5 comments about Intimate Politics: How I Grew Up Red, Fought for Free Speech, and Became a Feminist Rebel.

1. Like many others involved in the struggles of the Sixties and thereafter, I was aware of Bettina Aptheker: plaintiff in the famous lawsuit that finally validated the legality of the CPUSA; "red diaper baby" of the famous Herbert Aptheker; and participant in many organizations and campaigns. Also like many others, I had no idea at all about the interior person, the feeling individual who was Bettina Aptheker. The revelations of this book were a bit of a shock to me, though not so much as once they might have been, largely due to the feminist movement's success in raising consciousness about the too-common dysfunction of American families.
   
   What makes this book powerful is the way in which the author weaves in her personal experience, the dimension of feeling, with events of the time and all in the context of relationships both comradely and familial. It seems almost a cliche to say it took great courage for her to live life as she did--shattering the conventions that bound her from sexual awareness and recognition of the crimes committed against her by her famous father. Add to this the tension and very real danger implicit in being a high-profile, public Communist in the US, and we can see her as a very strong person indeed.
   
   This book is a gift to those who may be stunted by any form of "correct" conformism, especially that generated within traditional patriarchal families. It is also of value to those who cared about the efforts against war and racism...and who still care about these issues. Finally, it is a gift to see how she and her beloved partner have distilled the essential values of their lives into a spiritual practice. Thus, Ms. Aptheker completes a familiar circle from personal anguish to struggle for social justice to personal transformation. For those who consciously walk this circle, Intimate Politics will be a deepening and worthwhile book to read.



2. Her weaving of personal narrative and political context makes this book a must read for feminists of all genres and anyone interested in learning more about the real lives of activists, women and daughters. Making real the complexity of family, relationships and love is a journey for the rest of us too.



3. I was one of Bettina's students when she taught at SJSU thirty years ago. Her classes were always packed. She is an amazing lecturer and scholar. She had a tremendous impact on all of her young students.
   
   Even thirty years later, I am impressed by her will, determination, and her sense of self. I read an excerpt of this book published in a local news magazine, but even before I read the excerpt I knew I would buy her book.
   
   Most individuals at some point in their lives reflect on their childhood and how it formed who they are today. Bettina's book does this and more...she examines why she makes the choices she did in a manner that is honest. She does not go for the "easy out", but then she never did.
   
   Her lessons and her ability to bear witness to her own life can easily be internalized and applied to your own experiences. You don't have to agree with her politics...you just have to recognize her unique humanity and in doing that you will grow yourself.



4. There are two distinct and fascinating stories interwoven here.
   Ms. Aptheker was part of the inner circle wherever boomers spontaneously manned the barricades for social change. She gives us a meticulous (perhaps too meticulous) first-hand account of the people she knew and the events she lived during the free-speech, civil rights, anti-war, and feminist revolutions. Hence, the word 'politics' in the title.
   
   Then she tells another, much more interesting story. The 'intimate' passages introduce us to a very, very bright, traumatized young girl, one who is eager to please and desperate to fit in. So she steps out bravely -- her courage is astounding (especially her courage to change course in pursuit of integrity)-- but every bold action she takes also exposes her to very real dangers from the powers-that-be. A more sensible person might have withdrawn and conformed, but Ms. Aptheker staggers defiantly on. This is a story about secrets, injuries, shame, stubbornness, self-destruction, self-discovery, healing, and the courage to keep following your star, despite it all.



5. Bettina reviews a very important period; her growth, both personal and political, make for fascinating reading. I know her, and many of the persons and events in the book, and her "take" on them is very insightful. Events in her family, which took/take up so much of the reviewers time, are treated, I think, with respect and love, and don't detract from what is a wonderful story. Bravo to her.

5 comments about Incest: From "A Journal of Love" -The Unexpurgated Diary of Anaïs Nin (1932-1934).

1. Anais simply put was a grand master artist and her medium was words. I fell in love with her writing within the first two pages. She just lulls you, comforts you, titillates you and completely entertains you in this volume of her diaries.



2. I have read this two or three times in the past five years, and I never tire of Anais's breathless, poetic style and the amazing fluidity with which she exposes contradictory sides to her personality. This is a real diary written by a real woman, and memoirs and other published diaries seem diluted and prepackaged in comparison.
   
