Mao's Last Dancer

Book Description

From a desperately poor village in northeast China, at age eleven, Li Cunxin was chosen by Madame Mao's cultural delegates to be taken from his rural home and brought to Beijing, where he would study ballet. In 1979, the young dancer arrived in Texas as part of a cultural exchange, only to fall in love with America-and with an American woman. Two years later, through a series of events worthy of the most exciting cloak-and-dagger fiction, he defected to the United States, where he quickly became known as one of the greatest ballet dancers in the world. This is his story, told in his own inimitable voice.

Customer Reviews:

An excellent read that is written with great talent........2007-10-09

I just finished this book today and it seemed like moments!

Taking us from the traditional and superstitious marriage of his mother and father, the unimaginable poverty and oppression of China under Mao's communist rule, the one in a billion break to be a participant of Mrs. Mao's dance school, the extreme discipline of that school, defection to America, rejection by his country, and finally to the reuniting with his family; Li tells his life story in a colorful, sometimes humorous way that will make us appreciate the great riches and freedoms we take for granted.

Descriptive, thought provoking, and extremely impacting, "Mao's Last Dancer" most certainly will not be a disappointment.

Great historical memoir.......2007-05-12

I am really enjoying this book, only have a few pages left. The glimpse into third world China from an entirely new perspective, those of the eyes of a young boy during Mao's regime who overcomes incredible odds as a dancer, is
inspiring. A little slow but well written and thoroughly enjoyable.

A great story.......2007-03-05

I found that the first part of the book seemed endlessly depressing, the poverty and constant lack of food and near starvation was so overwhelming. But it was such an eye opener and I learnt much about a subject that I knew little about and it made me want to learn more.

I thought that his personal presistence, drive and ambition was truly inspiring and an insight into the hard work and what it takes to be amoung the best in world, which I am sure is true in any sphere.

His experience of living in the west and his decision to defect seemed in someways quite selfish but so understandable, but as an artist he had an overwhelming desire to be free to express himself which I think was as much to do with his decision as the desire to live a 'western' way of life. He was after all left almost friendless and without his family, I don't think he would have necessarily defected had he not wanted to dance and be the best in the world.

After the early part of the book and the hardship he and his family had suffered it was a lovely feel-good warm ending and he well deserves all his success.

It is not a greatly written book, but it is a really great story and a good read.

Life across different worlds.......2007-02-26

Li Cunxin has had a somewhat different life. He was almost doomed to obscurity like the vast majority of people in this world, living the life of a poor peasant in rural China, but for a stroke of luck when his teacher suggested him as a potential ballet student. This changed his life from one type of hardship to another with markedly different challenges, but one which left him lonely, confused about the dogma he had so wholeheartedly embraced and geographically isolated from his family.

It is interesting to read as the young man goes from blind adoration of Chairman Mao and all the things that come with Communism, to a dawning awakening that the West is not the den of inequity that he has been led to believe. But is is the latter half of the book that has led me to offer 4 stars instead of 5 - I felt it was a little rushed, especially his well publicised defection, and efforts to settle in the west and raise a family. I guess we in the West are more interested in his early struggling years, but the challenges he faced as an adult are nonetheless fascinating.

There is no doubt that this is a sincere and amazing story. It is written with a wry humour that makes the tales of wrenching poverty readable (I have no desire to ever taste dried yams!), and gives us an interesting insight into how difficult life was in China under Communism. Mr Li seems a happy and settled man now with a lovely family - I would say he has had a fair fight to get there.

Eric Langager in his review says it best........2006-12-12

This book is difficult because a very lucky boy suffered much to become a wonderful ballet dancer. He earned all his success with work. But then he defected to the west, harming his mentors in America and China, endangering his family and friends with the possibility of political reprisals. As a defector and highly skilled dancer, he immediately entered the American world of privilege. Barbara and George Bush personally involve themselves with his life, pulling strings to help him get what he wants. He is a pet of the famous and rich everywhere. He lives a life that many Americans can only imagine. Again, he earns this by working very, very hard at his dancing.

So it is hard to feel bad at seeing a rare instance of a person who works hard win the rewards that she/he deserves. It happens all too rarely. But as reviewer Eric Langager states, it brought up mixed feelings, too. As an artist, I can understand that Cunxin wanted to make the choice that allowed him to grow in his art. But he dwells little on the price that others paid.

