No comments about Arthur Carhart: Wilderness Prophet.

5 comments about Leap.

1. Refuge is one of my favorite books. Sadly this one by comparison is awful. It seems way over written--like she is trying too hard to be literary and it just didn't work. I thought her exploration of her Mormonism and falling way from it was interesting (hence two instead of one stars), but all in all it sort of wandered around and actually bored me. I think part of it may have been that my expectations were so high from her previous work that this seemed more of a let down in comparison.



2. Reading and re-reading Terry Tempest Williams over the past three decades has been to journey from the American west into landscapes of the heart, from the political into the personal and around to activism again, from a naturalist's cool sensibilities into the sizzling passions of a visionary. In LEAP that trajectory continues. Williams' edgy artistry -- heretofore offered most tellingly in the title essay in the collection AN UNSPOKEN HUNGER (Pantheon, 1994) -- has consistently infused her writing, but with this sojourn she has taken full flight. The unifying story here is that of a painting, the masterpiece by Hieronymus Bosch ("El Bosco") known today as "The Garden of Delights." The author enters fully into the work, announcing from the outset that she has moved because of a painting, moved from Salt Lake City (her home of many decades) to the Paradox Basin (no more apt name is possible, and yet, it is in fact the name of the geologic locus of her new home). And we learn that she moved there after seven years travel in a canvas, through Paradise, Hell, Earthly Delights and Restoration, and moved on from her natal Mormonism. This book is a journal and a poem, a paean and a polemic. This book is brilliant. Tripping from the Reformation and Counter-Reformation to the tribulations of Joseph Smith, clipping newspaper accounts of genetically modified headless frogs and children fallen to convulsions while viewing Japanese cartoons, caroming from Czech poetry to Blake to Joan Miro, back to the wetlands rimming the Great Salt Lake, and forth to Madrid's Prado and the presence of Bosch once more, Williams compasses whole galaxies. Visiting La Albufera de Valencia, one of the largest freshwater lakes in Spain, the author writes, "Walking around the shoreline, stepping over heaps of garbage braided into the bulrushes, the familiar grief I know at home returns. I came to Spain to get away from my torn heart ripped open every time I see the landscapes I love ravaged, lost, and opened for development. "There are too many of us, six billion strong and rising, our collective impact on fragile communities is deadly. "No wonder El Bosco's birds torture us in Hell." Later, she recounts a wilderness rite in which she and her husband sever their marriage from Mormon orthodoxy, and exposes her heart at the moment when she realizes that she has outgrown her heritage, weeping in a crowded Salt Lake City stadium, knowing that ties no longer bind. Further on, into the personal and painterly Restoration, Williams asserts, "This is my living faith, a faith of verbs: to question, explore, experiment, experience, walk, run, dance, play, eat, love, dare, taste, touch, smell, listen, argue, speak, write, read, draw, provoke, emote, scream, sin, repent, cry, kneel, pray, bow, rise, stand, look, laugh, cajole, create, confront, confound, walk back, walk forward, circle, hide, and seek. "To seek: to embrace the questions, be wary of answers." A seeker's tale, LEAP conveys the reader into and out of dark corners and glimmering fountains, to the embrace of wilderness and high culture, and to dare to act from conviction. Terry Tempest Williams has herewith delivered a powerful testament to life and love and intellect, LEAP is a work of terrible beauty and exquisite craft.



3. Terry Tempest Williams has a lovely writing style, and she needs it to pull off the extreme abstractions she writes about. I couldn't finish the book because the subject was way too contemplative. It is only engaging because of her amazing ability to compose one beautiful sentence after another, a work of art in itself.
   
   If you enjoy going places deep in your mind, you may enjoy this book. I thought that was me, but it kept me wondering--is this going anywhere? After a while it was just tiresome.



