Emphasizing personal style, Joan Barzilay Freund’s Defining Style is a freeing, inspiring and extremely innovative look at interior design.
Emphasizing personal style, Joan Barzilay Freund’s Defining Style is a freeing, inspiring and extremely innovative look at interior design.
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Alfred Habegger’s magnificent biography of Emily Dickinson, My Wars Are Laid Away in Books, is a comprehensive portrait of the poet’s life and art. Exploring the lives of those closest to her, Habegger discusses the sources of many of the influences on her work. A former professor of English at the University of Kansas, he believes that an understanding of Dickinson’s chronology shows not only how her work reflects various stages in her life, but also how her poetry developed over time.

The world beyond Emily Dickinson’s family circle was, in most ways, effectively closed to her. Her father dominated the family and regarded women as intellectually inferior to men. Home was secure, but it was also oppressive and anxious. The brilliant Emily, however, not only adapted to her circumstances but used them to her advantage in writing some of the world’s finest poetry. Another influential figure was her sister-in-law Susan. Married to Emily’s brother Austin, Susan’s entry into the family would change it forever, Habegger writes. Among other things, for a significant period, Sue seems to have been a constantly available audience alert, intelligent, tasteful, nodding approval, often silent. During one of her most productive periods, from 1863-65, Emily sent Sue 73 poems. The complexity of the relationship between the two women is explored in detail by Habegger, who notes that Dickinson was always seeking intimacy and finding it withheld. This pattern shows up not only in her friendships but in her orientation to nature and religion. The biography examines in depth the place of religion and the roles of ministers in Dickinson’s life and thought. An early influence was the Reverend Aaron M. Colton, who was her minister for 13 years. Instead of being a polished public speaker, Colton devised a laconic, not always correct, yet vividly expressive style that seems to have had a major influence on the future poet, Habegger says. Whatever else she may have learned from him, the young poet derived something else of incalculable value from her minister: a sense of the power of language. Habegger discusses the two collections Dickinson assembled during her lifetime. One was, of course, the bundles of poems discovered after her death. The other, her sixty-six page book of pressed flowers, has been all but ignored by her biographers. But it had a particular significance for Dickinson. The experience of being outdoors collecting the specimens was a defining activity for her. They announced the seasons, Habegger writes, and the seasons came to be emblems of psychic existence. In this and other ways, the poet turned from nature and the outdoors to the conservatory of the imagination. Habegger notes that it would have been easy for the poet to find a publisher. Those who received her poems and realized how special they were often shared them with equally fascinated friends. This seems to be how Dickinson wanted to be read . . . It would have been unthinkable for her to give up the protection and privacy she required. My Wars Are Laid Away in Books abounds with astute observations and insights into Dickinson’s personal life. Illuminating the mystery behind this elusive literary figure, Habegger has produced an exhaustive and detailed biography of perhaps the greatest of American poets.

Roger Bishop is a regular contributor to BookPage.

 

Alfred Habegger's magnificent biography of Emily Dickinson, My Wars Are Laid Away in Books, is a comprehensive portrait of the poet's life and art. Exploring the lives of those closest to her, Habegger discusses the sources of many of the influences on her work. A…

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One of the newest additions to The Brazelton Way series is Mastering Anger and Aggression by America’s Pediatrician T. Berry Brazelton, M.D., and Joshua D. Sparrow, M.D. This slim, accessible volume is perfect for a parent dealing with this issue, and, frankly, who isn’t? Mastering Anger and Aggression not only addresses biting, kicking and teasing, but gets to the source of a child’s anger. The doctors show parents how to help children handle anger in healthy ways and even how to channel it into something positive. This is an indispensable guide that should be part of every parent’s library.

Katherine Wyrick lives in Little Rock and is the mother of two small children.

One of the newest additions to The Brazelton Way series is Mastering Anger and Aggression by America's Pediatrician T. Berry Brazelton, M.D., and Joshua D. Sparrow, M.D. This slim, accessible volume is perfect for a parent dealing with this issue, and, frankly, who isn't? Mastering…
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In 1987, Alabama Democratic Senator Howell Heflin found himself doggedly pursued by reporters as the potential swing vote during Senate confirmation hearings on staunchly conservative judge Robert Bork, President Ronald Reagan’s nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The nomination was central to Reagan’s ability to maintain a conservative majority on the high court, and the country waited anxiously as Heflin continuously refused to reveal how he would vote. As John Hayman recounts in his new biography, A Judge in the Senate: Howell Heflin’s Career of Politics and Principle, Heflin eventually cast the decisive vote against Bork, resulting in Bork’s rejection. Heflin argued persuasively that Bork had taken positions that suggested an individual’s right to privacy was not explicitly guaranteed under the Constitution and that his commitment to equal rights for all citizens was tenuous at best, Hayman writes. Hayman’s account of Heflin’s moment in the national spotlight is central to this interesting account of the senator’s life and career. Hayman argues convincingly that Heflin was a progressive politician in a state perhaps best known for its violent opposition to the civil rights movement and its segregationist past under former Governor George Wallace.