   However, the sexual content here is highly charged and not for the squeamish. Only open minds need apply.



3. Wow!! what a LOVELY review!! thanks K. for your boldness and clear audacity and intelligence! i haven't read this one yet but i will. Anais is a phenomenal being who brought to life the inner life so honestly. She should be studied as part of a way to be a better human in my oppinion...
   
   Why???
   
   Because it is only through deep reflection, through willing honesty that we can actually IMPROVE ourselves as human beings.... i.e. EVOLVE. She is an unending inspiration of self-acceptance and shear divulgence that can awaken our society to become more enlightened instead of hiding behind the lies of dominance birthed only by pathological insecurities.
   
   Let us all write our own diaries so that we can see ourselves for what we are actually doing instead of hide behind pretense and the perpetuation of initimidation that keeps the secrets alive and in the shadows... out them through self-acceptance and the desire to change!
   
   Read Anais Nin to know yourself better, even if you think you have nothing in common with what seems so outrageous. Many children are concieved in rape with their "lawful" mates... Wake up and understand humanity still further than you ever imagined!! ENJOY!!



4. In general I find Anais Nin's work to be self-indulgent and her subject matter (largely herself) trivial. Her portraits of others are frequently lightweight and lack perceptiveness. Her Diaries are overwrought and sometimes unintentionally funny but in general aren't worth the time it takes to read them. These previously unpublished sections of her Diaries, in which Nin describes her incestuous relationship with her father, are however the most compelling segments of her writing in the whole canon.
   
   She describes with great insight her father's character, and she sketches his physical attributes with great economy yet enables us to see the man as she saw him - frail, a hopeless narcicist and an aging dandy, yet compelling and vital despite the betrayals of his body (and his betrayals of all those who ever got close to him). Her account of her own feelings is also economical for once, and we don't have to labor through over-written descriptions of her emotional condition in order to get to the point.
   
   While the subject matter may not be to everyone's taste, I would argue that if you have any interest in Nin's work and times, this is the book above all others that you should read.



5. You're generally in one of two camps when it comes to Nin. It was true when she was alive and it seems to be just as true now that she's dead. If you're in the camp that loves her, you will love this diary. Her writing is beautiful. I've read the biographies of her and I know that she had a tendency to embellish the facts or even to outright lie, but that doesn't destroy my enjoyment of her diaries in the least. If the pages contained in her journals are not an exact representation of the reality she was living (is there such a thing?) they are a representation of her life the way she wanted to see it...and really, isn't that what being an artist is all about? She gives a very clear image of a world that is completely alien to most of us; a world that many of us might like to find but have never had the courage to seek. She writes of a world full of artists and lovers and intellectual friends...a world full of life and eaters of life. It's magnificent. Truth or fiction, it doesn't matter to me.

5 comments about I Am the Central Park Jogger: A Story of Hope and Possibility.

1. I bought this book several years ago--and just read it recently. The book kept me up at night reading it. I think Trisha is an excellent example of a truly awesome spirit. The book says on its cover a story of hope and possibility and that sums up how Trisha has decided to live her life. Thank you Trisha for the words I will try to live my life by. :)



2. I hate to sound hardhearted, but this book just didn't move me. Trisha Meili has an incredible and painful story to tell, but I don't think she did a very good job with it. Yes, hands down, she made an amazing recovery through her sheer determination and the help of many others who cared. But the point of the book seems to be to inspire others by her example, those fighting back from a traumatic brain injury. Since I am not in that category, I was interested not only in her personal crusade but also in the historical facts of the case. As the story first emerged, she was savagely beaten, raped, sodomized, and had her left eye knocked out of its socket by five young black and Hispanic teens who subsequently confessed to this "wilding incident" of group violence. They were all convicted, but their convictions were later vacated when a single man implicated by the DNA evidence claimed (after the statute of limitations had run out) that he was her sole attacker that night. The crime created enormous racial tensions when it was reported, with the minority community afraid that their own would be unjustly accused because the victim was a young and ambitious investment banker, white and of slight build (due, incidentally, to anorexia)--overall, a sympathetic figure. But Meili glosses over these compelling issues, only to say that she has no memory of her assault and holds no resentment toward the person or persons who maimed her. Plucky heroine though she may be, I regret that so much was omitted from her story.



