Staff Picks Reviewer: Ben

Paul Taylor, Dancemaker [DVD]

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Paul Taylor is an innovative dancer and choreographer. He is known for his pioneering work in modern dance and his long career which began in the 1950s (he danced in Martha Graham’s company) and continues today. His choreography can be startling, beautiful, frightening, comical, serious, ornate, minimalist, and much else besides.

This documentary about Paul Taylor’s career focuses on the Paul Taylor Dance company as they prepare and perform a number pieces. We see the company rehearsing and performing, but best of all, we get to see Paul work with the company as he creates new dances. We are also treated to historical footage of Paul performing as a young man. The dancing is fantastic, and the portrait of this great artist is complex. This film is a great introduction to Paul’s work for those unfamiliar with it as well as a treat for those who have already grown to love the dances he creates.

Grateful Dawg by Gillian Grisman [DVD]

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This film celebrates the musical collaborations of Jerry Garcia and David Grisman. The film, by David’s daughter Gillian, is an affectionate tribute to the music created when these two musical giants worked together. Garcia and Grisman shared a common enthusiasm for bluegrass and American roots music, but Grisman had a tight and disciplined approach to the music, while Garcia was well known for his relaxed attitude. Something special happened when they worked together, as Grisman loosened up, Garcia became more focused, and each took on some of the best qualities of the other.

This film isn’t particularly rich in storytelling, and it is nothing special to look at, but it contains some good interviews with Grisman, Garcia, and their many collaborators, including Vassar Clements and Peter Rowan of Old and in the Way. The real focus of the film, however, is the music, and the camaraderie between these great musicians, and that is how it should be. The film’s editors often made the unfortunate decision to show footage, often in slow motion, which doesn’t match the music being played, but this is easy to over look. All you have to do is close your eyes and listen—and listening to these two play together is a joy.

Glorious by Eddie Izzard [DVD]

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I love Eddie Izzard’s stand-up. In Glorious he lopes across the stage imitating an evil giraffe, he runs in mock fright exclaiming, “I’m covered in bees!”, and he delivers a stream of unconventional witticisms, comical sound effects, and insightful observations.

Eddie’s jokes are carefully written but his delivery is casual and off the cuff. His jokes often rely on gesture and facial expressions, never more so than in his routine on “machines that lie”, during which he mimes the frustrations of making good toast and demonstrates the visual similarity between someone adjusting the tap in a shower and a safebreaker. (He ends this routine with a wonderful visual pun which I will refrain from describing—you will appreciate it better if it takes you by surprise.)

I don’t care much for stand-up, but I make an exception for Izzard’s smart, irreverent, performances. His shows are always entertaining andGlorious is one of his best.

Out of the Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis [Book]

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In this early work of science fiction (Out of the Silent Planet was first published in 1938) C.S. Lewis tells the story of a philology professor, much reminiscent of Lewis’s friend J.R.R Tolkien, who, while exploring a mysterious house in the English countryside, is kidnapped and brought to the mysterious planet of Malacandra aboard a strange space–going vehicle. The professor escapes his captors soon after they land, and he finds himself terrified in an unfamiliar world. His curiosity overcomes his fear, however, when he discovers that many of the native creatures possess the ability to speak and share a common tongue. During his time on Malacandra the professor learns much about the planet and its inhabitants, but even more about his own home, the Earth, and the place of human kind in the universe.

This is an engaging tale, characterized by a sense of wonder and enthusiasm which is too often lacking in newer works of speculative fiction. It is as much a fantasy story as it is science fiction, and with its exploration of the nature of good and evil and its Christian inspired themes it has some resemblance to Lewis’s more familiar Chronicles of Narnia, though it is a more serious, more adult book in many ways.

Out of the Silent Planet is a quick, enjoyable read, that provides much food for thought to those who want it, without weighing down those who would rather do without. It’s also the first book in a trilogy; those who enjoy it will want to continue with it’s successors Perelandra, and That Hideous Strength.

