Book Description
Finally in paperback, the story of the musical revolution that happened right under the nose of the Reagan Eighties when a small but sprawling network of bands, labels, fanzines, radio stations, and other subversives reenergized American rock with punk rocks do-it-yourself credo and created music that was deeply personal, often brilliant, always challenging, and immensely influential. Our Band Could Be Your Life is a sweeping chronicle of music, politics, drugs, fear, loathing, and faith that is already being recognized as an indie rock classic in its own right. Among the legendary bands Azerrad writes about: Black Flag, the Minutemen, Mission of Burma, Minor Threat, Hsker D, the Replacements, Sonic Youth, Butthole Surfers, Big Black, Dinosaur Jr. Fugazi, Mudhoney, and Beat Happening. The story of the American indie underground has never been told in depthuntil now.
Customer Reviews:
Rose colored histories.......2007-08-26
So much of this book is tripe. What you get is a cut/ paste of old interviews alongside higly romantisized band biographies. Everyone talks so highly of Azerrad's writing, but that's just make-up covering a lack of substance.
Its not really a bad book, I just think its a rather pointless book. Like I said, most of these interviews have been around for a decade or more, and I don't really need to hear some fan-boy gush over his man crushes with seminal 80's rock icons.
'Cides, if you're into the bands, then you probably know most of this stuff already.
This book could be your guide.......2007-07-21
I don't know what all the complaints are about. Azerrad has written a solid account of the punk/underground music scene in 1980s America, and it is authentic, because he was partaking of the scene at the time. I still snicker when I recall big-media coverage of the breaking "alternative" scene in 1991-92, and slick magazine hacks writing clueless articles about supposedly groundbreaking bands like Nirvana (who played loud and screamed, like
no one had ever done before). Azerrad isn't about that, he clearly knows and loves the music of the bands he's chosen to profile, and as far as I'm concerned, having seen several of these bands perform in cramped clubs in the Decade of Reagan, he is accurate. And we get the warts too: his profile of Sonic Youth is not particularly flattering from a personal standpoint. So if you weren't around to see giants like Husker Du and Minutemen at the time and want to know how amazing they were, or if you want to revive your memories of those exciting years (when, to quote the Germs, "what we did was secret...SECRET!"), get this book.
At the very least, this book is largely responsible for the revival of the careers of Mission of Burma and Dinosaur Jr, so it gets five stars just for that.
On the con side: why no discography??
Has everyone forgotten how to ask questions?.......2007-04-16
What is it with books on hardcore punk that have come out in the last few years? This one is much the same as many of the others that have come out (the God awful Blush American hardcore, Dance of Days etc) The problem with this book is it's just painting by numbers journalism. Nothing is challenged.
This book covers some of the most well known bands in punk, Black Flag, Minor Threat, Fugazi, Big Black etc but the whole books is just a "Band started in year blah blah, made a few demos, blah blah blah, toured blah blah blah, split up in year blah blah blah. You may as well read the back of an album cover! How about asking some of these people some challenging quesions. How about putting Ian Makaye on the spot about the song "guilty of being white" (something only MDC have bothered to do over the years) How about putting Steve Albini on the spot for some of his numerous comments? Punk was (and still is) all about challenging. Speaking your mind what it seems to have become is just another form of music. Green Day and Fall out Boy on MTV, bit of eye make up, spikey hair, stupid clothes (t-shirt and tie) and thats punk. Now we have books like this about how the bands "stuggled to make it"
I mean for Gods sake! You have people here such as Husker Du, Sonic Youth, Buthole Surfers, The Minutemen and Mission of Burma. Steve Albini like him or hate him at least if a half decent journalist spoke to him (you would assume) he/she would find something worth putting to print. Even if much of this book is a collection of already compiled material Azerrad has to be able to find better than this.
I mean the title says it all "Our band could be your life" When I see books like this I cant help thinking of the Crass song "punk is dead" Amazing in that that song was written more than 20 years ago!
An interesting look at Punk.......2007-03-04
I'm not a huge fan of this genre of music, but as a very part-time musician, this book was recommended by a fellow friend and musician. I liked this book alot and found it education and entertaining, even if the subject matter was not of immense interest. This is definitely not the fault of the author, who did a fine job of making this subject engaging.
Thus, I found the read illuminating to no small degree. I learned alot about the roots of punk, how it spread and rose, and the end of it. By correctly defining the terms of the book "The Indie Years", we only see what happens to the bands in their formative years. Once they sign with a major label, their story is ended. This was both a good idea and frustrating one, as we see the birth and growth of bands, but not what happens to them (in most cases) once they hit a major label. Frequently, signing with a major label creates/expands both the zeniths and nadirs for a band and I would have liked to have known what happened from there.
