Upheavals of Thought: The Intelligence of Emotions



Mondrian [I can't remember the title], circa1912



by Martha C. Nussbaum, London: Cambridge University Press, 2001, p.752.

A super book that transformed how I understand emotions: emotions are interwoven with thought.  They are intelligent responses to our perceptions of value.  They constitute rich, evaluative judgements.

Freedom: A Novel

Andrew Goldsworthy, Dandelion Line, Storm King Sculpture Park, New York

By Jonathan Franzen, New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2010, p. 562

Anyone who could write a series of essays entitled How to be Alone, and claim he married his first wife because she was such a sensitive reader is my cup of tea.  I love big, lush novels, and Franzen helped me understand the long, sad Bush years.  Should have won the National Book Award for 2010.

The Man Who Loved Children

Egon Schiele, Self-Portrait, circa 1912

By Christina Stead, intro. by Randall Jarrell, New York: Picador, 1940, p.525.

The most perverted story of family life I've ever encountered.  Read Jonathan Franzen's review here.  The portrait of the father kept me up at night.  Truly original and brilliant.

Loving, Living and Party Going

The perfect illustration for Green's collection of novellas: giggling  house maids

By Henry Green, intro. by John Updike, London, Penguin Classics, 1993, p. 527

These three novellas examine the social function and meaning of class in Great Britain during the interwar years.  Although the wealthy son of an iron works owner, Green is fully sympathetic with the "downstairs" characters.  The pace and plot structures are nearly perfect.

American Beauty: Aesthetics and Innovation in Fashion

A delicate and precisely executed gown by Jean Yu

By Patricia Mears, New Haven: Yale University Press, 2009, 182 p.

Mears starts with a very simple thesis: American fashion is not wholly defined by sportswear.  There are, and have been, fashion designers in the States who rival their European counterparts in expertise, creativity and vision.  Meyers identifies Jean Yu, Isabel Toledo, Rodarte, Ralph Rucci and Francisco Costa as contemporary Americans designers working in the Grand European Tradition.

Isabel Toledo: Fashion From the Inside Out

The First Lady in Isabel Toledo on Inauguration Day


by Valerie Steele, Patricia Mears, New Haven, Yale University Press, 2009, 250 p.

Toledo is an artist working in a mass-market industry. Without significant financial backing, Isabel Toledo produces collections that dispense with the idea of theme (e.g., Brigitte Bardot in Cann circa 1958) and bases her collection on the construction and proportions of clothing itself.  This beautiful coffee table book outlines Toledo's creative process and her dedication to creating innovative yet wearable fashion.

"Its Not My Job to Make People Happy"

Michel Houellebecque Looks Quite Pleased, 10/08/10, The Guardian

Congratulations to Houellebecque on winning France's highest literary award, Prix Goncourt!  He may not aim to give me pleasure, but his writing makes my heart sing. Read The Paris Review throw flowers at his feet.  (This jump includes a fun picture of M. Houellebecque doing his best to look like Iggy Pop)  Oh, here's a fun interview with MH.  His next book--soon to be translated into English--is entitled "The Map and the Land" or something like that.  My French is rough. 

Hurray!