Every writer’s situation is unique, and each needs to find his or her own path, but this admirable journey through a veteran...
A sparkling look at how children’s book author and poet Atkins (Mary Anning and the Sea Dragon, 2012, etc.) writes and lives.
Atkins’ conceit is a simple but endearing one: a collection of her thoughts for each season of the year, not only about the vexing craft of writing, but also about the events happening in her life. She colorfully captures the solitary existence of the writer, struggling largely against her many self-doubts but also against a changing, inhospitable publishing marketplace. Atkins takes readers through the many fits and starts along the meandering road to the completion of one of her works; she then quickly switches to another book to occupy her mind while the first sits trapped in an agonizing publishing limbo. She artfully sketches her procedure as being akin to carrying a child to term and then hoping the offspring can find a place in the world. Despite also being a college professor (Writing/Simmons College), Atkins keeps the tone of her advice conversational and not at all lecture-ish, making it accessible for wannabe writers and casual readers alike. This isn’t a how-to book; rather, Atkins simply offers up many pointers she has learned during her decadeslong development as a writer. Running along a parallel track is what’s going on in her life as she deals with empty-nest syndrome and her best friend’s dying of cancer, along with the minutiae of quotidian life that can distract any creative person from achieving his or her ultimate goals. She offers lessons she has drawn from nearby flora and fauna, as viewed from her writerly perch at her Massachusetts home or from the locations of several re-energizing trips she takes throughout the book.
Every writer’s situation is unique, and each needs to find his or her own path, but this admirable journey through a veteran author’s process provides instructions that should prove valuable to most.Pub Date: Oct. 26, 2013
ISBN: 978-1491000557
Page Count: 190
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2014
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
An enjoyable slice of 20th-century music journalism almost certain to provide something for most readers, no matter one’s...
Music journalist and musician Wald (Talking 'Bout Your Mama: The Dozens, Snaps, and the Deep Roots of Rap, 2014, etc.) focuses on one evening in music history to explain the evolution of contemporary music, especially folk, blues, and rock.
The date of that evening is July 25, 1965, at the Newport Folk Festival, where there was an unbelievably unexpected occurrence: singer/songwriter Bob Dylan, already a living legend in his early 20s, overriding the acoustic music that made him famous in favor of electronically based music, causing reactions ranging from adoration to intense resentment among other musicians, DJs, and record buyers. Dylan has told his own stories (those stories vary because that’s Dylan’s character), and plenty of other music journalists have explored the Dylan phenomenon. What sets Wald's book apart is his laser focus on that one date. The detailed recounting of what did and did not occur on stage and in the audience that night contains contradictory evidence sorted skillfully by the author. He offers a wealth of context; in fact, his account of Dylan's stage appearance does not arrive until 250 pages in. The author cites dozens of sources, well-known and otherwise, but the key storylines, other than Dylan, involve acoustic folk music guru Pete Seeger and the rich history of the Newport festival, a history that had created expectations smashed by Dylan. Furthermore, the appearances on the pages by other musicians—e.g., Joan Baez, the Weaver, Peter, Paul, and Mary, Dave Van Ronk, and Gordon Lightfoot—give the book enough of an expansive feel. Wald's personal knowledge seems encyclopedic, and his endnotes show how he ranged far beyond personal knowledge to produce the book.
An enjoyable slice of 20th-century music journalism almost certain to provide something for most readers, no matter one’s personal feelings about Dylan's music or persona.Pub Date: July 25, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-06-236668-9
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Dey Street/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2015
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Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis...
Privately published by Strunk of Cornell in 1918 and revised by his student E. B. White in 1959, that "little book" is back again with more White updatings.
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis (whoops — "A bankrupt expression") a unique guide (which means "without like or equal").Pub Date: May 15, 1972
ISBN: 0205632645
Page Count: 105
Publisher: Macmillan
Review Posted Online: Oct. 28, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1972
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