF VIN. VERY RECOMMENDED.



3. Easy to read. A must have for his fans. Everything you wanted to know and more. Experience the up's, down's, etc. of making it big. Good clear pitures. A quick read which was rather gratifying (like chocolate and vanilla ice cream treat).



4. Everything you wanted to know and more. A must have for his fans. Good, clear photographs. Experience his up's and down's on the road to making it big. An easy, quick read but, satisfying like good, chocolate flavored, vanilla ice cream.



5. There really isn't much that I cannot say for this book. It was great. Every avid Vin Diesel (Mark Vincent) fan out there has to read this book. It is a must have for all fans and it lends a great deal of personal history to this mysterious actor taking Hollywood by storm. It even gives a little heads up on future films he may be in, and we all wanna know that before hand, right? Anyway, enough said, worth every penny!

1 comments about Finding My Way: The Autobiography of an Optimist.

1. Finding My Way: The Autobiography Of An Optimist is the self-told life story of Evelyn Stefansson Nef, a young woman born in Brooklyn 1913, who became a master craftswoman in the specialized art of creating marionettes; a skilled editor, researcher and writer; and who in her late fifties studied psychotherapy and became qualified to administer to patients. A particularly well written autobiography, Finding My Way presents a most remarkable and varied life, vividly and memorably narrated.

No comments about Alek: My Life from Sudanese Refugee to International Supermodel.