History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

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a very interesting book
"Suppose you wrote an opera and nobody came"
A witty overview for opera insiders

Skeletons from the Opera Closet
David L. Groover , and Cecil C., Jr. Conner
Manufacturer: Moyer Bell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1559211040

Book Description

A book of trivia that extends the definition of the word.

--Publishers Weekly

This is a fast-paced assemblage of opera history and gossip, diatribes, stories, anecdotes, and quotations from critics and composers. Readers are treated to an astrological chart of the opera's composers and divas, and a particularly catty list of what the maestros have said about each other. This frolicsome book can mean little to readers who are not already well-instructed opera fans; for those who are, though, it offers great fun and further instruction.

--The New York Times

Customer Reviews:

a very interesting book.......2004-09-14

Topics covered include humorous anecdotes, comments which opera composers have made about each other, biographies of opera composers, operas which are not recognized but should be, operas which are not recognized and should not be, and many more. The only chapter which did not interest me was the the astrology readings for opera stars, because I think astrology is baloney.

My only grievance is that one of the two writers injects his presence too much. Commenting on a 12-tone composition, he says, "If it must be serial, give us shredded wheat." With a little bit of effort, you can tell the exact page where one writer stops and the other writer starts.

"Suppose you wrote an opera and nobody came".......2001-01-28

"Skeletons from the Opera Closet" is either my favorite or second favorite book about opera, depending on my frame of mind. If I've just finished watching my "La Forza del Destino" video with Corelli and Tebaldi, I prefer the more passionate and serious prose of Peter Conrad's, "A Song of Love and Death". However, if I've just returned from a Michigan Opera Theatre production where a mylar balloon floated down from the wings and bobbed up and down next to Aida as she and Radames was expiring very musically in their tomb, then my book of choice would be "Skeletons from the Opera Closet." It is an extremely funny, editorialized history of opera, even though it leaves most of Opera's favorite sight gags (e.g. Tosca and the trampoline)to Vickers' "Operatic Disasters" and "More Operatic Disasters". My favorite chapter is, "Having an Acts to Grind" where the authors discuss their least favorite acts in some very well known operas. They set the scene thusly:

"You rush off into the rain, there are no cabs, your dinner consists of a cup of cardboard coffee and a $4.00 box of stale mints at the theater, and the 'fun little opera' turns into a Germanic five-act cement dumpling, set in what appears to be outer space, and sung by the fattest cast this side of Barnum and Bailey."

Groover and Conner's choices for 'cement dumplings' are wickedly funny (and not all of them are Germanic).

This book's mixture of operatic history, gossip, and anecdotes is very easy to digest--the very antithesis of a cement dumpling. I enjoyed it from beginning ("How to Build a Chinese Opera House") to end ("Curtain Call"), incidentally learning along the way that it was Beethoven who wrote the opera where (almost) no one came to the premiere. The Viennese loved their music but they were about to be overrun by Napoleon's Grand Army, and so they did the only practical thing. They deserted.

Maybe Beethoven should have named his opera, "Infidelio".

A witty overview for opera insiders.......1997-06-05

If you like opera, you'll love this book. It's a collection of bon mots about the standard repertoire -- irrereverent, scathing, playful.

The New Yorker said, when this book first came out, that if you know opera, you'll get it. Otherwise, way over your head. Whoosh!

Amazon.com

Forensic anthropologist Gideon Oliver and his wife Julie have planned a relaxing four-week European jaunt that will allow Gideon to collect material for his upcoming book. But when a local dog digs up some very tasty--and very modern--human bones at a prehistoric site in the French Dordogne, Gideon gets a call for deductive assistance from old friend Inspector Lucien Joly. It appears that the bones are connected to the Institut de Préhistoire, epicenter of the academic debate on the proper place of Neanderthals in the progression of human evolution.

