Book picks similar to
The Afro-American Tradition in Decorative Arts by John Michael Vlach
folklore
art
history
box-a-001
Music: What Happened?
Scott Miller - 2010
In this book, Miller writes about each of the past 53 years in popular music-1957-2009- via countdown song lists, blending the perspectives of a serious musician, a thoughtful critic, and an all-devouring music fan. Miller not only tells you why he loves particular songs, but also what was going on in the musical world in which they competed to be heard.
The Boy from Pataliputra
Rahul Mitra - 2017
for Aditya is the boy from Pataliputra, the boy who was once a reckless and carefree aristocrat, but who has now been forced to become a man with a purpose to fight for honour and love.With a sweeping narrative and interesting everyday characters like the smelly old dhaba owner Tanku, Philotas the unlucky Greek soldier, the no-nonsense medical student Radha, Pandi the hard drinking mercenary and the lovely Devika, the Boy from Pataliputra is the mesmerizing story of a young man’s growth to maturity, but also, equally, a story about the rise of a nation.
Medieval Calligraphy: Its History and Technique
Marc Drogin - 1980
Moreover, it is the only modern book that provides clearly described, brilliantly photographed, and accurately reproduced examples of both major and minor hands along with explicit directions for writing them.The author — a professional calligrapher of medieval styles, as well as illuminator, writer, and teacher — presents a spirited historical account of thirteen important writing styles developed from about the fourth century to the end of the fifteenth. These include Roman Rustic, Uncial, Carolingian Minuscule, Early Gothic, Luxeuil Minuscule, Gothic Littera Bastarda , and seven other distinctive hands. The text explains how and why different styles evolved, why certain devices, codes, and abbreviations were used, and how form and function interacted.In addition to fascinating facts about the origin and development of medieval scripts, Medieval Calligraphy also shows you how to duplicate medieval techniques with modern writing tools. Thorough instructions and sharply detailed, full-page photographs of the original alphabets explain pen angles and stroke sequences for each letter and capital. By carefully studying and practicing the techniques described, calligraphers will be able to master some of history's most interesting and influential scripts. Mr. Drogin has rounded out the book with helpful lists of suppliers of tools and materials, American and European sources for facsimiles and books, calligraphic societies, a bibliography, index, and more.
Tilli's Story: My Thoughts Are Free
Lorna Collier - 2004
The small, poignant touches are riveting." -"Kirkus Discoveries""I think about what I want and what makes me happy, But orderly and quietly to myself. Because my thoughts tear down fortresses and walls, My thoughts are free. -German folk song, author unknown"The beautiful, safe, joyful places in young Tilli's imagination were her only refuge from the bombing that tore through the sky above her during World War II. Her thoughts were her only freedom from Hitler's Nazi tyranny, and they were her strength to survive after the war ended, when Russians invaded her tiny farming village in eastern Germany; forced her into months of hiding in a dark attic crawlspace; and took her innocence, her childhood, and nearly her life.Tilli's dreams-of a time when she could think and act freely, and travel, work, write, worship, and live however she wished-were what fueled the sixteen-year-old to courageously and single-handedly escape the terror of Stalin's harsh Communist rule and create her own happy ending in a free America.This true tale of sorrow and terror, hope and triumph, is Tilli's story-but it's also the story of the unthinkable suffering and untold bravery of countless innocent children who have lived through a war and its aftermath.
Going Long: The Wild Ten-Year Saga of the Renegade American Football League in the Words of Those Who Lived
Jeff Miller - 2003
Flavored with wild (and often ribald) anecdotes, inside stories, interviews, and never-before-told material, Going Long brings the incredible story of the maverick American Football League to life through the words of those who lived it.
