5 comments about Mary Magdalen: Myth and Metaphor.

1. It was Pope Gregory who began the notion that Mary Magdalene was a fallen woman and the story stuck even after Vatican 2 in 1969. This is a pre-Da Vinci code take on the historical Mary Magdalene. There have been many edits to the Bible, to church history, to the lives of key figures from the earliest origins of Christianity ... and in sorting out fact from fiction ... one must seek to understand the context of teachings first before just blindly believing anything presented to them. Mary Magdalene became an icon of the fallen dangerous women and was used to subjugate women in many levels of church politics. Her history is one of the most controversial topics in the church .... and well worth exploring to understand the intention behind her image.



2. Ignore my rating as I have only just begun reading this book but I did not want to alter the overall rating given to date. I have posted this 'review' simply to let it be known on Amazon that the book is back in print and is now published by PIMLICO with the ISBN 1-8459-5004-6.



3. It's a silly shame that this wonderful book is out-of-print when the Code Mania would sell it like hotcakes. It is, without a competitor, the best all-around book on Mary Magdalene. Buy Karen L. King's translation of the Gospel of Mary if you want an intense but engaging lesson in theology, Jane Schaberg's *The Resurrection of Mary Magdalene* if you want a solid feminist critique, or Margaret Starbird's *The Woman with the Alabaster Jar* if you are looking for New Age speculation, but it's Haskins who pulls it all together.
   
   Tracing the idea of Mary Magdalene from the Biblical (and "heretical") sources to present-day manifestations in film and novel, she provides a survey of the changing role of women and sexuality in Occidental culture, generously illustrated with depictions of the Magdalene. She shows how the "shamed prostitute" myth got its start, examines the claims of connection between Mary and France, and provides a very funny account of the Church supported habit of "relic snatching" that accounts for Mary's "relics" moving here and there from this monastery to that church.
   
   All in all, it is a heavy but interesting read, with no polemic axe to grind. Start here.



4. This is THE MOST AMAZING book on Mary Magdalen. Susan Haskins goes through the image/personna of the magdalen from the Biblical roots to our pop-culture. The primary references are excellent, it is well put together, it is PERFECT!



5. Haskins does an excellent job in bringing us virtually every relevant piece of useful information about Mary Magdalene. It's all discussed here -- Mary Magdalene in Scripture, non-canonical Christian literature, artwork, history, myths, and legends. An important work about an important historical and spiritual figure.

2 comments about Women in Church History: 21 Stories for 21 Centuries.

1. From Prisca, who preached alongside Paul in first-century Corinth, to Sr. Dorothy Stang, martyred as she worked among the poor in twenty-first century Brazil, Joanne Turpin's women in church history are models for Catholic men and women everywhere. Turpin delivers on her promise to illuminate "her-story" through figures marked by personal holiness, moral courage, and important contributions to development of the Church. In an introductory overview, the author reminds us that Jesus, the apostle Paul, and a host of male saints supported women and encouraged them to use the gifts God gave them. Their stories show a devotion to loving service in roles such as reformer, humanitarian, teacher, missionary, writer, and mystic. Each entry begins with background on the political, cultural, and religious climate of the time and the circumstances into which the woman was born. The stories, all written in the present tense, are engaging, informative, and at times painful.
   
   I was saddened by the chronicle of violence inflicted by political leaders over the centuries in an effort to silence many of these women and their fellow Christians who stood up for their beliefs. And I found certain notes on church history especially interesting. For example, the role of deaconess, instituted in apostolic times, expanded significantly in Alexandria during the early 200s as the number of converts increased. Baptismal rituals called for entering the water naked, so women were needed to oversee the immersion of female candidates to avoid any hint of scandal.
   
   The fact that this book can spark intellectual curiosity while evoking sorrow for those who have given their lives and pride in being even remotely associated with them is a tribute to the author.



2. It was a great book and one I will return to. For women who feel they are alone in a men's church. It was great to see these dynamic women, read their stories, celebrate their success in following the Gospel in the place and time they found themselves.