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---
Awesome Book!
A sensitive, realistic story of overcoming adversity...
Considers career, life, and the unexpected changes ill health can bring - as well as the new lease on life it can offer
You Can't Control what happens to you

Last Dance
Lurlene McDaniel
Manufacturer: Darby Creek Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 158196031X

Customer Reviews:

---.......2007-07-10

i love lurlene mcdaniel's books. they are tear jerkers because they hit so close to home for many.

Awesome Book!.......2006-12-14

Rachel Deering loves to dance. She lives in Miami, Florida. Rachel went to school like a normal teenage girl does, she does her homework, hangs out with friends, and most of all loved to dance. Someday Rachel hoped to become a professional ballet dancer. When her ballet teacher tells her that the Christmas Ballet performance was coming up she got so excited she started rehearsing right away. One day when Rachel was at dance she passed out, then she was transported to the local hospital. When Rachel gets there she finds out that she has been diagnosed with diabetes, and thinks that her life has to come to an end until she meets Shawn when she meets Shawn he changes everything. Shawn was so nice to her that he showed her that even though she has diabetes she can still follow her dreams. To find out the rest of the story you should read the book. I really like this book I thought it was a great book.

A sensitive, realistic story of overcoming adversity..........2006-08-21

Originally, this book was entitled "When Dreams Shatter", and was released in the mid-80s. After going out of print for awhile, I'm glad to see that it's made a comeback!

Something is wrong with Rachael Deering. She's constantly thirsty, can't stop going to the bathroom, and she's losing weight. Then after passing out in ballet class and being rushed to the hospital, the doctor delivers a devastating diagnosis, Type I diabetes. Her pancreas has quit producing insulin and as a result, she has to give up sugar, count every calorie, and give herself two shots a day just to survive. Before her diagnosis, Rachael had dreams of becoming a famous ballerina. Now she and her parents aren't sure whether or not she should pursue her dream. When she meets Sean, a fellow teenage diabetic and a soccer player, Rachael might just realize her dream after all...

Knowing that Ms. McDaniel has a son who has been diabetic since the age of three, I believe that the majority of this story is based upon her experiences as a parent. I think she did an excellent job of dealing with such a tough subject, especially tough for a young person to deal with. I have been reading her books since I was eleven and I still continue to enjoy them now, as an adult.

Considers career, life, and the unexpected changes ill health can bring - as well as the new lease on life it can offer.......2006-08-20

Rachel loves to dance and dreams of being a professional someday - and an invite to dance in New York seems to begin her dream, until an incurable illness threatens everything she's worked for. LAST DANCE considers career, life, and the unexpected changes ill health can bring - as well as the new lease on life it can offer.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

You Can't Control what happens to you.......2006-05-18

Rachel Deering is a normal 13 yearold. Wanting to be a ballet star which I can understand I do ballet. Until she passes out in ballet class. When she awakens she discovers that she a life long illness that will change her life forever. Will she overcome her illness to be star at American Ballet Company? You'll have to read Last Dance to find out.

Century Girl: 100 Years in the Life of Doris Eaton Travis, Last Living Star of the Ziegfeld Follies

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A loving tribute to an extrordinary woman.
eye candy at its best
Beautiful Book About a Remarkable Life
"It's the top, it's the coliseum"
High-kicking hybrid

Century Girl: 100 Years in the Life of Doris Eaton Travis, Last Living Star of the Ziegfeld Follies
Lauren Redniss
Manufacturer: Collins Design
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0060853336
Release Date: 2006-10-24

Book Description

The Ziegfeld Follies, Florenz Ziegfeld's stage spectacular, promised the best performers, the most lavish sets, and the most ravishing girls. Doris Eaton Travis was one of these prized beauties–and, at 14, was chosen as the youngest chorus girl in the Follies. "Mine eyes are yet dim with the luminous beauty of a girl named Doris," one Chicago reviewer wrote.

Today, at the age of 102, Eaton is the last living Ziegfeld girl. Over the past century, she has performed for presidents and princesses, entertained Gershwin, Lindbergh, and Astaire, starred in silent and talking pictures, bantered with Babe Ruth, offended Henry Ford, outlived six siblings, written a newspaper column, hosted a television show, earned a Phi Beta Kappa degree in history, raised turkeys, and raced horses. Century Girl is a visual tour of this extraordinary woman's journey through the ages.

