Smashbomb

"Poet Diane Di Prima wrote this book for the money in 1968 but is is still an unabashed portait of Beat and queer life in the 1950's to the late 60's. It is an erotic travelogue of NY in the 60's and shines a special light on the New York Underground when being queer, feminist and an artist was still a way to be oppositional to the dominant culture."

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Maggie Nelson recommended Close to the Knives: A Memoir of Disintegration in Books (curated)

"Published just before he died of AIDS, Wojnarowicz’s memoir is a classic of outlaw literature and political fury. Wojnarowicz — who was a great artist as well as writer — wheels through his wickedly difficult childhood, the deaths of friends and lovers, great sex writing, thoughts about art, screeds against the likes of Jesse Helms, all the while facing down his own imminent demise. It’s sad, funny, angry and transporting, a kaleidoscope on fire."

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Camryn Manheim recommended Life is Beautiful (La Vita E Bella) (1999) in Movies (curated)

"Life is Beautiful was a very big deal for me. Coming from a Jewish intellectual family, and also a family who was in love with the arts — and my sister’s an artist, and I’m an actor. Just mixing your brilliance with your imagination — just blew my mind, and I was fully swept up in the fantasy of Roberto Benigni and what he was able to accomplish in that story. I thought it was beautiful."

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The Chocolate Lady (94 KP) rated The Velveteen Daughter in Books

Oct 7, 2020

Laurel Davis Huber's debut historical fiction novel investigates Margery Williams Bianco, the author of the world-famous children's book, The Velveteen Rabbit, and her child prodigy artist daughter, Pamela Bianco. Huber gives us us a portrait of two lives, their relationship with each other and the problems they faced, both together and as individual talented women. Read more in my review here. https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2017/07/08/the-art-of-becoming-real/