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anigta^e patriot FEBRUARY 3, 2006
The
Widow's
War
By Sally Gunning
William Morrow, New York City
Hardbound, 305 pgs., $24.95
By Edward F. Maroney
arts@barntablepatnot.com
Lyddie Berry's tale is a timely
reminder that one should stand up
for rights, not forfeit them.
Lyddie's9-11 isthe sudden death
of her fisherman husband, drowned
not far from their doorstep in the
Brewster (then part of Harwich) of
1761. In a trice, her security -rep-
resented by her home and land -is
tossed over by her son-in-law and
the expectations of the day.
But there are new thoughts stir-
ring on old Cape Cod, fomented
by none other than the man for
whom this newspaper was named:
James Otis,the original Barnstable
Patriot, and his sister Mercy. "Are
not women born as free as men?"
James asked. "Would it not be
infamous to assert that the ladies
are all slaves by nature?"
Such heretical thoughts warm
Lyddie's heart as she struggles to
find her own place , even if it be a
small corner of her own home, in
Sally Gunning's marvelous novel..
The book's setting and people
are rendered faithfully, and Gun-
ning's masterful storytelling will
tempt you to read this tale in an
afternoon. Her quick and simple
sentences never falter. Herewith
just one example: "Sam Cowett sat
under Nathan Clarke's skin like a
wood tick."
From the very first pages, you
knowyou're on Cape Cod. The wind
isan awesome presence , creating a
dread that is soon defined.
Gunning'scharacter portraits are
drawn in full and avoid stereotype
at every turn. Like Lyddie, she won't
settle for easy solutions, and you'll
find yourself sharing the burden
- and even humor - of the widow's
imperfect arrangements as she
seeks her own way.
The Widoic 's War is a satisfying
feast of enriching research , bold
characters and top-notch writing.
If this were a Russian novel, it
would go on for another 700 pages
and allow us more than off-scene
descriptions of the doings of the
Otises. With Gunning as our guide,
the 1760s never looked more entic-
ing.
Sally Gunning will sign her book at Brewster
Bookstore on Route 6A Feb. 11 from 10 a.m.
to noon and at Yellow Umbrella Books on
Main Street in Chatham from 2 to 4 p.m. On
Feb. 18. she'll be at Main Street Books on
Main Street in Orleans from 1 to 3 p.m. and
on the 19'" at Mary's Bookstore on Route 6A
in Sandwich at 3 p.m.
6
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s°
a Bif AlanW. PePrucelli
entrpttf/ aol.com
THE WRITE STUFF
All hail Hirschfeld, and, more importantly, all hail this trio
of tomes featuring works by the premier theater and enter-
tainment illustrator of the 20th century. For decades , Big Al's
works adorned the cover of Sunday'sNew York Times Artsand
Leisure sections, sketches celebrating plays, musicals, mov-
ies and celebrities gracing Gotham that particular week. The
bearded , rotund artist (sort of a secular Santa for show-biz
folk) was ubiquitous at opening nights in and out of town. And,
of course, each week, there were the "Ninas," his daughter's
name, hidden, sometimes once, sometimes up to eight times,
in each sketch. (The number next to his signature would clue
us in on the number of times Nina'sname was hidden.) Cross-
country phone calls wailing, "Where's the last Nina?" ensued
on many a Sunday afternoon.
Nina-searchers can now glut themselves on Hirschfeld's
British Aisles (Glenn YoungBooks,$39.95), a collection culled
from The New York Times; as aspecial treat , there are welcome
commentaries from such big-name Brits as Julie Andrews,
Dame Edna, Sir Cameron Mackintosh and Lynn Redgrave.
A veddy nice job , but the real treats are Hirschfeld' s Harlem
(Glenn YoungBooks, $34.95) and The Speakeasies of 1932 (Ap-
plause, $32.95). In Harlem , we can seethe artist'sstyle develop;
before the detailed line drawings we have come to expect came
almost impressionistic pencil shadings, at once more personal
and mysterious, more abstract , and evocative and startling in
their originality. Harlem has, as well as several historical essays,
text by a band of authorities , including Bobby Short, Lena
Home, Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee, and Savion Glover.
The Speakeasies of 1932 is a fascinating look at the dives and
divine watering holes of that noble experiment , Prohibition.
Sketches of bars, bartenders and patrons, along with a written
description of the joints, are included. Added to this fizzy mix
are drink recipes from each bar; we should, perhaps, avoid the
cocktail simply called "Smoke," from an establishment called
O'Leary's on the Bowery. The principal ingredient? Two cans
of Sterno.
DVD QUICK PICK
The Edward R. Murrow Collection (New Video Group)
If Good Night , and Good Luck makes you yearn to dig further
into the Murrow mania, then this box set fits the bill. Murrow
was often credited with inventing broadcast journalism , and
it's easy to understand why. The four-disc set includes live
broadcasts from the London Blitz and shocking reports from
Buchenwald, the best of See It Now (including Grandma Moses
and Louis Armstrong), his bold challenge of Joseph McCarthy
and his "Red Scare,"and the landmark 1960 special document-
ing the plight of migrant workers. See it now. And forever.
IkiMmntf amw FromJump Street: homage to
Louis Prima and Keely Smith
i
n
T
H
r-
r
A
R
T
r*
By Edward F. Maroney
emaroney@barnstablepatriot.com
A high-octane tribute to the
jumpin' jive of Louis Prima and
Keely Smith will be presented at
the Cape Codder Resort and Spa
Feb. 11.
Prima, who belongs in Valhalla
for creating what became Benny
Goodman'ssignature "Sing, Sing,
Sing"if nothing else, cut a dashing
figure as amid-centurybandleader
and singer.His staccato stylings on
chestnuts kept the Vegas crowd
in stitches, including members of
the Rat Pack.
Teamed with Smith romanti-
cally and on the bandstand , Prima
traded verbal riffs with the feisty
singer at a rapid clip. When the
couple split up, each stayed in the
public eye.
Next weekend,the public can eye
a salute to these madcap perform-
ers at the Cape Codder on Route
132 in Hyannis. "PrimaVera!" is
the brainchild of Massachusetts
native Jim Porcella, who studied
with Dave Brubeck 's drummer
Alan Dawson at Berklee College
in Boston.
In aproper Vegasmoment -even
though it happened in Lowell
- young Porcella was ordered to
sing by a "tough guy" club owner.
Faced with losinghisjob ifhe didn't
warble,Porcella discovered awork-
ing set of pipes that led jazz great
Joe Williams to declare , "Jim's got
the gift...he really swings."
That'smore than clearonaCDac-
companying the show 's press
packet. Porcella romps through
a scat version of "Pennies from
Heaven " with authority, backed
by a wailing sax and a hopped-up
rhythm section.
Husky-voiced Ida Zecco, who
sounds like comic Anne Meara of
Stiller & Meara , plays her part a
bit more like a slumming Margaret
Dumont rather than the natu-
rally wacky Keely Smith herself.
You might catch a hint of Sophie
Tucker in her stylings.
Zecco'sunique voice (which The
New York Times called 'soaring")
and interpretative skills shine on
the tongue-twisting "I Want You
To Be My Baby" with words by
vocalese guru Jon Hendricks.
Putting on their party hats, the
whole band helps Porcella and
Zecco send up "And The Angels
Sing," lending their "duba duba-
dowah" choruses to the fun.
If you're looking to tickle your
funny bone while bouncing your
leg, ankle on over to the Cape
Codder for a night of hip-shaking
humor and great tunes.