Rowan Inish reviews Neverwhere, yet another quirky novel by Neil Gaiman. Neverwhere was also made into a BBC series, and this tale of a society living under (yes, under) the London Underground has been optioned by Jim Henson Productions, producers of The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth. Other book reviews worth noting here include Jayme Lynn Blaschke's review of William Goldman's fractured fairy tale The Princess Bride; Jack B. Merry's review of Hungarian Folktales: The Art of Zszsanna Palko, a rousing collection of the tales that were told by that master storyteller; Chuck Lipsig has a review of the Josepha Sherman folktale collection Rachel The Clever and Other Jewish Folktales; and Grey Walker's definitive review of Terri Windling and Delia Sherman's The Essential Bordertown: A Traveller's Guide to the Edge of Faerie is a must read. Easily offended? Then you can skip Jayme Lynn Blaschke's review of James Morrow's Bible Stories For Adults. Or maybe you'll give into temptation...
Check out Jayme Lynn Blaschke's revealing review of Mary Stewart's take on Arthurian villain Mordred in her novel The Wicked Day. On another Celtic note, Laurie Thayer offers up a review of Patricia Kennealy-Morrison's neo-Celtic novel The Deer's Cry..
CD reviews include Jeff Skolnik's reviews of BC and the Blues Crew's upbeat Unfinished Business and Mike Henderson and the Bluebloods' release First Blood; Michael Jones reviews another country release: Step On It by The Forest Hill Band, and he comments on Steve Gillette's country/Americana release Texas and Tennessee; Michael also comments on Anne Hill's Bittersweet Street; and Cindy Mangsen's Songs of Experience; Judith Genett think that Pete Morton's album Trespass, a trad album with so not so trad touches, is fine indeed; Jayme Lynn Blaschke reviews New World Renaissance Band's Where Beauty Moves and Wit Delights and he really thinks you should buy Terry Hinely and Glasnots's album Re-Elect The Moon; Debbie Skolnik critiques Meg Davis's Music Of Wonderland .
Jeff Skolnik, our staff Blues maven, reviews Mel Melton & the Wicked Mojos's Swamp Slinger and K. C. Douglas's Mercury Blues.
Jayme Lynn Blaschke's An Interview With Gardner Dozois is now in the Interviews section of the Book section.
The review of the day is Brendan Foreman's review of the Allen Lowe book American Pop from Minstrel to Mojo: On Record 1893 to 1957. If you have any interest in American Roots music and the pop music that came from it, this is a must book! Chuck Lipsig has a review of Pennou Skoulm's Breton ballroom, a Celtic CD with a decidely different sound.
Chris Woods has a detailed review of The Levellers at Victoria Hall Hanley, Stoke-On-Trent, UK on December 4th, 1998. Chris also reviews A Foreign Field That Is Forever England, an Amazing Blondel release. Chris also reviews Balfa Toujours's La Pointe, a CD he declares "the best cajun album" he's heard in quite some time. And a he finds a nifty Celtic CD in Coinneach's Ice, Trees and Lullabies. Jayme Lynn Blaschke reviews another Toss The Feathers's CD The Next Round and suggests they need a little more practice time -in private. He suggests you instead check out Men of Worth's Live in Folsom CD. Also worth reading is his review of the truly cracking Jim Hancock & Friends with the Gypsy Guerrilla Band CD Good Companions.
Duke Egbert has a review of what many critics consider the best short story collection in the finest sword and sorcery series ever done: Fritz Leiber's Ill Met In Lankhmar. A Pre-Joycean Fellowship novel about 1840s England that has Karl Marx in it? If this sounds interesting, check out Rowan Inish's review of Steven Brust and Emma Bull's Freedom & Necessity.
Jessie L. Weston's From Ritual to Romance is reviewed by April C. Gutierrez who contrasts it with James Frazer's better known Golden Bough. Students of Frazer and Campbell should read this review to see how Ms. Weston influenced such poets as T.S. Eliot. Duke Egbert admits that he was disappointed with Songs From Sun Street, the fourth Saw Doctors CD. Jayme Lynn Blaschke's review of Reconciliation by Geraldine Mac Gowan & Friends suggests strongly that you if you are looking for kick-ass Celtic music that will make you get up and dance than you should instead check out his reviews of Clandestine's The Ale Is Dear and The Haunting. And don't forget to look at his insightful reviews of Celtic Moods and Toss The Feathers's Rude Awakening Jo Morrison gives us reviews of Colcannon's Saint Bartholemew's Feast, Tommy Couper's The Piper's Muse, and Martin Hayes & Dennis Cahill's The Lonesome Touch. April Gutierrez reviews Groove by the Nordic band Hoven Droven.
Vampires have been part of our folklore for centuries now. But a vampire story without gore? Check out Debbie Skolnik's review of Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's Blood Roses: A Novel of Saint-Germain for a rather unique twist on that old tale. And let's give a hearty welcome to Debbie who has joined our merry band of amateur critics!
Pamela Murray Winters has turned in a slightly gross review of Josepha Sherman and T.K.F. Weisskopf's Greasy Grimy Gopher Guts: The Subversive Folklore of Childhood. This is appropriate as she notes that "Often, childhood is about being nasty, brutish, and short. Funny how when we get our driver's license or hold our first infant, some of us forget this; we begin to accrete the sugary sap that forms the culture's image of infant perfection. Greasy Grimy Gopher Guts T.P.'s the trees of the Magic Kingdom. It's an entertaining, sometimes shocking trip back to the playground."
