A dry biography that lacks the mystical sparkle and steely resolve of the superstar’s success.
A scholarly account of the musical icon’s impact on rock.
Morrison, a professor of music history at Princeton and author specializing in 20th-century Russian and Soviet music, shows how writing about pop culture is not as easy as it may seem. He does well with the early part of Nicks’ life, using a framework of biographical details and previously published interviews to flesh out how and why she became a singer. Morrison also skillfully handles deep dives into the imagery of Nicks’ lyrics, providing more information about the legend of Rhiannon than most fans will want to know. “The main character in the First Branch of the Mabinogi, Rhiannon is an otherworldly woman who marries Pwyll, the mortal prince of Dyfed (South Wales),” writes the author. “Rhiannon is associated with three songbirds who accompany her; mythographers have also associated her with the Gaulish horse goddess, Epona.” Unfortunately, throughout the narrative, Morrison drops in long asides about subjects that are tangential to Nicks and her artistry, including a lengthy bit about cocaine and its origins and uses: “Cocaine is extracted from the paste of the leaves of the Erythroxylum coca shrub that grows in the Andes Mountains, and its use goes back over a millennium to ancient spiritual practices.” More problematic are the pages of detailed descriptions about recording sessions that don’t involve Nicks as well as snide, speculative comments about her behavior (“she asks to dash to the bathroom, presumably for a bump”) and that of others in her orbit. Furthermore, because some of Nicks’ collaborators spoke to Morrison, but she did not, there is often a feel of them being more responsible for the music than her—which is odd given that Nicks is the only woman to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame twice.
A dry biography that lacks the mystical sparkle and steely resolve of the superstar’s success.Pub Date: Oct. 4, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-520-30443-7
Page Count: 260
Publisher: Univ. of California
Review Posted Online: July 6, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A sharp, entertaining view of the news media from one of its star players.
The veteran newscaster reflects on her triumphs and hardships, both professional and private.
In this eagerly anticipated memoir, Couric (b. 1957) transforms the events of her long, illustrious career into an immensely readable story—a legacy-preserving exercise, for sure, yet judiciously polished and insightful, several notches above the fray of typical celebrity memoirs. The narrative unfolds through a series of lean chapters as she recounts the many career ascendency steps that led to her massively successful run on the Today Show and comparably disappointing stints as CBS Evening News anchor, talk show host, and Yahoo’s Global News Anchor. On the personal front, the author is candid in her recollections about her midlife adventures in the dating scene and deeply sorrowful and affecting regarding the experience of losing her husband to colon cancer as well as the deaths of other beloved family members, including her sister and parents. Throughout, Couric maintains a sharp yet cool-headed perspective on the broadcast news industry and its many outsized personalities and even how her celebrated role has diminished in recent years. “It’s AN ADJUSTMENT when the white-hot spotlight moves on,” she writes. “The ego gratification of being the It girl is intoxicating (toxic being the root of the word). When that starts to fade, it takes some getting used to—at least it did for me.” Readers who can recall when network news coverage and morning shows were not only relevant, but powerfully influential forces will be particularly drawn to Couric’s insights as she tracks how the media has evolved over recent decades and reflects on the negative effects of the increasing shift away from reliable sources of informed news coverage. The author also discusses recent important cultural and social revolutions, casting light on issues of race and sexual orientation, sexism, and the predatory behavior that led to the #MeToo movement. In that vein, she expresses her disillusionment with former co-host and friend Matt Lauer.
A sharp, entertaining view of the news media from one of its star players.Pub Date: Oct. 26, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-316-53586-1
Page Count: 528
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
This autobiography might almost be said to supply the roots to Wright's famous novel, Native Son.
It is a grim record, disturbing, the story of how — in one boy's life — the seeds of hate and distrust and race riots were planted. Wright was born to poverty and hardship in the deep south; his father deserted his mother, and circumstances and illness drove the little family from place to place, from degradation to degradation. And always, there was the thread of fear and hate and suspicion and discrimination — of white set against black — of black set against Jew — of intolerance. Driven to deceit, to dishonesty, ambition thwarted, motives impugned, Wright struggled against the tide, put by a tiny sum to move on, finally got to Chicago, and there — still against odds — pulled himself up, acquired some education through reading, allied himself with the Communists — only to be thrust out for non-conformity — and wrote continually. The whole tragedy of a race seems dramatized in this record; it is virtually unrelieved by any vestige of human tenderness, or humor; there are no bright spots. And yet it rings true. It is an unfinished story of a problem that has still to be met.
Perhaps this will force home unpalatable facts of a submerged minority, a problem far from being faced.
Pub Date: Feb. 28, 1945
ISBN: 0061130249
Page Count: 450
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Oct. 7, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1945
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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