Regardless, this book is well-written and a great read for any person who likes the bands included in the book.
Is this book accurate?.......2007-01-12
I picked up this book specifically because there is a chapter devoted to one of my favorite bands, Big Black. As I read the section devoted to Big Black, I was upset to find several mistakes regarding song lyrics and titles. The first was when lyrics to the song "Deep Six" are attributed to the song/title track "Racer X." The second mistake was the song "Grinder" is referred to as "Grind." This left me wondering how well-researched and accurate this book really is. If such simple things as double-checking lyrics and song titles slipped under the radar, what else has?
Customer Reviews:
Great Monologue Book.......2006-03-10
I love the reference chart in the back. It's organized by sex, then age, then emotion portrayed. It also gives a quick description of each character, so you don't have to read through all of the monologues. Some great choices, too! Great picks from little-known dramas as well as popular ones.
Not Spectacular.......2006-02-17
Good monologues are hard to come by. Don't waste your time with this one.
A great resource for student and recently graduated actors.......2005-08-16
this book is well organized and has a plethera of wonderful monologues from actual plays. It is not just a monolgue book but a reference to find awesome plays as well!
Useful and entertaining collection.......2005-07-21
Some wonderful contemporary monologues! Well-chosen and edited. Great source material for auditions or just developing acting skills. I'll be using one for an audition this week!
Great Selection.......2004-11-15
This book is great for acting students. I've used several of the monologues from this book with great success. There are some classics as well as some more obscure monologues. I would recommend adding this book to your collection of monologues or to use in the classroom for students who are having trouble finding material.
Customer Reviews:
A Must For Every Actor.......2007-09-28
As noted already this is not a collection of monologues but a resource on info on monologues and where to find them. As an actor I find this extremely helpful. Many books only have the specific monologue. To get a good sense of any monologue it is imperative that the actor know where the speech comes within the context of the play. This book, though suggesting monolgues, requires the actor get the whole play ... with that in hand, reading the play in its entirety should be the first step the actor takes..
NOTE: A new edition of this book is due out soon.
This is a resource, not a book of scenes/monologues..........2004-07-21
Be aware that this book tells you WHERE to get the scenes/monologues. It doesn't actually contain any theatrical content!
But, knowing that, it's a great resource. It gives a lot of info about each scene/monologue, and tells you exactly where you can find it.
So, if this is the sort of book you're looking for, it's exactly what you want. If you're looking for a book that contains monologues and scenes, then this isn't it.
Not what I expected but might come in handy!.......2004-05-05
I thought this book actually had 1000 monologues but it does not. The book has a snippet analysis of over a 1000 monologues so if you like the analysis given then you can go find/buy the monologue. I think it will definitely come in handy when my son needs a specific monologue based on character and/or setting and this book will allow for him to narrow down his search of which monologues fit the requirements of an audition and will save him time. I would recommend the book for saving an actor time in searching for a monologue but again the book does not contain the actual monologues as I originally thought that it would.
good source of reference but not what i was looking for.......2003-04-28
For an actor auditioning for drama school in Britain and looking for a range of monologue material, I didn't realise that the majority of auditons in this book would be American. A great deal of them require a New York accent for example which isn't appropriate when the audition panel do not want to hear any accent other than your own.
I believe this to be a good book and can see why others would find it useful but if I had known then what I know now I personally wouldn't have purchased it...a warning to any other Brits looking for audition material is to search around for books with more monologues from closer to home.
I too just want to reciprocate what one other reviewer mentioned and that is that there are no full examples of monologues within the book. It gives you the characters age, a brief description and the start and finish lines but not the monologue in full. Also there may be 1000 monologues inside but but many are from the same play i.e The Cherry Orchard (1M) (2F) (1M&F)...so actually the number of plays used is 300 in total. Also, many of the parts are for an older playing range - 30s-60s - i didn't feel there were enough parts for those of us in our 20s.
The ULTIMATE way to find Monologues.......2002-10-25
This is unquestionably the best book an actor can use to find monologues. While many people have complained about the fact the monologues aren't included in the book, this is actually a very good thing. The book gives a synopsis of the scene or monologue in the play, and tells you what publisher you can get the play from. Many young actors when they find a monologue in a collection memorize and perform it, without understanding the subtext behind the scene. This book forces the actor to read the play and get a strong concept of the character they plan to play. The book also mentions a few monologues and scenes which are heavily performed in professional auditions and should be avoided if at all possible. This book is a valuable resource if for nothing else then to get you looking at some new plays and authors, many of them relatively obscure compared to Arthur Miller and Neil Simon. With 300 plays featured, this book can keep a dedicated actor very well occupied.