Years ago, the Institut's director, Ely Carpenter, found startling archaeological evidence that Neanderthal Man was a sensitive being with an appreciation of beauty and art: when that evidence was exposed as a fraud, Carpenter committed suicide. Or did he? These days, the remaining members of the Institut are still at dagger's (or perhaps Middle Paleolithic Acheulian cordiform hand ax's) edge. Half of them argue for the Neanderthals as card-carrying Homo sapiens, and the other half want to fling them from the family tree altogether. The academic debate is vicious, indeed--but when more bodies start to appear, Gideon must dig deep into layers of personal animosity and professional rivalry to determine which of his anthropological colleagues has more than a monograph at stake.

Aaron Elkins is the author of a number of Gideon Oliver mysteries, including the Edgar Award-winning Old Bones. It is a tribute to his skill that the dusty fragments of bone at the heart of this latest outing will capture his readers' interest, and that the ramifications of a scientific dispute seem the perfect motive for murder. Skeleton Dance carries as well all the touches that have made his previous novels successful: a genial protagonist who wavers between sharp-eyed precision and absent-minded obliviousness; an assortment of well-drawn minor characters (though their foibles may be sketched a bit too broadly, as Elkins stretches for a touch of humor); and a cozy evocation of local atmosphere. If the music of Skeleton Dance is a tune we've heard before, and the steps are a trifle well-worn, it doesn't really matter; Elkins is such a skilled partner that we'll find ourselves tapping our feet and turning the pages in easy rhythm. --Kelly Flynn

Book Description

There is a small village in France that is well known for pate de foie gras . . .and bones. Boasting the largest concentration of prehistoric fossils in Europe, Les Eyzies-de-Tayac is the home of the prestigious Institut de Prehistoire -- where eminent scientists study and squabble ...and perhaps, on occasion, commit murder.

Professor Gideon Oliver knows bones. That's why the mild-mannered sometime-investigator is the forensic specialist the Chief Inspector in Les Eyzies calls when a local dog emerges from a nearby cave carrying parts of a human skeleton -- and a not-all-that-long-ago-interred one at that. But murder piles on murder -- and surprise upon electrifying surprise -- following Gideon's arrival, as his search for answers leads him quickly, into the darkest corners of the scientific community ... and sets him on a shocking trail of death, greed, and deception nearly forty thousand years in the making.

Customer Reviews:

Basic read.......2006-06-27

Basic story with average characters. Decent book without anything to write in depth about.

I was disappointed with the lack of humor that was supposed to be in the story. I also dislike it when authors wrap a mystery with information that was not shared in the process of the book. While I was able to surmise most of the story line while reading, there was simply too much stuff to fill in the gaps at the end that wasn't in the book.

This review is based on the book and the audiobook with George Guidall narrating for Recorded Books.

Roll Them Bones.......2003-04-11

SKELETON DANCE is the tenth Gideon Oliver mystery Aaron Elkins has written. I've read all ten. I guess that makes me a fan. This one finds Gideon and Julie in the south of France on a trip that was intended to be part vacation and part research excursion for a book Gideon plans to write. It seems a dog has turned up some not-so-old human bones from a prehistoric site in the area. Police Inspector Joly asks Gideon to examine the bones for clues.

Like all the other books in this series, Elkins manages to make the examination of a few bones fascinating. There is always some unique bit of information to be gleaned by the trained eye. On the other hand, these aren't the most intriguing mysteries ever. Sometimes the "surprising" developments aren't all that surprising. The clues are clever and the writing is witty, though. Gideon and Julie are familiar, easy-to-like characters and Elkins infuses the stories with a wry sense of humor. The result is a story that keeps the reader entertained and wanting to see what happens next. Even if it only confirms what you thought.

I always hesitate to give a Gideon Oliver mystery five stars. These stories aren't really on a par with a classic creation like Sherlock Holmes. Of the light mysteries currently being written, however, these are among my favorites. I look forward to each one and always enjoy them. Inevitably, though, I have enjoyed some more than others. In my opinion, SKELETON DANCE is one of the better ones.

Nice Steady Elkins.......2001-09-22

I have read "Loot" by Aaron Elkins and found that art can be a great center for a mystery novel. I was a little skeptical that Elkins series revolving around an archaeology would be as good. I am glad I gave it a shot. Gideon Oliver the main character in this series is a wonderful character that any mystery fan can get into.

