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Powell's Staff:
Five Book Friday: In Memoriam
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Every year, the booksellers at Powell’s submit their Top Fives: their five favorite books that were released in 2023. It’s a list that, when put together, shows just how varied and interesting the book tastes of Powell’s booksellers are. I highly recommend digging into the recommendations — we would never lead you astray — but today...
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Brontez Purnell:
Powell’s Q&A: Brontez Purnell, author of ‘Ten Bridges I’ve Burnt’
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Rachael P.:
Starter Pack: Where to Begin with Ursula K. Le Guin
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Customer Comments
Lois Henderson has commented on (5) products
The Lovers' Tango
by
Mark Rubinstein
Lois Henderson
, July 15, 2015
Smooth-flowing and fluid as silk, The Lovers’ Tango: A Novel by Mark Rubinstein is a fast-paced read that one would dearly love to consume in a single sitting��"the sensuality and suppleness of the text are ideally suited to the intimacy of the subject. In retrospect and through timely glimpses, the reader is invited to witness the attraction between the male lead, Bill Shaw, and his beguiling partner, in the dance of life that has now become one of death, in which Bill is ensnared as the most likely suspect. Central to the core theme of the work is the image of the Argentinian tango, the nature of which is described in the Preface to the novel. The dramatic nature of the dance is a fitting symbol of the life and death struggle that occurs in the sick room, which is later painfully borne witness to in the courtroom. Elements of the dance have much in common with the unfolding drama of the novel. The fact that the tango was originally danced only by women foreshadows the close relationship between Bill Shaw and his lawyer, and longtime friend, Ben Abrams, who comes from a working-class background, as, too, does the dance. The thrust and parry of the courtroom brings to mind the head-snapping action that characterizes the South American dance. The exotic nature of the tango can be seen as being embodied in the sensuous Nora Reyes, with the riveting first encounter between the lovers, which is described early on in the novel, totally sweeping Bill off his feet. The sensuality of the imagery (“Her skin appeared moist; I inhaled deeply, her essence filling my nostrils.”) draws the reader into the intensely lived moments between the lovers, but with the continuously present sense that they are living on borrowed time, as one is aware from the start that their love is doomed, with Nora ultimately succumbing to the depredations of MS (and perhaps to the willing hand of her ostensibly loving partner). Just as the romance of the tango liberated the poor from the squalor of the Buenos Aires slums, so, too, does the loving and erotic relationship between Bill and his wife lift them out of the mundane and banal to a transcendent state of ecstatic intimate union, albeit one that ultimately ends in her tragic demise. The Lovers’ Tango: A Novel should intrigue a broad spectrum of readers across the genres of medical thriller, courtroom drama and romance. The characters are so well described and have such appeal that the novel should attract a wide range of adherents from young to old. Mark Rubinstein is a well-known author of both fiction and nonfiction, with an extensive background in medicine and psychotherapy, which enables him to give great depth to his writing. His work deserves to be prescribed for creative writing courses, as many a novice author could well benefit from acquiring his economy of style, coupled with his breadth of theme.