Customer Reviews:

A loving tribute to an extrordinary woman........2007-09-03

Century Girl: 100 Years in the Life of Doris Eaton Travis, Last Living Star of the Ziegfeld Follies is a new order of biography. Lauren Redniss uses hand-written text as an artistic element to guide the eye through the evocative images she has created using photo-collage and line drawings. The result is a visually stunning tour of the extraordinary life of Doris Eaton Travis

The book chronicles the life of Norman, Oklahoma, resident and University of Oklahoma graduate Doris Eaton Travis. The book follows Travis and her siblings, once known as the Eatons of Broadway, from their lives as child actors, to their success in theater and early films, and ultimately to their sad and often tragic fates.

Travis alone was able to leave show business behind. She had the strength to adapt herself when circumstances demanded; from dancer, to entrepreneur, to book-keeper on a horse ranch, to college graduate at 88 years old. She returned to the Broadway stage at the age of 94 and recieved an honorary doctorate at 100. Her's is a story of reinvention and ultimately of success.

Lauren Redniss teaches at the Parson's School in New York City. Her work is often seen on the Op-Ed page of the New York Times, which nominated her for the Pulitzer Prize. She is currently writing a biography of Marie Curie, due out in the fall.

This book is a work of art from cover to cover. Redniss knows her subject well and the story is told largely in Travis' own words. It is the author's unique, artistic approach that brings this fascinating story to life so vibrantly and with such immediacey.

In one section of the book, for example, Redniss discusses Travis' sister Mary Eaton's beauty, and the eagerness with which men gave her expensive gifts. The text takes the reader to photographs of Eaton in a seductive pose layered over images of Eaton's name in lights on the marquis of the New Amsterdam Theater. These images flow into a still photo from Eaton's starring role in Glorifying the American Girl. As we read of Eaton's beauty, we see coming off the page a Broadway star at the height of her fame and a woman who epitomizes beauty in the early twentieth century....and we understand why men were so easily parted from their money.

The artistic elements flow together seamlessly and carry the reader through this lovingly crafted biography. Redniss' incredible images allow the reader to experience the lives of Travis and her family in ways that text alone simply doesn't allow.

This book would appeal to anyone interested in dance or theater history. It has appeal to the general reader as well. Doris Eaton Travis is an extraordinary human being. Her ability to overcome tragedy, to reinvent herself, and to constantly strive to learn is an inspiration to all. Lauren Redniss' extaordinary book is the perfect vehicle to bring her inspiring story to life.

eye candy at its best.......2007-05-17

Have you ever looked through an old school yearbook where handwritten script accompanies carefully cropped pictures to make art? My grandma's yearbook from 1918 was like this. So is this gem by Lauren Redniss. The text and the artful images tugged at my heart and had me reading anxiously onward. It is as much a journey through this past century as it is a tribute to one remarkable lady. This was worth every cent!

Beautiful Book About a Remarkable Life.......2006-12-10

Lauren Redniss' Century Girl is a work of art that tells the story of a remarkable woman, Doris Eaton Travis. It is visually stunning -- the colors and art/photos/clippings and presentation make the cleverly inked biographical words LIVE on the page. And though longevity is one of the book's hooks -- "100 years in the life..." -- it is really about LIVING life, really, truly living life. It's a very unique experience reading this book -- you open a page and the gorgeous, artistic presentation really draws your eyes. You soak it all in, and then you read the words. As you read the words, you take in the art in a new way, and the words and the art combine to unfold the story in a really wonderful way. I highly recommend this book.

"It's the top, it's the coliseum".......2006-12-01

Everything about this vivacious book gives me a thrill. From the life and times of Doris Eaton herself (my latest and greatest role model - Please, God, let me live so long and be so grand!) to Ms. Redniss' swell and funky collaged interpretations of it, these are book dollars well-spent. Century Girl is a BIG, juicy tome of a book with a fabulous and sturdy library binding and thick glossy pages.

Whether you're a fan of cutting edge book design, collage, the 1920's, or the Ziegfield Follies, do your coffee or bedside table a sweet favor and grace it with this book before another week passes you by. And don't forget the tables at your Aunties' and your best girlfriends'.

