Book picks similar to
Calm Things: Essays by Shawna Lemay


essays
literary-non-fiction
personal-essays
art

Backwoods Genius


Julia Scully - 2012
    After his death, the contents of his studio, including thousands of glass negatives, were sold off for five dollars. For years the fragile negatives sat forgotten and deteriorating in cardboard boxes in an open carport. How did it happen, then, that the most implausible of events took place? That Disfarmer’s haunting portraits were retrieved from oblivion, that today they sell for upwards of $12,000 each at posh New York art galleries; his photographs proclaimed works of art by prestigious critics and journals and exhibited around the world? The story of Disfarmer’s rise to fame is a colorful, improbable, and ultimately fascinating one that involves an unlikely assortment of individuals. Would any of this have happened if a young New York photographer hadn't been so in love with a pretty model that he was willing to give up his career for her; if a preacher’s son from Arkansas hadn't spent 30 years in the Army Corps of Engineers mapping the U.S. from an airplane; if a magazine editor hadn't felt a strange and powerful connection to the work? The cast of characters includes these, plus a restless and wealthy young Chicago aristocrat and even a grandson of FDR. It’s a compelling story which reveals how these diverse people were part of a chain of events whose far-reaching consequences none of them could have foreseen, least of all the strange and reclusive genius of Heber Springs. Until now, the whole story has not been told.

Cappuccino and Chick-Chat


Debbie Viggiano - 2019
    I’m the ditzy one that gives blondes a bad name’. Cappuccino and Chick-Chat is a riotous read about Debbie Viggiano’s candid observations in her often-chaotic world. Whether it’s losing her car, attempting cosmic ordering, freaking herself out manifesting a can of cola, or buying sweaters in shades that flatter her frequently flushed face, Debbie takes her reader on a madcap journey while trying to see the lighter side of life. It’s the perfect bedtime read. What readers are saying about Debbie’s books: ‘My favourite book this year… had me literally LAUGHING OUT LOUD… This book had me laughing and crying. I loved it and recommend it for everyone!’ Being Miss Meg, 5 stars ‘Absolutely hilarious. It is so easy for any woman to relate to this book… sooooo good. I read this in just a few hours as I simply couldn’t put it down. Go and grab your copy now. It’s one everyone will be talking about this year.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars ‘Wow!... Honest, heartfelt and totally hilarious! Such an amazing read, I found myself either smiling or laughing constantly... Bl**dy brilliant!! I love it!... a must read for every woman this summer.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars ‘Made me smile, giggle and laugh out loud. I loved it and would recommend it to anyone.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars ‘Funny from the very beginning until the end, and there were some laugh out loud moments which I loved… I was reading this at 2am!... had me giggling away. I ended up reading this in one sitting, I just couldn't put it down. Thanks for one hell of a laugh Debbie!’The Bookend Reviews, 5 stars ‘Loved this book from the very first word.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars ‘My first read of Debbie Viggiano, and I can't wait to read more!... Entertaining from beginning to end.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars ‘Funny from beginning to end… quite often had me nodding in recognition of some of the situations.’ A Good Book and a Brew, 5 stars ‘OMGoodness – what a treat… a chuckly book, with a light heart.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars ‘This author certainly knows how to make you laugh.’ 5 stars, B for Book Review,

Steve Jobs Graduation Speech


Steve Jobs - 2011
    Here, word for word is that amazing speech to inspire you to find what it is that you "Love".

A.A. Gill is Further Away: Helping with Enquiries


A.A. Gill - 2011
    His book includes essays on Sudan, India, Cuba, Germany and California. In each piece, there is a central image as the key to unlocking the personality of a place.

The Book of Eleven


Amy Krouse Rosenthal - 1998
    Forget about Letterman's Top Ten, Amy Krouse Rosenthal's random ponderings on quirky topics are refreshingly clever and zany. Her humor is of the great everyday observational type that everyone can relate to.

Eating Chocolates and Dancing in the Kitchen: Sketches of Marriage and Family


Tom Plummer - 1997
    Certain to keep readers laughing even as they are nodding over the truth of the portrayals, there are glimpses of oneself or someone you know around every turn.

The 10 Rules Of Rock And Roll


Robert Forster - 2009
    My list goes: The Velvet Underground, The Byrds, The Beach Boys, The Doors, and then I stall on the fifth. Creedence? The Band - although they're mostly Canadian. Simon and Garfunkel? Jefferson Airplane? The Lovin' Spoonful? But I plump for The Monkees."-Robert Forster In The 10 Rules of Rock and Roll, Robert Forster takes readers on an exhilarating trip through the past and present of popular music - from Bob Dylan, AC/DC and Nana Mouskouri through to Cat Power, Franz Ferdinand and ... Delta Goodrem. To accompany Forster's acclaimed writing for The Monthly, there are some stunning new pieces - 'The 10 Rules' and 'The 10 Bands I Wish I'd Been In' and an appreciation of Guy Clark - as well as a reflection on The Velvet Underground, a short story about Normie Rowe and a moving tribute to fellow Go-Between Grant McLennan. Funny and illuminating, The 10 Rules of Rock and Roll shows a great critic at work.