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Philology: The Forgotten Origins of the Modern Humanities
by
James Turner
Lois Henderson
, June 25, 2014
The fluent and highly accessible way in which James Turner, Cavanaugh Professor of Humanities at the University of Notre Dame, recounts the evolution of the science of philology makes for relatively easy reading, which is especially exceptional when one considers the complexity of the subject matter of this 550-page book. Attention-grabbing from the start, Professor Turner begins his prologue by discussing a highly apposite adage of the leading humanistic scholar, Erasmus of Rotterdam, namely: “The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog [knows] one big thing.” He explains the importance and relevance of the adage to a central issue of this work: whether humanistic scholarship in the West consists of many disciplines, or just one overarching discipline. Clearly, Turner is a dab hand at unpacking multidimensional and intertwined concepts that might otherwise leave the reader floundering in the midst of an academic maze. His competence and ease in exploring a subject to which he has devoted much of his own academic career instils a sense of trust in the reader that this is an expert who is not only on intimate terms with his material, but who is also vitally concerned with conveying his understanding of the matter to his readers, no matter how new they are to the field. While in no way being condescending towards his audience, Turner explains even the most fundamental of ideas and practices in a pragmatic and fulsome way that gives heart and feeling to Philology: The Forgotten Origins of the Modern Humanities. Making no undue assumptions as to the pre-existing level of understanding among his audience, he animates and informs all aspects of the evolution of philology, leaving no stone unturned in his portrayal of the history of the discipline, from the time of the ancient Greeks to the modern day. Turner has a delightful sense of humor��"he manifests none of the academic stuffiness that is typically associated with the science of philology, and is, in fact, prone to take the mickey out of pedantic claptrap. For instance, he personifies the appearance of philology in academic circles in Northern America and the British Isles as tottering “along with arthritic creakiness. One would not be startled to see its gaunt torso clad in a frock coat.” The author traces the development of the science from its once “chic” and “dashing” form to its present state of apparent decrepitude with the ease and fluency of a skilled rhetorician who is a master of his art. He shows how, from philology’s once all-embracing encompassment of the study of all language and languages, as well as of all texts, the seeming deterioration of the discipline into its present attenuated state came about through its birthing of the many disciplines that currently comprise not only the humanities, but also the social sciences. By giving rise to a plethora of children, as many parents have done since time immemorial, it can clearly be seen to have sacrificed some of its own integrity so that it could give life to a host of new entities, each strong and growing by leaps and bounds in its own right. In addition to the present volume, Professor Turner has also authored The Liberal Education of Charles Eliot Norton and Religion Enters the Academy, as well as coauthored The Sacred and the Secular University. He is well-known for the depth of his professional insight and for the fluency and accessibility of his writing, of which the present volume is yet another memorable instance.
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The Salt of My Desire
by
Joan Schrauwen
Lois Henderson
, July 08, 2013
Strongly reminiscent of Joy Packer’s writings, but with a great deal more depth and multidimensionality, Joan Schrauwen’s The Salt of My Desire, set in South West Africa during the second half of the twentieth century, is remarkable for the multiple viewpoints from which she speaks. In turn, all the major characters have an opportunity to express their point of view and perspective on the central themes of the novel. The interplay between the various characters is all the richer for them being empowered in this way to express their individuality and knowledge in their different fields of expertise. Ranging from the Byronic hero, Nicholas Nordman Jr., who was born a half-caste child from a relationship between a local Nama girl and a Dutch farmer, but who was totally accepted into the latter’s household, through the leading female protagonist, Emilie (who is the key narrator, speaking in the first person, while the others are presented in the third person), Emilie’s Zaire-born minder, Shaba, to the Bushman, ’Ki, each adds a different dimension to the politically informed and romantic landscape of this novel. Joan Schrauwen has extensive personal experience of the South West African landscape and it shows, not only in her intimate knowledge of the various peoples of this war-torn and troubled land, but also in her sensitive grasp of the environmental aspects of which she writes. She is largely a product of this country, and has an amazingly perceptive and insightful view of the geographical, linguistic and political entities that have gone into making the country what it is today. Her linguistic command of the vernacular languages shows throughout, as she interposes expressions that are native to the land. Her overview of the relationship between the Angolan forces and the ruling authorities in South West Africa during the time of the Angolan civil conflict provides valuable commentary on the military and political events of the day. As an artist who illustrates her own work with line drawings, Schrauwen has an incredibly poetic outlook on the land and its people, which has more recently been shown in her non-fiction work, West Coast: A Circle of Seasons in South Africa, that describes in loving and familiar detail the history and biodiversity of the West Coast of South Africa, which she has now made her home. One feels the intensity of her vision reflected through the various characters in The Salt of My Desire. One of Emilie’s dearest memories is of “the scent of lemon leaves and dust after the first rains” and Nord (a.k.a. Nicholas Nordman Jr.), as a child, loves flinging himself down in the river sand until spots of mica dance before his eyes, clinging “to leaves and blades of grass so that the world shone with silver”. Schrauwen’s respect for, and appreciation of, other cultures permeates the text��"and, as she expresses her admiration for their language, their stories, and their heritage, you, as the reader, start to empathise more and more deeply with what she has to say. She comes across as a wonderfully warm, sincere and well-meaning person, and I have only admiration for the rich texture of her work.