3. An inspiring book. Helped to realize you can overcome adversary even if it means adjusting to some changes out of your control. I gave it to my Mom to read bc she was handicapped by an accident to let her know others have had to do what she has and understand.



4. I, too, lived in New York when this happened and we all wondered who this brave girl was. This book is amazing - Trisha writes with skill, humor and deftness. I completely understand her strength and grace. She shows how you can deal with tragedy and still have a powerful voice. She rose above hate, began a dialogue and refused to let those people who blamed her for going running let her down. What a journey and a portrait of courage and strength from such a senseless act of evil.



5. A difficult book to read. I followed this story from day one and found myself feeling the same feelings all over again. Well written with unbelieveable objectivity, the author has overcome so much. It makes me want to meet her and tell her I am proud.

1 comments about Frances Yates and the Hermetic Tradition.

1. Marjorie G. Jones tackles the life of Frances Yates, intellectual historian and literary critic with aplomb!
   Jones is in her element as she presents the reader with a unique picture of an intrepid female Renaissance scholar "who saw history in creative and unconventional ways" and travelled in fascinating academic circles
   Absorbing and elegant, this is an apt tribute to a pioneer, whom we might never have met without Jones' meticulous research and excellent use of Yates' journals.
   BGR

No comments about Sanity and Grace.

4 comments about The Diary of Virginia Woolf, Vol. 1: 1915-1919.

1. I am learning a lot about writing by reading this book. I have peeked at it because I'm reading another book right now, but I have liked what I have read so far.



2. I have a feeling I wouldn't like Virginia Woolf if I met her, any more than I'd like any of her friends in the Bloomsbury Group, but I love her novels and her diary is a wonderful insight into the mind of someone who wrote novels of genius, especially Mrs Dalloway and To The Lighthouse. I'd recommend this to anyone who wanted to get into her novels.



3. "The Diary of Virginia Woolf, Volume One: 1915-1919" was truly magnificent. I never was so interested in every day, mundane goings-on as I was while reading this diary. As a journal keeper, I was in awe over the way she expressed her thoughts and explained her day(s). I've never read anything by her, but in reading this has really sparked my interest. Editor Oliver Bell put much time and hard work into this book, but I found the footnotes on the bottom of the pages bothersome, and it took me a while to get used to them being there. If you're interested in Virginia Woolf, then read her diary. I recommend.



4. Woolf is fascinating, even when describing the most mundane details of daily life. Her writing style is as beautiful here as in her fiction, and so the diary is well worth reading for that alone. Plus, nearly every page contains a reference to Lytton Strachey, Dora Carrington, or some other Bloomsbury luminary. She isn't always completely truthful or straightforward, but she is always supremely entertaining. However, despite a number of very helpful footnotes, the editor cannot provide explanations and clarifications for every entry, so it helps to be somewhat familiar with Woolf's life before reading her diaries.

2 comments about Katherine Howard: A Tudor Conspiracy.

1. This thin account of the life of Henry V1's fifth wife is readable and enjoyable. The unwary reader may miss the obvious bias of the author against the Roman Catholic religion. Anne Boleyn was a good woman, religious, pious and wrongfully betrayed by Catholic partisans who are the bad guys.
   "Katherine had been raised as a traditional Catholic. In awe of the
   rituals, swayed by the mysticism and unquestioning theological
   doctrines. She lit candles for her dead parents, ate fish on
   Fridays and said her prayers by rote in the happy assurance that
   whatever she did would be forgiven in the confessional."
   This myth of the meaning of the sacrament of Confession betrays either a willful misrepresentation or a deliberate slur. The good guys are Reformers whose motives a pure and noble. Katherine Howard was a pawn of the same partisans and her wild sexual behavior was largely the fault of adult neglect during her formative years. According to this author. If you want entertainment then this is your book. If you want a more scholarly presentation of the issues of the day and the actors in this Tudor drama then look elsewhere.



2. This book was somewhat disapointing not because of the skill of the author. The historical material is so thin, it is difficult to fabricate a story.

