W&M ScholarWorks W&M Libraries Publications William & Mary Libraries 8-1-2017 Logical family, Armistead Maupin (book review) Kathleen McCallister William & Mary, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wm.edu/librariespubs Part of the Library and Information Science Commons Recommended Citation McCallister, Kathleen, Logical family, Armistead Maupin (book review) (2017). Library Journal, 142(13), 82,92. https://scholarworks.wm.edu/librariespubs/35 This Book Review is brought to you for free and open access by the William & Mary Libraries at W&M ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in W&M Libraries Publications by an authorized administrator of W&M ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. arts & humanities FINE ARTS 9780300225846. $75. DEC ARTS 320p. ed. by Adriaan Waiboer. illus. notes. Harrison, Stephen & others. The Jazz Age: Celebrating the 70th anniversary of de- bibliog. index. ISBN 9780300222937. $60. American Style in the 1920s. Yale Univ. signer Christian Dior’s “New Look” FINE ARTS May 2017. 360p. photos. notes. bibliog. ISBN collection, this book chronicles the his- Johannes Vermeer (1632–75) is the best 9780300224054. $60. DEC ARTS tory of the House of Dior through cat- known of the Dutch genre painters, whose The 1920s Jazz Age, an era of great social and walk photography. An overview essay by most prolific period spanned the years 1650– artistic change in America, also heralded a Vogue.com editor Fury discusses the impor- 75. His paintings depicting ordinary life are new design sensibility that was applied to all tance of silhouettes and femininity to the la- breathtaking in their almost photographic manner of built, manufactured, and crafted bel and how these themes have been reinter- detail. Though Vermeer is frequently por- goods, from hulking skyscrapers to intricate preted over the years. With text by fashion trayed as an enigmatic loner, this title, com- jewelry. As the freedom and exuberance of editor Sabatini and chapter introductions by piled by Waiboer (head curator, National jazz music flowed from the United States to Fury, the book progresses chronologically. Gallery of Ireland), reveals through essays Europe, modernism in design flowed back Quotes from fashion and other publications and visual comparisons the symbiotic rela- to the States. This jazz metaphor and inter- and the designers themselves describe each tionship among several Dutch painters of national exchange provide the premise of a collection. A look at Dior’s first ten years the 17th century. In addition to Vermeer, new exhibition at the Cooper Hewitt, the at the helm highlights the “H Line,” the Gerrit Dou, Gerard ter Borch, Jan Steen, Smithsonian’s design museum, of which this “Tulip Line,” and other collections. Yves Pieter de Hooch, Gabriel Metsu, and Frans book is the catalog. As such, it presents a col- Saint Laurent took over after Dior died in van Mieris are all represented. Formulating lection of topical essays instead of a single 1957, but his designs proved too radical for a comparative study of these artists, with continuous narrative. Coauthors Harri- the house. Marc Bohan, the longest cre- essays contributed by experts in the field to son (Cleveland Museum of Art), Sarah D. ative director at Dior (1960–89) fit well as accompany the exhibition in Dublin, Paris, and Washington, DC, Waiboer illustrates how they frequently drew inspiration and borrowed from one another, copying and perfecting techniques with similar subject matter. The 180 gorgeous illustrations depict side by side the different artists’ interpreta- tions of the same subjects. VERDICT A beau- tiful representation of Dutch genre painting and a true enlightenment of Vermeer and his contemporaries.—Sandra Knowles, South Carolina State Lib., Columbia LITERATURE Bloom, Harold. Cleopatra: I Am Fire and Air. Scribner. (Shakespeare’s Personalities). Oct. 2017. 160p. ISBN 9781501164163. $24; ebk. Beyond the page and stage: crime novelist Himes, Southern storyteller Maupin, rock legend Reed ISBN 9781501164187. LIT Prolific literary critic Bloom (Sterling Pro- Coffin, and Emily Orr (Cooper Hewitt) the aesthetic counterpart to Dior, as did fessor of the Humanities and English, Yale delve into the surprising diversity of style Gianfranco Ferré, with the unabashed femi- Univ.; How To Read and Why) provides an in the era, which art deco dominates. Ex- ninity of his designs. From 1996 to 2000, analysis of “the most seductive woman in all tensively illustrated by contemporary and the time was ripe for John Galliano to rede- of Shakespeare.” Bloom lists Cleopatra along- period photographs, the wide-ranging text fine the brand through more daring themes side Hamlet and Falstaff, characters whose mostly covers American consumption of such as “Chinese Pin-Up Girls” and “Barbie imagination and emotional capacity are seem- the pinnacles of design in the era, primarily Goes to Tibet.” Lastly, from the most re- ingly endless. Readers familiar with Bloom’s luxury goods ranging from fine art to auto- cent years, the work of designers Raf Si- Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human will mobiles, designer clothing, and interior dé- mons and Maria Grazia Chiuri is included. recognize his argument that our modern cor. VERDICT A specialized work that distills VERDICT With its lavish photography, this concept of human consciousness comes from broad cultural influences and social context comprehensive chronology of one of the Shakespeare, especially from figures such as into representative objects of beauty and de- most well-known and esteemed French Cleopatra. This is a close reading of the 17th- light.