This is a book to give anyone you're really crazy about.

High-kicking hybrid.......2006-11-20

This book is an engaging blend of art journal, visual bio, and time-travel archive. Although the book documents the life of a bygone
Ziegfeld Folly-dolly, it is really a prime example of how a nearly-forgotten pile of clippings and ephemera can be turned into a fascinating
bit of visual magic. The author/artist shows a strong affinity and tenderness for her subject, and yet she breathes new (vibrant) life into the story of Doris Eaton Travis; and creates a fascinating visual diary
in the bargain. Although the target audience for this book is probably theatre buffs and historians, I would suggest that many of my "tribe" who love art journals, altered books, and mixed media artwork will find it to be full of ideas. Visually-fascinating and engaging.

Mao's Last Dancer: Young Reader's Edition

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Mao's Last Dancer: Young Reader's Edition
Li Cunxin
Manufacturer: Bolinda Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: 1740938208

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Heartwarming and breathtaking!
Very emotional book.
Absolutely amazing memoir with wonderful writing
An amazing story!
An inside look through a young man's eyes in China under Mao

Mao's Last Dancer
Li Cunxin
Manufacturer: Putnam Adult
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 039915096X
Release Date: 2004-03-25

Book Description

An extraordinary memoir of a peasant boy raised in rural Maoist China who was plucked from his village to study ballet and went on to become one of the greatest dancers of his generation.

In 1961, three years of Mao's Great Leap Forward-along with three years of poor harvests-had left a rural China suffering terribly from disease and deprivation. Li Cunxin, his parents' sixth son, lived in a small house with twenty of his relatives and, along with the rest of his family, subsisted for years on the verge of starvation. But when he was eleven years old, Madame Mao decided to revive the Peking Dance Academy, and sent her men into the countryside searching for children to attend.

Chosen on the basis of his physique alone, Li Cunxin was taken from his family and sent to the city for rigorous training. What follows is the story of how a small, terrified, lonely boy became one of the greatest ballet dancers in the world. One part Falling Leaves, one part Billy Eliot, Mao's Last Dancer is an unforgettable memoir of hope and courage.

Customer Reviews:

Heartwarming and breathtaking!.......2006-07-20

Mao's Last Dancer by Li Cunxin is the memoir of a famous Chinese international ballet dancer (now retired) who struggled from poverty to reach soaring heights. I was enraptured from page one, when Li describes a traditional Chinese wedding that seems like it is irrelevant to his story but is in fact the wedding of his dear niang and dia (mother and father), whose love for him leaps in bounds.

Li grows up in the Li Commune in the Qingdao (or Tsingtao, named after the Chinese beer) province in China. He has many brothers, and his niang and dia struggle everyday to make ends meet. Chairman Mao is at the height of his power, and so all his teachers indoctrinate Li and other children about Mao's Red Book and the Communist ideals. At age 11, Li is chosen to attend Madame Mao's Dance Academy in Beijing, where it is a totally different world from the fields that he lived in. There, he suffers intense homesickness and torn hamstrings as he and his classmates go through rigorous dance training.

Li meets many friends and teachers that influence and support him, especially Teacher Xiao and his words of inspiration about a mango. Li eventually gets to go to America to dance with the Houston Ballet under Ben Stevenson, and that trip of freedom changes his life forever as he realizes that for years, Chairman Mao manipulated all of China with his communist ideals and twisted portraits of capitalist America. In America, he meets even more people that shape his tumultous life as he finds international success in the dnace world and his true love.

From his parents' wedding to his own, I was never bored for a single moment. His journey from a poor peasant to international success is amazing because the reader never knows what is coming up next! Li inserts a lot of anecdotes and Chinese stories/fables that his dia or someone else told him. His emotional outbursts will evoke the reader's own emotions as he struggles through excruciating pain, humiliation, homesickness, his feelings of love, and his confusion about capitalism and communism. I cheered him on when he has his first taste of freedom in America. Also, the reader reads about the importance of a cohesive family. When there is nothing, one will always have family to love and support, and his large loving family is the biggest supporter Li has.

Li's poignant memoir is one of the best in its field. It is easy to read and enjoyable. It is not short (445 pages) but the pages will go by in the blink of an eye because this story of a remarkable Chinese dancer is so fascinating and awe-inspiring. Highly recommended!

