Web-Exclusive Reviews: Week of 2/12/2007

-- Publishers Weekly, 2/12/2007

NONFICTION

CELEBRITY SECRETS: Government Files on the Rich and Famous
Nick Redfern. Paraview/Pocket, $14 paper (272p) ISBN 9781416528661

This collection offers a roundup of the titillating, mundane, hilarious and unusual information gathered by government agencies—including the FBI, CIA and military—on more than 20 celebrities. Collected through Freedom of Information Act requests, this provides a quick-reading peek into the files of Errol Flynn, John Wayne, Billie Holiday and Princess Diana, among others. Each chapter provides a brief bio, explains why the government investigated and then lays open the file, highlighting details both juicy and inane and answering some frequently asked celebrity quesitons: Was John Lennon funding Irish terrorism? Was Frank Sinatra really in league with the mob? Why was Jimi Hendrix discharged from the Army? And what in the hell were the Kingsmen singing about, anyway? Frequently, the motivation behind an agency's interest is the most intriguing part of the file; Rock Hudson, for example, was tailed by the FBI because he was slated to portray one of their own in a film. Several dozen short entries round up the book, covering Lucille Ball, Jack London and the Sex Pistols, to name a few. This title is satisfying both as a repository of quick and dirty celebrity trivia and as a revealing cross-section of Washington's long, tense relationship with Hollywood. (Feb.)

COOKED: From the Streets to the Stove, from Cocaine to Foie Gras
Jeff Henderson. Morrow, $24.95 (288p) ISBN 9780061153907

How one of San Diego's most successful cocaine dealers became an award-winning chef—the current executive chef at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas—is the question that drives this sporadically inspired memoir. Henderson got his start dealing when his family moved to San Diego and he fell in with two street thugs. At age 25, after amassing a small fortune in drug money, Henderson was arrested, convicted and sentenced to 19 years in prison; once there, he discovered a love for cooking that gave him much-needed direction. After serving nine years, Henderson got an early release and began a series of grueling, occasionally demeaning jobs in kitchens, eventually working his way up to leading roles in Caesars Palace Hotel and elsewhere. Unfortunately, Henderson's story rings truest before he turns to the culinary; the fascinating level of detail in his description of the drug trade dissipates when it comes to the intricacies of working in and running a kitchen, lending his redemption a hollow feel. In addition, Henderson's casual reference to methods and equipment particular to the industry may leave amateur foodies nonplussed. While Henderson's achievements deserve recognition, this rushed retelling makes it difficult to fully appreciate his hard work. (Mar.)

THE CRY AT ZERO: Selected Prose
Andrew Joron. Counterpath (SPD, dist.), $14.95 paper (120p) ISBN 9781933996028

The prose poems and lyric essays in underground poet Joron's first gathering of prose are rooted in the belief that "we are living in an era…of the convergence of science, mathematics, and poetry." Of particular (almost obsessive) interest to Joron is the concept of emergence, important to many of the sciences and defined here as "a qualitative leap of matter beyond the laws of motion to which it previously conformed." "The classic example of an emergent quality," Joron writes, "is water, most of whose remarkable characteristics are entirely unpredicted by those of its constituents, hydrogen and oxygen." The idea that language is "an emergent property of social systems" isn't original to Joron (Fathom), nor is the idea that the "enigma" of poetry exceeds "the properties of its constituent words," but what matters in this context is the phrasing, the poetry, as it were, and Joron's is characteristically impeccable, lapidary, sublime: "Forgetting the social (whose booming echoes rolled over us long before birth), we are // guided through soft interiors of the word mass…." A number of shorter pieces include an appreciation of poets George Sterling and Clark Ashton Smith, the little-known inaugurators of a "distinct tradition of California Decadence," and a brief but intimate tribute to poet and mentor Barbara Guest. With luck this modest but beautifully designed book will bring a new wave of attention to Joron, who is among the most uncompromising, far-reaching, and underappreciated poets writing today. (Feb.)

