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By Laurie, February 17, 2013

The Master of us all: Balenciaga his workrooms, his world

by Mary Blume.

It is somehow fitting that the new biography of Cristobal Balenciaga presents itself as just a whisper of a book.  A mere 221 pages with a dusty pink spine and a soft  black and white photo on the cover, this little tome provides an inside look behind the creations of Cristobal Balenciaga (1895-1972). An inside look as recalled by Florette Chelot, the house’s first employee.

Balenciaga led a famously secluded life with not a publicity seeking bone in his body. The Spaniard entered the world of fashion in the 1930s. A major force in haute couture during the 50s and 60s, the House of Balenciagia remains relevant today.

Dramatic silhouettes and sculptural forms defined the Balenciaga look. The designer relied on stiff fabrics for defining their structure.  Among his famous creations; the classic suit jacket with the slight fullness, the restraining band. The dresses; the balloon dress, the Chou dress, the sack dress, the envelope dress, the “Infanta” dress 1939. The melon sleeve, the twin-seamed sleeve… oh, his obsession with the sleeves! He   famously tore off sleeves that didn’t suit him or his exacting standards.

Unfortunately the book‘s illustrations barely do justice to the creations. Just 8 color pages of illustrations and perhaps 50 b&w photos interspersed among the text,  you will need to look elsewhere for examples of the fashions. For the most inclusive look into the collection, see http://world.balenciaga.com where you can visit the current collection as well stroll through the history of the house under the sites “Heritage” section.

The influence of Balenciaga continues today. As a teenager, Karl Lagerfeld is said to have seen an Irving Penn photo of Penn’s wife in a Balenciaga gown in the 1950 September issue of Vogue. That photograph let Lagerfeld know there was a place for him in fashion. Oscar De La Renta worked as a sketch artist for the house when it was located in Madrid during the 1930s. In March 2012 he served as president for the exhibit “Balenciaga and Spain,” curated by Hamish Bowles, at San Francisco’s de Young Museum. Last November, WWD reported that Balenciaga will be headed by Alexander Wang, replacing Nicolas Ghesquière. Carine Roitfield, former editor-in-chief at Vogue Paris, and longtime Wang supporter, was rumored to be joining Wang as a stylist at Balenciaga.

laurie

“Haute couture is like an orchestra, whose conductor is Balenciaga. We other couturiers are the musicians and we follow the directions he gives.”—–Christian Dior

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By Laurie, February 3, 2013

Chanel Bonfire
by Wendy Lawless

It has not been that long ago that some children grew up in some households with unstable, un-medicated mothers. Historically, this situation has provided the fertile soil that cultivated many a memorable upbringing, rich fodder for family reunions and subsequent stage adaptations.

Today thanks to modern pharmaceuticals known as serotonin reuptake inhibitors (Paxil, Zoloft, Lexapro…) and the modern belief in better living through chemistry, everyone is medicated. We may someday miss the madness in millennial memoirs.

Wendy Lawless chronicles her mother’s un-medicated mental instability in Chanel Bonfire.  The memoir leads readers through the 1970′s around the mine/mind fields left by the author’s mother. Wendy and her younger sister are dragged cross country, across the Atlantic and back again as their mother ping pongs from husband to husband (some hers, some belonging to others).

Take one beautiful, mentally unstable mother, add alcohol, money and the opportunities beauty brings and you have the makings of a romantic memoir. Take away a  grasp on reality, the money and the willing men and you have a roller coaster ride of Hollywood/Hazelden proportions.

If you grew up with the “dark bedroom, curtains drawn” type of mom, buckle your seatbelts, take a few deep breaths and hang on for dear life. You are about to take a drive down the gravel road of memory lane.  If you grew up with a “sunny porch, ice tea in hand” kind of mom, be brave take a peek through the curtains and thank your lucky stars.

laurie

“Mothers are all slightly insane.” – J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye

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By Laurie, January 20, 2013

Peaking past the candelabra, Wladzlu Valentino Liberace is soon to be celebrated in a new HBO movie starring Michael Douglas. That’s right, Michael Douglas. The film is directed by Steven Soderbergh. Parts of the bio-pic were reportedly filmed in the over-the-top, glamorous, frozen in time, Hollywood home of Zsa Zsa Gabor.

Also coming this spring, is Liberace Extravaganza! This book is officially authorized by the Liberace estate. It promises 150 full color photographs of the performer’s costumes. Sketches and behind the scenes stories are also included.

In the meantime there are a few biographies to dust off. The wonderful private world of Liberace  by Liberace and Liberace : an American boy by Darden Asbury Pyron

Cue the soundtrack provided by Mr. Showmanship and his priceless piano. Download from Nashville Public Library’s Freegal collection.

”..and when the night is new, I’ll be looking at the moon, but I’ll be seeing you.”

Laurie

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By Laurie, December 30, 2012

The kids are home for another week, the gifts that looked so tempting just days ago have lost some of their luster, the wallet is empty and the weather dictates indoor activities. Welcome to the season of The Bored and the Broke.  Luckily, the public library shines in times like this.

To your rescue, we offer this end of the year list. Hopefully you will find something for everyone trapped inside for the foreseeable future. Venture out to your favorite branch library and let the gathering begin.