The story starts when a local dog starts bring home human bones from a cave in France. However these bones are no remains of any old Cro-magnon. These are much to new. Oliver is brought in to determine the age of the bones, and slowly uncovers a scandal in the local institute of archaeology. At the institute is a group of possible suspects of the unknown victim in the cave. Oliver along with detective Joly must put all the pieces together to solve this tricky murder.

This novel remains me of Agatha Christie, with it's uniquue locatons and list of suspects. Elkins has a great ability to weace a great story along with not the most enthralling topics. However he makes it work and should be on everyones too read list.

Digging up the past, and a murder along with it!.......2001-06-27

This is a amusing book. For readers who like their mysteries to have some basis in fact and preferably a foot in reality, this is a series with definite promise. Scientists are not as free from emotions and prejudices as the general public has been led to believe, and Aaron Elkins plays on this knowledge with terrific results. This was the first time I had picked up a mystery with the Professor Gideon Oliver in it. Since I love forensics and enjoy archaeology when it is well-written about, this book was loads of fun. The author gives plenty of background to the story plot; he makes sure that the fictional web he weaves has enough information for the general reader to understand the science behind the mystery without wasting a lot of words or time. I was fascinated by the descriptions of the 'abris', the information on how 'fakes' are made to look old, and the knowledge about the arguments in the anthropological sciences. Actually the basis of the whole story lies in professional jealousy, which is not far-fetched at all (I saw too many scientists who wanted to prove their theories at any cost, and have read about more!).

I have never been to France so I have to take Elkin's word for his descriptions of this area of the world. His detailed account of both the countryside, and the anthropological discoveries makes for outstanding color and background for the mystery plot. I got a kick out of his narration of the little towns in this area of France who are proud of their place in science, and the picture he drew of all the townspeople going to listen to lectures on the anthropology discoveries in their area. How nice it would be if Americans would put as much interest into science and their own histories!

As other reviewers have said, the story line was a tad slow, but well worth the wait. It is nice to find another intelligent mystery writer. His writing is better than good, his descriptions are wonderful, characterization is pretty good, and his plot line and the science involved are fantastic. This is a definite 'must-read' addition to my list of authors. Karen SAdler, Science Education, University of PIttsburgh

A great read!.......2001-06-23

Another book in the series featuring the always interesting "skeleton detective" Gideon Oliver. In this outing, a dog discovers a human skeleton which had been buried in a prehistoric cave in Southwestern France. It quickly turns into a murder investigation, and a local police detective calls in Dr. Oliver who, coincidentally, had been planning a research trip through western Europe. Once there, Gideon gets to work examining the remains. After he makes a tentative identification of the victim, everything seems to break loose and a 3-year old murder gets tied up inextricably with an anthropological hoax involving the director of the local Institute of Prehistory and his subsequent fall from grace and supposed demise in a plane crash. Gideon once again finds himself in the position of implicating of his respected colleagues in the dirty goings-on, in addition to finding himself square in the path of a murderer bent on keeping old secrets buried.

Secrets of the Sassy Old Broads: When Skeletons in the Closet Start to Dance

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Secrets of the Sassy Old Broads: When Skeletons in the Closet Start to Dance
Esther, Coffield
Manufacturer: Infinity Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Comic | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0741429950

Product Description

This hilarious spoof on aging -- with a sprinkling of mystery -- reflects the authors motto: Laughter is the best medicine! The wacky shenanigans of the Sassy Old Broads and the Old Fools at Rest Haven Retirement Home keep you chuckling. From male stripper birthday parties to skinny-dipping in the Caribbean, the Sassy Old Broads are spunky, spicy, and a bit naughty! The Old Fools are well, preoccupied. Old Fools: If you persnickety fuddy-duddies would lighten up, youd hop on board and ride this train all the way to glory. Sassy Old Broads: We know what youre thinking, hanky panky! Discover skeletons dying to expose the Sassy Old Broads long-buried secrets.

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BOOGIE BONES, by Elizabeth Loredo, Kevin Hawkes
Boogie Bones LOVED to dance!