DON'T YOU FORGET ABOUT ME: Contemporary Writers on the Films of John Hughes
Edited by Jaime Clarke, foreword by Ally Sheedy. Simon Spotlight Entertainment, $14 paper (224p) ISBN 9781416934448

The angst-ridden films of John Hughes remain vital viewing to a generation of writers old enough to have seen The Breakfast Club in theaters, and this collection of musings from 20 such contributors could be too much of a good thing for even die-hard Hughes fans. Standouts include Steve Almond's essay about his late-blooming infatuation with Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Ryan Boudinot's dissection of Weird Science ("a masturbation fantasy for boys who haven't yet figured out how to masturbate"). Most contributors, however, approach the same films (Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink and Ferris Bueller's Day Off) from similarly fawning perspectives, and the unfortunate result is a pile-up of overthought, underdeveloped essays with an ironic high school term paper sensibility. Elizabeth Searle, for example, pens a lengthy discourse about Molly Ringwald's scream in Sixteen Candles, and Mary Sullivan likens practically every Hughes film to Cinderella. Readers who, like the contributors, feel indebted to Hughes for enlightening their adolescence may want to pick this up and spot read it. (Feb.)

FLY SOLO: The 50 Best Places on Earth for a Girl to Travel Alone
Teresa Rodriguez Williamson. Perigee, $15.95 (336p) ISBN 0399533109

In her first book, TangoDiva.com founder Williamson uses 10 criteria—among them safety, transportation and friendliness—to determine a list of destinations for adventurous women, then provides the skinny on each. But before delving into her exceedingly thorough chick-trip dispatches, Williamson provides an incisive quiz to help readers determine the best trip for them. Dozens of global hot spots are profiled here, with an especially extensive list of European locations. Rating each of her destinations on four important variables—cultural opportunities, activity level, weather and social interaction—Williamson gives readers a feel for each city; true to her insider's vision, she even dishes out the home phone numbers of American ex-pats willing to offer a home-cooked meal (for a small fee). Other off-the-beaten-track suggestions include trying the Moroccan baths in Paris, and tracking down a bar in Beijing so hip it attracts British DJs—"From Britain!" Even though this easy-to-breeze-through guide offers information on locales as far-flung as Machu Picchu and Tokyo, a number of fun stateside escapes ensures that even "girls" on a limited budget will be ready to lone-wolf it. (Feb.)

HOMO DOMESTICUS: Notes from a Same-Sex Marriage
David Valdes Greenwood. Da Capo Lifelong, $22 (192p) ISBN 9780738210810

For those whose familiarity with gay culture doesn't extend beyond stereotypes and caricatures, prepare for a shock: this sweet, funny, true tale of same-sex romance is probably too tame even for a Lifetime TV movie; as Valdes Greenwood writes, "it occurs to me that I may have … let myself down by missing out on the hedonistic youth that everyone will assume I had anyway." A knowing, humble and generous narrator, Valdes Greenwood keeps his story of meeting and falling in love with his future husband—a "romantic life [that] has been as uncomplicated and physically virtuous as that of a Promise Keeper"—surprisingly fresh, even as he demonstrates that same-sex couples just want the same things everybody else does: "When Jason and I had moved in together in 1994, we had made three folders that corresponded with our future plans: wedding, house-buying, and adoption, in that order." Valdes Greenwood doesn't get preachy or overtly political about gay rights and marriage; rather, he lets his life with husband and baby—ups, downs, and all—speak for itself. It's a convincing, heartwarming argument. (Feb.)

I'VE GOT A HOME IN GLORY LAND: A Lost Tale of the Underground Railroad
Karolyn Smardz Frost. Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $30 (576p) ISBN 9780374164812

In 1985, archeologists in downtown Toronto discovered what would become the most highly publicized dig in Canadian history: the remains of a house belonging to former slaves Thornton and Lucie Blackburn, who, as it turns out, were key figures in the Underground Railroad. Fleeing Louisville, Ky., in 1831, shortly before Lucie was to be sold down the river, the Blackburns used forged documents to cross the Ohio River and eventually make their way to Detroit. They built a life in the "nominally Free Territory of Michigan," until Thornton was recognized and arrested, along with Lucie. Before they could be convicted and returned to slavery, though, the first racial uprising in Detroit—a crowd of friends and abolitionists who marched on the jail—gave them the opportunity to escape. Fleeing to Toronto, Thornton's case established the promise of the Underground Railroad: Canada's refusal to turn the former slaves over to Michigan's governor established Canada as a haven for escaped slaves (so long as they weren't wanted for capital crimes). Frost spent years researching this story, as attested to by 100-plus pages of notes. Unfortunately, the voices and personalities of the Blackburns themselves remain sketchy; Frost fills in numerous chinks in their story, using first-hand accounts from others in similar situations, but it still feels like the Thorntons have, once again, evaded capture. (Feb.)