—Megan Farrell, Central Michigan Univ. Libs., fashion houses is recommended for those century play Antony and Cleopatra, with liberal Mount Pleasant interested in the history of high fashion.— excerpts from the text interspersed with in- Sandra Rothenberg, Framingham State Univ. Lib., MA sights into the characters. Bloom draws upon Sabatini, Adélia & Alexander Fury. Dior: his extensive reading to place the characters The Collections, 1947–2017. Yale Univ. Vermeer and the Masters of Genre Painting: and the story in context alongside the histo- Aug. 2017. 632p. photos. notes. index. ISBN Inspiration and Rivalry. Yale Univ. Apr. 2017. ries from which the plot was adapted as well WWW.LIBRARYJOURNAL.COM REVIEWS, NEWS, AND MORE AUGUST 2017 | LIBRARY JOURNAL | 89 ARTS & HUMANITIES 9781683581079. $24.99. SPORTS Manning rivalry in Brady vs. Manning and ball lineman who later spent nearly four George, former New York Times sports- Joe Montana’s first NFC championship decades as a professor of literature at writer and current SBNation.com national game with the San Francisco 49ers in The Oregon State University. He combined columnist, ultimately concludes in this Catch, revisits those three quarterbacks those interests to establish himself as the brief treatise that NFL teams gamble on and talks with eight others to discuss premier academic studying football in rookie signal callers because a franchise a father’s ability to shape young signal American culture, perhaps most notably quarterback is the most important slot to callers. The tone is inspirational, and the in King Football and Brand NFL. Here, he fill for a Super Bowl run. In what reads content is similar in almost every story— takes a focused look at the graphic depic- like a long newspaper article filled with a supportive father figure who attended tion of the game from 1880 to 1920, a commentary from current and recent all of their son’s games and often played period that witnessed not only the growth coaches and quarterbacks, the author the role of best friend. Myers sometimes of American football but the evolution of focuses primarily on the contemporary varies his approach. For former San Fran- illustration techniques and styles in the game, with nearly half the book cover- cisco 49ers quarterback Montana, dad popular press. Oriard’s four-part essay ing 2016 draftees Carson Wentz, Jared was the one who coached that complements this Goff, and Dak Prescott. The rest centers him in football and bas- lavishly illustrated volume on what a rookie quarterback needs to ketball; for current Tampa investigates the transition be successful beyond the physical tools: Bay Buccaneers quarter- from woodcut engraving communication and leadership skills, an back Ryan Fitzpatrick, suc- and halftone printing to open relationship with the head coach, cess always has been a bit cartoons and caricatures, football intelligence, a strong work ethic, out of reach. The strongest posters and magazine the ability to process information quickly, chapter depicts former covers, story illustrations and the knowledgeable support of a vet- New York Giants quarterback Phil Simms’s and paintings. Through this exploration, eran backup quarterback. VERDICT While struggles with a nonsupportive father, con- the author plumbs the cultural meaning there are several interesting quotes from trasting that with his attentiveness to his of the messages conveyed, especially as the coaches interviewed, overall the book less-successful quarterback sons, Chris they express the idea of excess, physically, lacks depth and historical perspective, and Matt. VERDICT This book suffers from emotionally, and spiritually. VERDICT A resulting in a fast read without much last- some repetitiveness and is more a tribute gorgeous and thoughtful overview of the ing impact. to fathers than the sport, making it a nice visual record of the early years of the Father’s Day gift. game. Highly recommended. Myers, Gary. My First Coach: Inspiring Stories of NFL Quarterbacks and Their ૽Oriard, Michael. The Art of Football: Savage, Phil with Ray Glier. 4th and Goal Dads. Grand Central. Aug. 2017. 288p. The Early Game in the Golden Age of Every Day: Alabama’s Relentless Pursuit of index. ISBN 9781455598465. $28; ebk. Illustration. Univ. of Nebraska. Aug. Perfection. St. Martin’s. Aug. 2017. 336p. ISBN 9781455598472. SPORTS 2017. 280p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN index. ISBN 9781250130808. $26.99; ebk. Myers, a longtime sportswriter who 9780803290693.