Very emotional book........2006-07-15

I have a deep interest in Chinese history & am always on the look out for good books written on the subject.

This particular book is a very heart-warming book indeed. After having read so many positive reviews about it, I decided I had to buy it. It was one of those books where you just have to read it from start to end. The story itself is quite incredible & told from the heart. The endurance, strength & courage of Li Cunxin in the backlight of the decline of Mao's power & the ascent of Deng Xiaoping really makes this a must read for anyone interested in Chinese history!

Richard

Absolutely amazing memoir with wonderful writing.......2006-06-19

I've read many, many memoirs about life in modern China, however, I've never read one with such a dramatic tale to tell, and I've read very few books in general as well written as this one. This is a true rags to riches story---starting out in a commune as poor as it could be and ending up world famous.

It was very interesting to read a book set during the Cultural Revolution from the perspective of someone from the class that was suppposed to be the one being glorified at that time---the peasants. It's amazing to see Cunxin's progression from true devotion to Mao to realization of how much he was lied to and manipulated.

This is also a love story, the story of the love between Cunxin's parents---an arranged marriage which became a true love match, and the pride and happiness despite their very tough lives they had in their seven sons. It is obvious the author cares so very much for his whole extended family. The speech his usually quiet father gave at a family wedding is one of the most touching passages I've ever read.

I hope Li Cunxin writes more. I would love to hear more about his life in Australia with his wife and children, and to hear about their journey with their deaf daughter. He is obviously a gifted writer as well as a gifted dancer. Highly recommended to all.

An amazing story!.......2005-08-25

I must join in on the praise for this wonderful memoir. Li Cunxin's account of his early life in China was so vivid that I literally shed tears for him. Later,I found myself cheering his brilliant successes in the ballet world. I could not put this book down, as I felt compelled to find out what was happening to Li Cunxin. The pages of pictures contained in the book added much to the telling of this story. You must read it.

An inside look through a young man's eyes in China under Mao.......2005-03-10

Since we adopted our daughter from China I am trying to read anything about her birth country. I really enjoyed this book and I'm not even a huge ballet follower. After reading this I hope one day I might have the chance to see him dance and appreciate all of his hard work and his humble beginings.

This book takes you back to when China was under Mao's rule and how the people of China spent their day to day lives trying to survive, and the wonderful oppertunity Cuxin Li had for a better life all because of a teacher pointing him out. I really enjoyed this book!

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Mao's Last Dancer
Li Cunxin
Manufacturer: PUFFIN (PENG)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

ASIN: 0141320869

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The Last Hula Dancer
MAC Mcquagge
Manufacturer: Infinity Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0741437937
Release Date: 2007-02-02

Product Description

In The last Hula Dancer, an action packed, cliffhanger, of a mystery novel, set on the exotic tropical island of Maui, P.I. Jack Quick, inadvertently teamed with a pretty female police detective, attempts to solve the murders of two beautiful young Hawaiian hula dancers. Each dancer is abducted after consecutive Saturday night hula shows, tortured, murdered, and their mutilated bodies dumped at different popular tourist sites on the island. Jack and his partner, Tiara Makani, must stop the killer before he kills another hula dancer -- and before he kills them.

Average customer rating:

Hard to find, but worth the search.
Simply one of the best science fiction books ever writtern
Elegant and powerful Sci-Fi
Stunning!
Three books so far but where is number four?

LAST DANCER, THE (Bantam Spectra Book)
Daniel Keys Moran
Manufacturer: Spectra
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0553562495
Release Date: 1993-10-01

Customer Reviews:

Hard to find, but worth the search........2006-10-25

Both thrilling and moving, with action sequences to rival any popcorn flick, The Last Dancer is an intricately plotted space adventure. There are elements of cyberpunk as well as fantasy, with some ingredients in the mix being telepathy, artificial intelligence, and an outlandish version of the internet. If any of that doesn't appeal to you, don't worry, the main focus here is on the space opera, with those aforementioned elements being part of the backdrop. All the fun is in reading about characters that you're rooting for getting out of tough situations.

Now for a few technical issues. This is the third book in the series, with the first two being Emerald Eyes, and The Long Run. I'd recommend reading The Long Run before this one. It's purely an action-packed romp with a different main character, but it will set the stage and make The Last Dancer feel all the more climactic for the build up. Emerald Eyes, on the other hand, is a far less entertaining book, and the important parts of it are mentioned in the next two.