4 comments about The Lizzie Borden Sourcebook.

1. Although this book is somewhat different to other true crime books, it's still a great read. A compilation of hundreds of newspaper articles, it is interesting to follow the personal opinion of some of the journalists. Some of them aren't even looking for the truth, they just want to give the gory details. The book shows articles, starting with the discovery of the bodies untill Lizzie's death. I guess no one will ever get to know the truth, but isn't that what makes the story of Lizzie Borden so great?



2. This is really a collection, a plethora of old newspaper articles written following the murders, at the time of the trial, and after. It's unique in giving the reader a "feel" for the time and atmosphere of Fall River at the time of the murders.
   
   David Rehak
   author of "Did Lizzie Borden Axe For It?"



3. This book is a compilation of hundreds of newspaper articles in chronological order about the Lizzie Borden case, from initial coverage of the "shocking crime" to news accounts about Lizzie's death decades later. Many articles surprise the reader with their blatant factual errors, while others impress with eloquent writing. Some of the journalists who covered the Borden trial were insightful and gifted writers. The book has no photos, but it does have several dozen pen-and-ink drawings. The book also includes the complete transcript of Lizzie Borden's testimony at the inquest. I would recommend the book to any Borden buff.



4. Did Lizzie Borden murder her father and stepmother with an axe? This book will not provide you with an answer to that question but it will provoke the reader to begin a journey for the truth. The Lizzie Borden Sourcebook is interesting because it contains copies of all the original newspaper articles written about the double murders of Andrew and Abby Borden. Adding to the book's authenticity, are the many enjoyable pen and ink drawings of the key players and landmarks pertaining to this puzzling murder mystery. I certainly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in mysteries, true crime, or Lizzie Borden.

5 comments about A World of Hurt: Between Innocence & Arrogance in Vietnam.

1. I must preface my review with the fact that I know Mary Reynolds Powell and was part of her book, A World of Hurt (Chapter 9). Each time I reread her book, I always find new realities about the war and all of those who particapated and experienced the horrors of war. As a retired military officer, I am constantly impressed on how Mary was able to encompass the totality of the war from all the varied perspectives: the combat soldier, the injured and dying, the nurses and doctors (who were on the receiving end of combat), the pilots, and the Vietnamese themselves. I consider this book a "must read" who would like to better understand the tragic events that occurred when young men and women were asked to fight a "political war" with no clear diplomatic or military objectives. While Mary and I may disagree somewhat on the overall concept of having to fight wars, I strongly recommend her book to you. One thing I learned in Viet Nam was how precious life is and how easily it can be taken away. Mary's realistic portrayal of the war and of those who were there clearly articulates what it was like to fight a war that was mired in politics and lack of support by the American people. In the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile), we had a saying: "For those who have not fought for it, freedom has a meaning the protected will never know." I know what it was like over there, and Mary's book is a magnificent portrayal of the Viet Nam war and its tragic costs on human lives and souls.



2. Mary Reynolds Powell has written a wonderful book titled A World of Hurt: Between Innocence and Arrogance in Vietnam. Some of what she has shared in this book is her own feelings while other parts are those from some of the people she came to know while stationed at the 24th Evacuation Hospital in Long Binh, Vietnam.

   Mary interviewed seven other individuals for A World of Hurt besides including her own personal stories of what it was like for her in-country and upon her return to the states. Stephanie Genthon Kilpatrick, John Miller, Frank Chamberlin, Son Dinh Nguyen, Chris Slavsky, Terry Corneil, Doug Powell and Mary shared so much in this interesting perspective 171-page book.

   These individuals shared a lot with Mary who has now shared it with her readers. Their stories will amaze you as they all came from different lives as well as parts of the country. They all had feelings about the war before and after they served their country.

   Retired Army Colonel David Hackworth wrote in his Foreword "Mary Reynolds Powell's powerful book is the perfect antidote to blow the revisionists out of the water-with the facts eloquently presented....Frequently...I found tears running down my face." I could tell that he had read this book and was as deeply moved as I had been.

