As a lesbian anthropologist who spent several years summering in Cherry Grove and getting to know the then-aging members of its first gay pioneers, Esther Newton was uniquely placed to write the history of America's first (and for long, only) predominantly gay and lesbian community. The documentation and the historical depth are impressive; what struck me more, however, was the extent to which gay and lesbian life existed in the United States before Stonewall (1969), even if it was often constrained by a combination of public disapproval and intermittent enforcement of oppressive laws. As someone born after Stonewall, the pre-1960s history of marginalized groups, like homosexuals, is largely unknown. This book goes a long way to redressing that gap in American social history.

Newton organizes her book into three main eras. The "country-club" time of the first gay, lesbian, and sexually ambiguous individuals who came out from the New York theatre and artistic circles, began in the 1930s and continued through WW II and into the anti-gay witch hunts of the McCarthy era. The second period, beginning in the 1960s, saw the expansion of the upper-class WASP definition of gay identity to include new perspectives from "ethnic" whites, mainly Jews and Italians of middle- and working-class backgrounds. Finally, the 1970s and 1980s saw a transformation of the Grove, post-Stonewall, post-advent of AIDS, in which a newly militant gay identity was forged nationwide through the rhetoric of civil rights and in response to the devastation of HIV. Each era has seen conflicts between straights and gays, between owners, renters, and day-trippers, between men and women, and along lines of class and ethnicity. Often these factions have aligned in unexpected ways, and as an older renter, a woman, and a person of Jewish heritage, Newton is unusually placed to see the shifting fault lines.

The weakness of the book lies in a certain lack of analysis, on the one hand, and a certain political positioning on the other. Newton is an anthropologist by profession, but the analysis of social groupings in this book rarely goes beneath a simple description of what happened, in which factors of class, gender, and ethnic identity largely determine the political history of Cherry Grove. One could hope for a bit more analysis -- for instance, camp culture and drag (both of which changed substantially in conception with the changes of generations) are rather central to her description of Cherry Grove's history. Yet there is little attempt to analyze the psychology or motivations for either. The second issue is that Newton very strongly identifies herself as a politically liberal lesbian of a certain generation; this is both an advantage and a disadvantage. On the one hand, she sees and describes what might be invisible to someone who accepted the class identity of the first generation, to someone who accepted the assumed whiteness of the first two generations, or someone who accepted the current gay assumption that "gayness" is an identity primarily of white, middle-class males under the age of 40. On the other hand, the narrative is somewhat shaped by her identification (and criticism of) particular groups within Cherry Grove. She also has a fondness for camp humor which is somewhat alien to many people who have grown up since Stonewall, and which identifies her as a member of a particular generation. It is a pity she does not take more effort to explain it, as she seems to think it central to an understanding of Cherry Grove's first thirty years. (She may do so in her earlier book, Mother Camp, based on her dissertation work.)

All in all, this is a very good history of gay life in a culturally significant American community.

As a student of the natural sciences growing up in an era in which most Americans have already learned the lessons of AIDS and Stonewall is becoming a distant recollection of the founding moments of a move that is today alive and strong, I have had little opportunity to learn about the history of the gay and lesbian rights movement in America. Thus, in anthropological texts on this subject, such as Newton's, I seek a book which is easy to read from a lay-person's perspective (having no training in anthropology myself) and capable of providing a well-balanced look at how significant historical events have shaped the movement with which I am familiar today. Cherry Grove, Fire Island performs superbly on both of these points.

The book focuses on the small queer community of Cherry Grove which managed to develop in the mid-1930's on the remote sand bar of Fire Island, just off the coast of New York. Newton notes that perhaps it was in such a remote place that the first development of gay community in America happened because this was the only place it could happen-removed from mainstream life. Newton's book follows this community through the major eras in its development, carefully noting the important roles of major events both on the island and the mainland. Changing economic structures on the island (including the introduction of mafia-owned discos!), the developing gay rights movement on the mainland, the AIDS pandemic, sexism and racism in The Grove, day-tripping visitors, public sex, and competition with other Fire Island communities are only a few of the topics Newton explores in her comprehensive study.