Having read this as a teenager, I can recommend it with confidence to young males. I'm not sure what I'd think if I read it now, but as further recommendation, back then this was in the top ten of the Internet Top 100 Fantasy/Sci-Fi List as voted by fans. It was, by far, the least famous book on the list.

Simply one of the best science fiction books ever writtern.......2005-11-28

This is one of my top five favorite science fiction books of all time.

Sean O'Reilly
Editor-at-Large
Travelers' Tales

Elegant and powerful Sci-Fi.......2003-07-08

I've probably read thousands of sci-fi books, and this is my favorite. The story is told with a beautiful compelling prose, and contains ideas and images that will flow through your mind for years. Moran's other books are also good, but for me, this one was far and away the best. Something about the way Moran phrases things gives them a lyrical feeling. I can't quite describe it, but I sometimes find myself looking for a particular scene or phrase in the book, just to read it again.

Stunning!.......2003-06-01

My well worn paperback of TLD says all that needs saying about this amazing book. I weep for the future of sci-fi/fantasy if TLD is not brought back into print. Dan: This story is a gem. Don't give up on us; we're not going anywhere.

Three books so far but where is number four?.......2003-01-30

The third book in the "Continuing Time" Saga was great. The only problem I have is that it was written and published nine years ago and the much awaited and promised sequel dealing with "Trent the Uncatchable" has never materialized. I believe it will be the "AI War" which is listed in the latest reprint of "Emerald Eyes" but thus far there no listed publication date.
This book however, was fantastic the twists seem to be neverending and the ongoing list of characters from Camber Tremodian and the Storyteller, to Deniece Castenvaras herself is just mind blowing. The fact, that being a "history" of a Time War that has been ongoing for centuries the book is filled with aradoxes only makes it more interesting.
In light of the current status of the world and technological developments, the storyline is not that far off. Of course we are still centuries behind the developments in technology portrayed, thanks mainly to the debilitating effect of the almighty bribe which all of our hypocritical leaders denounce but readily accept. In this work we find colonies on the moon and other planets which shouldn't be that great a job for the technology that took us from Kitty Hawk to the moon in 3/4 of a century but has been unable to go any further thanks to Oil industry bribes which have delayed technological developments of alternate energy sources and modes of transportation. Still the work does show the true machinations of goverment which has always been rule by the corrupt on behalf of the weathy/jrs

Last Mountain Dancer: Hard-Earned Lessons in Love, Loss, and Honky-Tonk Outlaw Life

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Best Mountain Writer

Last Mountain Dancer: Hard-Earned Lessons in Love, Loss, and Honky-Tonk Outlaw Life
Chuck Kinder
Manufacturer: Carroll & Graf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0786716533

Book Description

On sabbatical from his professorship at the University of Pittsburgh, native West Virginian Chuck Kinder (portrayed as Grady Tripp in Michael Chabon’s Wonder Boys and played by Michael Douglas in the film) makes a midlife pilgrimage to his homeland to re-imagine and reconnect with that fabled, fantastic country. Confronting the regrets and heartaches of his past, present, and future, Kinder seeks solace in the funny and raunchy family stories, lies, legends, and history that reside in West Virginia’s haunted hills and the hollows of his memory. But more than anything, Kinder wants to live it up hillbilly style. Immersing himself among the lives of mountaineer characters, both the quick and the dead, the bad-boy author bears holy witness to the triumphs and misdeeds of the loafers and misfits, winos and oddball characters of his homeland. Readers will be astonished by tales of bloody mine wars, outlaws on the run, roadhouse romance, barroom brawlers, beer-joint ballerinas, and a man who calls himself the last mountain dancer. With mothmen, moonshiners, and family feudists, it’s Planet West Virginia. Chuck Kinder's wild-ride rediscovery of his West Virginian roots is sure to quicken all of our hillbilly hearts.