   In 1965 Mary "marched in a New York City parade backing the war." By 1969 she "wore a black armband in support of the national peace moratorium." After being "a registered nurse for only twelve months" in 1970 Mary found herself in Vietnam at the 24th Evac with the US Army Nurse Corps.

   Mary recalled her stopover in Hawaii enroute to Vietnam walking past a group of Marines headed stateside "staring into the oldest eyes we had ever seen....their eyes were ancient, their faces blank." She quickly realized what she was getting into. She described her first night in-country as "Artillery hammered in the distance, mosquitoes feasted on me, and diarrhea induced by the malaria pills...kept me running to the latrine all night. Sleep came in brief, restless spurts."

   The hospital's chief nurse asked Mary where she would like to work. When Mary said that she had done most of her work in internal medicine the chief nurse said there was an opening there and she was to start right away. I think this is one of the first books I've read where the author then tells the reader everything you'd ever want to know about the 24th Evac including a map of the area. I found it most interesting.

   One of the items she described was the amphitheater where shows were put on. She pointed out something I was well aware of already. The site was where the "annual Bob Hope Show" was put on every "Christmas afternoon....You want to know something? Bob Hope has never spent a night in Vietnam. He flies to Thailand after every show." I'm so glad I wasn't the only one to point this fact out.

   Mary explained the first day at Wards 7 & 8. She wrote of her name being added to the DEROS chart "in Vietnam, Marines stayed for thirteen months while Army and Navy tours were twelve-`364 days and a wake-up.'" She now had "359 days left." Mary took the time to describe several patients who stuck in her brain all these years. She also remembered "running...smiles....olive drab fatigues....endless IVs....gecko lizards....the proud, smiling face of a young soldier as I pin on the Purple Heart medal he earned with his body."

   Mary's wrote "As a nation, it is time for us to take the burden from the kids who fought our war. All of us were part of the lie that wasted an American generation and devastated an ancient culture half a world away. Until we acknowledge the wrong that we did in arrogance, we will not have learned. And if we have not learned, we will do it again." And sadly I see that happening as I write this with our invasion of Iraq. I only pray our troops will come home quicker than they did when they were sent to Vietnam a generation ago.

   This is a book well worth investing in. Mary's interweaving of stories and memories from her friends make it special. It should get more attention than it does but then again it's about an unpopular war and the people who served during it.




3. Mary's book holds a special interest to me since I was one of the original dustoff pilots to come with the 45th Medical Company (Air Ambulance) from Fort Bragg to Long Binh, Vietnam in July of 1967.

   Her story is from the heart and is an excellent explanation of a nurses point of view of the ugliness that could only describe what Vietnam was about.

   I have the greatest admiration for those who toiled in our hospitals in Vietnam and knowing first hand of the many, many casualties that we dustoff pilots delivered to their front door (in various degrees of trauma), the book was a confirmation of the horrible trauma that the medical staff faced.

   A wonderfully written book. Hats off to you Mary!




4. I loved this book! I got so attached to some of the nurses and pilots. The last chapter was the best, I cried through the whole thing.

   This is one of those book that I will not sell or give away. I am sure I will read this again.




5. I met Mary prior to my shipping out to the Gulf War, she told me that she was working on a book about her experiences in the Vietnam War, and also interviewing those that she served with. When the book finally came out I bought the book right away. Upon doing this, I could'nt put it down, I completed it in 2 days. The book had me laughing and on the verge of tears. Many books have been written from the eyes of a men serving in war, but too few have been written about a womens experience in that same war. I have to say her book was easy to read and understand, but at the same time conveys her feelings and alot of the frustration she felt durin her tour in Vietnam. I have to highly recommend this book to anyone that wants to see the war thru the eyes of a Vietnam nurse, or any women serving in a war zone. To all that served with honor in all wars including the one we are now engaged in, May God Bless you all and keep you safe, and also your loved ones.

5 comments about Name All the Animals: A Memoir.