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We Can Help Orangutans: Let's Make a Difference
by
Gabriella Francine
Lois Henderson
, June 12, 2013
This reader on orangutans is the first to emerge from the BBM Books stable, which was begun in 2012 with the intention of providing, among other educational and stewardship aids, books geared towards teaching children about the need for caring for endangered species that, without human intervention, would inevitably die out. Although the basic reader in this case is directed at conveying a sound ecological message, which will be of dire consequence if we do little, or nothing, about it, the tone of the work is far from sombre. In fact, one gains the idea that the author and her team have gone out of their way to make reading Let’s Make a Difference: We Can Help Orangutans an enjoyable experience to share with friends and family alike. Getting the whole family involved is the key to expanding a positive outlook in terms of the environmental movement, after all. All except for the single page of Let’s Make a Difference: We Can Help Orangutans, which provides a list of “some organizations that work to protect the orangutans and their homes, the rainforest”, are in full color. Many of the numerous photographs picture the young as they go about their daily activities of eating, sleeping and playing. The many different ways in which they resemble human children are emphasised both in the drawings and photos, as well as in the text itself. Just enough is said about orangutans on each page to make you eager to continue reading, making this book really enticing. Even on pages that largely feature illustrations, an “Orangutan Fun Fact” is included in the form of an inset. An example of such a “fun fact” is “Orangutans can get mosquito bites, too! Since they don’t have fly swatters in the wild, they use branches to drive them away.” Throughout the book, the orangutans are portrayed not only in relationship to one another, but also to their environment. The stressing of the role that humans have played in the shrinkage of their habitat, as well as what they can now do to protect the few thousand still living on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra is done in such a way as to rouse the enthusiasm of children to participate in the conservation effort. From the smallest task of collecting coins to place in a money jar, through to visiting the orangutans at the Indianapolis and San Diego zoos (and even abroad, if you are one of those fortunate enough to travel to Indonesia, and are within range of a care center), the reader is encouraged to invest their resources, no matter how little, in a way that will make a difference for this endangered species. For anyone who is keen on inculcating a love of wildlife and great causes in their kids, Let’s Make a Difference: We Can Help Orangutans, is an extremely worthwhile investment. A copy should also be made easily accessible through all school and public libraries, so that the message of conservation reaches even those whose parents are not environmentally enlightened.
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The List Lover's Guide to Jane Austen
by
Strasbaugh, Joan
Lois Henderson
, May 16, 2013
Just as in Jane Austen’s day, all proper young ladies had to be consummate letter writers (as witness the twenty-one letters that play a pivotal role in plot development in Pride and Prejudice), so is the modern-day woman required to be a doyen of list making (so much, in fact, that their doing so has become the subject of many a radio drama/comedy��"just think of BBC Radio 4’s Kerry’s List, for one). If you think of list making as simply being a boring or mundane chore, and as a rather mechanical way of attempting to manage your increasingly hectic lifestyle, think again. It truly can be fun! Such a sense of thoroughgoing enjoyment is conveyed through Janeite Joan Strasbaugh’s The List Lover’s Guide to Jane Austen. As befits one who is such a keen manager of aspects of the literary world that she was able to mastermind organizing the Jane Austen in the Twenty-first Century Humanities Festival at the University of Wisconsin, her latest book raises the art of annotated list making to the level of a new art. Not only does Strasbaugh list the details of many aspects of the great novelist Austen’s life (relating to her home, family and friends, among others) that enable one to come to a deeper understanding of her work, but she also provides valuable insights into her writing as well. Best of all, these are not simple lists of objective facts, but enrich one’s grasp on what made Austen such a successful author of universal merit and renown, by including a wealth of relevant quotations that facilitate one’s growing awareness of what gave rise to life, love and laughter during the late Eighteenth and early Nineteenth Century. The sources of said quotations are so various and varied that they provide a rich panoply of outlooks on Austen that could not otherwise easily have been incorporated into such a small volume, and in so easily readable a manner. The text is accompanied by numerous black-and-white illustrations that also serve to increase the reader’s understanding of the milieu within which Austen wrote. One gains the idea throughout that what Strasbaugh is attempting to do by taking what apparently is a very lighthearted approach to Jane Austen and her world is to entice prospective Janeites into a world in which she delights, for The List Lover’s Guide to Jane Austen has so many hidden depths that it is a provocative and stimulating work, despite its relatively slim size (224 pages in all). A work that deserves to be popular, The List Lover’s Guide could just as easily grace a young girl’s locker as it could an academic’s bookshelf. In short, Strasbaugh deserves to be commended for making a subject that has elicited so much intellectual debate over the years so accessible to all and sundry in the current day.
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