Unmarked: The Politics of Performance

Book Description

As feminist film theory has made clear, representational visibility has psychic and political limitations. Simply being in the public eye does not guarantee access to power. Still, among the Left and within the field of cultural/performance studies, there is an almost ubiquitous assumption that visibility is a crucial aspect of progressive struggle. In Unmarked, Peggy Phelan looks at the relation between political and representational visibility within both the mainstream and the avant-garde. Phelan examines the limitations of visibility politics, suggesting that there may be political power inherent in disappearance from the visual field.

Unmarked is a controversial study of the politics of performance, employing the emerging theories of psychoanalysis, feminism and cultural studies to examine an unusually broad conception of what Phelan considers performance; she cites examples from photography, film, theatre, anti-abortion demonstrations and performance art in her arguments. A boldly speculative analysis of contemporary culture, Unmarked is of interest to performance theorists, cultural studies scholars, art critics and enthusiasts, intellectuals and activists.

Average customer rating:

Unmarked: The Politics of Performance
Peggy Phelan
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000U5ZP8C

Customer Reviews:

Some Of Ansel Adams' Most Exquisite Images!.......2003-11-18

Some of Amsel Adams' most stunning photographs are of Yosemite National Park, a place very close to the artist's heart. This extraordinary tear-out postcard book includes over 60 exquisite photographs of glacial lakes and craggy peaks, cascading waterfalls, lone trees and woodland streams.

Keep the book intact as a glorious mini-album, or send the cards as aesthetic greetings to friends. This also makes a wonderful stocking stuffer - the holidays are coming up!
JANA

Amazon.com

Italian gestures are a language unto themselves. In Italian Without Words, 86 expressions are presented, paired with the Italian phrases they conjure and their English translations, all demonstrated by a man and woman who have to be seen to be appreciated. They're funny, but the intent is not to ridicule; rather, they are holding on to a part of their heritage. The facial expressions that accompany the phrases are entertaining to practice, and visits to Italy are enhanced by the ability to communicate "You're a disgrace!" (Disgraziato!), "I dare you!" (Ti sfido. Provaci!), and "Don't leave me, I love you!" (Non lasciarmi, ti voglio bene!) without saying a word.

Book Description

You dont need words to speak Italian.

You don't have to study Italian or travel to Italy to communicate like a true paesano. All you really need is this unique "phrase book" of Italian body language. It's the fastest, and funniest, way to learn Italian ever published.

Now, even if you don't know a single word of Italian, you can learn the most common greetings, dining small talk, bargaining tricks, hot vows of love, vicious threats and bloodcurdling curses. This book shows you how. There's no faster or funnier way to learn how to communicate in Italy, Italian restaurants, with your grandparents or your friends.

Customer Reviews:

Great Party Favor.......2007-09-17

I have bought several of these books for my Italian friends. Lots of laughs. Enjoy!

bellisimo.......2007-06-05

I have purchased this book several times before from Amazon. I buy it for all my fellow Italian friends.

I Guess It Will Have To Do.......2007-03-20

There really was not much to it... I would not call it a book...

It's funny, but it could be funnier if it were a DVD!.......2007-02-20

During my language courses, I include the "unspoken language", which makes up about 50% of Italian communication!!! Hand-gestures are fun and actually have specific messages that don't need any spoken words. This book is fun, but unfortunately you cannot see the movement, which is essential to so many of these gestures. Thus, leaving many of them unusable.

not "italian", just silly.......2004-06-18

i'm not sure why i'm the first to comment that this book is 80% universal body language (demonstrated by colorful italian characters)/20% actual italian body language/hand gestures. if you want to laugh at 'translations' of a man holding his stomach and grimacing ("italian" for "i ate like a pig!"), or holding his nose ("italian" for "you stink!") then buy this book. if you don't know what a woman rolling her eyes with a dreamy expression means (in "italian" --"he's a hunk") or how to say "don't touch me" in "italian" (point your ever-handy wooden spoon at someone and flare your eyes), then get this book. the few actual italian hand gestures are ok but there aren't many.