1. This book was in a batch of books someone gave me. It started slow and never picked up speed. I kept waiting for something to happen (OK, something happens but I just don't care), and now, 50 pages later, it's beginning to dawn on me that it's not going to get any better. I don't need a plot if there is character development or the writing is just beautiful. None of that here. Sorry.



2. Ms. Smith invites her readers to experience her coming of age teen years, the same time she traveled through the process of grieving her older brother's death. Such a vulnerable in anyone's life, her family's religion and the loss of her brother tangle into her adolescent stage and threaten to swallow her up. This is a loving look at a very intimate and raw experience.



3. I really enjoyed this memoir by Alison Smith. I thought she did a wonderful job describing her grief over the death of her older brother and how she dealt with it. I thought she told her story with a strong, clear voice. Her descriptions were very vivid and real. I think part of why I enjoyed this book so much is that Alison Smith and I are about the same age and I could relate to her experience growing up. I didn't realize until I was reading the book that she grew up in Rochester, NY. For me there's always a little bit of an affinity for stories about places I know. Similar chronology and common geography aside I thought this was a great book.



4. Alison Smith read at the West Side YMCA's Writer's Voice on May 14, 2004. This is from my introduction to the event.
   
   Alison Smith's "Name All the Animals" manages a very difficult balancing act. It is, to me, a tri-partite story. The main story of the terrible grief of losing a loved one, the events and impact of a strong religious faith both being practiced, tested and transformed, and the emerging sexual identity of a teenager, all during the period of grief following a great tragedy.
   
   If Alison Smith failed to make any of the three legs of the story stand convincingly, the whole book would've toppled over. And it's to her great credit that she brings out clearly the people in her life, making them completely three-dimensional in their weakness and in their strength. Throughout the book, the most powerful presence is that of her brother, who flits like a ghost around her, yet is more present in many ways than the people left behind to mourn, and those who surround her in her day-to-day life.
   
   Alison Smith makes art out of tragedy, and throughout the book you feel a sense of connectedness to her story that is unforced, and natural, beyond that of the natural empathy one feels when confronted with someone else's sorrow. It's a powerful and moving book.



5. Growing up, Alison Smith and her brother Roy were so close their mother called them both "Alroy." They had their scuffles, but when it all came down to it, the two were one another's best friends.
   
   Then one morning when Alison is 15, she learns that 18-year-old Roy has been killed in a car accident. All of a sudden, her world is turned upside down. The dynamics within their closeknit family are destroyed forever.
   
   Alison quickly learns that the tragedy also means no one in the community will treat her the same way again. The nuns at her private school essentially let her get away with anything, and the kids she's known her entire life don't know what to say.
   
   Then Terry comes to school, and Alison's thrilled. Not only is Terry an intriguing artist, but she's also someone with whom Alison can have a clean slate.
   
   As time progresses, the two girls become more than just friends. Their secret is exposed, and Alison's teachers and family express their disgust. How *could* she?
   
   This story is a fascinating look at the aftermath of grief; what happens to a person when everything they've ever known is gone? It may be that they become unafraid to let their true desires known...

5 comments about Train Wreck: The Life and Death of Anna Nicole Smith.

1. This woman is such a piece of "white trash" and so jealous of her beautiful half sister Vicki. The book is filled with contradictions and stories (pure b.s.) about her life. No one cares about Donna whatever her name is. She is certainly a "user loser" and it is plain to see why Anna wanted nothing to do with her. Most of the information is stolen from other books about Anna. Anna must have gotten her looks from Virgie's side of the family because try as she might....Donna is one homely looking woman. Most of the pictures are of her family. What goes around, comes around. Don't waste your money on this...I bought it used and it wasn't worth the 3.06 I paid for it.



2. To me the book jumped around too much. One minute it talked about her growing up, then about her being married to the old man, and then back to her as a child. I like to read things in chronilogical order and this was not at all like that. The best part was the END!!!



3. I really wanted to like this book. Although I knew Anna Nicole was not brought up in the same househould as her 1/2 sister, I had hoped she could shed some light on some of the cute, child antics sisters usually share. The title of the book was "Train Wreck The and Death of Anna Nicole Smith." However, the book was 80% or more about her sister , Donna's family, friends, children, mother, etc. I believe on some level she was attempting to prove once and for all that Anna Nicole did, indeed interact withthe other side of the family.
   