2 comments about Willing to Learn: Passages of Personal Discovery.

1. Mary Catherine Bateson is among the most important voices alive today. Daughter of Margaret Mead and Gregory Bateson, anything Catherine writes is wise, warm, artful and authentic. Willing to Learn is her newest book. It is a rich collection of essays compiled for the first time and available nowhere else. Ranging from a poignant description of her father's death, which moved me to grateful tears because of what it teaches about dying with grace and dignity, to insights about parenting, politics, aesthetics and world peace, this book is an eclectic feast. You can pick it up and read any chapter, and can read the chapters in any order. Each stands alone and each contributes to our capacity to be nourished and inspired throughout our lives, young and old, if we are "willing to learn."



2. What a treat to find this hardbound collection of the work of Mary Catherine Bateson. Her prose is eloquent. Her ideas are rich and diverse. Her thinking is open, creative and, at the same time, intensely logical. There are selections from some of her best read books, but she also presents some of her hard-to-find material which merits inclusion. Her very interesting life provides the backdrop, but it's how she processes and weaves her observations and experiences into her work that makes these pieces so very illuminating to me. A must for collectors of the writing of the best thinkers of our time.

5 comments about Aleister Crowley's Illustrated Goetia: Sexual Evocation.

1. I'm delighted to see other magicians share Crowley's rational, non-traditionalist viewpoint about magick. It is refreshing to encounter a realistic and useful appraisal of Goetic magick that cuts through all the superstition that has come to surround this system of evocation. Lon has taken an obscure and frequently misunderstood body of lore and made it accessible for the modern practitioner. Modern science is, in fact, compatible with the ancient practices and so occultism has real world value. Further, David Wilson's images of the Goetic spirits gives this system a life and reality that I've never encountered in twenty years of occult study. All in all, this book is a must for anyone who aspired to practice this style of evocation.



2. It's not actually written by Crowley and is not at all what I expected. It has some pictures of demons and angels and a few short invocations, but not much substance.



3. In response to a previous review in 2004, I'd like to make the following comments. I can appreciate the Reviewer's concerns, but the following observations may help clear these up.
   
   Lon's account of his evocation of Orobas in this book, as he states in his My Life with the Spirits, is a les detailed version. The only apparent anomaly is that in My Life with the Spirits, he states that Mad Bob had already been in Guatemala, whereas in this earlier book he refers to Mad Bob's return to Guatemala as "off to begin his Guatemala adventure". But in effect he would be beginning the next part of his overall Guatemala adventure.
   
   Next, as to the sigils being different from those in the Mathers/Crowley edition of the Goetia, the authors of this book took these sigils from an original source manuscript, as stated in the book. Thus they are more accurate. Although widely used, the Mathers/Crowley sigils were redrawn, and neatened up for publication. Mitch Henson did a similar tidy up job on all of the sigils in the first four books of the Lemegeton of his edition, as he states therein. Another source for authentic sigils, including those for the other books of the Lemegeton is Joseph Peterson's The Lesser Key of Solomon.
   
   And lastly, the similar appearance of many of the Spirits in the Goetia, may be due to their place and time of origin, which culture and lands they originated in. Many are derived gods from Deities from ancient cultures, and the farther back you go either in time or state of civilization, the less human or humanoid supernatural entities become.
   
   Lastly, an additional observation. In the second edition of this book, which has a black cover, there appears as a frontispiece, a drawing of Lucifuge Rofocale. This was absent from the first edition which had a blue cover. For some reason, this drawing of the Prime Minister of Hell was added, which originally appeared in Christopher Hyatt and S. Json Black's Pacts with the Devil. Lucifuge Rofocale has nothing to do with the Goetia or any of the Books of the Lemegeton. But rather appears as the central character in the Grimoire of Pope Honorius, a version of which appears in the previously mentioned Pacts with the Devil, which I can thoroughly recommend, as did another reviewer.
   
   Hope all this helps.



4. This book makes a wonderful companion to the Henson/Wellman edition of the Lemegeton.
   
   DuQuette does a great job up front explaining the symbolism of the various "props" of the Goetia and their proper use. The front matter also contains a rather detailed, if short, crash course in Western Magick. While useful, I wonder how advised it would be for this to be the first practial work of a neophyte.
   
