The Bohemians

 The Bohemians by Jasmin Darznik 352 pages

Dorothea Lange. I wonder how many young people recognize her name or recognize the most famous photograph, “Migrant Mother” taken in 1936 during the Great Depression. Probably not that many in the thirty and younger crowd. I have to admit, while I know the name and the photograph, I knew little about the woman behind the camera. Author Daznik has written a compelling biographical fiction novel that allows readers to get to know Dorothea during her coming-of age as an artist in the 1920s.

Dorothea left her native Hoboken, New Jersey, when she as twenty-three years old for San Francisco. She arrived in a town, only twelve years from the 1906 earthquake, that celebrated and misfits.

One of the first things I learned about Dorothea was that, when she was seven years old, she suffered from polio which left her with a stunted leg and a noticeable limp. She loved photography because she felt that she could hide behind a camera; that no one would notice her.

When she first arrived, she was pickpocketed of all the money, some two hundred dollars, she had in the world. In a city where she knew no one, she was terrified. She spent her first night there on the street. One of the first people she was met was, in the book, called Caroline Lee. In reality, Caroline is referred to as “Ah-yee” or the “Chinese Mission Girl” in the historical data.

The two became quite close. Carolina introduced her to the Monkey Block, where all the artists lived. It once occupied the site of the Transamerica Building. Its pyramid-shaped is one of the city’s most iconic buildings. Back then, Monkey Block was “a four-story artists’ colony that housed some eight hundred writers, performers, and artists…and it was the heart of San Francisco’s bohemian area.” According to the Author’s Notes, that only Chinatown still stands---and looks much like it did in the 1920s.

“’The Bohemians’ is about a lost time and hidden history.” It is a story that resonates in today’s world---anti-immigration sentiments, corrupt politics, war, a world pandemic and racism.

I almost put this novel on my DNF list, but I kept seeing it on all the book sites. Granted I didn’t really care for the first 80 pages, but if you decide to read this novel, hang in there until then. Something grabbed me and wouldn’t let go. “The Bohemians” receives 5 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

 

This Is What a Librarian Looks Like

This Is What a Librarian Looks Like: A Celebration of Libraries, Communities, and Access to Information by Kyle Cassidy, Ronald Rice (Editor), Richard Russo (Goodreads Author) (Foreword), Emily St. John Mandel (Goodreads Author) (Afterword)     240 pages.

Of course I picked up this book! Partly because I knew it was being published and partly because I remember what a few people told me when I started library school: "But you don't look like a librarian!"  Since then, I've picked up some pencil skirts and cardigans so I'm sure I fit their stock image a little better now.

This book stems from a photo essay published on Slate.com by author and photographer Kyle Cassidy in 2014. It was a montage of portraits and a general tribute to librarians. Since then, he has made it his mission to remind people how essential libraries and librarians are to our communities. This book has all kinds of people in it, women and men of all ages, background and personal style. Each person share their personal thoughts on what it means to be a librarian, and there are also original essays by Neil Gaiman, Cory Doctorow, Nancy Pearl and others.  I found it to be an interesting read, and it was nice to see so many different kinds of people represented in this book (as well as a range of different types of libraries).  While this book is great for librarians to see, I feel like it would be a great book to get in the hands of a lot of people, especially those who proclaim that libraries are redundant, since we have the Internet.  It's a fun read, but also thought-provoking.

Girls Standing On Lawns

Girls Standing On Lawns 

 by Maria Kalman & Daniel Handler          64 pages

This was an odd little book comprised of photos and paintings of girls standing on lawns.  As any book that Handler has anything to do with does, this book has a snarky, off-the-wall humor about it.  Handler’s narration about the photos is funny, the photos are interesting, and they come together in a satisfying way.  Fans of Handler will probably like it and possibly people that have an interest in photography.