D8 LEISURE Sunday Republican, March 28, 1999 BOOKs 2. Pi ch 4 3 the Talks to focus on old, new in literature ing Room at the college. A book repair demonstration will be held Tuesday from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. and again on Wednesday from 1 to 3 p.m.
in Neilson Library Core Level 1. There will all be all kinds of videos and talks about preservation throughout the week. For more information, contact Lisa Clark, book repair technician, at 585-2927. On Tuesday, poet Abe Louise Young will read at 5:30 p.m. in the Neilson Browsing Room at Smith.
Young's work Book preservation will be the topic of several programs. symposium on book arts and the art of the book will be held this afternoon at the Yiddish Book Center in Amherst. The symposium marks the start of Hampshire College's Center for the Book. Featured speakers include illustrator Barry Moser, who will talk about the Pennyroyal Caxton Bible he has been working on; Martin Antonetti, who will speak on the history of fine books and book collecting in the Pioneer Valley; and Daniel Kelm, who will discuss what the design of Booking it books will look like at the millennium. The symposium starts at 2 p.m.
A donation is requested. In other book events this week: From tomorrow through Thursday, Smith College Diane Libraries will sponsor Lederman Preservation Awareness Week at the college. The events include a program to help people learn how to preserve, handle and store books, photographs and family papers. Tomorrow, people. are invited to bring in their books and other papers for a free consultation from 11 a.m.
to 12:30 p.m. and to learn about care and storage. The clinic will be held in the Neilson Library Brows- has been included in "90 Poets of the Nineties" and she has published a chapbook called "Anchor in the BeetField." The reading is sponsored by The Poetry Center at Smith College and the Sophia Smith Scholars Program. Also at 7 p.m. Tuesday, poet and writer Darlene Smith-Ash will lead what she and the Friends of the East Longmeadow Library are calling a lunar literary event at the library at 60 Center Square, East Longmeadow.
Local poets are invited to read or sing about the influence of the moon on this night, which is on the eve of a blue moon. Readers and audience members are asked to call the library at 525-5432 by tomorrow to register. Also on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. Douglas Whynott will read from his new book "A Unit of Water, A Unit of Time: Joel White's Last Boat" at 7:30 p.m. at the Broadside Bookshop, 247 Main Northampton.
Whynott is the author of "Giant Bluefin," among other works. On Thursday, Patricia Powell, author' of "'The Pagoda" will read at the Stonewall Center at the University of Massachusetts at 12:30 p.m. and at Food for Thought Books, 106 N. Pleasant Amherst, at 7 p.m. Footnotes: Florence writer Joan Axelrod-Contrada has written a book called "Women Who Led Nations: Profiles" The book profiles such leaders as Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir; British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher; Violeta Barrios de Chamorro, Nicaragua's first female president; and Benazir Bhutto, who became the first female Pakistani prime minister.
Published by The Oliver Press, Inc. in Minneapolis, the book is aimed at young readers. It is available from the publisher by calling 1-800-865-4837. The book sells for $16.95. Amherst writer Sara Dreher's latest mystery in the Stoner Metavish series has been nominated for the 1998 Lambda Literary Award for Lesbian Mysteries.
"Shaman's Moon" is the seventh in the series. Dreher is also the author of "Solitaire and Brahms" and several plays. The award will be announced at the 11th Lambda Literary Awards Banquet held in Los Angeles April 29. Springfield poet Corrine De Winter has work included in a new collection called "Heal Your Soul, Heal the World: Prayers and Poems to Comfort, Inspire, and Connect Humanity." Published by Andrews McMeel Publishing for $16.95, the book also includes work by Martin Luther King Gandhi, and Mother Teresa. De Winter's writing has also appeared in "Bedside Prayers" and journals such as New York Quarterly, Plainsongs and Midwest Quarterly.
Book end: "Advice to young writers? Always the same advice: learn to trust your oun judgment, learn inner independence, learn to trust that time will sort the good from the bad including your own bad." Doris Lessing 'Pretty Girl' 1 Ar a plodding detective yarn EQUALITY OF RIGHTS UNDER THE LIAR SHALL NOT BE DENIED OR ABRIDGE! BY THE UNITED STATES OR. BY ANY STATE ON ACCOUNT OF SEX Women salute suffragist Isolde Dubic at a rally on Liberty Island, New York on Aug. 26, 1978. Women's suffrage was ratified by Congress in 58 years earlier. History of women's movement traced in essays, anthology to that tory about we get knowledge a March the need Month? century is to yet right Is be to it that for Women's it vote reminded general women took His- in America? How about the simple awareness that women are the majority of the population in this country and that this is a slowly widening numbers gap? REVIEWS These questions are only representative of the many that could be posed if this were some kind of quiz column, trivia game or social studies test, but that is not our purpose today.