Gaudier-Brzeska: A Memoir


Ezra Pound - 1916
    An enlarged edition, including thirty pages of illustrations (sculpture and drawings) as well as Pound's later pieces on Gaudier, was brought out in 1970, and is now re-issued as an ND Paperbook. The memoir is valuable both for the history of modern art and for what it shows us of Pound himself, his ability to recognize genius in others and then to publicize it effectively. Would there today be a Salle Gaudier-Brzeska in the Musée de L'Art Moderne in Paris if Pound had not championed him? Gaudier's talent was impressive and his Vorticist aesthetic important as theory, but he was killed in World War I at the age of twenty-three, leaving only a small body of work. Pound knew Gaudier in London, where the young artist had come with his companion, the Polish-born Sophie Brzeska. whose name he added to his own. They were living in poverty when Pound bought Gaudier the stone from which the famous "hieratic head" of the poet was made. Pound arranged exhibitions and for the publication of Gaudier's manifestoes in Blast and The Egoist. And he wrote and sent packages to him in the trenches, where Gaudier––a sculptor to the last––carved a madonna and child from the butt of a captured German rifle, just two days before he died.

Falling Cars and Junkyard Dogs


Jay Farrar - 2013
    Recollections of Farrar's father are prominent throughout the stories. Ultimately, it is music and musicians that are given the most space and the final word since music has been the creative impetus and driving force for the past 35 years of his life.In writing these stories, he found a natural inclination to focus on very specific experiences; a method analogous to the songwriting process. The highlights and pivotal experiences from that musical journey are all represented as the binding thread in these stories, illustrated throughout with photography from his life. If life is a movie, then these stories are the still frames.

Anyone Can Draw Anime (Aspiring artist's guide: manga and anime)


Robby Bishop - 2021
    This is a great how to draw book for kids!In this beginners drawing book, every mini drawing lesson is broken down into easy to follow step by step instructions.Let your kids learn to draw because kids that draw:✅ Develops Fine Motor Skills✅ Encourages Visual Analysis✅ Helps Establish Concentration✅ Improves Hand-Eye Coordination✅ Increases Individual Confidence✅ Teaches Creative Problem SolvingThis learn to draw books for kids is perfect for kids 09 - 12, but also for kids age 04 - 08 with a high interest in drawing will be able to follow the instructions easily as well.This How to Draw Anime: Step by Step beginners drawing for kids is the only sketch book for kids you'll need to turn your kids' creativity into artistic confidence, by having them learn how to draw cool stuff!

Babble


Charles Saatchi - 2013
    From 'The hideousness of the art world', 'Being thick is no obstacle to being a successful artist' and 'Painting is a blind man's obsession'; to 'Socialising for party duds', 'Love may be blind, but marriage is an eye-opener' and 'If it can't be explained by science, try a seance'.

Tracey Emin: My Life in a Column


Tracey Emin - 2011
    Collected here for the first time is an anthology of pieces artist Tracey Emin wrote for The Independent newspaper in London-a weekly column that ran to great acclaim between 2005 and 2009-that touch on everything from the themes behind her work to her process, inspirations, and her alternately humorous and profound observations of daily life. Moving from diatribes on contemporary art and culture to confessional pieces chronicling her travels abroad and reflecting on her private life in London, the columns bring together elements of essay and diary that present a unique perspective on life and the work of the queen of the Young British Artists. Edited and introduced by the artist, and illustrated with forty reproductions of photographs that recall the original format of the columns, Tracey Emin: My Life in a Column makes a giant of the art world at once more familiar and more profound.

Off-Camera Flash: Techniques for Digital Photographers


Neil van Niekerk - 2011
    Seeking to address the various challenges of off-camera lighting, professional photographers and advanced amateurs alike will find a range of confidence-building instruction, beginning with basic how’s and why’s of lighting for creative effect, the types of equipment available and instruction about their proper use, clear definitions of various technical concepts such as managing shutter speed and controlling flash exposure, using ambient light as well as natural sunlight during a shoot, and incorporating off-camera flash into a portrait session. Concluding this lesson plan is a look at five different real-life photo sessions, each employing a different flash technique. Here, photographers get a deeper understanding of each concept put into practice, marrying the elements of lighting with the natural elements presented by the shoot.

The Deepest Dark


Joan Hall Hovey - 2014
    She contemplates suicide as a way to be with them, and to end her unrelenting pain. In a last desperate effort to find peace, she drives to Loon Lake where they last vacationed together, wanting to believe they will be waiting for her there. At least in spirit. Barring that, the pills Doctor Gregory gave her to help her sleep, are in her purse. The cabin at Loon Lake was her and Corey’s secret hideaway, and not even Abby’s sister, Karen, to whom she is close, knows where it is. But someone else does. He is one of three men who have escaped from Pennington prison. They are dangerous predators who will stop at nothing to get what they want - and to keep from going back to prison. Having already committed the worst of crimes, they have nothing to lose. Unknowingly, Abby is on a collision course with evil itself. And the decision of whether to live or die will soon be wrenched from her hands.

Rules for Modern Life: A Connoisseur's Survival Guide


David Tang - 2016
    Around every corner lies a potential faux pas waiting to happen. But if you've ever struggled for the right response to an unwelcome gift or floundered for conversation at the dinner party from hell, fear not: help is at hand.In Rules for Modern Life, Sir David Tang, resident agony uncle at the Financial Times, delivers a satirical masterclass in navigating the social niceties of modern life. Whether you're unsure of the etiquette of doggy bags or wondering whether a massage room in your second home would be de trop, Sir David has the answer to all your social anxieties - and much more besides.