Arts
The triumphant story of how an all-Black Broadway cast and crew changed musical theatre--and the world--forever.
This musical introduced Black excellence to the Great White Way. Broadway was forever changed and we, who stand on the shoulders of our brilliant ancestors, are charged with the very often elusive task of carrying that torch into our present.--Billy Porter, Tony, Grammy, and Emmy Award-winning actor
If Hamilton, Rent, or West Side Story captured your heart, you'll love this in-depth look into the rise of the 1921 Broadway hit, Shuffle Along, the first all-Black musical to succeed on Broadway. No one was sure if America was ready for a show featuring nuanced, thoughtful portrayals of Black characters--and the potential fallout was terrifying. But from the first jazzy, syncopated beats of composers Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake, New York audiences fell head over heels.
Footnotes is the story of how Sissle and Blake, along with comedians Flournoy Miller and Aubrey Lyles, overcame poverty, racism, and violence to harness the energy of the Harlem Renaissance and produce a runaway Broadway hit that launched the careers of many of the twentieth century's most beloved Black performers. Born in the shadow of slavery and establishing their careers at a time of increasing demands for racial justice and representation for people of color, they broke down innumerable barriers between Black and white communities at a crucial point in our history.
Author and pop culture expert Caseen Gaines leads readers through the glitz and glamour of New York City during the Roaring Twenties to reveal the revolutionary impact one show had on generations of Americans, and how its legacy continues to resonate today.
Praise for Footnotes
A major contribution to culture.--Brian Jay Jones, New York Times bestselling author of Jim Henson: The Biography
With meticulous research and smooth storytelling, Caseen Gaines significantly deepens our understanding of one of the key cultural events that launched the Harlem Renaissance.--A Lelia Bundles, New York Times bestselling author of On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C.J. Walker
Absorbing...--The Wall Street Journal
In her New York Times bestseller Between You & Me, Mary Norris delighted readers with her irreverent tales of pencils and punctuation in The New Yorker's celebrated copy department. In Greek to Me, she delivers another wise and funny paean to the art of self-expression, this time filtered through her greatest passion: all things Greek.
Greek to Me is a charming account of Norris's lifelong love affair with words and her solo adventures in the land of olive trees and ouzo. Along the way, Norris explains how the alphabet originated in Greece, makes the case for Athena as a feminist icon, goes searching for the fabled Baths of Aphrodite, and reveals the surprising ways Greek helped form English. Filled with Norris's memorable encounters with Greek words, Greek gods, Greek wine--and more than a few Greek men--Greek to Me is the Comma Queen's fresh take on Greece and the exotic yet strangely familiar language that so deeply influences our own.
Oakland, CA: Magnolia Editions, 1997. String-tied Japanese paper covers with illustrated paper label on cover; some ink smear on title; beautifully illustrated doubled-folded pages; very little wear. VG-
Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany, and Jack Thorne, a new play by Jack Thorne, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the eighth story in the Harry Potter series and the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage. The play will receive its world premiere in London's West End on July 30, 2016.
It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn't much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children.
While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places.
This Special Rehearsal Edition will be available to purchase until early 2017, after which a Definitive Edition of the script will go on sale.
Traditional Japanese packaging is an art form that applies sophisticated design and natural aesthetics to simple objects. In this elegant presentation of the baskets, boxes, wrappers, and containers that were used in ordinary, day-to-day life, we are offered a stunning example of a time before mass production. Largely constructed of bamboo, rice straw, hemp twine, paper, and leaves, all of the objects shown here are made from natural materials. Through 221 black-and-white photographs of authentic examples of traditional Japanese packaging—with commentary on the origins, materials, and use of each piece—the items here offer a look into a lost art, while also reminding us of the connection to nature and the human imprint of handwork that was once so alive and vibrant in our everyday lives.
First Edition for the United States published by Harper and Row in 1967, after the original Japanese edition of 1965. Written by Hide Yuki Oka, foreword by George Nelson, photography by Michikazu Sakai. Traditional elegant designs for packaging ordinary objects in Japan reflect their time and culture. 4to, 203 pages, full page illustrations in exquisite black and white, dust jacket with protective cover, glossy white with blind embossing on front hardcover, bump to right lower edge, interior fine. VG/VG.
Leonard Nimoy, the actor, recounts his experiences acting the role of Mr. Spock, Star Trek's unflappable Vulcan, his reactions to his fame, and his continuing identification with Spock
Del Rey, 1977, first Ballantine Books edition. Mass market paperback. VG++
Baskin's illustrated essays are his homage to the artists for whom he feels not only kinship but a deep and singular dedication. These are his companions, his exemplars in the lonely agony of creation, and each portrait seemingly imbues him with the attributes of his subject. Written in a style as complex and idiosyncratic as his art, the essays offer Baskin's insights into the spirit and passion of figures from Rembrandt to Eakins, Anne Allen to Paula Modersohn Becker. Though technical details, biographical facts, and quotes from authorities are included, the book is an intense and essentially personal celebration of creativity at times so strangely religious that it might best be described as a book of devotions. Paula Frosch, Metropolitan Museum Lib., New York (Library Journal, 1988)
1st U.S. edition; dust jacket lightly soiled; spine lightly faded; red cloth with gilt lettering on front cover and spine; edges slightly faded; binding tight; text clean and bright. VG/G+