Elizabeth Partridge Reviews

This Land Was Made for You and Me: The Life and Songs of Woody Guthrie
     217 pp. Viking
     Reviewed 3/02
Describing his motivations, Woody Guthrie wrote in the 1940s: "I have always been hot-tempered and stubborn and full of lots of nervous energy, and in my banging around over the country, I found my only fuel was to be very independent, stand alone, contrive, invent, imagine, and as time rolled along, I got a smattering of political education."Like so much of Guthrie's writings, including two autobiographies, over three thousand songs, and numerous newspaper columns, journals, and letters, these words suggest a deceptive simplicity that masks sophisticated ideas and beliefs. Biographer Partridge lays out the complexities as well as the contradictions of Guthrie's life, drawing a full picture of a man who defined both the pain and the pleasures of so many Americans during the second quarter of the twentieth century. He composed silly songs for his children, "but wasn't burdened by a sense of responsibility for them"; wrote powerfully of the downtrodden, yet would periodically vanish and leave his family with little means of support; and penned "This Land Is Your Land" not as a patriotic gesture but rather as an antidote to "God Bless America," a song he thought provided an inappropriate and romanticized view of this country. The individual who emerges from these pages is a true antihero: poor rather than rich, unkempt rather than groomed, crude rather than polished, emotional rather than reasoned, and passionate rather than contained. Well-chosen illustrations of Guthrie's own sketches, family snapshots, and archival photographs both personalize and extend this account. Appended with information about the Woody Guthrie Foundation and Archives and about Huntington's disease, detailed source notes, a bibliography, and an index. B.C.

Restless Spirit: The Life and Work of Dorothea Lange
      122 pp. Viking
      Reviewed 3/99
Dorothea Lange was an artist with the camera, a social historian, a precursor of the women's movement, and-as this biography demonstrates-a free spirit, conscious of her own destiny and willing to sacrifice an ordinary life to become extraordinary. There are two other fine biographies of Lange: Robyn Montana Turner's Dorothea Lange (Little), a picture book biography for younger readers, and Milton Meltzer's Dorothea Lange: Life through the Camera (Viking) for a slightly older audience. Excellent as these are in translating the life and work of a complicated individual into a form accessible to their respective audiences, neither can quite match the impact of Partridge's book, with its lavish display of Lange's photographs. Some, such as "Migrant Mother," are familiar images; others are less well known. Supplementing these are numerous photographs of Lange herself with members of her family, on location, or celebrating holidays. That the author is the daughter of Lange's photographic assistant, Ron Partridge, adds depth and credibility, particularly to the description of a ritual-filled Thanksgiving family gathering. The facts of Lange's life are cogently recorded: her uncomfortable childhood growing up as a polio victim in Hoboken, New Jersey, and commuting each day with her librarian mother to New York City's Lower East Side; her desire to become a photographer; her difficulty assuming the conventional roles of wife and mother; her passionate determination to maintain her individuality. This latter point, the theme of the book, is captured in one of the many quotations from Lange herself: "I have a very great instinct for freedom. Anybody cuts into that and I churn." The oversized format and glossy stock add a classy look to a thoughtful presentation that will engage the attention of many readers, including adults. With a bibliography and index. M.M.B.

John Lennon: All I Want Is the Truth
      220 pp. Viking
      Reviewed 9/05
Author of This Land Was Made for You and Me: The Life and Songs of Woody Guthrie (rev. 3/02), Partridge takes on another complex, self-centered, prolific musical genius. John Lennon's life is almost melodramatic in its amalgamation of intractably defiant acts, creative angst, wild success, wealth, sex, drugs, and, finally, violent death. Young adult readers will be riveted, and Partridge is fair and open with the facts. She contextualizes the Beatles' rise and disbanding with enough background information, both politically and musically, to illuminate the chaotic world behind the top ten charts. She also manages to bring Paul, George, and Ringo into the story while maintaining a steady focus on John -- no easy feat given their close personal and professional relationship. Among the most intriguing aspects is Yoko Ono's powerful hold over John (she's a blend of the free-spirited mother who abandoned him and the determined aunt who raised him) and her role in the Beatles' "divorce" from one another. Quotes are fully attributed in extensive footnotes, and the book includes a comprehensive bibliography and an index. The book design is luxurious; thoughtfully chosen, well-placed black-and-white photographs on nearly every page project a visual commentary that adds substantively to an accessible text. The chronological organization not only clarifies stages in Lennon's life but also slips a little history to unsuspecting teenagers as they get past the mask of an iconic popular star. BETSY HEARNE

Oranges on Golden Mountain
     Dutton
     Reviewed 10/02
Jo Lee, sent to live with his fisherman uncle in California late in the nineteenth century, misses his home in China. In a fanciful twist consistent with Chinese folkloric beliefs, his spirit often leaves his body to visit his faraway family. Vivid paper-cut illustrations complement the moving story, revealing cultural differences without rendering them exotic. MH

Kogi's Mysterious Journey
      Dutton
      Reviewed 4/04
Struggling artist Kogi is so desperate to capture the essence of a fish in his paintings that he magically becomes one himself. Cut-paper illustrations strikingly capture the crispness of traditional Japanese artA brief source note provides background on the tale. NCP

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