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BONNIE BLAIR

Name: BONNIE BLAIR
Author: Cathy Breitenbucher
ISBN: 0-8225-2883-5

GOLDEN STREAK

by Cathy Breitenbucher ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 27, 1994

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Breitenbucher, for ten years a sportswriter for the Milwaukee Sentinel, records the amazing career of speed skater Bonnie Blair, who trained in Milwaukee. Blair was born into a family of speed skaters. The youngest of six children, she was coached by her siblings from an early age. At two, they taught her to skate—on single blades—and she was competing in Tiny Tots events a few years later. As each of her sisters and brothers left skating to pursue other interests and careers, Bonnie persisted. She graduated high school early so that she could train full time. At her first Olympics in Sarajevo (1984), Blair did not win any medals, but she saw what she needed to do to win. In Calgary (1988), she won a gold and a bronze. She won two golds in Albertville (1992) and two more in Lillehammer (1994) to make her the American woman with the most Olympic gold medals in history. She now plans to coach young skaters. Breitenbucher writes clearly about Blair's skating experiences. She also explains facts about the sport, like the difference between speed and figure skating. A rewarding read for kids interested in sports. (Nonfiction. 9-14)

Pub Date: Oct. 27, 1994

ISBN: 0-8225-2883-5

Page Count: 64

Publisher: Lerner

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 1994

Categories:

BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR

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THE WONDERFUL PEN OF MAY SWENSON

by R.R. Knudson ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 29, 1993

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As Swenson's longtime companion and literary executor's title suggests, this biography centers on the poet's literary evolution. Knudson does describe key characters and events— Swenson's Utah youth as oldest child in a large, devout Mormon family; her escape to N.Y.C. as a young woman during the Depression; her hand-to-mouth existence as a struggling poet unwilling to compromise enough to hold a job; years of rejection slips; volatile relationships. None of these is portrayed in depth (Swenson's feelings toward her family are left particularly enigmatic), but Knudson offers enough revealing detail to give a sense of this fiercely independent woman's character. Best, she quotes many poems that illuminate Swenson's experiences; and describes the act of creation (``Her way of working was to begin poems with lines that seemed to leap out of thin air'') and the way she thought about it (``She'd had fun choosing the adjectives to pour into `Sun,' but she'd weakened the poem with too many of them''). Five of her poems are published for the first time here. A provocative, insightful portrayal of a fine contemporary poet, much of whose work has particular appeal for young people. List of Swenson's books. B&w photos & index not seen. (Biography. 10- 14)

Pub Date: Oct. 29, 1993

ISBN: 0-02-750915-X

Page Count: 112

Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 1993

Categories:

GENERAL BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR | BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR

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BAREFOOT DANCER

THE STORY OF ISADORA DUNCAN

by Barbara O’Connor ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 6, 1994

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An evenhanded biography of the famed dancer and choreographer, Isadora Duncan. In clear, accessible language, O'Connor traces the life of her subject from her unconventional childhood in 19th- century San Francisco through her many travels, triumphs, and tragedies in both Europe and America. Much is made of Duncan's innovations as a dancer, but a more extensive discussion on ballet dancing at the time would have been helpful to place her achievements in context. The photographs, while excellent, are too sparse and too small; they would have profited from being enlarged in both format and number. Still, a useful text about an important contributor to the rhetoric of modernism. Notes; bibliography; index. (Nonfiction. 9-12)