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book reviews: recently read biographies
Kiss me like a stranger : my search for love and art / Gene Wilder
I love Gene Wilder, so I was very interested in reading his biography. It was a little flat in its delivery, but was engaging enough to be worth reading. It was very humanizing, as he's not shy about admitting his flaws (including infidelity), and I recommend it to a) Wilder fans, b) Gilda Radner fans [one of his wives], and c) fans of Mel Brooks movies - there's a lot of insider info about the development and production of THE PRODUCERS, BLAZING SADDLES, YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, etc.
Teacher man : a memoir / Frank McCourt
Having read ANGELA'S ASHES and 'TIS, I naturally migrated to the third installment of his memoirs. I heard stories of McCourt as a favorite teacher from my ex long before ANGELA'S came about, and that also naturally piqued my interest to read McCourt's point of view regarding his teaching career. Again, the author's voice comes across a little flat, but his growth and personal learning curve are interesting to me, especially as the daughter of an English teacher. McCourt skims over a lot of what was happening in his personal life during the time, but that's sort of the point - this is his biography of his life in the classroom, and it rarely leaves that setting. Recommended for completists, those interested in teaching, and those interested in a sideways portrait of the youth of New York City circa 1955-90.
Mozart in the jungle : sex, drugs, and classical music / Blair Tindall
Wow - reading this made me more glad than ever that I didn't pursue a career with my french horn! I have acquaintances who are professional musicians, but I'm distant enough from them that I wouldn't get detailed stories like this. It's an unflinching look at what it's like to try to make your living as a classical instrumentalist, and I'd categorize it again under "eye opener" both for a view into that life and as an diagram of how we've reached the sad state of arts education and funding today. Since she plays her oboe anywhere and everywhere she can, the book also contains insight into Broadway musical pit orchestras. For Boston Pops fans, she drops Keith Lockhart's name a couple of times in connection with casual sexual liaisons over the past few years, which might help explain Lockhart's recent divorce.
I love Gene Wilder, so I was very interested in reading his biography. It was a little flat in its delivery, but was engaging enough to be worth reading. It was very humanizing, as he's not shy about admitting his flaws (including infidelity), and I recommend it to a) Wilder fans, b) Gilda Radner fans [one of his wives], and c) fans of Mel Brooks movies - there's a lot of insider info about the development and production of THE PRODUCERS, BLAZING SADDLES, YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, etc.
Teacher man : a memoir / Frank McCourt
Having read ANGELA'S ASHES and 'TIS, I naturally migrated to the third installment of his memoirs. I heard stories of McCourt as a favorite teacher from my ex long before ANGELA'S came about, and that also naturally piqued my interest to read McCourt's point of view regarding his teaching career. Again, the author's voice comes across a little flat, but his growth and personal learning curve are interesting to me, especially as the daughter of an English teacher. McCourt skims over a lot of what was happening in his personal life during the time, but that's sort of the point - this is his biography of his life in the classroom, and it rarely leaves that setting. Recommended for completists, those interested in teaching, and those interested in a sideways portrait of the youth of New York City circa 1955-90.
Mozart in the jungle : sex, drugs, and classical music / Blair Tindall
Wow - reading this made me more glad than ever that I didn't pursue a career with my french horn! I have acquaintances who are professional musicians, but I'm distant enough from them that I wouldn't get detailed stories like this. It's an unflinching look at what it's like to try to make your living as a classical instrumentalist, and I'd categorize it again under "eye opener" both for a view into that life and as an diagram of how we've reached the sad state of arts education and funding today. Since she plays her oboe anywhere and everywhere she can, the book also contains insight into Broadway musical pit orchestras. For Boston Pops fans, she drops Keith Lockhart's name a couple of times in connection with casual sexual liaisons over the past few years, which might help explain Lockhart's recent divorce.