Book Description
In this provocative and original exploration of racial subjugation during slavery and its aftermath, Saidiya Hartman illumines the forms of terror and resistance that shaped black identity. Scenes of Subjection examines the forms of domination that usually go undetected; in particular, the encroachments of power that take place through notions of humanity, enjoyment, protection, rights, and consent. By looking at slave narratives, plantation diaries, popular theater, slave performance, freedmen's primers, and legal cases, Hartman investigates a wide variety of "scenes" ranging from the auction block and minstrel show to the staging of the self-possessed and rights-bearing individual of freedom. While attentive to the performance of power--the terrible spectacles of slaveholders' dominion and the innocent amusements designed to abase and pacify the enslaved--and the entanglements of pleasure and terror in these displays of mastery, Hartman also examines the possibilities for resistance, redress and transformation embodied in black performance and everyday practice. This important study contends that despite the legal abolition of slavery, emergent notions of individual will and responsibility revealed the tragic continuities between slavery and freedom. Bold and persuasively argued, Scenes of Subjection will engage readers in a broad range of historical, literary, and cultural studies.
Customer Reviews:
Insightful.......2007-02-23
Saidiya Hartman, with "Scenes of Subjection" has penned a well-researched and insightful look at the interior life of enslavement, power, and personal freedom. Using copious first-hand resources, Hartman creatively considers how the every day life and rituals of enslaved African Americans demonstrates that one can enslave a body, but never a soul.
Reviewer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction, Spiritual Friends, and Soul Physicians.
Excellent.......2000-04-15
Scenes of Subjection provides a fascinating view of slavery and its effects. Hartman applies her brilliant intellect to this terribly important subject, providing the reader with insight and understanding that is sadly missing from other academic and non-academic treatment of slavery. This is a "must read."
Average customer rating:
- Insightful and uplifting
- Nonfiction bogged down by fiction
- Lost Names
- Korean pride triumphs
- No blame, just poetry
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Lost Names: Scenes from a Korean Boyhood
Richard E. Kim
Manufacturer: University of California Press
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ASIN: 0520214242 |
Amazon.com
From 1932 to 1945, the Japanese occupied Korea. Organized in seven vivid scenes, Kim's fictionalized memoir tells the story of one family's experience, as told by the boy. The narrative starts in 1933 with a dramatic iced-river crossing into Manchuria, when the boy was just a year old, a story the boy knows from the many times his mother has told him the tale. Next scene and we're in 1938. The boy and his family have moved back to Korea, where the boy is the new boy in school and is learning new routines like bowing his head toward where the Japanese emperor is supposed to be in Tokyo. He does as he is told, but wonders if the emperor knows the children are bowing to him, wonders if he's asleep, or eating breakfast--or maybe even in the toilet. He pictures someone knocking on the door, saying, "Your Majesty! The children, the children! They are bowing to Your Majesty!" and him saying, "Wait a minute! I have my pants down!"
A few years later, the children are told they need new names--the Koreans must renounce their family names and take Japanese ones instead. Later, his father takes him to the cemetery to ask forgiveness from their ancestors for the humiliation of losing their names. The scenes continue as the boy grows up, mingling the experiences of childhood with the history of the occupation, seen in the small day-to-day moments that bring history alive. Richard Kim uses a simple but powerful voice to evoke painful times, a loving family, and a strong spirit of survival. Lost Names is a beautifully written tribute to the people of Korea that is subtle, moving, and hard to put down.
Book Description
In this classic tale, Richard Kim paints seven vivid scenes from a boyhood and early adolescence in Korea at the height of the Japanese occupation, 1932 to 1945. Taking its title from the grim fact that the occupiers forced the Koreans to renounce their own names and adopt Japanese names instead, the book follows one Korean family through the Japanese occupation to the surrender of the Japanese empire. Lost Names is at once a loving memory of family and a vivid portrayal of life in a time of anguish.
Customer Reviews:
Insightful and uplifting.......2007-10-10
While reading this book I got the impression that it was a memoir. It is actally not so please be aware of this when reading. Considering that it is fiction the author was surprisingly "tame" in telling the story. I was expecting another depressing memoir of a family destroyed by the Japanese occupation. In Kim's book, however, the family's suffering is more subtle and their eventual triump refreshing. It's nice to not read a book where everyone and their mothers die a painful death. This book gave a lot of insight into the lives of Koreans during the occupation. It was also nice to know that not all of the imperial Japanese soldiers were as gruesome as they were in the Rape of Nanjing.
