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Breathing Deep

Name: Breathing Deep
Author: John C. Larizzio
ISBN: 978-1-4575-3814-8

by John C. Larizzio ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 20, 2015

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A book of meditations on nature and life.
In this collection of short nonfiction pieces, LaRizzio (Hey, Milkman!, 2011, etc.) combines a philosopher’s perspective with a poet’s use of language to “capture common moments, increments of time made special by the pace and depth with which they were experienced and embraced.” Many of them take place on a deck where LaRizzio watches the sun rise, a cemetery where he walks among the trees, and in front of the glucose meter that his diabetes compels him to check frequently (“I hold my breath and prick my flesh, then await my electronic critic’s insentient decree”). The essays are brief—many are less than a page long, and few extend beyond two—and the dated entries cover a brief period from 2001 to 2003. LaRizzio is aware of how his contemplative nature places distance between himself and most of the rest of society (“they’d never comprehend the virtue in the hours spent sitting still and dreaming”), but he maintains his inward focus and his commitment to considering the smallest details of life throughout the book. Occasionally, the focus shifts to his interactions with others, as in an early encounter with an apparent Transportation Security Administration officer (“I stood in horror as a crewcut thug in latex glove and leather boots handled it [a glucose meter] to his whim and satisfaction”), but LaRizzio clearly prefers to chronicle his relationships with nonhuman components of his environment. The essays’ considered language may seem overwrought to some readers (“The contest for the sky has been concluded, and for this hour, it’s clear the sun has been the victor”). Others, though, will embrace its poetic qualities. Throughout the book, he clearly shows a passion for deep thought and engagement with the natural world.
This earnest collection of essays on nature and self takes a close look at one individual’s experience.

Pub Date: May 20, 2015

ISBN: 978-1-4575-3814-8

Page Count: 148

Publisher: Dog Ear

Review Posted Online: June 25, 2015

Review Program: Kirkus Indie

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

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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.