4. and this book has imspired me so much - What a wonderful depiction of eternal life or in other words - the eternal struggle - lived in modern times by a modern woman



5. Terry Tempest Williams is first and foremost a naturalist. I say this not out of some secret biological knowledge of her, but simply as an extrapolation from her own writings. In her book REFUGE, she focuses on birds and the wild life preserve around the Great Salt Lake. The personal life bleeds out of the story of the natural in a way as to make the two seamless... and they are. In LEAP, Williams focuses her attention on the great triptych by Heronymous Bosch (El Bosco) - 'The Garden of Delights'. The triptych represents the three states of human (animal) existence as dictated by early Christian doctrine: Eden, Earth, and Hell. In each, human forms are involved - with an assortment of nearly unrecognizable creatures - in all manner of lewd, sensate, or holy activities. The painting perhaps is - for a naturalist like Williams - an unignorable bridge to a sort of philosophical incantation of one's own personal life.

   Though the book is told in four distinct parts, there is little cohesion. Each of the first holds some resemblance to the corresponding frame of the triptych it is supposed to represent, but not effectively enough to be truly meaningful. Essentially, I detected three distinct modes of writing scattered unpredictably throughout the book: an anecdotal style dedicated to Bosch and 'el Prado' (the museum in which it is housed) related activities, confessionals of the author's past and experiences, and an unexpurgated glut of rambling free-style writing that I guess is supposed to be philosophical or poetic, but is just sophomoric. It isn't difficult to find TTW's strengths. When speaking of nature - real nature, not the nature of the painting - her talents soar. Sadly, these moments are few and far between. The anecdotes of both TTW's life and others around her are fun, but not really enough to warrant more than a quick aside. The bulk of the book is in fact made up of those aforementioned stream-of-consciousness writing exercises that read like a teenagers angst-ridden journal more than the thoughtful prose of a serious adult writer. While Williams' attempts here are magnificent... she gets an A+ on concept (and what a truly excellent concept) the book fails in her lack of confidence. There is a clear insecurity here. TTW is best when at her calmest, but she wants to beef it all up, to be a serious writer, a stirring writer, a philosophical and educated writer; she so desperately wants everyone to be wowed by what she is saying that the result is a bunch of nonsense that doesn't amount to anything. With all said and done, there is no revelation about the painting, no revelation about Mrs. Williams and her relationships: to her father, her husband, and her religion (Mormon), and no real revelation about what we are supposed to think about all this writing. It all ads up to a boring bit of artistic voyeurism.

No comments about Freedom's Journey: African American Voices of the Civil War (Library of Black America series, The).

3 comments about The Legend Of John Wilkes Booth: Myth, Memory, And A Mummy (Cultureamerica).

1. In response to one of the criticisms of this book, it should be noted that it is an adaptation of a Ph.D. dissertation, so it does read a little more difficult than most popular literature. I was a fellow student with Wyatt Evans and remember some of the process he went through in his years of research. His final conclusions are based upon meticulous research under the direction of a very demanding graduate school dissertation committee.
   So, I believe the fact that it reads a little bit difficult is a significant point in its favor. It is a thorough work, the conclusions of which are not to be lightly pushed aside.



2. I bought this book because of its intriguing cover and title and because I have a fascination, like a lot of readers, with John Wilkes Booth, Lincoln's assassin. C. Wyatt Evans' work started out a lot different than the fun, mass audience-oriented book I expected. It reads like the over-analytical, pedantic works my professors forced me to read in grad school. Evans analyzes the long-running myth (both regional and national) that Booth was not fatally shot in a barn by Sergeant Boston Corbett's nervous trigger finger as government authorities claimed but had escaped and lived out his life in various ways depending on the storyteller. The suicide death of painter and drifter David George in 1903 in Enid, Oklahoma propelled the myth. George supposedly claimed he was Booth and his embalmed remains were put on display at various carnivals and exhibits for years. Evans' introduction is extremely pedantic to the point that I had to read very carefully and slowly (and sometimes several times) to follow along. A sample sentence: "Vernacular, counter, marginal, and associated terms serve as keywords in a cultural critical lexicon that employs them in a positive sense to connote the struggle of marginalized groups to preserve their identities in the face of the dominant group's rendition of the past" (p. 15). Much of the introduction reads this way and if it continued as such, I may have given up. Fortunately, Evans drops a lot of the intellectual buzz words and the rest of the book reads more smoothly. The following briefly describes the content per chapter:
   