The Ashley Book of Knots
Clifford W. Ashley - 1944
Here are approximately 3900 different kinds, from simple hitches to "Marlingspike Seamanship." Mr. Ashley has included almost everything there is to know about them. Precisely named and classified (some new ones for the first time officially), they can be easily found in the big index. He tells when they appeared, something about their history, and what they are good for. Above all, Mr. Ashley gives explicit directions on how to tie them. He describes each step simply and clearly in the text and has penned right alongside some 7000 drawings to make it still more graphic. This book and a piece of cord will open a new and challenging world of practical adventure to readers of all ages. There are many distinctive features to this informal encyclopedia. Outstanding are the delightful sketches and illustrations by the author that enliven every page. Mr. Ashley, a prominent marine artist, is at his best here. Sailors have been the greatest experimenters with rope, but since they have no monopoly on the art, the author describes knots used in over ninety other occupations. These range alphabetically from Archer to Yachtsman, and aesthetically from Florist to Hangman. The forty-one chapters include knots classed under such general types as "Hooks, Beckets, and Toggles," "The Noose," and "Tricks and Puzzles." Mr. Ashley has devoted eleven years to writing this book, and it is based on forty years of looking for, trying out, and thinking up new knots. His drawings abound in humor and the text is full of colorful anecdotes. THE ASHLEY BOOK OF KNOTS will make a unique and permanent addition to any library.
40 Watts from Nowhere: A Journey Into Pirate Radio
Sue Carpenter - 2004
Getting on the air (legitimately) in San Francisco was a multimillion-dollar ambition. But in 1995, with the help of a few subversive techies and pirate-radio gurus, Sue built her first transmitter in her hilltop San Francisco apartment and launched KPBJ, enlisting friends as DJs. A few months later, Sue landed a magazine job in Los Angeles, took her transmitter with her, and established KBLT.From these humble beginnings KBLT emerged as one of L.A.'s best-loved radio stations, staffed with more than a hundred DJs and supported by major music labels eager to reach a different kind of audience. The station expanded its playlist from indie rock to an eclectic mix of jazz, hip-hop, electronica, and countless other styles. In the three and a half years before the FCC finally caught up with Sue, KBLT went from interviewing unknowns to hosting live performances by the Red Hot Chili Peppers -- without ever leaving Sue's apartment."40 Watts from Nowhere" is Sue's frank and hilarious account of her bizarre double life during the height of California's pirate-radio boom: journalist by day, counterculture icon by night. It's an amazing true story, one that will instantly appeal to music fans -- and free spirits -- everywhere.
Free-Range Knitter: The Yarn Harlot Writes Again
Stephanie Pearl-McPhee - 2008
. . a sort of David Sedaris-like take on knitting-laugh-out-loud funny most of the time and poignantly reflective when it's not cracking you up." --Library Journal on Yarn HarlotStephanie Pearl-McPhee returns to pen another hilarious and poignant collection of essays surrounding her favorite topics: knitting, knitters, and what happens when you get those two things anywhere near ordinary people.For the 60 million knitters in America, Stephanie Pearl-McPhee (a.k.a. the Yarn Harlot) shares stories of knitting horrors and triumphs, knitting successes and defeats, but, mostly, stories about the human condition that ring true for everyone-especially if you happen to have a rather large amount of yarn in your house.Pearl-McPhee maintains a popular blog at www.yarnharlot.ca. Divided into sections relating to each essay's content, such as women, politics, family, and overcoming boredom, Free-Range Knitter will entertain yarnsmiths who enjoy sharing in the collective experiences of the woolen and silky skein.
Postcards from Penguin
Anonymous - 2010
From classics to crime, here are over seventy years of quintessentially British design in one box.In 1935 Allen Lane stood on a platform at Exeter railway station, looking for a good book for the journey to London. His disappointment at the poor range of paperbacks on offer led him to found Penguin Books. The quality paperback had arrived.Declaring that 'good design is no more expensive than bad', Lane was adamant that his Penguin paperbacks should cost no more than a packet of cigarettes, but that they should always look distinctive.Ever since then, from their original - now world-famous - look featuring three bold horizontal stripes, through many different stylish, inventive and iconic cover designs, Penguin's paperback jackets have been a constantly evolving part of Britain's culture. And whether they're for classics, crime, reference or prize-winning novels, they still follow Allen Lane's original design mantra.NB: There is a strap line on the box that reads 'One Hundred Book Covers in One Box'.Sometimes, you definitely should judge a book by its cover.
The Srinagar conspiracy
Vikram A. Chandra - 2000
Based on the present political situation in Kashmir valley.