Boogie Bones
Elizabeth Loredo
Manufacturer: Scholastic
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

ASIN: 0590510371

Book Description

Boogie Bones loves to dance, and he longs to show his stuff outside the graveyard gates. One night the wind brings him a flyer that reads "Dance Contest Saturday! Come one, come all, to the Town Hall! Prizes! Music! Romance!" Even though no skeleton has ever left the graveyard before, Boogie hatches a plan that will take him to the dance contest and win him the trophy.

Make no bones about it, Boogie is a dancer to watch. When the band strikes up the music of the tango, he sways, he taps his toes, he twitches his hips. But what will happen when a skeleton dares to shake a leg on the dance floor?

Customer Reviews:

BOOGIE BONES, by Elizabeth Loredo, Kevin Hawkes.......2002-08-10

This is one of the best children's books I've come across! The subject of skeletons can be scary to a child; but here, it's presented with such delightful pictures and silly text, my 4 year-old niece "forgot" to be afraid. It's a perfect length to hold a child's interest through to the end. You can't help but cheer on Boogie Bones, as he "trips the light fantastic" at the dance. And when his true identity is revealed, it's a child who shows the townspeople there's nothing to fear. Your own children can relate to this, and maybe even conquer some of their own fears. All in all, a great book for kids of any age!

Boogie Bones LOVED to dance!.......2000-04-29

Boogie Bones LOVED to dance -- and WE loved his story! It is so well-executed that all along the way, accompanied by exquisite illustration, we could actually feel Boogie's hope, excitement, fear, and exhilaration. Our family (3,6,9,11, plus grown-ups) was thoroughly charmed by Boogie Bones and his happy, heartfelt joy in "living".

Dance Club: Skeleton in the Wardrobe (Dance Club , No 3)

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Dance Club: Skeleton in the Wardrobe (Dance Club , No 3)
Lewis Jones
Manufacturer: Wayland Pub Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Action & Adventure | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0750021357

The Dance of The Skeletons - Weird Menace Number 6

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The Dance of The Skeletons - Weird Menace Number 6
Robert (Ed.) Weinberg
Manufacturer: Robert Weinberg
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000J0JHAK

Family Archaeology: Discovering the Family Skeleton and Making it Dance

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Family Archaeology: Discovering the Family Skeleton and Making it Dance
Freya Ottem Hanson
Manufacturer: Heritage Books Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Genealogy | Reference | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0788422642

Book Description

FAMILY ARCHAEOLOGY: Discovering The Family Skeleton And Making It Dance - Freya Ottem Hanson. People make history interesting. People influence us. They leave their imprints on us and become part of the fabric of our family story. This book suggests ways to discover hidden treasure from the past and challenges you to unearth more about the people in your ancestral tree. It encourages you to rediscover family values, traditions, and stories and then presents ways to experience that heritage.

Packed with practical suggestions, anyone new to the pursuit of genealogy will treasure this book for its helpful questions and suggestions. Seasoned genealogists will also find a wealth of ideas and recognize a kindred spirit in the personal experiences and anecdotes that enliven this delightful guidebook.

This readable book discusses searching for relative information and how to begin, learning about nationality and other ethnic ties, discovering the importance of your name, taking note of religious preferences, finding out about citizenship and what it means, tracking down military experiences, identifying causes that matter to you and your family, rediscovering ethnic traditions that have shaped your family, and much, much more… 2002, 114 pp., paper.

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Let the Skeletons Dance

Manufacturer: Interpak Natal
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000DN7CMS

Product Description

Family geneaology not of the Gilfallans who trace ancestory to clan McNab, but of the South American branch of Mrs. Gilfallan's family. Family names include, Rosenfeldt, Abrhamson, del Solar,Zapata de Mayorga, Gorostizaga, Echeverria Guzman,

Making the Skeleton Dance (The Braziller Series of Poetry)

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Poems that pierce like bullets.
The Courage of a Poet
Tell Them Dutch Sent You

Making the Skeleton Dance (The Braziller Series of Poetry)
Patricia Garfinkel
Manufacturer: George Braziller
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

