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Rezensionen (2)
10. Sep 2008
The Not-So-Happy Island
First of all, Dawn Powell is my favorite American author. Upon discovering her at a used book store in West Seattle, I've been compelled to read almost all her novels, plays, diaries, and biography. So, this review is in the context of a report from a dedicated fan with the desire to pique the interest of the reader to go out and read her stuff.
That being said, The Happy Island is not my favorite of her novels, but I still
like it as one of her works. The view of Manhattan is a bit more bleak, the characters a bit less sympathetic than The Golden Spur and The Locusts Have No King, two masterpieces. But because it's her work, we are treated to a flawed but brilliant cast, a cinematic/pictoral talent that litters the landscape with
numerous vignettes rivalling the 20th century scene painters from John Sloan to Thomas Hart Benton; the description of a local Ohio train is a classic.
The storytelling/plotting is never arbitrary, never calls attention to itself,
and always in service to character development. The Happy Island looks at a nightclub singer, her 'crowd', an arrogant playright, and a popular society bandleader.
Read it, but read it after you're hooked on Powell's prose. Start with Angels on Toast, The Locusts Have No King or Dance Night.
10. Feb 2009
Swing Era New York by W. Royal Stokes (1996)
Charles Peterson grew up playing with many of the musicians that eventually became the subjects of his pictures. He had a unique entree into their world, a good sense of when to click the shutter. He was the first photo journalist to document the jazz demi-monde outside the photo studio, and his images from the 1930's go way beyond the cliches of the "Big Band Era" to reveal a rich, diverse scene with all sorts of combinations of musicians living fast and playing like mad.
The book is well-organized, the photos are nicely reproduced, and the size is good for an introduction into Peterson's captivating images. Hopefully someday there will be a large coffee table volume to expand on Swingera New York. There are lots more pictures to see, and they're just as good as what we have so far. But for now, this book is an excellent companion to the music of its subjects, and it makes them look as good as they sound.