New Book: Beyond Paradise

Beyond Paradise: The Life of Ramon Novarro by André Soares is the biography of the first Latin American to become a superstar in Hollywood. Indeed, Ramon Novarro was for years one of Hollywood's top actors tarring in now-classic films, including The Student Prince, Mata Hari, and the original version of Ben-Hur.

One of MGM's biggest box office attractions, he shared the screen with the era's top leading ladies, such as Greta Garbo, Myrna Loy, Joan Crawford, and Norma Shearer, and became Rudolph Valentino's main rival in the "Latin Lover" category

Despite his considerable professional accomplishments, Novarro’s most enduring claim to fame is his tragic death–his bloodied corpse was found in his house on Halloween 1968 in what has become one of the most infamous scandals in the vast lore of Hollywood.

Praise for My Life with Charlie Brown

My Life with Charlie Brown is a collection of the major prose writings of Charles Schulz, best known as the creator of Peanuts. Schulz (1922-2000) left behind scores of great nonfiction writing about his craft, America, religion, the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, and of course Charlie Brown.

James Rosen found similar value in the essay collection and penned a nice review in Sunday's Washington Post.

...these essays prove unfailingly compelling and often mesmerizing -- not merely for the insight they offer into the towering genius of "Peanuts," but because Schulz the memoirist was so penetrating an observer.

Edited and with an introduction by comics scholar M. Thomas Inge, and with the official approval and cooperation of the Schulz family, the book draws on the cartoonist’s estate, archives, papers, and correspondence to collect the comprehensive nonfiction output of the cartoonist.

My Life with Charlie Brown also earned an A- from the gang at the Onion's A.V. Club in their biweekly roundup of comics reviews. A small excerpt after the jump:

Christopher Mauer on the Mississippi Arts Hour

Last weekend Christopher Mauer, author of Dreaming in Clay on the Coast of Mississippi, was a guest on the Mississippi Arts Hour with Larry Morrisey. Dreaming in Clay is the story of Shearwater Pottery and the Anderson family's artful enterprise.

Backed by his mother's passion for art, Peter Anderson, the oldest of the three Anderson boys, founded Shearwater Pottery. Yearning "to make Shearwater synonymous with perfection," he drew the entire family into his adventure. His brothers, "Mac" and Walter, made strange, wonderful pieces, though Walter Anderson eventually left the pottery studio to search for his own artistic path. 

Drawn by the exquisite work of Shearwater Pottery, the authors discover that painting, poetry, and storytelling--much of it by strong, unforgettable women--are still an essential part of the family's daily life. Intimate diaries, letters, and poems lead the reader into a stormy, passionate, sometimes heartbreaking past. Meticulously researched and compassionately written, Dreaming in Clay on the Coast of Mississippi gathers one family's eternal legacy of wisdom and beauty, the healing power of art, the consolations of writing and of memory, and the spiritual treasures given us by the natural world.

Listen to the interview and learn more about the book at www.dreaminginclay.com

Dreaming in Clay is now available from UPM. 

New Book: Mississippi in the Civil War

Mississippi in the Civil War: The Home Front, the newest addition to the Heritage of Mississippi series, examines the state’s civilian populace during the Civil War. Author Timothy B. Smith explores the dual paradigm of Mississippi’s Civil War defeat from both outward and inward sources.

Coming from the outside, Mississippi’s military defeat and devastation was complete, with the Union army literally dismantling the state’s political system, infrastructure, economy, and war effort. The state saw extensive military operations, destruction, and fighting within her borders, with one of the most destructive of all Confederate military defeats taking place at Vicksburg after one of the largest campaigns of the war.

Casual Questions with Scott Ellis

Scott Ellis is the author of Madame Vieux Carre: The French Quarter in the Twentieth Century. The book presents a holistic history of New Orleans’ French Quarter (Vieux Carré) with an emphasis on social history in the years 1900-2007.

Ellis is an independent researcher living in Panama City, Florida. Ellis will be back in New Orleans and signing copies of his book at Faulkner House Books on April 18 at 2:00 p.m. For more news, reviews, and other information visit www.madamevieuxcarre.com

What was your first job?

• My first career job was as a technical writer, writing manuals for the U.S. Navy. I was fortunate to have a great mentor who communicated the craftsmanship and discipline of technical writing.  
  

Play it Smart on Opening Day

26 Major League Baseball teams open their season today as baseball season begins in earnest. Fans that can't get away from the office for a day game should pick up Robert Lewis' Smart Ball: Marketing the Myth and Managing the Reality of Major League Baseball.

No better time than opening day to read up on Major League Baseball’s historical evolution as a sport, a domestic monopoly, and an international business.

For all of its staying power and success, the popularity of the national pastime has has waned in recent years due to controversy and competition. Fans are able to point to the more direct problems manifested by steroid testing policy and salary cap disputes.

Baseball researcher Robert F. Lewis II argues that MLB for years abused its legal insulation and monopoly status through arrogant treatment of its fans and players and static management of its business.