Nonfiction bogged down by fiction.......2007-06-15
The "scenes from a Korean boyhood" in this book, which are evidently based on actual events, are very compelling and convey powerfully what life was like under the Japanese occupation of Korea. So that's the reason to read this book. Unfortunately, these scenes are set in a kind of fiction jello that connects one episode with another by means of impressionistic accounts of the Korean landscape and so on. This sort of writing is much less successful, and you'll find your eyes sliding past some of it. Kim is not as skillful at blending fiction and nonfiction as, say, Dave Eggers, and one wishes the author had related more about the father, who had been imprisoned by the Japanese, or the grandparents, or even the village, which was located in what is now North Korea. However, that would be a different book. Lost Names is not difficult reading and is certainly a good place to begin learning about what Koreans endured during World War II.
Lost Names.......2007-04-05
Imperialism is something that is often associated exclusively with the West. The histories of the British colonization of India and the Spanish colonies of Latin America abound, but many fail to notice the history of the Empire of Japan, which held Eastern Asia prior to and during the Second World War. Richard Kim writes about his childhood experience in Korea from 1932 to 1945 in his book Lost Names: Scenes from a Korean Boyhood and focuses on the situation of Japanese imperialism on the Korean peninsula, and the effects of the colonization.
Richard sees first hand how Japan influence on Korea is affecting his family life, school, and friendships. The book begins with an image of Kim's family leaving Korea for a job and being stopped by the Japanese Imperial Army. This was the first of the scenes that were told through the eyes of Richard Kim. The book goes on to depict six more stories, separated by chapters.
Japan is painted as an outside influence, which is taking over Korea in a more passive way. The narrator describes the Japanese as not bad people, but people who are distinct from the native Koreans, and collectively more powerful and all-surrendering when it comes to their Emperor. This is shown when the narrator talks about how the books gets it's name, in which the Koreans are made to give up their Korean names in exchange for a Japanese name. Showing the strong nature of his family the name chosen by his father means "Foundation of Rock."
Throughout the book, Koreans are portrayed as being in control in Korea behind the thick wall of Japanese occupation. This is largely personified in the character of Kim's college-educated father, whose firm anti-Japanese standpoints are looked-up-to by much of the local community. In spite of this, many Koreans are portrayed to be people who are indebted to the Japanese - shown by the character of Kim's teacher.
Aside from the educated people, Koreans are portrayed as being unaware of the events around the world at the time, shown by the narrator's mother's obliviousness to the unfolding of German invasions in Europe and Japanese occupations in China. These chapters's focus on day-to-day event, which make it very important to the overall understanding the reader, gets of the depth of the effects of the Japanese colonization.
Overall this book was very informative, one is able to see the true impact of the Japanese during World War II. However, not every event depicted in the story is completely true is still shows a first hand perspective in a new way, through a child eye. I would recommend the book to anyone interested in history or the impact of war. Just keep in mind this is not completely factual, but it will give you a better understanding of Korean history.
Korean pride triumphs.......2005-09-21
This was probably my favorite of the books we read in the Japanese History course I took my senior year of college. Young Richard Kim spent the majority of his childhood in his native Korea while it was under occupation by the Japanese, who were not very nice to or tolerant of his people, no matter they were the majority and the occupying Japanese were the minority. There are many hardships and much prejudice he faces growing up, from neighbors, the government, teachers, and schoolmates, but he never loses his sense of pride and Korean nationalism, constantly being reminded by his parents (who are ministers) and his grandmother to remain aware of where he comes from, his identity, the sustained hope that the Japanese won't always be in Korea, and to do well in school and set a fine example to the Japanese, since he mustn't let those Japanese boys at school think they're better than he is. When WWII comes along, everyone suffers the normal wartime deprivations, such as food shortages and bombing raids, but it is especially hard for the Koreans in the midst. Young Richard is forced, along with his classmates, to bow in the direction of the Emperor each morning, recite an ode of allegiance to the Emperor and Japanese government, and, worst of all, to even change his family name. All Koreans are forced to change their surnames to Japanese surnames, although Richard's father is clever and changes their family's name to one with the root meaning "rock," which of course is a reference to Saint Peter and the family's religious faith, a reference the Japanese won't get. It's enough to take away and try to usurp one's culture, traditions, customs, language, and way of life, but when you take away someone's name, that is in a way the ultimate erasure of their identity. Even when forced to, at least on the surface, speak a foreign language, submit to foreign leaders, and follow alien customs, there's still the comfort of knowing your base identity, your name, is still the same, but taking it away makes this prejudice and attempted usurpation of Korean culture incredibly personal and insulting.
It didn't really bother me that some of these memories and thoughts are very complex and detailed for a child as young as Richard is in the beginning. Many times memories of traumatic defining events are stronger and more vivid and real precisely because they were so awful and traumatic, leaving more impact than something as mundane as, say, eating breakfast or walking the dog. And even if some gaps in Richard's memory may have been filled in by what he imagines happened or what his family have told him happened, it doesn't lessen the emotional impact of these events in the slightest. And I like how it was told in the present tense; since discovering quite some time ago that books can be written in the present tense and there's no rule written in stone saying you must only and always write in the past tense, I've much preferred books written in the present tense. It makes the events seem more real and gripping, full of suspense and tension, like constantly wondering what's going to happen next, living right in the moment.