NEVER SUCK A DEAD MAN'S HAND: Curious Adventures of a CSI
Dana Kollmann. Citadel, $23.95 (304p) ISBN 9780806528229

Fans of CSI and Court TV, your book has arrived: a chronicle of the most unusual, macabre and malodorous experiences from 10-plus years of crime scene investigation. Baltimore Police Department CSI Kollman has the enthusiasm, wit (she dedicates the book "to all the bugs I've loved before") and natural storytelling ability to make this memoir sparkle—not easy for a text devoted largely to death and decay. Kollmann aims to educate those with "a Hollywood mentality about a Hell's Kitchen kind of job," and to that end she accentuates glamourless, largely drama-free case-solving. Thankfully, however, there's no lack of adventure: Kollman gets her title from a mishap she suffered while trying to get prints on a bitterly cold night, huffing on the fingers of an accident fatality. At another scene, a rotating ceiling fan flings down grisly bits of a suicide victim's head; at another, maggots are already devouring a body as Kollman tries to get photos. Amid consideration of office politics and her long-suffering family ("literally sickened by my job"), crime-scene anecdotes can get bogged down in details; luckily, Kollman's bright prose, which achieves an approachable, chick-lit tone without sounding flip, makes this squirm-inducing tale highly enjoyable. Photos. (Feb.)

RADIANT LYRE: Essays on Lyric Poetry
Edited by David Baker and Ann Townsend. Graywolf, $15 paper (302p) ISBN 9781555974602

This collection of 25 essays by seven prominent poet-scholars—incluidng the editors, Stanley Plumly, Linda Gregerson and Carl Phillips—grew out of a panel at the 2000 Associated Writing Programs conference, but the end result is far more engaging and rigorous than such a beginning might suggest. Rather than trying to cover lyric poetry's many hybrid permutations, the editors wisely narrow their focus to three primary "modes"—the elegy, the love poem, and the ode. They then address four further categories, or "lyric means," rooted in core poetic "problems"—those of nature, beauty, people, and time. Approaching their subject from the shared perspective that "lyric poetry is itself a kind of persuasion," and generously quoting from numerous poems along the way, the essayists draw on their respective areas of expertise to discuss what quickly becomes an impressive range of poets, including Sappho, Horace, Petrarch, Donne, Keats, Whitman, Dickinson, Millay, Stevens, Pavese, Bogan, Hass, Salamun and many others. Despite the writers' depth and breadth of knowledge, the essays are eminently readable, foregoing critical theory in favor of a deep engagement with poetics. Though an advanced poetry scholar might not find a lot of profoundly new arguments here, (s)he nonetheless might enjoy the essayists' close readings and carefully drawn connections. Other poetry readers should find the book wonderfully engaging, enlightening, and at times, lyrical. (Feb.)

LIFESTYLE

ACTUALLY, IT IS YOUR PARENTS' FAULT: Why Your Romantic Relationship Isn't Working, And How to Fix It
Philip Van Munching and Bernie Katz. St. Martin's, $21.95 (288p) ISBN 9780312363963

Despite its reassuring title, readers troubled by romance snafus aren't completely off the hook; this clever self-help is for individuals who aren't afraid to confront their past, take some responsibility, lose their guilt and start breaking bad relationship habits. Written specifically for couples, author and columnist Van Munching (Boys Will Put You on a Pedestal [So They can Look Up Your Skirt]), along with practicing couples therapist Katz, gives a guided tour through the foundations of a healthy relationship, starting with the importance of self-awareness—a key component—and continuing through the process of reviving a romance. Utilizing common therapy jargon like "the relationship is the patient, not the individuals," and tried-and-true strategies like journaling, the text does resemble its predecessors and peers, but uses anecdotes and metaphors to elicit fresh insight, as in a comparison of the unconscious mind to a horror movie basement—a place where the answers lie, but no one ever wants to go. Though it's a bit of a bait-and-switch (the backpedaling begins with the introduction's title, "Okay, It's Not All Your Parents' Fault"), this is a welcoming guide that gives readers a long view of human relationships. (Feb.)