Customer Reviews:

Best Mountain Writer.......2005-04-22

Chuck Kinder's redneck roots have served him well. Last Mountain Dancer, his "meta-memoir," is taken up with his childhood home of West Virginia. Readers are treated to everything from his adolescent years as a bona fide outlaw, pulling armed robberies with a sociopathic father figure named Morris Hacket; to buying all his dear old mother's crocheted comforters from an "artsy-fartsy artiste type" proprietor of a craft store so that his mother, with months of no sales, wouldn't feel "lower than whale bowels on the bottom of the ocean;" to packing a half-dozen brazed possum sandwiches and long necked Budweisers and driving the West Virginia hills with his sister and brother-in-law; to his fascination with a paranoid West Virginia Elvis impersonator named Jessico White, the last mountain dancer of the title; to an impassioned defense of Sid Hatfield, the fabled coal miner's advocate murdered by West Virginian authorities in 1921. The book is stunning both for its honesty and for the force of his prose. Often, Kinder's most beautifully written prose accompanies descriptions of horrible events or the most painful self-discoveries. For example:

"There was absolutely no private mythology left behind what passed for my personality. Not unlike other foolish, floundering middle-aged men, I didn't believe in a thing that seemed to matter. My life had broken down like an old heap on the highway" (Dancer, p. 139).

And then, some two hundred pages later,
"I had begun to fancy myself as one of those uniquely American types who define themselves primarily in the loss and betrayal of themselves and what they love. For Proust (a somewhat similar European type), the only true paradise was a lost paradise, and love was not fully itself until it was lost, until it became memory, became the stuff of story. At its heart, every story is about a lost world... ." (p. 349).

After much soul searching and confronting of his foibles and doomed hopes, he decides to embark on a journey of self-discovery, aware of creating a new fable for himself and of his inconsistency:

"I was deep into my fable of embarkment. I was sipping ice-cold vodka straight like a seasoned hardboiled ironist and vaguely wondering if my upcoming self-proclaimed voyage of self-discovery would be in truth simply another frivolous fiction of self-invention. Steadfastly true at least to my inconstancy, I sat there in the monastery of myself thinking that the only thing I ever knew for sure was what I made up" (p. 381).

There is much to admire and enjoy in this book, written by the purported Grady Trip of "Wonderboy's" fame. Kinder has written three novels that also provide great literary experiences: "Silver Ghost," "Snakehunter," and "Honeymooners" (about his raucus life with Raymond Carver).

Average customer rating:

Compelling
Stellar Memoir, Amazing Honesty

Last Night on Earth
Bill T. Jones
Manufacturer: Pantheon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Bill T. Jones - Dancing to the Promised Land

ASIN: 0679774378
Release Date: 1997-03-18

Book Description

In a work that is part memoir, part meditation, and part performance, "today's most daring choreographer" (NEWSWEEK) charts his dance's origins and development in the context of his remarkable life. "A breathtaking accomplishment. To the extent that any words can convey the experience of dance, Jones does so here, eloquently and with disarming honesty."SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE. Illustrated throughout.

Customer Reviews:

Compelling.......2000-06-11

Although journalist Peggy Gillespie was involved with Bill T. Jones in writing his memoir, from hearing him speak (including reading from the book) I know that the voice in it is his and am fairly confident that he decided what incidents and topics to include. Jones has long been an openly gay dancer and choreographer, and more recently an openly HIV+ one slandered as perpetrating "victim art" (by a critic long hostile to him who condemned while refusing to see "Still/here," his attempt to craft a piece about living with terminal diseases).

Jones is acutely aware of his body and the fetishization of the body of the big, black stud. He plays with that objectification on-stage and off without forgetting its cost. "My eroticism, my sensuality is often coupled with wild anger and belligerence," he says. "I know that I can be food for fantasy, but at the same time I am a person with a history-and that history is in part the history of exploitation."

It is what Jones does with his own (and others') bodies on stage, not just his physical appearance, upon which he wants to focus the interest of many: "The performer who takes the stage must believe that he is fascinating, that he or she deserves being the locus of several hundred or thousand points of attention. . . . The performer wants to be one of many, but even more, he wants to command the attention of many."

As I already said, Jones's voice comes through on the page. The book is compelling as a narrative of an interesting life in a difficult time (the time of AIDS to which Jones lost his partner on- and off-stage) and as an account of the wellsprings of Jones's art.

Stellar Memoir, Amazing Honesty.......2000-05-04

Bill T. Jones, one of the most innovative and controversial choreographers of our time, writes his memoir with honesty, insight, and emotion. I would recommend it to any Bill T. Jones fan, dancer, choreographer, or human.

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