Newton based her book on interviews of forty-six informants that she gathered while spending five years in The Grove during the 80's. She formulates the text as the story of a community with a focus on some key characters and places throughout. At times, it reads much like a novel with charming characters and situations almost too enchanting too believe. Indeed, Newton's book may be an anthropological record, but it reads like anything but the dry, sterile picture that such classification invokes. Nonetheless, Newton has done a careful job of keeping the "big picture" of gay rights and identity in mind while telling her story and it is not difficult to see how most of what she recounts is historically important in this scope as well. Finally, it is notable that one shortcoming of anthropological work in general is that much of it seems generally lacking in a balance between focus on gay men and lesbians. Despite the fact that The Grove was primarily a gay male community throughout most of its early years (something that has slowly been changing), Newton manages to do an admirable job of maintaining a sense of balance, even managing to draw extensively from interviews of some of the lesbians who did manage to visit Cherry Grove in its early years.

If there is one shortcoming of Newton's book, it is perhaps that the subsection of the gay community on which it focuses is a rather affluent one. Of course, this focus is more a result of the nature of the community itself and we can hardly fault Newton for it. On the whole, then, Cherry Grove, Fire Island is a well-written and informative portrayal of early gay and lesbian life in America.

"Cherry Single" is a novel written in the tradition of the bildungsroman. The main character, David Nunley, is a young single man trying to 'find himself' in 1970s San Francisco. His experiences on the road to self-discovery range from the mundane (a dull office job, disapproving parents, failed love affairs, strained friendships) to the unusual (transvestism, masochism) to the spiritual (transactional analysis, past life regression, Native American mysticism). Set against the political turbulence of 1971, David's story is a realistic portrait of a sensitive individual searching for a social, sexual, and spiritual identity. It is his closet transvestism that sets the tone for all of his interpersonal relationships and the novel's subtitle, "A Transvestite Comes of Age," reveals the true nature of his quest. As David learns about himself and integrates his experiences into a meaningful personal narrative (through his photojournalism), he confronts his transvestism head-on and ultimately embraces it as a valuable and integral part of himself.

The main character is a quirky but very likeable individual. The story of his life and love brought tears to my eyes once or twice, but made me smile or laugh out loud many more times than that. Of course this is a serious story about serious questions of freedom and fulfillment in our personal lives, yet it is smoothly and lovingly told, and full of joy and humor. It was a great pleasure to read.

All cultures use myth to explain what they see or can't understand. As prevalent as insects are, it makes sense that there are myths on the origin of insects, and myths where insects are symbolic. This short, well-illustrated book introduces interesting topics such as "archaeoastronomy" or "parallel mythology", where separated cultures having similar myths. Examples include the metamorphism of butterflies and negative connotations of the flies (with the Navaho "Big Fly" being a striking exception).

The entomological etymology (word origin) was enriching, and I most enjoyed the Greek origin (psyche) of butterfly and soul. The chapter on arthropod references in the Bible, was helpful, and if nothing else highlights the prevalence of locust in the Middle East. "Go to the ant, you sluggard, watch her ways and get wisdom..." has long been a favorite of mine.

With my own interest in Odonata, I appreciated images of the Haidu tattoo of the mythical dragonfly and Navaho sand painting. I would also refer to the Oglala Sioux dragonfly symbolism in the Sacred Hoop (see Ed McGaa - Mother Earth Spirituality). This book also initiates thoughts on how the symbolism is still with us today, such as the Death's head moth in the "Silence of the Lamb".

Ants, beetles, and flies... Oh, my! You'll find these and more in this bestiary of the insect world. Whether your interest in insect mythology is sparked by your favorite scarab bracelet or is of a more scholarly nature, this volume is a valuable resource.

Although you may find brief references to the mythological roles of insects in individual societies, here you have them assembled from both the Old and New Worlds for comparison and contrast. The ant, lauded for its industry by the Chinese, becomes the spiteful, diseased villain of the Pueblo Indians. Throughout the cultures included here, myths use the characteristics of insects to create a symbology recognizable from common usage. The expression "busy as a bee" indicates a cultural respect for the bee's reputation as a hard worker that seems to be the consensus of many cultures. On the other hand, you have the Egyptians giving credit to the fly for its persistence which might be more difficult to honor.