No blame, just poetry.......2005-08-28
A beautifully written book that places you in Korea during the second world war. Fast reading, and well paced told from the POV of a very (maybe too!) wise young boy. Only thing that got me down was knowing that it ended just before the next war again wreaked such damage and havoc, and there was no post script. Definitely worth reading.
Book Description
Courtroom 302 is the fascinating story of one year in Chicago's Cook County Criminal Courthouse, the busiest felony courthouse in the country. Here we see the system through the eyes of the men and women who experience it, not only in the courtroom but in the lockup, the jury room, the judge's chambers, the spectators' gallery. From the daily grind of the court to the highest-profile case of the year, Steve Bogira’s masterful investigation raises fundamental issues of race, civil rights, and justice in America.
Customer Reviews:
It's a growth industry..........2007-08-25
Bogira has his biases and they are imbedded within the narrative, sometimes to the detriment of the story. However, the stories are so compelling (at least to anyone with an interest in the subjecet matter) that the book does not really suffer. Plus, by focusing on at least a dozen different cases, the action moves too quickly to get bogged down in preaching and a fairly accurate picture of the system shines through in technicolor.
Full disclosure...I clerked at 26th and Cal in law school working on the State's Attorney side. I agree that criticism of the office is warranted (an insular culture does exist) and that personal career aspirations motivate more prosecutors to wake up every morning than a true belief that the system works.
The idea of the system as a "growth industry" hits a perfect tragicomic note. As long as drugs are illegal and ghettos exist within the city, the "demand" which creates the industry will keep many of the sons and daughters of Chicago's insular and politically adept south side gainfully employed. Meanwhile the ghetto kids of the south and west sides have a higher wall to climb. The thing about this "industry" is that the public officials who pass our laws are the masters of this "business" in ways they can't master any other market. It won't ever change until the public elects officials who campaign on the issue of rehauling the system. The book seems to suggest this but the tone is much more journalistic instead of solution-oriented.
There are tough questions to deal with here, so I'm not inclined to follow the biases of some people who have posted on this book or perhaps Bogira himself that the system can be written off as an "injustice" or that we should all just up and legalize drugs tommorow and fund a bunch of afterschool programs. This book does not leave the courthouse much, so there isn't a whole lot of reporting from the front lines of these ghettos where the violence and drug markets exist.
Further, the book tends to delight in reporting any racially-charged remarks made by the state's attorneys, the judges and the deputies. Obviously this will cause all the righteous suburbanites in California, New York, the North Shore or wherever to get all worked up about the racist system of whites oppressing blacks. Hopefully, that won't be the only thing people get out of this book. The truth is that the men and women who work there and the men and women who walk the halls as defendants or family members of the defendants are on the frontlines of the American race problem and probably have a much more comprehensive understanding of race in this country than anyone who's going to lament the injustice of all the racists and then move on to the next book their book club will read. Also, what people don't get from this book is that most of the racial joshing that goes on at 26th and Cal is done to people's faces- it's a white guy to a black guy, or a Hispanic guy to a white woman, or sometimes even a judge to a defendant- some people see this as abhorent, personally I see it as realistic and honest. This is America and the race problem is real...at least to those of us who live in a diverse community.
Anyways, I applaud and recommend the book for jumping into the criminal justice system, compiling the stories and presenting a fairly accurate portrayal of life in the system. I'm sorry if my antennae is always up when it comes to racial hypocrisy.
exciting look behind the scenes - but sadly terribly biased.......2006-12-23
It seems to be an exciting look behind the scenes of a typical big city courthouse. And it is, the reader will be given an interesting and sometimes spellbinding look into the lockups, the backrooms and chambers where justice is being sought, sometimes found, sometimes not. Having spent many years in New York City courtrooms I can agree with the descriptions in this book.
However, every page is dripping with bias. You will find every liberal prejudice that ever was invented: The deputies are pretty much heartless sadistic roboters, the prosecutors overzealous apparachicks who waste taxpayers' money -and always are white, which is pretty unbelievable-, corruption among the judges is rampant -which is even more unbelievable-, and the defendants always are poor, disadvantaged minorities, who in the author's view are only victims of society and should not be held responsible for their crimes. Luckily the author found a judge, who pretty much shares this attitude.
The author only changes his view where the defendants are white. Here the judge cannot throw the book hard enough at them.
Once the reader has been numbed enough to just ignore this mantra, the book is mildly interesting. Sadly, as in most liberal descriptions of our justice system, you read a lot about the defendants, the judges, the lawyers, but almost nothing about the victims of the defendants' crimes.