Average customer rating:

Italian Without Words
Jay Leone
Manufacturer: Permanent Pr Pub Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Italian Without Words: An Illustrated Guide to Italian Hand Gestures

Average customer rating:

Italian Without Words: An Illustrated Guide to Italian Hand Gestures
Jay Leone
Manufacturer: S.P.I. Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1561710261

Customer Reviews:

An excellent read.......2005-09-04

Alice Faye deserved the best and with this biography she got it. The author has captured her reserve, talent, wit and determination beautifully. The fact that Alice's daughters and friends participated so willingly is testament to both herself and the tact and skill with which the author has put the story together.

All of her films are described in detail with a real feel for the pressures with which Faye dealt as she emerged as a superstar and from which she eventually walked away. Her relationship with husband Phil Harris is also analysed and it is a case book study in how 2 people make a life together - commitment, independence, humour etc. Faye's unexpected and extraordinary re-emergence into the limelight in her seventies as a spokeswoman for Phizer Pharmeceuticals is also included. As the author states, her elderly years were truly golden as she worked in a meaningful job and enjoyed her family and grandchildren.

Most impressively, the author has captured the milieu in which Alice Faye developed and this makes for a fascinating insight into New York during the depression.

Only complete biography.......2003-07-26

This is the only complete biography of Alice Faye written since her death in 1998. To those who admire Alice Faye it is a very well researched and interesting book covering her entire life. But the pictures in the book do not do her full justice. The best book there is The Alice Faye movie book,

An All-Round Interesting Book.......2003-03-12

Good things do happen to good people! In Ms. Elder's comprehensive biography of Alice Faye's we experience a young girl who emerges from a broken and impoverished home unscarred and loving. Her dreams of becoming a dancer place her in an atmosphere of traveling bands and their leaders, one night stands, and the New York night club scene, and in this atmosphere where so many others lost their ideals, she enjoys the friendship and respect of all her co-workers, male and female, as well as success.. She enters the Hollywood movie arena of the 40's and 50's, where Mr. Zanuck and moguls of the movie studios try to dictate movie roles to her, yet she holds fast to what she inherently knows is correct and triumphs. And when she knows the time is right for her to quit show business and begin a private life, she does so and has many happy years with her family in a good marriage.

Ms. Elder's excellent writing maintains a balance between the career of Ms. Faye and the social and business environment in which she found herself. Indeed, this book gives splendid insight into the world of show business, from the early night club scene in New York to the developing Hollywood movie business with its contract players, radio broadcasts, and the early days of television. Of particular interest is the role of the newspaper reporters and the film magazines, as well as the role of the movie studios' publicity departments.

This is an all-round interesting book, well researched and documented. I felt I really knew Alice by the end of the book, and admired her strength and values.

More Than Just A Biography.......2003-02-19

Alice Faye was an ordinary woman who led an extraordinary life. In this well researched, lucidly written biography, Jane Lenz Elder explores the many contradictions of Alice Faye: her struggles with stage fright and poor self image despite her enormous stage presence and success, her commitment to marriage and family despite a busy professional life, and her courageous willingness to act in her own best interests in a day when performers were expected to conform to the rigid codes of the Hollywood contract system.

But this book is more than just another biography of a silver screen legend. Ms Elder's background as a historian is evident in the detailed background provided. The reader will learn about the difficulties of life in Hell's Kitchen in the early years of the 20th century, how Prohibition created the night club milieu in which Faye developed her skills, and how business was conducted during the heyday of the great Hollywood studio chiefs.

The result is a rich story about a simple woman during one of the most interesting times in Hollywood history.

Don't waste your money.......2002-12-21

Frankly, I was disappointed in this book about the late Alice Faye. I was so thrilled to finally see a biography on her and it really let me down. Check it out of the library but don't buy it!