Picture Books

Bear Despair by Gaëtan Dorémus

Cold Snap by Eileen Spinelli

Red Knit Cap Girl by Naoko Stoop

This is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen

Lemonade in Winter: A Book About Two Kids Counting Money by Emily Jenkins and G. Brian Karas

Abe Lincoln’s Dream by Lane Smith

House held up by trees : not far from here… by  Ted Kooser

I’m Bored by Michael Ian Black

 Readers

Sadie and Ratz by Sonya Hartnett

Chapter Books

Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage

Amar’e Stoudemire basketball series titles, Home Court and the STAT titles (Standing tall and talented)

Wonder by RJ Palacio

Earwig and the Witch by Diana Wynne Jones

Summer of the Gypsy Moths by Sara Pennypacker

See you at Harry’s by Jo Knowles

Teens

Where things come back by John Corey Whaley

The Throne of Glass by Sarah Maas

Purity by Jackson Pearce

The Dark Unwinding by Sharon Cameron

The Humming Room by Ellen Porter

Perks of being a wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, (DVD currently on order for the library)

Many thanks to our selection librarians in Limitless Libraries and the Main Children’s department for their suggestions.

And remember, “Libraries will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no libraries.”

-laurie

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By Laurie, December 16, 2012

There are cat people and there are dog people.

Cat people feel the need to share cat cartoons, cat videos and hairballs.

Dog people tolerate cat people, secure in the knowledge that our loyal canine companions will never attack our bare feet with razor sharp claws from underneath low lying furniture. Dog people know that we would rather share a walk with our loyal pet than with just about anyone. Dog people go to dog parks. Cat people…

If you are a dog lover, here are three books that celebrate the canine species.

What’s a dog for? : the surprising history, science, philosophy, and politics of man’s best friend, by John Homans . Canine culture and the evolution of the dog/human relationship are just a few of the topics expertly discussed in this soon to be dog-eared book.

Do dogs dream? : nearly everything your dog wants you to know, by Stanley Coren (professor emeritus of psychology at the University of British Columbia) answers 75+ questions about dogs ranging from the social and emotional to how they perceive us. Illustrated and easy to read, enjoy this one with a yellow or chocolate lab at your feet.

Finally one to tug at the heartstrings, Following Atticus : forty-eight high peaks, one little dog, and an extraordinary friendship ,by Tom Ryan. The author,a former newspaper man from Newburyport, Mass  writes of the path that led him to the challenge faced hiking all 48 of the White Mountain range’s 4,000-foot peaks in 90 days with Atticus leading the way.  The author reports that Atticus, a frisky miniature schnauzer was “made for the mountains” and those cute little Muttluks on his paws were made for him.

“Outside of a dog, a book is a man’s best friend. Inside of a dog, it’s too dark to read.” – Groucho Marx

-laurie

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By Laurie, December 9, 2012

Where’d you go, Bernadette?
By Maria Semple

It is difficult to find engaging contemporary fiction featuring modern characters that do not lean towards twee-dom. In Where’d you go, Bernadette, Maria Semple has crafted an epistolary work told in a crisp, contemporary manner.

Bernadette’s story is engaging and interesting without being coy or contrived. Plot twists are memorable, yet  believable. Character outlines are recognizable but the author fills them in with quirks, personal failures and redemptions that are rich and ring true.

The story is set in Seattle, home of Microsoft which serves as a sort of mother church. The town is chocked full of Craftsman homes and on their porches Patagonia clad owners sip coffee. The owners either sport short grey hair or alternatively, long grey hair. Bernadette is weary with the monotony of the “gnats” that populate her daughter’s school pick-up lane. The “gnats” see Bernadette as anti-social, superior and too far removed to consider anything but a non-participatory parent.

What the “gnats” don’t know about Bernadette’s past explains in large part her weariness.  Suffice it to say that Bernadette finds genius difficult to maintain over the years.

A perfect companion book is House by Diane Keaton. The author has gathered glossy visions of the best of modern architecture, crisp and contemporary.

“A doctor can bury his mistakes, but an architect can only advise his clients to plant vines.”  Frank Lloyd Wright

laurie

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By Laurie, November 11, 2012

Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln will be released in theaters this week.

The movie stars two time Academy Award winner for Best Actor, Daniel Day Lewis (son-in-law of the playwright Arthur Miller) in the title role and two time Academy Award winner for Best Actress, Sally Field as Mary Todd Lincoln. David Strathairn portrays Secretary of State William Seward. Tommy Lee Jones plays Thaddeus Stevens. John Williams will provide his signature, sacchrine, sweeping  symphonic soundtrack.

If Lincoln on film awakens a curiosity in Lincoln in print, here is a supporting reading list.  The official movie tie-in is Lincoln: a president for the ages.

The movie is based on the Doris Kearns Goodwin’s (former NPL Foundation award recipient),  A Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln. The film focuses on the last few months of Lincoln’s life and the crafting of the Thirteenth Amendment ending slavery. The Nashville Public Library owns single copies of this title, playaway and  e-audiobook formats as well as multi-volume Book club in a Bag sets.

For a log cabin to “when lilacs last in the dooryard bloomed” look at Lincon, see Lincoln: an illustrated biography.This title follows the early days of Lincoln’s political life, his childhood and adult family life and presidency all accompanied by prints, photographs and ephemera.

Bruce Catton’s A Stillness at Appomattox won the Pulitzer Prize for non-fiction and the National Book Award in 1954.This volume is the final title in the Army of the Potomac trilogy but any of the Catton works focused on Lincoln are worthy reads.

Several new books released this fall focus on Lincoln, David Von Drehle’s Rise to Greatness: Abraham Lincoln and America’s Most Perilous Year and James Oakes’ Freedom National: The Destruction of Slavery in the United States, 1861-1865.

As we take a look back at our 16^th president in film and on the page remember, “My Best Friend is a person who will give me a book I have not read.” – Abraham Lincoln