An absurd yet contemplative chronicle that will charm anyone who believes in rocking hard with a guitar—or with nothing at...
Crane’s debut memoir recounts three whirlwind years braving the contest circuit of a ritual most people only perform behind locked doors.
He began competing in air-guitar competitions in the fall of 2003, just hours after learning about its existence as a sport. (That sort of ironic twist is a typical turn of events for true air guitar heroes, we learn.) Crane’s alter ego during “air-time” is Björn Türoque, a self-proclaimed nihilist who embodies not only the over-the-top technique and pageantry of the world’s premier air guitarists, but who quickly became an ambassador of this newly minted fake rock-’n’-roll lifestyle by appearing on CNN and “Last Call with Carson Daly.” Björn/Dan drags his readers on the road with him from New York to Los Angeles, constructing a riveting narrative through wry observations parceled out in a light, conversational tone. Despite imbibing heavily before, during and after competition rounds, he seems to recall every detail of conversations in the basements of seedy clubs, the minutiae of each flamboyant costume design, all the salient personality traits of the colorful, engaging characters who comprise his competition (and their rabid groupies). What makes this memoir more enduring than Björn’s notoriety for finishing as runner-up in competition—a failure that he proudly claims carries even more rock cachet than winning—are the moments in which he pauses to reflect on the pastime as a cultural event. His text is a social critique whose subjects include the air guitarist as a figure of pure passion, musical “talent” as a relative term, the real fame attained by fake artists. The author’s analyses are offered ironically, but always have the ring of truth.
An absurd yet contemplative chronicle that will charm anyone who believes in rocking hard with a guitar—or with nothing at all.Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2006
ISBN: 1-59448-210-1
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Riverhead
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2006
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
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
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