by Hillsman ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 14, 2018
An uneven but ultimately cheering series of poetic reflections on life and art.
A collection of inspirational prose, poetry, song lyrics, and meditations.
In his slim nonfiction debut, musician Hillsman presents readers with a punchy mélange of works on a wide variety of topics. The opening, titular poem offers musings on love (“Love is so beautiful / Love is wonderful / Love is a wonderful thing”), but the focus of the collection quickly widens and wanders to other matters, including subjects as diverse as a call for a united Africa to stories of a taxicab driver and a tribute to media mogul Oprah Winfrey (“You always work hard for what to show / In hot, cold, and also snow”). There’s a heavy Jamaican theme running through the collection, including pieces about “The Real Jamaican Women” and “The Real Jamaican Men” and commemorations of reggae icons, such as Frankie Paul and Dennis Emmanuel Brown. There are also pauses for simply worded prayers (“My lord let all my dreams and aspirations manifest in me”) and opinions on the nature of women and romantic relationships. The tone throughout is upbeat; “Always have a positive attitude,” Hillsman writes at one point, and it’s this mindset that readers will likely enjoy the most about the collection. However, there are a few distracting errors: “Time Magazine is a season campaigner,” he writes at one point, instead of “seasoned campaigner,” and he refers to “Time Square, a significant location located in Manhattan,” instead of “Times Square.” The rhymes aren’t always convincing, either, as in one of the recurring “Hillsman Corner Quotes”: “Some people will tell you they care / But in reality they won’t share / Some people will never say they’re sorry / But in their heart is pure hatred they carry.”
An uneven but ultimately cheering series of poetic reflections on life and art.Pub Date: June 14, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-64298-409-5
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
Review Posted Online: Oct. 16, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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by E.T.A. Hoffmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 1996
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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by Ludwig Bemelmans ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 1955
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.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955
ISBN: 0670717797
Page Count: -
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955
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