Rocannon’s World by Ursula K. Le Guin [Book]

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Ursula Le Guin’s first novel seamlessly blends science fiction and fantasy. Rocannon, an ethnologist, visits the planet Formalhaut II to study the native culture, and finds himself trapped when his ship is destroyed. In his adventures he rides on the back of giant winged cats, meets the various species inhabiting the planet, some of which have striking similarities to the men, elves, and dwarves of fantasy fiction, and must confront a mysterious presence in a cave. In Rocannon’s World, Le Guin explores the implications of space travel, faster than light communication, and the meeting of alien cultures. A powerful story, appropriate for fans of either genre.

The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury [Book]

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A science-fiction classic, The Martian Chronicles tells a story of the colonization of Mars through a series of short stories and vignettes. Bradbury imagines Mars as the home of an ancient and beautiful civilization, doomed to fall when it encounters the shortsighted and destructive people of Earth. Despite the gloomy prospects for all involved, Bradbury’s stories are full of humor, and make for a quick and very enjoyable read.

Interestingly, these stories have been the subject of several radio dramas and audio productions; I first encountered them listening to Relic Radio’s science-fiction podcast, where they are still available to download, and here at the library you can find radio theater versions on audio tape (Old Time Radio: Science Fiction).

How To Wrap Five Eggs by Hideyuki Oka, photographs by Michikazu Sakai [Book]

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This is a beautiful book containing handsome black and white photographs of simple products packaged in simple materials: rice straw, bamboo, ceramics, paper, and even leaves. The boxes, wrappers, and casks depicted in this volume are all hand-made and most of them are quite wonderfully elegant, from the humble eggs of the title, to utilitarian jars of miso, and expensive casks of sake meant as souvenirs and gifts.

The story of Vernon and Irene Castle [DVD]

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Based upon the true story of the celebrated husband and wife dancing team who popularized ballroom dance, this film is the most realistic, the most tragic, and the most touching of the Astaire-Rogers films. The film takes place in the years between 1911 and 1918, and the costumes and music are largely appropriate to that era. Most of the dance sequences emulate the Castle’s distinctive style—Astaire tap dances in only one number and Rogers not at all—and the musical numbers are fewer and more tightly integrated into the plot than in other Astaire films. Of course, the film still delivers what you expect from an Astaire-Rogers collaboration: Astaire is charming, the music is great, the dancing better, and the two stars may have better on-screen chemistry in this film than in any other.

The Ditty Bops by The Ditty Bops [Music CD]

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Now by Bhagavan Das [Music CD]

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Outlaw cook by John Thorne with Matt Lewis Thorne [Book]

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Outlaw Cook is a great collection of essays by local writer John Thorne. In its chapters you will find memoir, philosophy, social commentary, book reviews, and much else besides, all of it related in one way or another to the world of cooking. Thorne’s interests are wide ranging, and the content collected here is diverse, but the overall theme of the collection is that of cooking not as a means to an end (a meal) but as an experience in of itself. Equally important is Thorne’s emphasis on appetite and how it drives the actions of the cook. Whether writing about potato pancakes, garlic soup, or the search for the perfect pecan pie, Thorne’s enthusiasm is infectious and will leave you eager to get to the kitchen, cook, and experiment.

Luka and the fire of life by Salman Rushdie [Book]

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This wonderful book is a sequel to Haroun and the Sea of Stories, though it stands perfectly well on its own. Luka and the Fire of Life, like Haroun, is a children’s book, and like Haroun it is dedicated to one of Rushdie’s sons. This story is a fast-paced fantasy set in a world made up from bits and pieces of many stories, from ancient myths to Super Mario Brothers and Doctor Who. The writing is wonderfully witty, full of word play and puns and humour of many sorts; it had me chuckling immediately and erupting in belly laughs within the first few pages. Children and adults alike will get great pleasure from this book.