"...one of the best Miles Davis books..." --David Rickert, All About Jazz <read review>
Also, tune into an interview with Miles Davis author Jeremy Yudkin on WVXU (91.7 FM, Cincinnati, OH) this Sunday, May 18 between 7 and 8 pm EDT. Listen live online or download a podcast.
Today marks the 80th birthday of the Fort Wayne Embassy Theatre. Perhaps I'm biased because I'm a Fort Wayne native, but this is truly one of the most beautiful theaters I've ever been to. After seeing the Embassy's magnificent restoration, it's hard for me to believe that it was once on the brink of demolition.
In the Spring of 2009, IU Press will publish The Historic Fort Wayne Embassy Theatre by Dyne L. Pfeffenberger. The book recounts the rescue from demolition and subsequent complete historic restoration of the largest of Fort Wayne's old-time movie palaces. Faced with the loss of a truly beautiful and rare historical landmark, local activists came together in the 1970s to form The Embassy Theatre Foundation. The foundation purchased the abandoned theater and worked toward its faithful restoration and eventual reopening in 1996 as a performing arts center and venue for Broadway shows. Filled with colorful photos and historic accounts of local activism and architectural preservation, The Historic Fort Wayne Embassy Theatre is sure to interest architectural and urban preservationists, regional historians, and theater fans alike.
Photo credit: The Historic Embassy Theatre website
Looking for some ideas or tips for your spring planting? Then tune into Moya Andrews' bi-weekly podcast, Focus on Flowers. Moya is a master gardener and author of the newly released book Perennials Short and Tall.
Glenn LaFantasie, author of Gettysburg Heroes, will participate in a Virtual Book Signing™ Saturday, May 17 at 12 pm (Central Time). What is a Virtual Book Signing™, you might ask? It's the brainchild of Daniel Weinberg, owner of the Abraham Lincoln Book Shop in Chicago.
“Traditionally, book signings mean leaving home and then waiting in line in order to meet an author for a few seconds to get a book signed,” says Weinberg. “Virtual Book Signing™ permits you to attend an in-shop booksiging without leaving home. You see an author speak via a streaming web cast. Then you may place an order and see the book signed while you watch.”
Ray Boomhower, author of Robert F. Kennedy and the 1968 Indiana Primary, was recently interviewed on WFIU Night Lights Blog about his new book. <listen to podcast>
Jane Hamilton-Merritt, author of Tragic Mountains and expert on the Hmong people, was interviewed for a New York Times Magazine piece entitled General Vang Pao's Last War.
From Jeanne Williamson's blog:
"The photos are beautiful, the book is easy to read, and the chapters are laid out very well. I love that there's a glossary at the back of the book, as well as a list of museums, galleries and organizations that exhibit/promote Studio Quilts in one way or another." <read post>
Joshua Rubenstein, editor of The Unknown Black Book, was intereviewed about his book on Roundtable. <Listen to the interview>
From UCLA Today Online:
When Jacqueline Cogdell DjeDje (pronounced "J-J") was a child in Jesup, Ga., she thrived on the pride that her family took in their aspiring classical European pianist.
"I snubbed my nose up," said DjeDje, laughing, "at anything that had to do with Africa and African-American culture, even though I played for church ... gospel and spirituals."
Now she's an international expert on the things she once snubbed, with articles on gospel and spirituals and a new book on fiddling, "Fiddling in West Africa: Touching the Spirit in Fulbe, Hausa, and Dagbamba Cultures." She earned a Ph.D. in ethnomusicology at UCLA and now chairs the department. <continue reading article>
From the Perverse Egalitarianism blog:
"...this one looks interesting in terms of possibly announcing a type of 'commentary age' when it comes to Derrida’s work. I mean we already have some books dedicated to 'the philosophy of Derrida' and various attempts to summarize or organize his thinking in terms of themes or pervasive and recurrent questions, but I don’t think I’ve seen too many books dedicated to commenting on specific works." <read post>
