Marcel Duchamp: The Bachelor Stripped Bare, A Biography by Alice Goldfarb Marquis

 

The grandfather of postmodernism and a consummate trickster, Marcel Duchamp (1887-1968) remains one of the most complicated characters in art history. In addition to an intellectually demanding oeuvre, he made public statements about his life and work that were often elusive, even contradictory. Journalist and historian Marquis (Alfred H. Barr, Jr.) sets out to present what she feels is a much-needed objective look at the artist, the man, and the conundrum. Though she doesn't attempt to discredit Duchamp or previous Duchamp scholarship, she doesn't take his Olympian stature at face value either. Even Duchamp enthusiasts who might bristle at statements like "Duchamp's art, like tripe, is an acquired taste" will likely thrill to the previously unpublished interviews, letters, and bits of gossip contained here. This alone makes the sure-to-be-controversial biography a noteworthy addition to Duchamp scholarship.

Now reading. . .

 

The year is 2203, and the ruler of the Universe is chosen according to the random laws of a strange game under the control of Quizmaster Verrick. But when Ted Bentley, a research technician recently dismissed from his job, signs on to work for Verrick, he has no idea that Leon Cartwright is about to become the new Quizmaster. Nor does he know that he's about to play an integral part in the plot to assassinate Cartwright so that Verrick can resume leadership of a universe not nearly as random as it appears. Winner of both the Hugo and John W. Campbell awards for best novel, widely regarded as the premiere science fiction writer of his day, and the object of cult-like adoration from his legions of fans, Philip K. Dick has come to be seen in a literary light that defies classification in much the same way as Borges and Calvino. With breathtaking insight, he utilizes vividly unfamiliar worlds to evoke the hauntingly and hilariously familiar in our society and ourselves.

It's nice to be back!

 

 

Modern and contemporary art can be both baffling and beautiful, it can also be innovative, political, and disturbing. Closely informed by critical approaches, this book sets out to provide the first concise interpretation of this period. Jackson Pollock, Andy Warhol, Cindy Sherman, and Damien Hirst are among many artists discussed, within the political and cultural worlds they inhabited. The theoretical and issue-based debates that have driven the art of this period art along are followed through the key movements of Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art, Minimalism, Conceptualism, Postmodernism. 

Big changes are coming!

Besides the new décor, Book 'n Chat is going to reflect my taste in books more and not so much books for teens.  Expect old reviews to appear from The Traveling Library and new authors and series to explore along with the old favorites.  I'll use my library home page and other websites for inspiration.  This is going to be fun.  So find your library card, or juice up your gadget and let's get reading.

Now Reading

Richard A. Clarke warned America once before about the havoc terrorism would wreak on our national security and he was right. Now he warns us of another threat, silent but equally dangerous. Cyber War is a powerful book about technology, government, and military strategy; about criminals, spies, soldiers, and hackers. It explains clearly and convincingly what cyber war is, how cyber weapons work, and how vulnerable we are as a nation and as individuals to the vast and looming web of cyber criminals. This is the first book about the war of the future 'cyber war' and a convincing argument that we may already be in peril of losing it.

Zevin, Gabrielle, Elsewhere

Is it possible to grow up while getting younger? Welcome to Elsewhere. It is warm, with a breeze, and the beaches are marvelous. It's quiet and peaceful. You can't get sick or any older. Curious to see new paintings by Picasso? Swing by one of Elsewhere's museums. Need to talk to someone about your problems? Stop by Marilyn Monroe's psychiatric practice.   Elsewhere is where fifteen-year-old Liz Hall ends up, after she has died. It is a place so like Earth, yet completely different. Here Liz will age backward from the day of her death until she becomes a baby again and returns to Earth. But Liz wants to turn sixteen, not fourteen again. She wants to get her driver's license. She wants to graduate from high school and go to college. And now that she's dead, Liz is being forced to live a life she doesn't want with a grandmother she has only just met. And it is not going well. How can Liz let go of the only life she has ever known and embrace a new one? Is it possible that a life lived in reverse is no different from a life lived forward? This moving, often funny book about grief, death, and loss will stay with the reader long after the last page is turned.

Now Reading

In this first installment of the Birthright series, Zevin (Elsewhere) paints a disturbing picture of a not-so-distant future, when the economy has shrunk along with natural resources, and precious luxury items-like chocolate, coffee, and newly manufactured clothing-are banned in the United States. In crime-ridden New York City, 16-year-old Anya Balanchine, the orphaned daughter of a renowned black-market chocolatier boss, has more than her share of responsibilities, trying to keep her siblings safe and care for her ailing grandmother. When she is wrongly accused of poisoning her ex-boyfriend with tainted chocolate produced by her father's company, Anya faces one of the most difficult trials of her life. To complicate matters, she is falling in love with the wrong boy, Win, the son of a prominent prosecutor in the DA's office. Anya must decide between following her heart or fulfilling her duties as new head of the family. Offering the excitement of a crime drama and the allure of forbidden romance, this introduction to a reluctant Godfather-in-the-making will pique the interest of dystopia-hungry readers.

dys-to-pi-a

noun

a society characterized by human misery, as squalor, oppression, disease, and overcrowding.