Sadly, after a few pages you have already had all the information you will get. The rest of the book will only repeat the author's ideology. That makes reading this book pretty much a waste of time.
A Fly on the Wall.......2006-11-05
Courtroom 302 was clearly written by a journalist. It reads like an in depth newspaper article--a good one. Bogira writes as a fly on the wall, following Judge Locallo around from case to case through the Chicago criminal justice system, observing the real world facts of murder, extortion, corruption, heartache, and betrayal, while also bringing in the big picture facts of a social scientist.
Myriad stories are interwoven to show the bigger story of "justice," America style. (The quotes seem may seem more appropriate after reading the book.) The in depth investigations of each story show all the relevant sides and seem to bring out the truth almost every time. Bogira gives an honest effort at a fair showing of the facts.
He also does a great job with the statistics--de-humanized and telling. The occasional chapter of big-picture facts and statistics helps to fill out the human stories and show that they are not isolated exceptions, but mundane reality. The statistics indicate that nothing is special about these tragic stories, and that is precisely the point that Bogira wants to make.
A real eye opener!.......2006-11-03
Courtroom 302 is a frank look at the shocking injustices built into the very foundation of the criminal justice system. The judge and laywers portrayed are identified as some of the best of their class, and they can still be seen turning a blind eye to injustice for the sake of expediency. A word of warning: Courtroom 302 will shake your faith in the great institution of American justice. If you want to maintain your fragile illusions, do not read this book.
Courtroom 302.......2006-08-22
This book is a candid look at life in Chicago's Cook County Criminal Courthouse. It covers the day-to-day actions of accused criminals, court officers, public defenders, prosecutors and judges from inside the courthouse and lockups.
The book is well-written and fascinating, but at a certain point I felt that I had learned all I needed to know, and I was only halfway through te book. As much as I love hefty books, this would have been great if it hadn't been quite so long.
Customer Reviews:
Easy to read and a lot of variety.......2002-02-27
I was pleasantly suprised to find at least four monologues from various plays my acting coach had recommended all in one book! As a struggling actress it comes in handy to have such variety between the cover of one book! I definitely enjoyed the fact that these weren't just random monologues, but they were from contemporary plays and playwrights. That alone gave me the ability to explore avenues I'd never thought of taking when auditioning. I recommend the book for anyone who likes variety and strength in content.
Decent Read... Poor Resource.......2002-02-05
I've seen this book of monolgues in many places, and one day decided to pick it up and see if it was any good. I was looking for two monologues to use for a college audition, and this book helped me as much as a cold. Though the monologues are decently written, and may be interesting, very few are actually useable. Not recommended for those seeking a collection of monologues to use for acting.
Not if you want to get that part!.......2001-09-01
If you are looking for an audition monologue, especially if you're a woman, keep looking. I've seen some lame monologue books, but I ended up using this one to light my living room fire. The supposed "comedic" monologues sometimes start off with promise, but then usually fly off to left field and always fall flat by the end. The "serious" ones don't really relate to the human experience as most of us know it, so if you use any Method acting at all, or want to move your auditors, forget it. There are decent monologue books out there. This isn't one of them.
NOT A CHILDRENS BOOK!!!.......2001-06-14
I bought this book thinking I could use it later on. I am 15. I was wrong. This is a book entirly devoted to the feelings and actions of adults. It has nothing to do with someone younger than 21 or 22.
If you are a person who doesn't like language or to openly talk about your sexual life, then don't get it. If it doesn't bother you, then this is your book.
I can see how this book could land you a lead role. It does have some good monologues, but they aren't for everyone. Unless your trying to land the lead role as a 40 year old alcoholic with a bad sexual life, look for something else.
A bit eccentric, but good nonetheless.......1999-12-03
I have read this book and plan on using some of the monologues in some upcoming auditions I have. I was, however, disappointed in the fact that there were more for men than for women, so more than half of the book was useless to me. Be wary, some of the audition pieces are a bit eccentric and need to be edited for language (depending on the show), but for the most part I was quite pleased with what I read, and I recommend it for new actors and actresses.
Average customer rating:
- Queen of the Scene Book
- Great
- It's Great!!!!!!
- queen of the scene
- Very inspiring
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Queen of the Scene Book and CD
Queen Latifah
Manufacturer: Laura Geringer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0060778563
Release Date: 2006-09-26 |
Book Description
This little ruler of the playground has got game. Basketball, stickball, jump–rope, soccer–there's nothing she won't try. And watch out, boys, because she's representing all the ladies and has girl power to the max.
Queen Latifah, the Grammy Award–winning First Lady of Hip–Hop, teams up with the Caldecott Honor artist Frank Morrison in a celebration of spirit and pride.