Book Description

Set in the American West during the California Gold Rush, La fanciulla del West marked a significant departure from Giacomo Puccini's previous and best- known works. Puccini and the Girl is the first book to explore this important but often misunderstood opera that became the earliest work by a major European composer to receive an American premiere when it opened at New York's Metropolitan Opera House in 1910.

Adapted from American playwright David Belasco's Broadway production, The Girl of the Golden West, Fanciulla was Puccini's most consciously modern work, and its Met debut received mixed reviews. Annie J. Randall and Rosalind Gray Davis base their account of its creation on previously unknown letters from Puccini to his main librettist, Carlo Zangarini. They mine musical materials, newspaper accounts, and rare photographs and illustrations to tell the full story of this controversial opera. Puccini and the Girl considers the production and reception of Puccini's "cowboy" opera in the light of contemporary criticism, providing both fascinating insight into its history and a look to the future as its centenary approaches.

“Engrossing. . . . An eminently readable, ideally direct and information-packed book.”—William Fregosi, Opera Today

Customer Reviews:

"Women Bamboo"?.......2005-10-28

Randall and Gray Davis between them have given us a book which will permanently change the way we view Puccini and his most controversial opera, the "American" GIRL OF THE GOLDEN WEST, a work commissioned by NYC's Metropolitan Opera on the heels of the success of MADAME BUTTERFLY. Their research shows us that using David Belasco's Broadway hit as the basis for a libretto was by no means a foregone conclusion, and that many years passed before Puccini committed himself to the saga of Minnie.

Indeed, part of the interest of the book is speculating what we missed out on when Puccini decided to do with Minnie instead of working up--the last days of Marie Antoinette! For a piece that he planned on calling, THE AUSTRIAN WOMAN. He also flirted with turning the HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME into an opera; as well as considering two plays by Oscar Wilde. Perhaps our greatest regret is that he did not pursue THE WOMAN AND THE PUPPET, the searing, sexual tale of obsessive love that Von Sternberh later filmed with Dietrich as THE DEVIL IS A WOMAN (and later remade by Luis Bunuel at the end of his career). As Randall and Gray Davis indicate, the scandalized reception of Strauss' recent SALOME made Puccini leery of a similarly decadent subject. However, in his private life Puccini was experiencing a coruscating scandal which tore him apart and exposed his marriage for a living hell to the whole world. His wife, Elvira, became madly jealous of her own maid, Doria Manfredi, driving her to her death. After Doria's death an autopsy revealed that she had never had sex with anyone, much less the blameless Puccini. Or was he blameless? It's easy to paint Elvira as a vicious, deluded shrew, but in my experience there's not much smoke without at least a little bit of fire. The authors hint that this trying and scandalous cloud affected the composition of LA FANCIULLA DEL WEST in numerous ways.

Gray Davis brings a lot to the project, especially the cache of Puccini letters she inherited from her late dad. These letters are the archive of Puccini's correspondence with Carlo Zangarini, his librettist. Zangarini's reputation, of course, went to hell long ago when his Fascist leanings won him honor in Mussolini's Italy and disdain everywhere else. The two authors here do their best to rehabilitate him, but in all honesty, it's uphill sledding for them and you can hear the tone of their monograph wobble when it comes to discussing Zangarini's politics.

And yet they have accomplished something new under the sun, a new reading of FANCIULLA as well as the definitive account of its writing and reception.

One minor quibble, I do not exactly see why they say that the archive of Puccini letters must have left the Zangarini hands after his death (in other words, in the postwar period). According to the evidence, why not consider it possible for Carlo to have sold them to the American autograph dealer himself, perhaps before the war? Did I miss something, why blame it on his mistress or nephew or whoever.

One further comment, publication of Puccini's notes to Zangarini reveals that Puccini ws quite a poet himself, his verses are the dark equivalent of those of Laura Riding or Edith Sitwell. They're spooky, they're so weird. "I'm passing dark days/ writing real torpedoes/ in kangaroo form/ for days not far in the future." What the hell? How about, "They are all English,/ German and French,/ Women with hips,/ Women bamboo."

