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TOWER

Name: TOWER
Author: Bill Henderson
ISBN: 0-374-27851-2

FAITH, VERTIGO, AND AMATEUR CONSTRUCTION

by Bill Henderson ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2000

(10 b&w illustrations)

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Pushcart Press founder and publisher Henderson (Minutes of the Lead Pencil Club, 1996, etc.) discovers the "utter joy of

building" and shares his quest for grace, bargain lumber, and something to call God in this part-memoir, part-how-to labor of love. Henderson built a three-story wooden tower on a hilltop near Sedgwick, Maine, a structure he initially thought of as "a tower for no reason." The decision to build skyward grew out of a difficult time, a period when several of his loved ones were struck with cancer, his marriage was under stress, he feared his own sickness and death, and he was overcome by love and concern for his daughter. He began building without a real sense of purpose or direction, and his story is a testament to his faith in a world that does not always hold the answers. Henderson's literary and physical projects take shape in tandem, both book and tower turning out admirably strong and simple. As he goes along, he draws comparisons between himself and the builders and authors of the past: Henderson considers the towers of Eiffel, Babel, Pisa, and Watts, as well as those of Joyce and Yeats. (In the tradition of Thoreau, he even lists all his expenses down to the last penny.) He takes pride in sharing nuggets of practical advice acquired as an amateur builder, and he imparts his theories of "Intuitive Engineering," then explains what to do with a J-bolt and a joist hanger. At his most endearing, Henderson reveals secrets for overcoming rooftop vertigo (concentration and "the crab scuttle") and admits to a tendency to scream "It's show time!" before lifting a heavy load. Henderson may meander a bit, but his search for fulfillment and a renewed outlook on life lands on solid and fertile ground.

(10 b&w illustrations)

Pub Date: April 1, 2000

ISBN: 0-374-27851-2

Page Count: 208

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2000

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
THE PUSHCART PRIZE XLIX
edited by Bill Henderson with Pushcart Prize editors

- BOOK REVIEW
THE PUSHCART PRIZE XLVIII
edited by Bill Henderson

- BOOK REVIEW
THE PUSHCART PRIZE XLVII
edited by Bill Henderson

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NUTCRACKER

by E.T.A. Hoffmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 1996

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This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)

Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996

ISBN: 0-15-100227-4

Page Count: 136

Publisher: Harcourt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER AND THE MOUSE KING
by E.T.A. Hoffmann ; adapted by Natalie Andrewson ; illustrated by Natalie Andrewson

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER
by E.T.A. Hoffmann & illustrated by Julie Paschkis

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TO THE ONE I LOVE THE BEST

EPISODES FROM THE LIFE OF LADY MENDL (ELSIE DE WOLFE)

by Ludwig Bemelmans ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 1955

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An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.