Ages 3 – 8
Customer Reviews:
Queen of the Scene Book.......2007-08-16
The illustrations are amazing. My daughter has read this book over and over and enjoys it every time. Queen Latifah has created a sassy little girl -much like my own. I will continue to purchase her books for my daughter as long as she produces them. Thanks for such amazing books for my little girl!
Great.......2007-08-10
This book is great for little girls. My daughter loves it. It allows her to begin reading independently because of the CD. This book shows her that girls can rule the playground too. She love Queen Latifah. A must have.
It's Great!!!!!!.......2007-01-25
This book is written by a wonderful author, model, actress and singer. Queen Latifah is truly a role model for young African American girls.
queen of the scene.......2007-01-12
gave this book as a gift to granddaughters they loved it
great message for girls
Very inspiring.......2007-01-10
I gave this book/cd as a gift to a little girl (10 years old) who was going thru some self image issues. Her father tells me she enjoyed it so much and was so inspired she began taking classes in karate and seems to be very confident in herself these days....
Book Description
A smart, funny, insightful peek into modern China through the eyes of a "foreign babe." "For a real insider's look at life in modern China, readers should turn to Rachel DeWoskin."—Sophie Beach, The Economist
Determined to broaden her cultural horizons and live a "fiery" life, twenty-one-year-old Rachel DeWoskin hops on a plane to Beijing to work for an American PR firm based in the busy capital. Before she knows it, she is not just exploring Chinese culture but also creating it as the sexy, aggressive, fearless Jiexi, the starring femme fatale in a wildly successful Chinese soap opera.
Experiencing the cultural clashes in real life while performing a fictional version onscreen, DeWoskin forms a group of friends with whom she witnesses the vast changes sweeping through China as the country pursues the new maxim, "to get rich is glorious." In only a few years, China's capital is transformed. With "considerable cultural and linguistic resources" (The New Yorker), DeWoskin captures Beijing at this pivotal juncture in her "intelligent, funny memoir" (People), and "readers will feel lucky to have sharp-eyed, yet sisterly, DeWoskin sitting in the driver's seat"(Elle). Reading group guide included.
Customer Reviews:
overall good ride, watch out for potholes.......2007-07-08
First off, cons: this book does not have a story arc because it is a memoir, so the end is a little anticlimactic (sp?). Also, not to give any plot away but there are some parts where you may find yourself not liking the narrator or wishing she didn't do/say X/Y. Some people may find this book a little gimicky or overly self-promoting.
The pros: a thoughtful account of one person's experience in China. I say one person because this is definitely not The Definitive China. For different takes see River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze (P.S.), Iron and Silk, and The Early Arrival of Dreams: A Year in China among others. River Town especially though.
This book, though, is a little on the lighter side. Entertaining and not nearly as sordid as the cover would have you believe. The first time I read this book on the recommendation of a professor, before I went to China to study for 6 months. Coming back, it was assigned by the same professor for a class. We especially discussed the term "nuance paralysis" that she has coined to explain the movie-star like feeling life has when one lives in a foreign country whose language and culture one does not entirely understand. It actually was really well suited to an academic discussion of how one approaches life/travel in a foreign country. Overall highly recommended, along with a grain of salt.
First-person cultural perspective of China.......2007-04-30
This was a unique introduction to Chinese culture that I have been looking for given an upcoming trip in 2008. There are numerous books on how the economy, businesses, politics, etc. of China have changed and how they have affected the world around them. However, this perspective rings true because you come to the realization that world governments represent the interests of their people yet rarely do they give an accurate portrayal in what those people are like. You get a sense of how far China has come and yet how far it still has to go. This may sound incredibly condescending but on the flip side, the outside world has come a long way in understanding China yet still has a long way to go. It was also great to learn a few Mandarin phrases in pinyin which you practice saying to yourself while reading. It is a refreshing departure from more supposedly scholarly books about China.
Great for ex-laowai
.......2007-01-12
I loved this book! But, like some of the other readers with positive reviews, I went into it slightly biased. Her descriptions of a expats life in Beijing are dead on and really reminded me of when I was in China. I found the things she went through, people she talked to, Chinese words she used, and feelings she had very amusingly familiar and had a hard time putting this book down.
That being said, I'm not sure if someone who hasn't spent time in Beijing (or China) would really appreciate this book.
Foreign Babes in Beijing:Behind the Scenes of a new China.......2006-11-10
Rachel DeWoskin's move to Beijing was brave and adventurous; but she did not tell the story of her escapades well enough to engage me with any element of her memoir. The sexual trysts were less than reviting, and the book was promoted as akin to "Sex in the City". Hardly. The front cover was far more titillating than the pages following. I completed the book due to my"once started, must finish a book rule"; and it was a book club selection. Rachel's writing style didn't capture the elements that might have made it a great read. It should have been a sophisticated story; however, the writing style didn't catch it. Sorry!
