AltWeeklies Wire
Steven Kurutz Goes Behind the Scenes with Tribute Bandsnew
Like a Rolling Stone concerns itself largely with Kurutz's experience touring with two Stones tribute bands, Sticky Fingers and Canada's own Blushing Brides. The dramatic core of the book is the bitter and bizarre rivalry between two aging Mick-divas, Fingers' frontman Glen Carroll (pictured on the cover of the book) and Montreal-born Maurice Raymond.
Montreal Mirror |
Juliet Waters |
05-23-2008 |
Nonfiction
Benjamin Nugent Takes a Hard Look at the Nerdsnew
Nugent dutifully tracks the origins of both the word and the aesthetic, in a two-part book that first examines the history of the nerd, and then wraps up with a less-interesting series of case studies of nerd subcultures.
The Portland Mercury |
Alison Hallet |
05-23-2008 |
Nonfiction
Abrahm Lustgarten Rides the Rails to Tibet on the Eve of the Beijing Olympicsnew
Lustgarten spent four years traveling to China and Tibet researching the Qinghai-Tibet Railway -- a 50-year plan to build the highest train line in the world and solidify Beijing's hold on the disputed region.
Willamette Week |
James Pitkin |
05-22-2008 |
Nonfiction
Dawn Shamp Celebrates 1920s Roxboro in Her Debut Novelnew
On Account of Conspicuous Women is a picturesque, historically thoughtful look at four young women who become friends in 1920 -- a time when women, recently armed with the right to vote, faced the new challenge of proving their equality with men.
'Bad Money' is Not Meant to be Pretty, and It Isn'tnew
Phillips argues that financial recklessness, combined with peak oil and the rise of Asian economic power, will doom -- has already doomed -- American world leadership and our standard of living, which depend on the value of the dollar.
The Texas Observer |
James K. Galbraith |
05-21-2008 |
Nonfiction
'The Open Road' Distills the Dalai Lama's Teachingsnew
The idea of loss as an opportunity for growth is at the heart of Pico Iyer's latest book -- a culmination of more than 30 years of conversation with Tenzin Gyatso, otherwise known as His Holiness the Dalai Lama, leader of the Tibetan people.
Santa Barbara Independent |
Elizabeth Schwyzer |
05-20-2008 |
Author Profiles & Interviews
'The Lazarus Project' Takes a Trip Through Time with a True-Crime Twistnew
Reading Aleksandar Hemon's latest novel is kind of like staring at one of those paintings where inside that painting is another painting of the painting you're staring at. And like those surreal paintings, it not only challenges your perception of the subject but brings the creation of the work itself into focus.
Chicago Reader |
Greg Boose |
05-19-2008 |
Fiction
Richard Bausch Looks at Life in Wartimenew
Peace is a short novel, and Bausch writes with the immediacy required -- whether he's describing the raw weather and difficult terrain of Italy or the harsh terms and ugly realities of life in wartime.
The Memphis Flyer |
Leonard Gill |
05-16-2008 |
Fiction
Dennis N. Griffin Sets the Record Straight on the Vegas Mobnew
From his consulting on the Vegas Mob Tour by bus here in town, to the speaking engagements he conducts showing scenes from the film Casino and setting the record straight, Griffin wants you to know the real story about the mob in Vegas.
Las Vegas Weekly |
Danny Axelrod |
05-16-2008 |
Author Profiles & Interviews
Lynda Barry Gives Us a Lesson on Writing in 'What It Is'new
What It Is is beautiful. If you've ever seen the illustrated version of William Blake's Songs of Innocence and Experience, you'll recognize the color scheme. Still, on my first reading of the somewhat murky, meandering opening section, I felt a vague unease.
Montreal Mirror |
Juliet Waters |
05-16-2008 |
Nonfiction
Read 'Bad Money' and Weepnew
After reading the new book by Kevin Phillips, a painful realization dawns: Not one of the people running for president is addressing how interconnected and serious America's economic, ecological, and security problems are. Worse, the bankers and hedge-fund speculators who created the credit crisis are financing the campaigns of Democrats -- the only politicians likely ever to rein them in.
Artvoice |
Bruce Fisher |
05-16-2008 |
Nonfiction
Humberto Caspa Chronicles the Fear and Loathing of Mexicans in Costa Mesanew
If Orange County is the Mexican-hating capital of America, then Costa Mesa is its capitol -- the crucible where anti-immigrant measures get debated, adopted, executed, and then mimicked nationwide.
OC Weekly |
Gustavo Arellano |
05-15-2008 |
Nonfiction
'Sex & the Soul' Looks at Sex and the Single Studentnew
Campus sex lives have never been more perilous and less fulfilling. But according to a serious nationwide study, even kids who know better feel powerless to change the hook-up norm.
Boston Phoenix |
Neely Steinberg |
05-15-2008 |
Author Profiles & Interviews
Retired Army Col. Ann Wright on War, Peace and Dissentnew
Wright joined the Foreign Service of the U.S. Department of State in 1987, and left in protest the day before the invasion of Iraq. Since then, Wright has been a leading antiwar activist and has now co-authored Dissent: Voices of Conscience.
INDY Week |
Bob Geary |
05-15-2008 |
Author Profiles & Interviews
Ben Nugent Reveals the Truth: Nerds Defy Definitionnew
American Nerd plays out as part vindication, part apology, and it relates his personal experiences to a range of social, political and historical images and ideas.
New York Press |
Jerry Portwood |
05-15-2008 |
Author Profiles & Interviews
