Notable new releases
compiled by Sally Brewster
An Artist’s Life: Unlocking Creative Expression by Mary Whyte
During her 50 years as an artist and teacher, Mary Whyte has discovered that tapping our personal well of creativity and passion is the most important lesson — much more so than how to paint an eye, clouds or steam. In An Artist’s Life, Whyte guides art-makers and art lovers past stifling obstacles and self-doubts to see the world with fresh eyes and create their most original and expressive work. A touchstone for developing the habits we need to live our most creative, inspired and meaningful life, this is a lifelong art lesson for artists of all kinds, as well as non-artists seeking a more creative and fulfilling life.
The Land of Sweet Forever: Stories and Essays by Harper Lee
Harper Lee remains a landmark figure in the American canon, thanks to Scout, Jem, Atticus and the other indelible characters in her Pulitzer-winning debut, To Kill a Mockingbird. Less remembered until now, however, is Harper Lee, the dogged young writer who crafted stories in hopes of magazine publication; Lee the lively New Yorker, Alabamian and friend to Truman Capote; and the Lee who peppered the pages of McCall’s and Vogue with thoughtful essays in the latter part of the 20th century. Covering territory from the Alabama schoolyards of Lee’s youth to the luncheonettes and movie houses of midcentury Manhattan, The Land of Sweet Forever invites still-vital conversations about politics, equality, travel, love, fiction, art, the American South and what it means to lead an engaged and creative life.
Next of Kin: A Memoir by Gabrielle Hamilton
The youngest of five, Gabrielle Hamilton took pride in her unsentimental, idiosyncratic family. She idolized her parents’ charisma and non-conformity. She worshipped her siblings’ mischievousness and flair. Hamilton grew up to find enormous success as a chef, then as a bestselling author. But her family ties frayed in ways both seismic and mundane until eventually she was estranged from them all. In the wake of one brother’s sudden death and another’s suicide, while raising young children of her own, Hamilton was compelled to examine the sprawling, complicated root system underlying her losses. She began investigating her family’s devout independence and individualism with a nearly forensic rigor, soon discovering a sobering warning in their long-held self-satisfaction. In Next of Kin, she offers a keen and compassionate portrait of the people she grew up with and the prevailing but soon-to-falter ethos of the era that produced them.
The Unveiling by Quan Barry
Striker isn’t entirely sure she should be on this luxury Antarctic cruise. Her mission is to photograph potential locations for a big-budget movie about Ernest Shackleton’s doomed expedition. Along the way, she finds private, if cautious, amusement in the behavior of both the native wildlife and the group of wealthy, mostly white tourists who have chosen to spend Christmas on the Weddell Sea. But when a kayaking excursion goes horribly wrong, Striker and a group of survivors become stranded on a remote island along the desolate Antarctic Peninsula, complete with boiling geothermal vents and vicious birds. As the polar ice thaws, the group’s secrets, prejudices and inner demons emerge, including revelations from Striker’s past that could irrevocably shatter her world.
The Gales of November: The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald by John U. Bacon
For three decades following World War II, the Great Lakes overtook Europe as the epicenter of global economic strength. The region was the beating heart of the world economy, possessing all the power and prestige Silicon Valley does today. And no ship represented the apex of the American Century better than the 729-foot-long Edmund Fitzgerald — the biggest, best and most profitable ship on the Lakes. But on November 10, 1975, as the “storm of the century” threw 100 mile-per-hour winds and 50-foot waves on Lake Superior, the Mighty Fitz found itself at the worst possible place, at the worst possible time. When she sank, she took all 29 men on board down with her, leaving the tragedy shrouded in mystery for a half-century. SP
Sally Brewster is the proprietor of Park Road Books, 4139 Park Rd., parkroadbooks.com.