Hayman sees Heflin as a new breed of Alabama politician who returned from World War II to do battle against the reactionary Wallace machine and the negative perceptions of the state that were holding back economic development. A country lawyer, Heflin had represented black clients at a time when it was unpopular to do so. Later, he instituted badly needed judicial reform as chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court to make the court system fairer to all the state’s citizenry.

Hayman, who died before finishing the biography, was aided in its completion by his wife, Clara Ruth Hayman. The book, which includes an introduction by former presidential candidate Bob Dole, is based on extensive research. The authors consulted the Alabama state archives, the University of Alabama where Heflin attended law school and documents provided by the former senator and his family, colleagues and acquaintances.

Dave Bryan is a writer in Montgomery, Alabama.

In 1987, Alabama Democratic Senator Howell Heflin found himself doggedly pursued by reporters as the potential swing vote during Senate confirmation hearings on staunchly conservative judge Robert Bork, President Ronald Reagan's nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The nomination was central to…

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Signing is great, but whining, that’s another story. Everyone knows the sound; it’s the one thing that can make the most patient of parents loose their cool. If whining, fighting and generally misbehaving are the problems, here is the answer. For straightforward, no-nonsense advice, just dial Nanny 911: Expert Advice for All Your Parenting Emergencies. Written by star TV-nannies Deborah Carroll and Stella Reid, Nanny 911 comes to the rescue with simple solutions. Their plan: rules, boundaries, structures, order. They offer a no-frills map for those temporarily lost in the aforementioned wilderness. The nannies’ House Rules and their belief that communication is key to successful parenting ring true. If you’ve ever felt like you’re trapped in an episode of Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom, keep this practical guide handy.

Katherine Wyrick lives in Little Rock and is the mother of two small children.

 

Signing is great, but whining, that's another story. Everyone knows the sound; it's the one thing that can make the most patient of parents loose their cool. If whining, fighting and generally misbehaving are the problems, here is the answer. For straightforward, no-nonsense advice, just…

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Signs, signs, everywhere are signs . . . Trying to understand the wants and needs of babies and toddlers can often feel like attempting communication with alien life forms. Many parents find that using sign language for their hearing children is an effective way to bridge the gap, and it’s catching on faster than you can sign more. Signing Smart with Babies and Toddlers: A Parent’s Strategy and Activity Guide is a comprehensive manual for those interested in this latest trend in parenting. Along with American Sign Language (ASL) signs, the authors, both developmental psychologists, include fun, educational activities aimed at deepening the closeness between parent and child. They also include photos throughout as visual aids.

Katherine Wyrick lives in Little Rock and is the mother of two small children.

Signs, signs, everywhere are signs . . . Trying to understand the wants and needs of babies and toddlers can often feel like attempting communication with alien life forms. Many parents find that using sign language for their hearing children is an effective way to…
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<b>The Quilter’s Recipe Book</b> For an old-fashioned, tried and true hobby, consider the beauty and creativity reflected in a quilt. Though the fine handiwork of a quilt can seem intimidating, British quilting expert Celia Eddy says making a quilt is a bit like baking a cake. All you need is a list of ingredients and step-by-step instructions for putting them together. Eddy provides all that and more in <b>The Quilter’s Recipe Book</b> a wonderful new collection suitable for both beginners and advanced quilters. In addition to a clearly illustrated section on the basics of quilting, Eddy includes patterns for 100 quilting blocks, from appliquŽs to log cabin blocks. Quilters will appreciate having so many traditional blocks compiled into one handy reference. From Bear’s Paw to Bridal Path, these quilting blocks, each shown in a full-color photograph, should inspire idlers to pick up fabric and needle and cook up their own quilting masterpiece.

<b>The Quilter's Recipe Book</b> For an old-fashioned, tried and true hobby, consider the beauty and creativity reflected in a quilt. Though the fine handiwork of a quilt can seem intimidating, British quilting expert Celia Eddy says making a quilt is a bit like baking a…

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