A courageous work--poetically, personally, and historically--Making the Skeleton Dance chronicles the disintegration of the author's family under the insidious influence of a family secret. At the heart of this secret is Dutch Schultz, the notorious 1930s New York mobster and Bronx Beer Baron of the prohibition era. Looking back now as an adult, the poet asks the searching, defiant questions of a grown child determined to unravel the family secret that is never discussed but always undeniably present. Seamlessly blending poetry with brief transcriptions of recorded conversations between the author and her mother, Making the Skeleton Dance captures the raw emotion of this wrenching psychological drama with language that is searingly honest. Her relentless search for the truth unearths another, deeper secret--one that she had hidden even from herself.

Customer Reviews:

Poems that pierce like bullets........2000-12-04

It took Patricia Garfinkel many years to bring herself to write these terse, painful, brilliant poems, and after reading "Making the Skeleton Dance," you will see why. Garfinkel takes the twin skeletons of her family history--childhood sexual abuse at the hands of her grandfather, and her uncle and parents' careers as the legal mouthpieces for the psychotic mobster Dutch Schultz--and sends them on a sad but courageous verbal ballet. These are poems that don't flinch from anything; when you read of Dutch beating and torturing an enemy to death, then "pass(ing) around a glass of warm blood/to quench the thirst to tell," you know you are reading poems of truth and power.

The Courage of a Poet.......2000-05-03

Many poets are daring in offering new styles and new subjects, but fewer are courageous in dealing with personal histories that are painful and indelible. And even fewer could carry it off with unique style, with words that are at once ineluctably honest yet leavened by deep love and caring for those who were part of that painful history. The "skeletons" Patricia Garfinkel summons to the dance are a long-hidden family history entwined with murderous gangsters and incest. That is the courageous part. The style is how she does it. The poems are interleaved by pieces of conversations the poet had with her mother, in which the exchange is one of agony by the mother in talking about things she did not want to talk about against the anguished pursuit by the poet of what happened and why. And the style is in the poetry itself. The snatches of mother-daughter conversation are mirrored - examined and given dimensionality -- by poems, rich in craft, language, metaphor. The poet asks her mother "why her telephone was tapped." And the mother answers that "they were trying to get [Dutch] Schultz, and then the poet in her "A Phone in the Closet" writes that

I am tapping your mind sixty years later because a shrill ringing persists on the line no one answers.

Doing this book must have emotionally draining. There was surely a sort of cathartic release for the poet; but the greatest gain is surely to us, the readers of this splendid contribution to the poetry of pure honesty.

Tell Them Dutch Sent You.......2000-04-22

Making the Skeleton Dance is unlike any other book of poetry Ihave ever read. The author mixes well-crafted poetry with actualdialogue between herself and her mother about how the author's parents and other family members were involved with Dutch Schultz and the Mob. This was one of the family secrets kept from her by her lawyer father. Once I picked up the book, I didn't put it down till I had read every word. Take for example the poem "Obsessed" -- "Dutch practiced torture/like an athlete working/ on his curve or crack of the bat." Many mysteries surface in this book for deciphering: (from "A Phone In the Closet") "Was the phone/ in the closet/like the top hat I wear/ in the bathtub/ or like a secret/ Swiss bank account?" One of the biggest surprises is the character of the mother who lived in a world of cruel gangsters as if it were some sort of fairy tale landscape. Despite having to go into hiding and to change the family name after Dutch was assasinated, the mother remembers many occasions with affection. For example her wedding paid for by her mob lawyer brother Dixie. "I don't know why we didn't have pictures./Daddy and I didn't even stay/ for the meal. All these gangsters,/ they think it's cute; we got word/ they were going to kidnap Daddy." (from "Found Poem: My Mother's Voice") Publisher George Braziller has stepped out of the mold to publish this unusual collection which will appeal not only to the literary crowd but also to people interested in family counseling and the history of Mob activity around the time of Prohibition in America. I only wish the publisher had a more creative graphic designer for the book jacket. Spread the word about this book. Tell anyone who asks, Dutch sent you.

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