   Chapter 1 takes a look at the David George story; why he was thought by some to be Booth and how his corpse ended up an attraction. In addition, Evans considers the history of Enid, OK including its famous land "runs." Chapter 2 explores the history of mummy exhibition in the United States and how the "Booth" mummy fits, for example, "Booth" represented the popular (curiosity of the notorious and horrific) and traditional (celebrated dignity) models of mummy displays. (p. 55). In chapter 3, Evans explains the northern origins of the Booth legend with a history of the assassination and press coverage. Chapter 4 shifts to the south and how many southerners regarded the assassination (relief, feigned mourning) and the legend of Booth's escape (a symbol of "white southern unreconstructedness").
   
   Finis Langdon Bates' 1907 book Escape and Suicide of John Wilkes Booth is analyzed in chapter 5. Bates' attempt to document Booth's escape implicated VP Andrew Johnson but was done in a way to appease both North and South ("Booth" expressing regret for his deed). In chapter 6, the legend becomes a national phenomenon. The legend represented pre-modern views which clashed with the current times. He considers Lincoln's transition to national icon (p. 156), as well as Otto Eisenschiml and Izola Forrester's (who claimed to be Booth's granddaughter) contribution to the legend. Clarence True Wilson's historical and religious interpretation of the legend is examined in chapter 7. Wilson, a classic minister of reform who worshipped Lincoln, saw Booth's survival and sad existence as moral retribution for his act. Chapter 8 deals with the legend in contemporary America with the recent work Dark Union (2003) and 1977's book and film The Lincoln Conspiracy. In his conclusion, Evans states that "the legend's great lesson to the present is how subgroups in American culture appropriate deeply symbolic events for harmful purposes" (p. 218).
   
   As a history of the myth of Booth's escape, Evans' book is thorough, insightful and extremely well researched. I think he over-analyzes the legend, however. Sure, many people through history have considered the possibility of Booth's escape and designated meaning to it. It is a curiosity and, back in the day, a political incendiary. A famous actor killing and president during a bloody war between the states with suspicious government reaction, how can this not make for intrigue and conspiracy theories? Evans makes a lot out of this legend to put forth American cultural meaning, but it seems to me that the people most obsessed with the issue are the ones hoping to profit from it either through books or by exhibiting a mummy claimed to be Booth. It is an interesting story, of course, without the analytical stuff. I'm just not convinced it is much more than an intriguing footnote to history.



3. May 25, 2005
   Another attempt at being kept on; was deleted (accidentally)
   
   Many books have been written about John Wilkes Booth's participation in the Lincoln death. It is sad that so much blame was put on his shoulders.
   
   I have been interested in Lincoln's assassination for over twenty years, mainly because they hanged Mary Surrat, the first woman to be officially killed in this manner. It was at her boardinghouse where the conspirators met to discuss and plan killing Lincoln and others in his Cabinet.
   
   John Wilkes Booth, from a prominent acting family, was a Confederacy sympathizer. But that in itself does not make him guilty. He was denied his right to a trial. Most of the South were more than a little upset when Lincoln was inaugurated for the second time. They refused to accept him as "our" President. We had Jefferson Davis whose daughter married Zachary Taylor's daughter. I don't believe old Zach was a Rebel.
   
   "Killing Lincoln' as a one-man theatrical presentation, written by Amy Russell, originally premiered in Toronto, Canada. I emphatized with the young actor (who I thought was an old man, as he is such a good actor) who said, "I enjoyed playing off you." I told him the reason he held my complete attention was due to the fact that I had read so much about Lincoln and also sympathized with Booth's reasoning.
   
