An intimate exploration of the life, craft, and legacy of one of the most revered and influential writers, an artist who continues to inspire fans and creatives to cultivate practices of deep attention, rigorous interrogation and beautiful style. Joan Didion was a writer's writer; not only a groundbreaking journalist, essayist, novelist and screenwriter, but a keen observer who honed her sights on life's telling details. Her insights continue to influence...

"In 1940 Edmund Wilson was the undisputed big dog of American letters. Vladimir Nabokov was a near-penniless Russian exile seeking asylum in the States. Wilson became a mentor to Nabokov, introducing him to every editor of note, assigning reviews for The New Republic, engineering a Guggenheim. Their intimate friendship blossomed over a shared interest in all things Russian, ruffled a bit by political disagreements. But then came Lolita, and suddenly...

In this fourth edition of the best-known critical study of Hemingway's work Carlos Baker has completely revised the two opening chapters, which deal with the young Hemingway's career in Paris, and has incorporated material uncovered after the publication of his book Ernest Hemingway: A Life Story. Professor Baker has also written two new chapters in which he discusses Hemingway's two posthumously published books, A Movable Feast and Islands in the...

Cultural historian Peter Doggett explores the rich heritage of David Bowie's most productive and inspired decade, and traces the way in which his music reflected and influenced the world around him.

A collection of short stories and essays. The story, My Dinner at the White House, is an amusing piece on a dinner with President Reagan, The Imaginary Girlfriend is on the arts of writing and wrestling, while the title story is on a pig farmer who is being harassed by boys.

Never before has a book like this one delved into the spiritual odyssey of cultural icon Bob Dylan. Tracking an American original-from his Jewish roots to his controversial embrace of Jesus to his enduring legacy as the composer of the Tempest album-Bob Dylan: A Spiritual Life delivers the story of a man in dogged pursuit of redemption. Based on years of research and original interviews, this book sorts through the myths and misunderstandings and...

"A superbly crafted study of Hunter S. Thompson's literary formation, achievement, and continuing relevance. Savage Journey is a "supremely crafted" study of Hunter S. Thompson's literary formation and achievement. Focusing on Thompson's influences, development, and unique model of authorship, Savage Journey argues that his literary formation was largely a San Francisco story. During the 1960s, Thompson rode with the Hell's Angels, explored the San...

One of the music world's pre-eminent critics takes a fresh and much-needed look at the day Dylan "went electric" at the Newport Folk Festival, timed to coincide with the event's fiftieth anniversary. On the evening of July 25, 1965, Bob Dylan took the stage at Newport Folk Festival, backed by an electric band, and roared into his new rock hit, Like a Rolling Stone. The audience of committed folk purists and political activists who had hailed him as...

Vincent van Gogh was one of the world's most famous and prolific 19th century painters, yet, only sold one painting in his lifetime, The Red Vineyard, (1888) for 400 Francs. The painting, which sold in Brussels just a few months before van Gogh's death at the age of 37, was to provide the artist with a legacy that would see him become a global inspiration for the future of art. Through sheer commitment, and determination, Van Gogh created an artistic...