A collection of short personal and cultural essays, including journal-like entries, film critiques, and even an elegy, by novelist and critic Tillman (Motion Sickness, 1991; Cast in Doubt, 1992; etc.), combining a handful of new pieces with those drawn from her writings for such publications as Art in America and the Voice Literary Supplement. In her title (does it contain a feminist pun?) and in her concerns, Tillman signals a visual approach to contemporary culture and aesthetics. From her dream-sketch of her father, decribed as ``a lost and found object,'' to her review of a film on Caravaggio, to her observation that flashing seems to have gone out of fashion, to a section of photo stills from the Big Board at Times Square, to thoughts on violence, racism, and writing, Tillman draws attention to the forces she is fighting, or imagines that she is fighting. She says that she distrusts words and stories, yet admits the paradox that they are probably what she values most. In one of the best pieces she explores her difficulty in learning how to discuss race and writing. Her constant search for an original angle is refreshing and constructive, permitting Tillman to contribute to our turbulent current cultural dialogue. ``Criminal Love'' explores the dark side of passion, as it moves effortlessly from the personal to the societal in the O.J. Simpson trial. Simpson appears again in ``Telling Tales,'' as Tillman approaches the Bronco chase as a narrative of reversal of fortune and journey, the odyssey. In other pieces she analyzes her own fiction, describes her work on a book on the early years of Warhol and the Factory, and issues a challenge to writers to serve readers by transcending cultural limitations in their work. Tillman combines a light, frankly personal touch with an informed aesthetic, reflecting a hip, New York art world perspective.
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 1997
ISBN: 1-85242-440-0
Page Count: 200
Publisher: Serpent’s Tail
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 1997
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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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