   The illustrations are by an actuall occultist, and while they are rudimentory line drawings, they are helpful in getting in the right pace with the vibration of the spirit before you summon them. I have to say where I agree with what is drawn here, it is the exception and not the rule. My experience with these beings seems to be more Jungian than what David Wilson, the illustrator experienced. Still very useful stuff. I only wish that the internal art had been as well done as the cover.
   
   DuQuette cuts through the clutter of the original Goetia, and replaces the endless curses and conjurations with a single oration written by Crowley, in both English and Enochian. Keep in mind, the flip side of that is, there is material missing here, so you would also want to get a copy of the Goetia, or better still the Lemegeton.
   
   Note that they are using the Arthur Edward Waite sigils rather than the seals found in Crowley's Goetia. I thought that was odd, considering how much time DuQuette spends in most of his books sacrificing kisses on the alter of "The Beast"
   
   Still, my gripes are small, and only dock a single star from this work.
   
   With the Lemegeton and this book, anyone would be able to work with the forces of Solomon's djinn.



5. I bought this book here on Amazon because of its cover and description but had I thumbed through its pages in a bookstore then I never would have bought it.
   
   144 pages of its 236 total pages are very primitive illustrations and the seal of the individual spirit. Even those only take up half a page each. I would say that well over 60% of this book is just padding.
   
   Other than the few pages that describe the evocation of Orobas I would say that this book stinks and that there is nothing new or useful in it for anybody who has any of the key of solomon texts.

5 comments about Fat Girls and Lawn Chairs.

1. Oh my. If the cover doesn't clue you in to what kind of book this is ~ check out the cat in the wig & specks ~ then you're in for a wild ride. This book is a trip. Ms. Peck has a sharp sense of humor and isn't above poking fun at anyone, including herself.
   
   Originally self-published for her friends, her family, and her cat (a woman after my own heart!), this book is a fun romp through someone else's life. She pulls no punches in recounting the way she terrorized her younger sisters and peers by being driven to be the "first, fastest, loudest and best" in everything, and it's so refreshing to read about an overweight woman who isn't trying to fit into the heroin-chick mold everyone else strives to fill. She has no qualms telling it like it is, makes no excuses and offers no apologies, and you can't help but love her for that.
   
   In regards to the title, she says, "No self-respecting fat girl ever really trusts a lawn chair." She tackles everything from weight issues to peeing in the woods ~ nothing is sacred to her, nothing is out of bounds. And cat lovers will enjoy the few essays written from the point of view of Babycakes, her spoiled feline friend.
   
   One of the better memoirs I've read in a while. So many women will relate to Ms. Peck, regardless of their own personal sexuality. I look forward to reading more of her work.



2. I think everyone is way too hard on this book. Sure, it wasn't exactly what I was expecting, either. I guess based on the cover I was expecting the sections to be hilariously, uproariously funny like Laurie Notaro. But once I got past my preconceived notions, I was reading a warm, entertaining book.
   I found the poetry to be poignant, and I didn't think her usage of "girlchild," or her attitude towards her brothers was flippant or annoying. I just enjoyed it, and I will be buying her second book.



3. In Fat Girls and Lawn Chairs, Cheryl Peck breezily writes about the innocence of childhood, the perks of being the oldest sibling (i.e. tormenting her younger siblings), and loving herself no matter her size or age. This book is a delight. Peck has a charming way with words. She'll make you nostaglic for simpler days and remind you to see the humor in everyday situations. Fat Girls and Lawn Chairs should be on everyone's summer reading list.



4. While this book is not an utter garbage, there's nothing remarkable about it either, at least in my opinion. There's a certain wit and charm to "Fat Girls...", but that in itself doesn't save it from being mediocre. Even though miss Peck says that she's not a professional writer, by any means, it still feels as if though you need be a part of her family in order to enjoy this book. There's no humor in here, despite whatever reviews are saying - its just a number of observations on life, good ones at that, but I was looking for something else.
   Bonus points for an excellent books cover.



5. Be prepared to be unable to stop laughing! The title story was my favorite, tied with "Litter String" (which is one of several stories written from the POV of Babycakes the cat). I can't wait to read more by this fantastic writer!