Then and Now.......2005-04-30

Terrific tale of the maestro coming to New York with his new opera. Sure to provoke attention with 2010 in the near future when this work will be 100. The attention paid to the opening when New York burst with potency, bejewelled dames listening to world voices sort of put the Met on the map. Laughed out loud at the recreation of that scene of the opening. Now, we wonder what about that girl next door, Doria, who helped him recuperate from the auto accident, then with Elvira the Fricka-like wife screaming, having to deal with the tragedy of Doria's demise. This personal view of the master at home with his devils informs the interpretation of the opera and how it went over. The depiction of Belasco and early 20th century theater, the pre-Method method as it were, puts Puccini right in the middle of the mix that included but pre-dated the Stanislavski revolution, in fullest flower with Stanley's "Stella!" at the foot of the stairs. None of that here, actually, this a precise look at the work and its times, the publisher, the competiton, the writers, the abandon with which people went to opera then, the end of the Whitman era and the the beginning of end of that world, only a few years after 1910 when all hell broke lose. It's historical, yes, but also hysterical how much is made of so little. There are in fact no arias in this opera, just rich orchestration and seemingly improvised conversation, very modern that way, a view to Strauss then, Adams now. It's like a couple hundred years of opera crystalized into one book, both too specific, (pages of music printed in a text), and not specific enough: do the authors think Elvira was right? The movie that must be made of this book will deal with this question. In the meantime, opera lovers should thank these writers for perservering dauntlessly to give us a look through 29 epistles at what the man went through to get there then, landing us here and now when we wonder who was that girl of the golden west: the soprano who survives, does not die in the end, but rides off with her beloved, wow, a happy ending; or the girl left behind who poisons herself, a miserable death? It's edgy that way.

Puccini and the Girl: History and Reception of The Girl of the Golden West.(Book review): An article from: Notes

Average customer rating:

Puccini and the Girl: History and Reception of The Girl of the Golden West.(Book review): An article from: Notes
Mary Simonson
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Online Books | Books & Reading | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

Science & Technology | Subjects | e-Docs | Formats | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Notes, published by Thomson Gale on September 1, 2006. The length of the article is 1486 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Puccini and the Girl: History and Reception of The Girl of the Golden West.(Book review)
Author: Mary Simonson
Publication: Notes (Magazine/Journal)
Date: September 1, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 63 Issue: 1 Page: 110(3)

Article Type: Book review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Puccini and The Girl : History and Reception of The Girl of the Golden West

Average customer rating:

Puccini and The Girl : History and Reception of The Girl of the Golden West
Rosalind Gray Davis Annie J. Randall
Manufacturer: NY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MU8Z00

Average customer rating:

Puccini and the Girl: History and Reception of the Girl of the Golden West
Rosalind Gray Davis Annie Janeiro Randall
Manufacturer: University Of Chicago Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OPKT0W

Book Description

The second adventure for the new Eberron campaign setting.
This full-length adventure for the newest D&D campaign setting showcases many of the most unique traits of the Eberron setting. It will play out across the entire face of the Eberron world and is designed to either be a stand-alone adventure or an immediate follow-up to the first published Eberron adventure, Shadows of the Last War.

Customer Reviews:

Badly designed adventure.......2007-08-08

This module has many failings and weakness.

The author is clearly a fan of the James Bond movies in my opinion.The author was going for a cinematic effect which sounds good but doesn't work very well unless your group of gamers is open to a cinematic style and doesn't mind writing off inconstancies.

First the module depends on the main villain escaping and running away from the players 4 separate times if you want them to reach the final encounter the author has in mind. As a result the players are constantly chasing the bad guy. We have a horse chase, a massive ball, a airship chase and a train chase which then leads to final chase to the modules end. If the players manage to defeat the villain, the rest of the adventure becomes moot.

Two of the chases have major flaws. The horse chase has travel rates for the bad guy and the heroes that should end up resulting in the heroes never catching the villain before he can reach the destination he is headed. The Airship chase has the players taking 12d6 damage from falling when the airships crash. Most 4th level characters can not survive that.