   Lincoln as it so happens was a Shakespeare fan and enjoyed going to Ford's Theatre. John Wilkes Booth (Brutus) as one of the most promising young Shakespearean actors of his day. Booth considered Lincoln an "American Caesar." He is sometimes called Booth "American Brutus."
   
   He was a very handsome man and, even though he broke his leg in the leap to the stage (instead of running down the back stairs), he eluded capture with the help of a Dr. Mudd for twelve days. He was not given a chance to tell his side and the complex, misleading reasons he did what he did. That took fortitude! He did not act alone! That's a major issue. He was cornered in that barn like an animal and burned (at the stake) by the vigilante cowards.
   
   He was never close to Lincoln as Brutus was to Jesus so the title is deceiving. He was merely a misinformed player who ended up "on his own" after the dasdardly deed. He deserves better than to be called a devil. To some, he was an avenging angel.

4 comments about A Knight of Another Sort: Prohibition Days and Charlie Birger, Second Edition (Shawnee Classics).

1. I picked up the original edition of this book years ago. It seemed then to be the definitive biography of Charlie Birger but Gary DeNeal has seen fit to update it and expand it with new info. This is one of the best gangster biographies I've ever seen and the rural background adds to the fascination. The Birger-Shelton gang war, complete with machine guns, armored trucks, and aerial bombing, equalled the violence and color of Capone's Chicago. A well-written and researched work that brings to life the Prohibition era.



2. I purchased this book originally while doing family research in Southern Illinois. My family had for years heard stories of my grandfather and Charlie Birger. I wanted to see if any dates/events coincided and to my surprise and relief there were not very many. During the reading of the book, however, I found myself being drawn in and even beginning to become enchanted by Charlie Birger. Don't get me wrong - he was a very dangerous and troubled person - but the writing by Gary DeNeal really drew me in. The history lessons as well as the interesting look at the world of a small time (even though Birger thought he was big-time) gangster was quite interesting. One of the most interesting facets was his association with other local gangsters and the historical look at how East St. Louis, now suffering from urban decay, was once a thriving and beautiful city. This book was a lot of fun and Mr. DeNeal did his research quite well.



3. Growing up in southern Illinois, the stomping grounds of Charlie Birger, I always heard the stories of gangsters. For anyone who has lived in southern Illinois, it is hard to imagine gangsters, bootlegging, etc. going on in this rural part of the state. Being curious about what was fact and what was fiction regarding Birger, I found this book.

   It is a really good read, covering all aspects of Birger, as well as some background information on southern Illinois and the Prohibition period there. It is especially interesting to read about areas you know really well, and soak in the history that took place there. I would recommend this book to anyone from the southern Illinois area.




4. If Paul Angle's BLOODY WILLIAMSON got your attention, you might consider DeNeal's portrait of Birger and his violent life as a natural companion piece. His exhaustive examination of the gangster's persona and the spectacle of his death is well-written and enjoyable. For those not so interested in the particulars of Birger's life, this study offers a solid snapshot of southern Illinois culture during the years just before the Depression. Ballowe's smart, albeit brief, introduction is also nicely done.

2 comments about The Gene Autry Book.

1. This book is a "must have" for any Gene Autry Fan. It has great pictures from his movies and personal appearances. You also have a list and plot summary of all the movies, tv shows and a listing of all the songs he recorded. If you are into learning about America Favorite Cowboy, the trivia questions and answers are great. I highly recommend this book if you love Gene Autry. As the author says in his introduction, "chances are that you are an avid Autry Fan if you purchased this book". A Fitting Tribute to the Legendary Singing Cowboy.



2. This book is an absolute masterpiece. It is filled with thrilling insight, and I have read at least ten times through. It is great for film fans both young and old. There is no collection that is complete without it.

5 comments about The Life of an Ordinary Woman.