BACK TO THE FAMILY: Food Tastes Better Shared with Ones You Love
Art Smith with Mike Austin. Rutledge Hill, $29.99 (320p) ISBN 97814014602895

Expanding on the themes that made his James Beard Award-winning Back to the Table cookbook such a success—namely, its focus on comfort foods, togetherness and ease of preparation—Smith's latest, winning collection of over 150 recipes easily meets the standard set by its predecessor. The key to Smith's appeal lies in his ability to combine new flavors with comfort food favorites. Sure, there are recipes for staples such as Addie Mae's Potato Salad and Split Roasted Herbed Chicken, but his Sweet Ancho Rubbed Tenderloin and Caramelized Onion, Arugula and Parmesan Cheese Omelet are just as satisfying and easy to make. Smith takes great pride in sharing his secrets, which range from brining chicken before frying to adding sour cream to his pancakes, imparting both tang and tenderness. While not exactly revolutionary, the results will be for those who've previously attempted such dishes and gotten mediocre results. Smith even demystifies the oft-troublesome soufflé, and offers easy-to-follow recipes for everything from basic pizza dough to Classic Ceviche. Veteran cooks will probably have many of Smith's dishes in their repertoire, but those just starting out or looking for a standard, go-to cookbook will find this volume indispensable. Photos. (Mar.)

ILLUSTRATED

GEORGIA O'KEEFFE / JOHN LOENGARD, PAINTINGS & PHOTOGRAPHS: A Visit to Abiquiu and Ghost Ranch.
Edited by Lothar Shrimer. Schirmer/Mosel, $29.95 (80p) ISBN 9783829601030

This elegant illustrated book is an illuminating look at the life and work of celebrated American painterO'Keeffe. Visiting her in 1966 and '67 for a Life magazine feature, photojournalist Loengard photographed O'Keeffe at her two properties in the New Mexico desert doing everything except painting—a "photographic cliché" that O'Keeffe wanted to avoid. It turns out that these moments, which catch her sorting through boxes of bones and snake rattles or walking in the desert with her dogs in tow, tell us plenty about O'Keeffe and her work. The book pairs Loengard's photos with selected O'Keeffe paintings, either because the painting appears in the photo or because the photo's composition mirrors the painting's. In either case, the side-by-side presentation affords a rich viewing experience that elevates appreciation of both. One caveat: the only text is contained in a few pages of introductory material, short bios of each artist and some quotes from O'Keeffe scattered throughout. Despite a lack of analysis, those looking to learn more about O'Keeffe should relish the opportunity to step inside her world, and the sheer beauty of the book makes it a happy find for anyone looking to add an attractive volume to their collection. (Feb.)

FICTION

CHANGING LIGHT
Nora Gallagher. Pantheon, $22 (240p) ISBN 9780375424519

A painter takes a Czechoslovakian scientist into her home and then into her in Gallagher's sober and lyrical first work of fiction. (Her nonfiction includes Things Seen and Unseen and Practicing Resurrection.) Successful New York painter Eleanor Garrigue flees to the New Mexico desert to arouse her muse and escape from her cold marriage to her mentor. Leo Kavan, a Jewish physicist who escaped Europe in the nick of time, lands a spot as a researcher on the Manhattan Project. But after witnessing a colleague's death from radiation poisoning, a deeply distraught Leo goes AWOL from Los Alamos and turns up, delirious and fevered, near Eleanor's house. Eleanor, whose brother is a prisoner of war, finds Leo and nurses him back to health. As Leo recovers, the two find in one another reprieve from the war and their tormented pasts. Eleanor and Leo are marvelous characters—damaged but not prone to melodrama—and through them Gallagher touches on themes of loss, independence and intractable morality. Despite a sluggish start and some weak storytelling moments—Gallagher tends to pile on description, and some science-heavy passages could be better massaged—Gallagher's first foray into fiction distinguishes itself as an intriguing and spiritual tale. (Feb.)