   From the first page it is obvious that Donna is angry that Vickie, and not herself won the priviledge of becoming, in her own way, an American Idol. Rather than focus on the life of Anna Nicole, Donna focuses on herself, her family, and the relationships she has had with men, etc. There are a series of pictures throughout the book: most of them have nothing with Anna Nicole. It was like having an in-law sit and show you page after page of pictures that are important to them, but which you have no interest in.
   
   I gave this a rating of 3 because there are multiple attempts to explain some of the behavior's of Anna Nicole, and she did seem to have a real concern and sisterly love for her. There were many inconsistancies: in one place Donna states "I have never made any money off of my sisters fame, I refuse to.." However, a couple chapters later she mentions being paid $25,000.00 for an interview with Current Affair. She makes it clear that Vergie,?Anna'smother, had forbidded a relationship with her father or anyhone on his family. Therefore, any knowledge Donna had was either second hand or gotten during the times they would sneak around to see one another.
   
   I am not sorry I read this book, but am glad I borrowed it from the library.



4. Donna Hogan is not her sister! She only met her twice in her whole life and she had never once met Daniel,Anna was told about this book before she died and she said she didn't know who she was,people who are saying they got a better look into Anna's life after reading this book didn't get any real information because how can you know so much about a person that you never really had a connection with? That doesn't work,if you are a fan of Anna's have some respect and don't buy this book Anna wouldn't like it,she tried to have it stopped before she died.



5. I've read alot of books in my life and this one is the absolute worst. Donna Hogan jumps around from topic to topic, endlessly repeating herself, and giving you more information about HER personal life rather than Anna Nicole's. The chapter about Daniel's death starts off about him but since she has no more information than the general public it quickly veers into different directions about other members of her family.
   What amazes me even more is that she had help writing this book. It's truly awful.
   Donna Hogan appears to be a very bitter, jealous woman who feels she did not get her fair share in life, and this may be true. BUT that is not the fault of Anna Nicole, and it has nothing to do with Anna Nicole. From what I could gather she and Anna didn't even live in the same house, and saw very little of each other over the years. They had the same biological father and that's her big claim to fame.
   It's not a total loss though, this book is good for burning in your fireplace, putting under the leg of that wobbly chair in your garage to keep it level, or for shredding and lining your cat's litter box. Just don't attempt to read it.

1 comments about Anne Bradstreet: A Guided Tour of the Life And Thought of a Puritan Poet.

1. Hiedi Nichols is an apt tour guide, not only of Anne Bradstreet, but also of the basics of her Puritan background. This book was exactly what I was looking for. Ms. Nichols supplies a breif, readable, and well-informed biography of Anne Bradstreet. She also supplies a view of English and New England Puritanism. She also includes selections of Anne's poetry with brief introductory remarks. Finally, a word must be said regarding Ms. Nichol's provision of illustrations and biblographical notes. Many digital reproductions of portraits and title pages are interspersed. What else would you expect from a guided tour?
   All in all, this is a job well done. Nichols proves that she is well aware of the feminists who have tried to take Anne captive and interpret her according to their own agenda, but she doesn't give in to such schemes. I heartily give this book a five-star rating.

5 comments about Waiting on the Weather: Making Movies with Akira Kurosawa.

1. Teruyo Nogami, "script girl" to Kurosawa-as of this writing is still alive-and is one of the last close associates of Akira Kurosawa to be able to tell us about the man, his working methods, and the conditions of making some of the 20th century's finest films.
   
   This charming book is written with respect, and the conviction that Kurosawa was a great filmmaker. There seems to be a lot of repetition in the stories told about and by Kurosawa, but there are some new bits and pieces, too. It is fascinating to hunker down in the cold with Miss Nogami, as she helps in the filming of "Dersu Uzala", for example. She is able to make you feel as if you were there, with her simple, clear descriptions.
   
