Posted in Biography, Books, Graphic novel, Neil's Picks, Nonfiction on May 30, 2008 | 2 Comments »
I’ve been gulping down The Complete Peanuts reprints as they’ve been released for the last few years. Like most of those in my generation, I grew up in a world where Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus, and company were everpresent. I’ve always related to Charles Schulz’s depressed, anxious, yet whimsical children and their attempts to [...]
Posted in Andrew's Picks, Biography, Books, Nonfiction on May 14, 2008 | No Comments »
It isn’t hard to find George Washington hagiographies. Starting with Mason Locke Weems and the legendary cherry tree, writers have treated Washington as superhuman and above reproach. That is not to imply that he isn’t a great man - his resolve to walk away from the Presidency is probably the best example of [...]
Posted in Audiobook, Biography, Books, Humor, Neil's Picks, Nonfiction, Quick read on February 7, 2008 | 1 Comment »
Most people today think of Steve Martin as the star of pleasant but rather bland family comedies. At least two other sides of Martin, however, are noteworthy. First, he’s a thoughtful writer whose short comic pieces, novels, and nonfiction are all worth a look. Second, his brand of abstract stand-up comedy–free for the most part of [...]
Posted in Biography, Books, Characters, Music, Neil's Picks, Nonfiction on February 4, 2008 | 1 Comment »
I’m always fascinated by those historical moments when everything lines up right and a small group of friends and acquaintances produces not just one famous person, but a whole group of historically important people. David Hajdu has captured one of those moments in his book Positively 4th Street.
Many people may have forgotten, but there was a [...]
Posted in Biography, Books, Jessica's Picks, Nonfiction, Women's Nonfiction on November 19, 2007 | No Comments »
I’m not much of a biography reader. The occasional memoir is nice, because the author can focus on discrete events, but a full-fledged biography? Dang, that kind of thing covers the person’s entire life. Can’t I just get the highlights?
Besides, the typical biography does not include zombies or werewolves or vampires. I have very little [...]
Posted in Biography, Nature writing, Nonfiction, Setting, Todd's Picks on November 5, 2007 | 1 Comment »
Randy Morgenson served for 28 years as a back county ranger in the Sierra Nevada Mountains until one day he disappeared while on a three-day patrol. With a failing marriage and the wilderness as his true calling, some believe he may have just followed the tails of John Muir and left his troubled life [...]
Posted in Barry's Picks, Biography, Books, Memoir, Nonfiction on October 23, 2007 | No Comments »
When NPR journalist Adams turned 51, he decided to surprise his wife by learning her favorite piano piece; first, he had to learn to play the piano. The story of the next year, spent purchasing a grand piano and taking lessons is quietly moving, often funny, and a delightful chronicle of his efforts.
Adams writes [...]
Posted in Biography, Books, Charlotte's Picks, Nonfiction on August 28, 2007 | 3 Comments »
Chef Bernard Loiseau, the perfectionist of the title, took an out-of-the-way restaurant in the Burgundy region of France from 0 to 3 Michelin stars, the highest honor bestowed by one of the great French institutions. As Chelminski tells it, the stars that Michelin giveth or taketh away make or break a restaurant’s business, and for [...]
Posted in Barry's Picks, Biography, Books, Characters, Nonfiction, Sense of place on July 3, 2007 | 1 Comment »
Do keepers of diaries write for themselves or for future readers? It’s probably impossible to really answer that question, but given the popularity among readers of diaries, journals, and collections of letters it is safe to say that if you are keeping a journal you should assume that someone else is going to read it [...]
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