CATCHING GENIUS
Kristy Kiernan. Berkley, $14 paper (384p) ISBN 9780425214350

Kiernan tests the bonds of sisterhood and goes to the well of family secrets and stunted connections in her easy-reading if maudlin debut. Sisters Estella and Connie grew apart early—Estella, a genius, began college at 12 and was the apple of their father's eye, while the younger Connie was blessed with good looks and a charming personality. Now in their 40s and after eight years of not speaking, the sisters are forced together to pack up their childhood home in Florida as their mother prepares to sell it. There are amends to be made and old wounds to be opened, and Kiernan handles the melodramatic moments with a light touch, though her prose can wander into purple territory ("It was as if we were both sunburned, flinching and shrieking at every touch, real or imagined"). Chapters that alternate between the sisters' perspectives reveal the miscommunication between them, and though Connie's self-deprecating humor keeps the novel from becoming too heavy, the climax is overdone and drawn-out. Still, it is a moving novel about forgiveness and the fragility of family. (Mar.)

NADA
Carmen Laforet, trans. from the Spanish by Edith Grossman. Random/Modern Library, $22.95 (272p) ISBN 9780679643456

Available in English for the first time in the U.S., Laforet's moody and sepulchral debut novel, a 1945 Spanish cult classic, has been given new life by acclaimed translator Grossman. The story follows 18-year-old Andrea as she spends a year with crazy relatives in a squalid, ramshackle townhouse on Calle de Aribau in post-Civil War Barcelona. Although Andrea is young, she isn't adventurous or carefree like others her age, and much of the action takes place within her extended family's dank flat or along the melancholic city streets immediately surrounding it. But the narrative is no less interesting because of this, as it leaves plenty of room for the larger-than-life characters that occupy the house to fully flex their gross vitality and charming decrepitude. The violent Uncle Juan and his manic wife, Aunt Gloria; the crusty, devilish, magnetic violinist, Uncle Román; insanely embittered Aunt Angustias; and an oblivious, antiquated grandmother each offer up their own chaotic storylines, while perfectly balancing Andrea's stoic, ruminative personality. To compliment their frenetic vignettes, Andrea's narration is gorgeously expressive, rippling with emotion and meaning. U.S.-bound fans of European lit will welcome this Spanish Gothic to the States with open arms and a half-exasperated, "What took you so long?" (Feb.)

AUDIO

CANDLES BURNING
Tabitha King and Michael McDowell, read by Carrington MacDuffie. Blackstone Audio, unabridged, 13 CDs, 16 hrs., $29.95 ISBN 9780786165438

MacDuffie reads this Southern gothic tale, which King completed upon her friend McDowell's death, with a honeyed Alabama drawl that rapidly grows tiresome. She puts so much effort into each word that the audiobook becomes more a personal performance than a reading of the book. Her voice, by turns exaggerated and grating, spills over the book's words, drenching them in a faux-folksy charm that overwhelms the authors' narrative. MacDuffie is technically accomplished, but her reading is simply too much, taking center stage when it should be content with remaining dutifully in the background. The result is attempted Faulkner or Tennessee Williams, more suitable to the stage than to the reading of a novel. Simultaneous release with the Berkley hardcover (Reviews, May 1). (Nov.)

THE FEW
Alex Kershaw, read by Scott Brick. Brilliance Audio, unabridged, eight CDs, 8 hrs., $34.95 ISBN 9781423315902

Brick does a nice job squeezing the drama from Kershaw's story of the American fliers who joined the British RAF during the early years of World War II, before the United States had entered the war. Modulating his voice for maximum efficiency, Brick treats each segment of the book as a fresh anecdote to be laid out for the enjoyment of his listeners. Dogfights, ocean journeys, military camaraderie and the ever-present threat of death are all grist for Brick's powerful storyteller's voice. If at times Brick cannot entirely decide whether he is or is not going to provide British and French accents for his European characters, hedging his bets with partial versions, his reading is nonetheless sharp and compelling. Simultaneous release with the Da Capo Press hardcover. (Reviews, Aug. 21). (Nov.)