   An absolutely delightful book, and a necessary part of your Kurosawa bookshelf!



2. This book is obviously quite useful to studying the personality of one of the most influential filmmakers in the world. The author is sincere but somewhat naive by Western standards. A devoted assistant to Kurosawa, she was with him throughout the most significant years of his long career and certainly knows more than anyone else could of his personality and professional behavior. There is an extraordinary amount of repetition in the text, so that one is constantly feeling one is rereading the same pages over and over. Still it is essential reading if one is offering a course on his films - as I am - or preparing a report for a class.



3. This is a biographical book by a Japanese woman who worked with one of the greatest directors of all time,Akira Kurosawa. She was his script girl and friend, so she saw him at work, as well as in the midst of intimate moments.
   
   In other words, she was poised to tell us some profound things about the man, but she fails to do so. There are some funny moments, some touching moments, but the supposition that this book gives you an in-depth look at how he actually worked is a lie. It only recalls a few different anecdotes from his sets, out of a possible million.
   
   On the technical side, this is light reading, so those of you who want to start exploring Kurosawa could start here. On the other hand, this could bore you because a lot of this is about Nogami's feelings. Also, be prepared to be surprised by the Japanese sensibility: as his subordinate, she really viewed Kurosawa as being better than her.
   
   If you really want to understand HOW Kurosawa worked (multicamera set-ups, telephoto lenses), read the books by Stuart Galbraith IV and Stephen Prince, not this one. Shut up, Martin Scorsese. I hate you and your recommendations.



4. My Kurosawa library is pretty full. Heavy, academic tomes like Stephen Prince's "The Warrior's Camera" and informative and personal showcases like Donald Richie's "The Films of Akira Kurosawa" can do a lot to deepen one's appreciation for the master filmmaker. Only "Waiting for the Weather" can make you smile, make you feel like you are sitting right there, caught up in the whirlwind of genius holding on for dear life and enjoying every minute of the ride.
   
   Teruyo Nogami is a familiar face to most Kurosawa fans, having appeared in the 2001 documentary "Kurosawa" as well as lending her insights to the various Criterion Collection releases of Kurosawa's films. I can't picture her as anything else than a pleasantly smiling elderly woman, little realizing the will-power and strength that must have been necessary to serve as an assistant for the fierce personality of Kurosawa for so many years. Nor did I realize that she helped raise Juzo Itami, one of the greatest of Japan's modern filmmakers, best known for his comedy "Tampopo".
   
   In "Waiting for the Weather", Nogomi, or Non-chan, as Kurosawa called her, waxes nostalgic about all the trials, tribulations, exaltations and boring down-times that went into creating some of the greatest moments ever caught on film. Her entry into the film world came through correspondence with Mansaku Itami, a famous director in his time although now somewhat forgotten, and then continued organically until her being hired on for an experimental new film called "Rashomon", which would change her life forever. From then on, she was a constant presence on Kurosawa's set, staying with him even during the dark times of "Dersu Uzala" and all the way until his final film "Madadayo" and his death. She was never a great mover or shaker, just someone who helped get things done, and was an essential piece of the Kurosawa machine.
   
   There are so many scenes and memories in this book that put a human face on Kurosawa, and that are so pleasantly described, that it would be impossible to pick out a favorite. Imagine Kurosawa and his team taking a break from intense work of filming "Rashomon" to climb nearby Mt. Wakakusa and engage in some impromptu late-night dancing and stripping down to their underwear. Imagine sharing a laugh when the cages holding the crows for the climatic scene in "Dreams" were thrown open, and the black birds just sort of wandered around instead of taking off dramatically. This is the kind of nostalgia that Non-chan shares, and every word paints a vivid picture of affection and love for the human being behind the legend.



5. What do you do when you stand next to greatness? And? You are possessed of an unassuming wit and courage, strength, loyalty and passion? Why you wait until the Master is gone and then write your memoirs to share with the world and you get the single greatest Western observor of your nation to write the introduction, thats what you do, then you get a super cool Canadian to get a wonderful small press in California to publish it in English for you!
   