They are offered as an invitation to find out more about women's history through the time-honored practice of reading. "TRUE TO OURSELVES: A Celebration of Women Making a Difference," edited by Nancy M. Neuman (Jossey-Bass, 1998, $22) "True to Ourselves" is a collection of' 22 essays commissioned and put together by the League of Women Voters in an effort to commemorate achievements of women and to challenge women of the future. Through these short pieces by such By ROBERT D. PAAR well-known women as Olympia Snowe, Tipper Gore, Bella Abzug and polar explorer Ann Bancroft, the League provides the gentle hint that women are the majority in the ranks of voters and that there is considerable power there.
It is in the reading of the individual stories of achievement against formidable obstacles that one gets the sense that the real limitations to achievement exist mainly in the minds of the women themselves, or rather did at the beginnings of their journeys. A large portion of' the writing is about politics and political life and involves the struggles of these women to be included as workers for change during times when they were not considered full members of society in law, legislatures and other traditionally male-dominated fields. On the whole, the essays are inspiring in their depiction of the determination and sheer grit displayed by their authors, all of whom are accomplished in roles that at one time were unthinkable or at least highly unlikely. This book will appeal especially to women contemplating work in some aspect of public life and is meant to. encourage and promote that inclination.
"THE FEMINIST MEMOIR PROJECT: Voices from Women's Liberation," edited by Rachel B. DuPlessis and Ann Snitow (Three Rivers Press, 1998, $20) Women's history is more than collections of biographies of the famous and celebrated. It is also the history of women who helped change the lives of the average person through coming together first in small groups and later in large numbers. Around 1965, the second wave of feminism, the Women's Liberation Movement, got under way. This book is an anthology of writings by 32 women involved in that movement in some way.
Their assignment was to focus on the excitement of their entry into the ranks of the liberated, their motivations for political actions and their long-term view of the effects and problems of feminism. The editors do not seek closure or a tidy ending to the history of "Women's Lib." On the contrary, they consider feminism very much alive and worthy of lifetime involvement. Readers will learn much here about what drove Women's Liberation, how it evolved during the '60s and '70s, and what effects it had on American society. Those who read it from the standpoint of a potential interest in future involvement will gain an overall appreciation of the rich history of women's struggles to create identity as a movement and the pitfalls that yawn on either side of the trail. What people are reading Interviewed at Holyoke Flospital 441t's about a woman who lives in California and returns 1 to New England for the funeral of her housekeeper.
The love of her life is there. It's written really well. Susan T. Thibault, administrative secretary in marketing, "Here on Earth" by Alice Hoffman Pi 44Ht's not exactly an upbeat book. It's about a woman who's married to a man who becomes abusive.
It's about her relationship why she why she left.19 Mary E. Caraker, hospital on "Black and Blue" by Quindlen 'Single Single' a welcome sight "SINGLE SINGLE," by John Le Carre; $21.95. John Le Carre's new novel, "Single Single," will be a welcome sight in bookstores to his many long term fans. With the end of the Cold War, the book begins well. Le Carre, always an excellent writer, will not fail the reader with his style.
The book opens on a hillside in Turkey with a lawyer on his knees, his hands tied behind his back, a small gun at his head. The lawyer, Mr. Winser, consciously chooses denial of the situation. As his life passes: before him, he asks himself why he has to keep marrying these women through his life to find the out he time does the not video like them. By Mysteries, and tape recording of the murder are The plot and story-line drive the book.
For those who are looking for well-drawn interesting characters, the book, is 345 pages of disappointment. But fans of good writing and John Le Carre will not share GINGER BRISTOW New York Times HAMMER OF EDEN," by Ken Follett; Crown; $25.95. When the bad guys are fighting for a good cause and the good guys refuse to see the light, it's hard to know whom to root for. That's both the blessing and the curse of Ken Follett's latest novel "The Hammer of Eden" Follett masterfully presents librarian, Anna Mysteries, etc. complete, we know the lawyer very well.
I hated to see him die. The book tells a story of a venture capital investment house in London, Single Single, setting up off shore businesses with the Orlov brothers, who have turned their communist-government-controlled businesses toward the free market. When the younger Single is made aware of the immoral, not to mention illegal, activities of his father and the new partners, he betrays his father to customs officials. The basic promise of the book a father and son who through betrayal and reversal of fortune find their way back to redemption unfortunately does not materialize. It was this promise that kept me reading.
44 It's an account of his (Sir Ernest Shackleton's) trek to the Antarctic. The ship got crushed with ice. They were rescued after and 20 months. It's an excellent book, it's exciting. Elaine O.
Welch, hospital volunteer, on "The Endurance" by Caroline Alexander New and noteworthy paperbacks New York Times "ECHOES OF A NATIVE LAND: TWO CENTURIES OF A RUSSIAN VILLAGE," by Serge Schmemann; Vintage; $15. A former Moscow bureau chief for The New York Times visits his ancestral village, creating with the help of the recollections of its long- suffering inhabitants a miniature history of Russia in the 20th century. "DOWN THERE ON A VISIT," by Christopher Isherwood; University of Minnesota; $15.95. In four tales set in Berlin, Greece, London and California, the author of "Berlin Stories" explores the sexuality and inner turmoil of four vastly different protagonists, from a male prostitute to a German worker taken with the bohemian life. The same publisher has reissued "THE MEMORIAL" which tracks the falling apart of a British family after World War I.
