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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