   That is what No-Chan, as The Sensei always called her, has done and anyone who loves film and or Japan must be deeply grateful to her and the peerless Donald Richie for bringing her recolections of Kurosawa to us in an excellent translation. Run, do not walk, to purchase this warm, honest, intelligent, funny and sad volume!

5 comments about Women of the Light: The New Sacred Prostitute.

1. This is not an easy review to write because the truth is that Dr. Stubbs' work has totally changed my perspective as to the reasons why women and men participate in sexual work. I am amazed with the information and it's presentation and could hardly put the work down as each chapter opened my mind to the sacredness and necessity of this area of service to humanity. I heard the voices of these women and their concern for the healing of clients and their dedication to wholeness. The material was organized in an easy to understand and intimate first voice monologues that were both compelling and entertaining; at night I could hardly put the work down. The subject matter is essential for every woman to read as we try to find our way through the mis-information that our society has given us about our role and seek to appreicate the gift of sexuality.



2. I really loved this book. I bought it during a tantra workshop, started reading and couldn't put it down. It was an eye opening look into the spirit of a few women who have been unwilling to let the prevailing culture dictate who they are as sexual beings. I really appreciate Dr. Stubbs dedication to the sexually empowered woman.



3. Women of the Light is spiritually and sexually liberating! "The Masseuse" chapter and the "Conclusion: From Sexual Sterotype to Archetype" by the editor are particularly powerful in the ways they elevate consciousness about the sacredness of sexuality and healthy sensuality.



4. Reading WOMEN OF THE LIGHT has been a true healing for me. I could never have imagined the totality of validation and self-recognition I've gained from meeting the stories of these nine wombn. It's all too easy in this often closedminded society, to quickly reject the term "sacred prostitute" as oxymoronic. However, the collection wombn featured in this book will challenge any reader to open their world view of the sacred, of wombn and of vocational integrity. For this alone it's a must read!

   Mr. Stubbs, I am more free now as a healer and a wombn than before I read your book, and I know that the seed of this liberation will continue to root more deeply and flower for a long time to come.




5. Twenty five years ago a major ruckus was caused when My Secret Garden : Women's Sexual Fantasies by Nancy Friday hit the book racks. Men and women who feared their erotic fantasies called it pornographic, yet today books on sexuality, segregate sex partners, orgasm coaches and sacred prostitutes are in vogue.

   Using the BIP CD Rom the keyword "sex" brought up 6,058 matching titles --- someone out there darling is focusing on the physical. One of those writers is Kenneth Stubbs', In "Women of the Light" Stubbs has collected nine essays that look at the exploits of the nine "sacred prostitutes". These are various women who supposedly bring together "spirituality" and sex for money (about the same way a professional athlete brings together "spirituality" and "sports" for money - not). This is a radical book attempting to make the case that "sexwork" can be a source of healing, psychological growth and spiritual awareness. You decide. Conditionally Recommend.

5 comments about Edith Kermit Roosevelt: Portrait of a First Lady (Modern Library Paperbacks).

1. I agree with the other reviews who say there should be a movie about Edith Roosevelt. I didn't know much about her at all but the biography was well written and very informative. Everything about her would make for a great movie. Edith was an intellegent woman and possibly one of the best first ladies we ever had. She seemed very well organized and very efficient whether she was running her family household or the White House staff. I highly recommend reading this biography.



2. Being an admirer of the Roosevelt family (Theodore and his kin), I was amazed at how I much this biography. The insight into her life, the little they know (from diaries and a few letters she did not burn) is amazing and her love for Theodore (and his love for her) is so incredibly romantic, showing intense it became over the years as opposed to just dying out.
   Edith was an amazing woman, probably the epitome of the First Lady, wife, mother and a woman in general. She stood by her husband, helping him along, while still standing for what she believed in and caring for her large family.
   It's an excellent read about an excellent woman.



