Located just outside the Amsterdam centrum, but on the completely opposite side compared to Westerpark, is the lovely Oosterpark. This shouldn’t be surprising; WESTerpark is up in the northwest. OOSTerpark (“oost” means “east”) is in the southeast. It’s a big park, with lots of benches, a big lake, lots of birds, and a bunch of nice footbridges. Just as with…
This is a really wonderful book on the art and practice of photography, with the main emphasis on how to achieve your photographic vision, rather than the camera mechanics. The author has a deep respect for his photographic subjects, and he really puts his heart and soul into the photographs he takes. He explains very clearly and honestly why things…
As a retiree, I spend a lot of my time in parks. In New York City, where I live, I tend to alternate between four different parks, depending on my mood. My favorite is Tompkins Square Park, a quiet neighborhood park in the East Village with a low key, punky, edgy undercurrent. My next favorite is Washington Square Park, for…
A riveting story about a serial killer that struck in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. Because the victims were gay, and the crimes occurred during the AIDS crisis, the case was largely ignored. The author skillfully takes you through the gripping story, but he concentrates on the lives of the victims rather than on the killer, which really humanizes…
This is a small book designed to try to inspire or re-inspire photographers by showing some of the unique approaches to photography taken by a variety of photographers. The author says you should not limit yourself to the giants of photography for inspiration. She says that we’re part of a modern movement in photography now that photography has become so…
This book got great reviews and I was really looking forward to reading it. Wallace is a quiet young black guy from Alabama. He’s a graduate student, working in a university laboratory. He’s gay. He’s part of a group of friends, some of whom are gay, some are straight (and some who are gay but pretending to be straight), and…
I’ve had this book on my shelf for a few years, knowing that tackling this would be a major undertaking. It’s taken me about two months, but I finally finished it. I’m a Beatles fan, and I’ve read a lot of books about them. Many books claim to be the “definitive” biography, but you’d be hard pressed to find a…
A small book in which the collected wisdom of acclaimed photographers and industry professionals is presented in an engaging way. At the top of the left page is a maxim. Below that is a photograph. Below the photo, and on the page opposite, the maxim is explored in greater depth. To become a better photographer, it’s important to see the…
I enjoyed Wright’s book “Going Clear” about the crazy Scientologists, so I thought I’d give this one a go. In 1988, deputy sheriff Paul Ingram of Olympia, Washington is accused by his daughters of outrageous sexual abuse. We’re talking satanic rituals, cannibalism, bestiality, abortion, gang rape, etc. The daughters’ stories change constantly, and no physical evidence is ever discovered, and…
Jethro Tull were my favorite band in high school. I was kinda obsessed with them. Around 1980, either their music turned bad, or I outgrew it (both, I think), and I stopped closely following them. But during those early years, they produced some amazing music, much of which I still listen to frequently. There aren’t many books written about the…
Last year I finally got around to reading Bukowski. I read Post Office, and then Ham on Rye. I liked the straightforward, gritty no-nonsense style of both books. Factotum has that same style, but it wasn’t nearly as interesting as those others. I’m sure some of that has to do with my getting used to some of the content, which…
This book arose from an e-mail conversation that Anderson Cooper started with his mother, Gloria Vanderbilt, after she recovered from pneumonia at the age of 91. Despite his mother’s fame and public life, he never really knew the details of her life, and this e-mail conversation was his attempt to find out her true story. I’ve always liked and admired…
This lovely hard cover book features 100 full-page photos on the right side of the page, and page of text about it on the left side of the page. I recognized 20 names on the list. I’m still a novice when it comes to my photography education, so being introduced to 80 new (to me) photographers was a real pleasure. …
Jerry Seinfeld writes his own material. He has saved, for decades, everything that he has felt was worth saving, in a big accordion folder. He went through it all, picked what he thought was the funniest stuff, and put it in this book. It’s absolutely hilarious. Page after page after page of his wry, observational humor that I’ve always liked.…
I’ve been reading one Lou Reed biography a year since I retired. This one has its good points, and definitely has its bad points. The book addresses Lou’s college years really well, with a lot of detail and interesting facts that I haven’t seen covered in other bios. He doesn’t portray Lou as the mean, nasty guy that he was…