The True Gospel Preached Here by Bruce West My rating: 5 of 5 stars Lots of people stumbled onto Margaret’s Grocery by accident, taking the cutoff from Highway 61 into Vicksburg, Miss. It was an incredible site and its maker, the Rev. H.D. Dennis, was just as incredible (and voluble). Bruce West not only stopped, he developed a continuing relationship with Dennis and his wife, the site’s eponymous Margaret. The book documents the evolution of the environment, from his early encounter to its decay after the couple had died. West’s photos and text gives the site, and the couple, their
Continue readingThings and Stuff: Consider the Implications
Advertising for one of my all-time favorite store names and a charter member of the Grog and Groc Hall of Fame. Of course, “Stuff and Such” gives it a run for its money. Plus my in-person photo.
Continue readingReview: Carvings and Commerce: Model Totem Poles, 1880-2010
Even if you are not a totem pole fancier, it’s wonderful to see Hall and Glascock retrieve model totem poles from souvenirial obscurity. Besides showing numerous examples of great work, the book names the artists, tracks the evolution of the genre both artistically and socially, and identifies tribal and regional styles. And they don’t scoff at the souvenirs either, reflecting a sensibility forged by decades of engagement with regional, folk, self-taught and popular-craft art.
Continue reading“Sukiyaki”: The Sweetest Song Ever?
Four your consideration, 62 (now 118) YouTube videos of “the Sukiyaki song,” actually Ue o Muite Aruko?,” or “I Look Up As I Walk,” originally sung by Japanese pop singer Kyu Sakamoto. I first remember Japan’s only #1 international pop hit ever, called Sukiyaki in the West, as my brother’s “favorite song.” He does not, I suspect, share that recollection, but it quickly became my own favorite song back in 1963, listening on a tinny transistor radio, itself a Japanese product. It’s not clear who exactly attached the name Sukiyaki to the song for English-language purposes, but the logic seems
Continue readingReview: A Tale of Two Cities
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens My rating: 3 of 5 stars The opening and closing lines are immortal classics, and the book does has some great characters and set pieces. But it’s my least favorite Dickens, showing off his biggest flaws, especially overwrought language, rank sentimentality and coincidence so arbitrary as to be lazy. Plus, his characterization of the French Revolution is distinctly unhelpful. Indeed, it shows that this champion of the downtrodden was still absolutely terrified of poor people. View all my reviews
Continue readingReview: Illuminating Fashion: Dress in the Art of Medieval France and the Netherlands, 1325-1515
Illuminating Fashion: Dress in the Art of Medieval France and the Netherlands, 1325-1515 by Anne van Buren My rating: 5 of 5 stars I can’t say I could explain the difference between a houpeland and a cotehardie, but now I roughly know what they are. This culmination of a lfe’s work is a truly amazing book, tracing the evolution of late medieval high fashion over two centuries. Van Buren systematically analyzed the clothing In every image she could firmly date for her period. The illustrations are beautiful and the text’s illuminations bring a new dimension to pictures that might sometimes
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Review: American Ruins
American Ruins by Camilo José Vergara My rating: 5 of 5 stars Ruin porn with redeeming social value. Vergara doesn’t just exploit decayed and collapsing buildings for their sad beauty. He gets to know them, and sometimes their denizens and neighbors, complementing his lovely photos with engaging, and often depressing, stories. View all my reviews
Continue readingConnections
Best thought from today’s Salesforce.com keynote: Customer connectivity demands responsive companies. Companies that don’t connect back to their customers as actively as customers themselves are connecting will systematically miss opportunities and disappoint.
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