3. During a recent visit to Sagamore Hill on Long Island (the home of the Roosevelts), this book caught my eye because it gave a such a different perspective of Roosevelt history. Though I am now only about 3/4 of the way through, I cannot say that I am at all disappointed. It reads like a novel and is extremely well written. I cannot put it down. While it is true that there are other books which better cover the details of TR's colorful political career (Sylvia J. Morris's husband's books accomplish this) and even TR's earlier family history (try "Mornings on Horseback" by David McCullough for this), this book is must for those interested in the story of Edith and her remarkable family. Also, the story does have a great deal of romance and some poignancy -- particularly in the death of TR's first wife, Alice Lee, and his troubled relationship with his daughter, Alice's namesake. I agree with one of the other reviewer's -- Edith's story would make a marvelous motion picture.



4. Her lifelong romance with Theodore Roosevelt is certainly the stuff that films (or at the very least, TV movies) are made of. She never stopped loving the brilliant, bellicose, captivating, exasperating "boy" she had fallen in love with at a very young age. She helped mold him into a man. How two strong-willed persons of such opposing personalities thrived in such a successful marriage is even more reason why their story in film would be interesting. If Edith, certainly one of the most private historical figures in our country's history, had not the burned thousands of letters from her "Teedie"/Theodore (wishing to keep their lifetime of thoughts and passions to themselves), their romance might be up there with John and Abigail. TR also destroyed most of the letters from "Edie"/Edith because of Edith's constant pleading to him to do so.

   What has survived through thousands of letters that friends and relatives did not destory and through Edith's 40+ years of private diaries (left to her daughter Ethel) is a portrait of a iron-willed, intelligent, passionate lady who survived many family crises and lived through enough U.S. political history for a couple of high school textbooks.

   She was often the mother AND the father of her large household of children and pets as TR would often leave to go on hunting trips, safaris, and political campaigns. She ran the household in every area mostly because she had to get control of the family finances. (TR almost had to sell Sagamore Hill before he married Edith because he had lost so much of his inheritance in the Badlands. His older sister helped him get through some lean financial years.)

   But, she knew that he would always return to her bed and to no one else's. She often looked down at her sisters-in-law, nieces, and female friends who had married "safely" and did not have a passionate, romantic partnership such as the one she shared with TR. In many ways she was as contradictory in her beliefs as her husband. She was certainly Victorian in her moral strictures, yet one of her closest confidants and friends in the later White House years was the not-so-in-the-closet homosexual chief military aide to her husband (and this gentleman, Archibald Butt, would later help many of the Titanic's passengers to safety before he perished).

   One of the most poignant chapters in the book deals with the sons getting ready to go off to fight in the Great War. Quentin, her baby, is eighteen and falling in love with the daughter of one of the anti-Roosevelts, the Whitneys. Edith and TR are concerned with their son falling in love with one of the "plutocrat" Whitneys. However, once they meet Flora they fall in love with her and take her into their family as one of their own. Quentin has to leave the safe environs of Sagamore Hill and the Long Island air training centre and be shipped off to Europe. The elder Roosevelts try to get passports for themselves to travel with Flora so that Flora can marry Quentin in Europe. They can't get passports to travel overseas during the war. Quentin is shot down over France, and TR & Edith have to break the news to her at Sagamore Hill. Flora would remain close to some of the family members until she died many years later.

   In short, this is a detailed biography of a great lady, First Lady, wife, world traveler, mother, and grandmother. The vivid detail of the White House during TR's electric eight years at the head of the country is worth the price and time alone. The Kennedys and Camelot had nothing on the intellectual and artisic salon that the Roosevelts inspired and supported during their many years in Washington.




5. I read this biography as a companion to "The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt" and "Theodore Rex" -- partly because I wanted a different perspective, and partly because I wanted to know what happened to Theodore after 1908 and volume III of his biography isn't likely to be out in the near future. In the end I am glad I read the book, and I learned a great deal more about President Roosevelt and his family -- but I think for the serious or dedicated history buff you must also read the aforementioned books to get a more detailed, nuanced view of the Roosevelts' life and the times in which they lived.

   Morris's writing varies markedly from section to section, perhaps due to inconsistent editing rather than her own writing.