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FADING HEARTS ON THE RIVER

Name: FADING HEARTS ON THE RIVER
Author: Brooks Haxton
ISBN: 978-1-61902-325-3

A LIFE IN HIGH-STAKES POKER

by Brooks Haxton ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 20, 2014

Not without flaws but an appealing, intriguing read for those fascinated by poker, chance and unique father-son...

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A man ponders his son’s pokercentric life.

While studying for a college degree, Isaac Haxton decided to leave school for a year to play professional poker. With all the excitement that implies, Isaac’s father, poet Brooks Haxton (English/Syracuse Univ.; They Lift Their Wings to Cry, 2008, etc.), doesn’t focus simply on the poker angle. Instead, the narrative moves through a series of twists covering every aspect of the author’s son’s life. While many of Haxton’s flights of fancy fit the subject matter—e.g., his son's early interest in math problems, lifelong love of games in general and childhood ability at chess—some simply do not, as when his daughter had to give up gymnastics. Other tangential tales are related to each other but still seem out of place in the larger context. For instance, both the author and his son were hospitalized around the same time, and Haxton relates both accounts. While both medical tales begin with serious intrigue, they also fizzle out in similar manners. In an instant, Haxton has moved on, and readers are left to assume that all ended well and to wonder what made the stories worth telling. The author also introduces other elements of the overall gambling story but doesn’t fully flesh them out—e.g., a government seizure of Isaac’s winnings. One compelling factor to which Haxton frequently returns is the idea of chance. He puts his poetry skills to excellent use, spinning out language that is often beautiful and evocative. The book is not just about his son’s competitive gambling career; it’s also a poetic memorial to the poignant moments in his life, his son's life and their shared life. Haxton also includes a helpful glossary of card-playing terms.

Not without flaws but an appealing, intriguing read for those fascinated by poker, chance and unique father-son relationships.

Pub Date: May 20, 2014

ISBN: 978-1-61902-325-3

Page Count: 288

Publisher: Counterpoint

Review Posted Online: May 6, 2014

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2014

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.