A Few Words on Jazz (History)

Much has been written about jazz in its first century, a fact that young scholar and author John Gennari seized upon in his book BLOWIN’ HOT AND COOL: JAZZ AND ITS CRITICS, first published in hardback by the University of Chicago Press in 2006. This important, almost popularly styled survey, or – if you prefer – history of jazz criticism, covers all that has been written
about jazz from its New Orleans debut in the 1920’s right on down to the
shifting global perspective of the present moment. Well, maybe not all that
has been written about jazz. In fact, Gennari’s book has a bias: he writes
about the writers that have made their mark on the broader canvas of the
national scene, and in some cases, international scene. It is in that sense
that I refer to this volume as an almost popular survey. I mention this
because Gennari can engage in some academic hairsplitting at times, and when he does, no one would think then that they were encountering a popular historical account. Yet by and large, that is, in the best sense of the word, what Gennari has managed to finesse into being: namely, a text that is both intelligent and highly discriminating on the one hand, while at the
same time providing the reasonably knowledgeable reader with a square meal worth savoring.

What I love about this book is its seizing of the day, so to speak; for
Gennari has plucked a topic out of the firmament that was just waiting to be enshrined in print. That he has done his great subject justice doesn’t hurt matters any.

Any librarian remotely interested in the story of jazz (or worth their salt
in American studies) would benefit by a cover to cover perusal of this, I
almost want to say, historiographical production. But that is not quite what
this engaging and opinionated narrative amounts to. For Gennari’s unique
focus on the history of jazz as it has been documented in print by various
writers over the past century involves encountering many influential books
on jazz that would scarcely qualify as historical texts in their own right.
Thus, BLOWIN’ HOT AND COOL: JAZZ AND ITS CRITICS amounts to a swell and expansive annotated bibliography of the literary texts, both historical and otherwise, that have shaped the national discourse and ongoing uncertainty over the status of jazz in the context of modern America.

I got this book through an interlibrary loan and can’t wait to find it in a
used bookstore. In other words, it’s a keeper. (Pete H.)

Roman a Clefs

Roman a Clefs (or Novel with a Key) are novels describing real-life behind a façade of fiction.  (Thank you, Wikipedia for the excellent description!)   These novels can be deliciously trashy at their best, and fun reading even at their worst.  Two of the most popular of recent years were The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger, about a woman working for a thinly fictionalized Vogue magazine and its editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour, and The Nanny Diaries about nannying for the denizens of the Upper East Side. 

The publishing industry is particularly rich in these novels.  There’s Because She Can by Birdie Clark (based on notorious publisher Judith Regan), Falling Out of Fashion by Karen Yampolsky (an admiring portrayal of Jane Pratt), and Little Pink Slips by Sally Koslow (based on the fallout after Rosie O’Donnell took over McCall’s).    A particularly dishy and fun Hollywood roman a clef is The Twins of Tribeca by Rachel Pine.  This is hilarious reading for anyone interested in the movie industry as it provides a skewering look at the endlessly fascinating Weinstein brothers.  (Carol J.)

Read-Alikes

Have you ever received a question like this?  “I have read all of (insert patron’s favorite author here) books and really want something else I can take home with me today.”  So, you dutifully go online or use one of our reader’s advisory resources to find similar authors.  Trouble is, the patron has also read all of those titles.  At what point do you simply offer another type of book rather than trying to find something, anything, that fits within your patron’s parameters?  I had a patron in the other day wanting titles “like those written by Jan Karon” because she liked the character development and “gentle language” of these books.  She also liked reading books in series.  I recommended the Fannie Flagg books, but then went way off course and suggested Anne Tyler (character development).  I always ask patrons to come back and let me know what they thought of my suggestions, but they rarely do.  Anyone else?  (Monica S.)

Hot Summer Reads for 2008

Jennifer D. sent this link to this Star Tribune article:  The Browser: Books for Summer Pleasure.  It includes descriptions of a variety of new titles due in May that are sure to be summer hits, including titles by John Sandford, Stephenie Meyer, and Marisa de los Santos.  Get your name on the requests lists before they fill up! (Carol J.)

Trials (and Tribulations) of Online RA

Just a reminder that we have access to a couple of online Readers Advisory databases right now:  Readers Advisor Online and Novelist Plus.  The logins and passwords can be found on the Staff Intranet site.  We also recently had the Books and Authors database trial.  Did you check them out?  What are your thoughts?  (Carol J.)

The Reading Rut

I imagine that everyone has a few trusted sources for padding their book lists.  We are those sources, much of the time.  I have my mom, who can always recommend a good mystery, my sister, keeping me in denser fiction and non-fiction, and my friend Derek, who feeds me the latest in graphic novels and SF.  However, sometimes I still get into a rut.

Last summer, a friend recommended Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie, and it was like I had been handed a frothy pink drink with a straw and an umbrella.  If a whole book sounds like too much Jennifer Crusie, then I recommend Jennifer Crusie with a shot of Bob Mayer.  I just finished Agnes and the Hitman, which is goofy, silly, fun and a perfect ‘preparation for summer’ read.  I’m not saying I would like to be stuck on a desert island with only chick lit, but it was nice to be bumped out of my rut and enjoy something new. 

What can you recommend that has bumped you out of your rut? (Amy B.)