1. There are some books about the women of the old west that are far more interesting. The one overwhelming impression I had from this book is how uncaring her family was and how she herself really was a very selfish woman, even wanting to go to a dance the night her child was deathly ill. I would recommend other books such as Doc Susie: The True Story of a Country Physician in the Colorado Rockies and also Tomboy Bride. Both of these books are about intellegent, caring individuals in the same parts of the country and in the same time.



2. Ann Ellis is the real deal! She's raw American...living, working, loving, and raising children in the gruelingly hard world of the mining towns of the Rocky Mountains, years before the amenities that we American women take for granted today...things like running water, ample heating, and doctors always available for very sick children.But Ann is tough and savvy, witty, and has a great sense of fun, even in the toughest of times. Her life is richly-laden with deep emotion.Her descriptive style is pure and simple, but takes us right to her heart. She never complains...only explains.You read the book with a great sense of admiration for these strong women who raised strong families,loved their men, had dreams and joyful aspirations, even in times when they were struggling to find their way in this sometimes brutal world of their husbands' lust for gold and silver.This lady was a true pioneer in every sense of the word. Her story should be shared with anyone who finds strength in true accounts of brave American men and women.



3. With ingenuous humility, Anne Ellis recounts the first phase of her difficult life as if it were a cakewalk. Several passages convey such emotional impact that I remember them months later. A great read for anyone wishing to understand how women really lived in mining towns of the American West around the turn of the century.



4. No matter what your own life experience has been you will find things in this great book that you identify with. This true life experience is from a woman who lived a heroic experience from penniless poverty to being elected to public office, rising above all her own expectations, A wonderful book full of comedy, tragedy, drama, supence, you won't be able to put this book down.



5. In an age when autobiographies are considered fascinating only if the writer survived abuse, rape, incest or murder, Ms. Ellis' account is refreshing because she survives life.

No comments about Personal Recollections of the Civil War (Facsimile, 42).

No comments about One Hundred Years of Old Man Sage: An Arapaho Life (Studies in the Anthropology of North Ame).

2 comments about Ghosts And Shadows of Andersonville: Essays on the Secret Social Histories of America's Deadliest Prison.

1. 'Ghosts' offers new insights into Andersonville
   
   By Kenneth H. Thomas Jr.
   For the Journal-Constitution
   Published on: 11/26/06
   
   Robert Scott Davis, noted historian and genealogist of numerous works on Georgia history, is the author of "Ghosts and Shadows of Andersonville: Essays on the Secret Social Histories of America's Deadliest Prison."
   
   The story of the Civil War prison in South Georgia's Sumter County is well-known. In this new work, Davis sheds light on many aspects of the Andersonville prison that were either muddled or overlooked by previous writers, with special emphasis on the histories and biographies of many people associated with the prison.
   
   In one chapter, Davis discusses the various escapes from the prison, how they are documented and who actually did escape. He devotes another chapter to the photographer Andrew J. Riddle and his life and association with the prison. He discusses the women who are recorded there. Included are many stories, a selected bibliography, appendices, and detailed footnotes.
   
   Davis shows that just when you think everything has been written on a subject, a really determined, expert researcher can always find something more. This book is a must for all Civil War and Georgia history collections.



2. Historian Robert S. Davis presents Ghosts and Shadows of Andersonville: Essays on the Secret Social Histories of America's Deadliest Prison, an in-depth scrutiny that openly dispels commonly held misperceptions about the so-called "American Death Camp" of the Confederate prison of Andersonville, and the trial of its most famous figure, Captain Henry Wirz. Focusing keenly on the lives of Americans connected to Andersonville prison before and during the Civil War, Ghosts and Shadows of Andersonville does not minimize or excuse the starvation, mistreatment, and fatalities of the prison but simultaneously counters accusations of deliberate extermination with evidence that the prison also served as a hospital, and that the guards suffered from malnutrition and starvation as surely as the prisoners. A balanced scrutiny of a dark place in America's past, that draws heavily and directly from letters, journals, articles and other primary sources to present its case.