"THE RAPE OF NANKING: THE FORGOTTEN HOLOCAUST OF WORLD WAR II," by Iris Chang. Penguin, $14.95. In 1937, Japanese troops slaughtered hundreds of thousands of citizens in Nanking, an act of barbarism rarely spoken of (for different reasons) in both Japan and China. 3 By ANNE STEPHENSON New York Times a "SUCH A PRETTY, PRETTY GIRL," by Winston Groom: Random House; $23.95. "Book reviewers can be pissy, can't they?" a character says in Groom's new novel, and it's especially true when a reviewer finds herself locked in a room with a book like this one.
Groom has produced a rather poor imitation of the old detective novels we love, which brings up the REVIEW obvious question: Why take this detour if you can still have the real thing? The narrator, an Oscar-winning screenwriter named Johnny Lightfoot, meets up with an old flame, Los news anchor Delia Jamison, who has "worn well" in the 20 years since Johnny saw her last. Trouble is, poor Delia is getting anonymous letters and phone calls from someone who obviously knows her. Delia a asks Johnny to help her out. He's a novice sleuth but smart enough to know that "no trap is as deadly as the one you set for yourself." In this case, that would be his lingering feelings for Delia Jamison. The narration is plodding and the climax is dopey, and not even the lovely Delia can save the day.
"ROBERT FROST," by Jay Parini; Holt, $35. This sympathetic reading of Frost's life and work was a labor of love for its author. Included is a section called "Frost and His Biographers," in which Parini suggests that Frost has not been -served by the people who have written about him. Early profiles and biographies portrayed him as a farmer-poet full of homespun wisdom, a persona Frost himself promoted. Then came Lawrance Thompson, Frost's official biographer, who portrayed Frost as a monster.
Later, there was reaction against Thompson, including "Robert Frost: A Literary Life Reconsidered," by William H. Pritchard. Parini says his own book "sets the record straight here and there, putting in place a fresh mythos, one that combs the facts in a certain direction but does not preclude a future biographer (and there will be many) from combing the same material differently." .4 4 4 4 stayed in it. "THE both sides to this story of environmental intrigue, making for a good read although not a challenging one. The bad bunch in "Eden" is a group of hippies living in a California valley commune.
Led by Priest, a man with a violent past, and Star. a woman, the commune-cult supports its peaceful "free love" existence through a vineyard. Priest, Star and a new member, Melanie. form a trio that calls itself "The Hammer of Eden," and when their demands aren't met, they steal a seismic vibrator and set the earth rumbling. Unlike those in some other suspense stories, the 'conflict in this novel is both.
believable and easy to follow. DAWN FALLIK Associated Press Best Sellers HARDCOVER Last Weeks Fiction Week on list 1. THE TESTAMENT, by John Grisham 2. RIVER'S END, by Nora Roberts 3. TARA ROAD, by Maeve Binchy 4.
SINGLE SINGLE, by John le Carre 5. HUSH MONEY, by Robert B. Parker 6. VECTOR, by Robin Cook 7. APOLLYON, by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B.
Jenkins 8. ASHES TO ASHES, by Tami Hong 9. HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE by J.K. Rowling 1..4 10. POISONWOOD BIBLE, by Barbara Kingsolver Last Weeks Non-Fiction Week on list 1.
ALL TOO HUMAN, by George Stephanopoulos 2. THE GREATEST GENERATION, by Tom Brokaw 3. MONICA'S STORY, by Andrew Morton 4. TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE, by Mitch Albom 5. PERFECT MURDER, PERFECT TOWN.
by Lawrence Schiller 6. THE ART OF HAPPINESS, by the Dalai Lama 10 and Howard C. Cutler 7. REACHING TO HEAVEN, by James Van Praagh 8. BLIND MAN'S BLUFF, by Sherry Sontag and Christopher Drew with Annette Lawrence Drew 9.
TRAVELING MERCIES, by Anne Lamott 10. BEAUTY FADES, DUMB IS FOREVER Advice, How-to Last Weeks and Misc. Week on list 1. THE COURAGE TO BE RICH, by Suze Orman 2. 9 STEPS TO FINANCIAL FREEDOM, by Suze Orman 3.
REAL AGE, by Michael E. Roizen 2 1 with Elizabeth Anne Stephenson 4. SUGAR BUSTERS, by H. Leighton Steward et al PAPERBACK Weeks Fiction on list 1. THE READER, by Bernhard Schlink 2.
MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA, by Arthur Golden 3. THE STREET LAWYER, by John Grisham. 4. THE LONG ROAD HOME, by Danielle Steel 5. CHARMING BILLY, by Alice McDermott Weeks Non-Fiction "on list 1.
ARE YOU SOMEBODY? by Nuala 0'Faolain 2. TALKING TO HEAVEN, by James Van Praugh 3. OCTOBER SKY, by Homer H. Hickom Jr. A 4.
UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN, by Frances Mayes 5. THE MILLIONAIRE NEXT DOOR, by Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko New York Times listings based on computer processed figures from 4,000 book stores in the U.S. 1: 1.
A A A A 3.