Finally the players may not have magic weapons. Level 4 characters may not have gotten any magic weapon. Without them they are going to have a hard time defeating the villain at the end of this module.

There are some good elements in this module but you will have to ignore some problems and probably have to be ready to invoke "GM Says" to make some parts of this work.

Fast paced excitement.......2006-10-20

Holy Crap! This adventure never lets up! You hit the ground running and barely have time to catch your breath. This adventure is very well written and you can tell the writer loves to game. Information is easy to find and 'what if this goes wrong?' scenarios are covered as well. This campaign has some awe inspiring action sequences and really makes your players have to think on their toes. One of the things you should be aware when running this campaign is that there isn't much time for the players to do research or aquire new items. Things move along at a breakneck pace, so make sure you give your players opportunities to get the things they need. Also, certain parts of this campaign are really, REALLY tough. Make sure they're fairly well prepared before they fight Lucan.
Have fun!

Good adventure, even great adventure, however..........2004-11-12

***I have now run the adventure and further to my review, there is some linkage between this adventure and the previous (and following) published adventures. Even though it is small, it was an unexpected development during the adventure as the players had all thought that thier previous quest(s) were totally behind them.***

I now upgrade my rating to 5 Stars.

Firstly, I have purchased Eberron Campaign source book as well as the Shadows of the last War module. So when I saw "...is designed to either be a stand-alone adventure or an immediate follow-up to the first published Eberron adventure, Shadows of the Last War." I was thinking sweet.

Now that I have read the module, it really has NOTHING to do with the previous adventures. I mean the same organisations are present (as you would expect in a campaign flavoured based adventure), so the Emerald Claw and Lord of the Blades hinder the PC's, however, the adventure plot really have NOTHING to do with either of the previous adventures. The schema is barley mentioned (someone wants to know what the PC's know about it, but its more of a possible side plot than a main part of the adventure, in fact if the PC's are doing well the encounter will not even occur.)

The plot also has a weak point when the PC's are expected to enter a masked ball without an invitation. If you are playing mostly good characters or "God forbid" a paladin there is NO alternative to stealing an invitation or sneaking in... (The guards can not be convinced, no invite no entry).

There is also one place where the whole party or at least some of the party is likely to take 12D6 falling damage (no save). For characters in a level 4 adventure this seems a bit excessive, especially due to a lack of options shortly before this occurs.

That aside the adventure is really pretty cool, with a number of excellent exciting plot points with time specific requirements forcing the PC's to race against the clock as well as enemies.
As a number of situations in the adventure are races against time as well, there are alternative adventure paths that the PC's can take to continue on the chase if they are not quick enough or lucky enought to beat the clock. The alternative paths are detailed and plausable.

There are also several larger battles; one that looks particularly exciting is the battle on the lightning rail.
Also the style of the adventure is explained well in the DM notes, such tips as how to handle larger battles, and how to use NPC's and plot devices to pace the adventure to suit the interest level of the players. The plot design elements and cliff-hanger moments make this a potentially memorable adventure.

Overall the adventure is very good, arguable better then Shadows of the last war, however be forewarned that this adventure appears to me to have NOTHING to do with the first two adventures (although perhaps all will become clear in time).
The plot hooks, villains, edge of your seat action, excitement and the race against time atmosphere make me look forward to running this adventure, despite its apparent shortcomings.
(If this adventure had been related to the previous modules in some sort of meaningful way, I would have given it at least 4 1/2 stars if not 5. As I said, even though it has nothing to do with previous adventures it is still looks way cool. PC's running across a busy platform to try and catch the lightning rail as it starts to leave the station, makes for an exciting action scene, especially when preceded by action and followed by more action and even more action)

*** After running adventure I now upgrade my rating to give it 5 Stars out of 5 ***

Average customer rating:
Rte and the Globalisation of Irish Television
Farrel John Corcoran
Manufacturer: Intellect (UK)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 1841500909

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books