This is the worst piece of trash- do not waste your money.......2006-04-23
I really had to laugh reading the other lengthy online "reviews" about this book. I have doubts the other reviewers even read the whole book (it sounds like they read the dust jackets).I have a feeling this book was published only becuase there are so few "armchair" travel books or modern memoirs of China that it's lack of quality is overcome by the fact there is no competition.
Ms. De Woskin writes this self-indulgent book with a "gee-whiz" look how lucky-I-am self promotion that comes out clearly in the text. The entire book is disingenous- as if we are all to belive that cunning and shrewdness are not involved in landing a starring role in a tv series and her quick ascent in a foreign corporations corporate ladder. And her idiotic lacing of factoids on Chinese history reads like an seventh graders poor essay "On China".
What is utterly galling is her revelation that due to so-called "prior travel arrangements" she could not stay in China for the funeral of one of her best friends whom she was with on the night of his death and then exploits his story for her book-suggesting he had "shady" business dealings and sordidly tattle-telling his sex life.Give me a break, Rachel, lots of people have lived abroad, if you were shrewd enough to achieve everthything else you certainly could have managed a phone call to the airlines for something so important. But no better to exploit the story than actually have to be a real human being.Your parents should be ashamed and your readers along with them.
Incredibly enough the author tells us her childhood was spent visiting China. How ridiculous is this claim when every one of her experiences with the Chinese quotodienne (sp?) is simply a rehash comparison of "it's not like this in America". One would think at least one prior trip to the country would have elevated the discourse.
This book is a WASTE Of time and money from a ridiculous, immoral human being. It would have been more aptly titled "How I did a Chinese guy and the crickets taste like chicken : a memoir from an overly self-involved, overeducated jerk.
Do not buy this book if you want travel info get National Georgrapgic travel book on China and read up Pearl S. Buck.
Customer Reviews:
It was an inspiration!.......2003-11-16
This is truly an absorbing book, whether or not you sew or make quilts. What a wonderful experience the 'stunt quilters' must have had - how exciting to work with world-class actors in a first-class production! The book is not really a pattern book, but it is a great read, and it does contain two patterns. If you want to begin quilt making, or if you need an inspiration for your next project, this book may do the trick.
I purchased this book in 1996, to add to my collection of quilt books (let's face it, I love books!). It truly was an inspiration to me for my first two real quilts! I used the rail fence quilt (autograph)idea for my daughter's wedding. The center is an embroidered copy of the wedding program cover design, and the blocks were used instead of a guest book at the reception, mounted on freezer paper in a photo album. Other blocks contain titles of songs from the wedding and reception, names of the bridal party etc.
In 2000, I used the pattern for Anna's baby quilt to make my grandson his first quilt. It was a challenge (mainly because I really did not know how to foundation piece), but turned out beautifully.
In addition, I used the crazy quilt idea to fashion a velvet and silk vest for a Christmas party. This is a lot of work, but wonderful to look at. You must truly love hand-sewing.
Read this book, and feel your creative juices start to flow!
Behind-the-scenes tidbits - plus patterns.......2002-08-10
"Pieces of an American Quilt" seems to fall into a category all its own. The book isn't really a quilt pattern book--although it has instructions for how to make several quilts seen in the film. And it isn't really a "making of" or movie trivia book--although it contains those elements as well.
Author and quilter Patty McCormick provides an interesting Hollywood outsider's perspective on the making of one of my favorite movies. McCormick is so NOT a movie person that when she gets a phone call to provide technical quilt assistance for "How to Make an American Quilt," she doesn't recognize the name of Steven Spielberg's production company. Her tales of how the movie's quilts were designed and created are quite fun to read.
Although the quilts were an integral part of the film, several specially created quilts appear on screen so briefly that getting the opportunity to study photos of them is a treat. Learning what happened to a few--such as the well-loved crazy-patch quilt that young Finn clutches while sitting underneath the quilting frame--was a bit like hearing fingernails grate down a chalkboard.
McCormick provides patterns for both the "Where Love Resides" Baltimore album quilt that the quilting circle works on throughout the film, and Anna's baby quilt featuring African animals. I didn't buy it ever planning to make either quilt, but those monkeys, lions and giraffes are rather growing on me. Perhaps someday.
5-star plus.......1999-06-22
This is a great fun book, full of life. The author describes the role that she and her "stunt quilters" played in the filming of the movie, How To Make An American quilt starring Winona Ryder. Quilters who loved the movie (based on the book by Whitney Otto) will love McCormick's book too. It contains full-sized patterns for several of the quilts you see in the movie, with all the details you never notice in the film.
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