Get Hooked on Tunisian Crochet: Learn How with 13 Projects
Sheryl Thies - 2011
Also known as afghan stitch, this versatile technique is worked on a long needle with a crochet hook at one end. Choose from 13 gorgeous projects, including women's garments and accessories as well as home accents Learn a variety of stitches, from basic to more advanced, including some that look just like knitting Read a brief history of Tunisian crochet and find out why it's experiencing such a resurgenceVideo
The Sweet Everlasting
Judson Mitcham - 1996
For a brief and cherished time there was a woman, and then a child, too, who had been a kind of salvation to him. Then they were gone, leaving Ellis to carry on with the burden of what he had done to them, of the ruin he brought down upon them all.In The Sweet Everlasting, Ellis is seventy-four. Moving back and forth over his life, he recalls his Depression-era boyhood, the black family who worked the neighboring farm, his time in prison, and the subsequent years adrift, working at jobs no one else would take and longing for another chance to rejoin what is left of his family. Ever in the background are the memories of his wife, Susan, and their boy, W.D.--how Ellis drew on her strength and his innocence to resist everything that threatened to harden him: the shame that others would have him feel, the poverty he had known, and the distorted honor and pride he had seen in others and that he knew was inside him, too.Like the hero of William Kennedy's masterpiece, Ironweed, Ellis Burt is a man of uncommon personal dignity and strength, always moving toward, but never expecting, redemption.
Folk Shawls
Cheryl Oberle - 2000
This collection of patterns and traditions features shawls from around the world. From the Himalayas to Spain, from Iceland to Japan, and from Mexico to Norway, many of the shawls featured here have been taken from examples of historic knitted shawls. Other designs have been translated into knitwear from patterns for woven or lace shawls. Included are 25 patterns as well as historical and cultural information about shawls that have been used for prayer and mourning, as bridal veils, and as christening garments. Each design is presented with a full-page color photo, written instructions, and charts.
Torch-Fired Enamel Jewelry: A Workshop in Painting with Fire
Barbara Lewis - 1900
Metal becomes your canvas as you learn the basics of enameling with a torch, then dive into 22 exquisite pieces, ranging from quirky "cattywampus" earrings to ethereal pendants to delicate multi-stranded necklaces. Find out how easy it is to create unique and colorful enamel pieces in this innovative, comprehensive guide to the world of torch-fired enameling.Inside you'll find:- A hands-on, in-depth approach to enameling beads, pendants and other metal findings using a torch instead of a kiln.- An extensive enameling workshop, with information on equipment, materials and safety considerations.- Tips and tricks for making truly unique pieces: learn how to modulate color, create burnt edges and manipulate the gas/oxygen ratio to achieve color flashes and smoky hazes.- Jewelry and metal-working techniques, from wire-wrapping to etching copper sheet, that create a perfect backdrop to your stunning enamel creations.Light the torch, gather your enamels and start painting with fire in Torch-Fired Enamel Jewelry.look. make. meet.
The Beginner's Handbook of Woodcarving: With Project Patterns for Line Carving, Relief Carving, Carving in the Round, and Bird Carving
Charles Beiderman - 1983
That is creativity," say award-winning craftsmen Beiderman and Johnston in this well-organized and highly instructive guidebook that tells you everything you need to know to create attractive woodcarvings.Especially written for the novice, it shows how to produce realistic animals, flowers, and humorous figures in a variety of forms: in the round, in relief, and as line carvings. A wide spectrum of more than 60 project patterns offers practical plans and ideas for carvers at all levels of expertise.The authors provide a detailed yet easy-to-follow introduction to carving tools and how to use them. There are also helpful hints to guide beginning carvers through difficult stages of carving, and expert advice on painting and finishing, woodcarving as gifts, how to exhibit and enter carvings in competition, and much more. You'll even find a whole chapter devoted to carving birds.Abundantly illustrated with over 200 photographs and detailed line drawings, this first paperback edition of The Beginner's Handbook of Woodcarving will be welcomed by any would-be woodcarver seeking a thorough, reliable, and crystal-clear introduction to the age-old art of carving wood.