The Old World section begins with early naturalists who made mythology part of our science, thanks to their classical education. You'll find the scarab with other insects of Egyptian lore and an update on the insects of the Bible. New translations have made it necessary to change more than half of the King James Version references on which many studies have been based. It seems the poetic license of translation extended to the insect world. The more entomologically correct translations are recommended along with a table based on the Revised English Bible.

The New World chapters discuss the insects found in Mesoamerican astronomy and Native American mythology. The familiar constellations take on a whole new dimension in the interpretations of Mayan and other cultures. Who knew they were in the stars and on totem poles?

While this is fascinating for general readers, the scholarship of Insect Mythology validates it for use by experts. The authors' credentials combine to form a sound basis for their work backed by substantial references and amply illustrated. They have made the information very readable and included a table of contents, lists of illustrations and tables, and a thorough index. This makes the it easily accessible for the readers, be they entomologist, Biblical scholar or the owner of a scarab bracelet.

I love the lyrics of John Denver. I always have. And to find them all in one neat little volume is great. The commentary that is provided on certain songs was written by John for his anthology songbooks. I recogonize every one of them. And I like that even the lesser (and downright UN-known) songs are included.

The little blurb by Tom Paxton is touching and to the point and was a treat to read.

However, Mr. Okun, if you're reading this, PLEASE, OH, PLEASE, do NOT perpetuate the "John Denver Never Wrote a Song In A Minor Key" myth! I can think off hand of at least two songs without blinking: "Wooden Indian" From "Poems Prayers and Promises" is written in E Minor. In fact that is the only chord in the entire song. (A very powerful song, at that). And "Aspenglow", best known from "Rocky Mountain Christmas" is in A minor. There are a few others as well. (That I'm sure John would have known about).

The inclusion of the myth is the only reason that I've given this 4 stars and not 5. I'm a stickler for accuracy.

I find this collection of John's lyrics beautiful to read...for John's unqiue ability to communicate was expressed not only in his voice and the music he wrote--but the lyrics themselves read as a good book of poetry. In fact, there is an interesting ability to deeply understand and ponder the meanings when you read the lyrics alone.

I am very glad Milt Okun put this book together.

In addition to the lyrics themselves, Okun has also included the inspiration behind songs in John's own words for many of the songs.

I highly recommend this book!

Christine Smith

Overall the book itself is worth the price. However I'm not very fond of all of her songs. I was mainly looking for her song "Kind and Generous." If you really like her songs then I would suggest purchasing the book, however if you only like one then i would suggest looking for a site that has the music.

I love this book. I just learned how to play guitar, and this book shows exactly what chords to use to make it sound the best. It includes all the songs on the CD except for "Effigy".

I have read plenty of Choose Your Own Adventure books, and have found most of the older ones good, but the newer ones just get cheesier and cheesier. I have also read a lot of Star Wars books and most of them have been great. Finding a perfect combination between the two was awesome! In this story, you are the best friend of Luke Skywalker, and the choices you make ultimately decide the fate of the galexy. This book was very exiting with reasonably good writing and characterization. The one problem I had was that I would rather have been Luke or Leia or someone other than this made up character who has no real place in the Star Wars universe. (Luke's best friend? Wasn't that Biggs Darklighter who left Tatoinne months earlier to join the rebbelion and who got fried in the first Death Star battle saving Luke?) But, despite this I enjoyed it and intend to get the other two as soon as I can.

This book is a great book because it's like your inside of the movie, A New Hope. You are Luke Skywalkers best friend in this story and you go though the adventures that are in the movie with him if you make the right choices. You could be a hero of the Rebellion or a slave of the dark side. It all depends on the choices you make. I recommend this book if you are really into Star Wars and you will like to become a part of the movie. Also some of the stuff in this book never happens in the movie so you might be in for a surprise. Similar books to this are Choose your Adventure Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. I really liked this book and I hope you do too.

The Horseowner's Guide to Lameness could easily be the one and only book every horseperson will ever need on the subject.

From this book, readers can learn the details of skeletal and muscular equine anatomy through written description and excellent illustrations. Any imaginable lameness or unsoundness is covered here, with details of causes, symptoms, treatments and prognosis. The book also includes photos and x-rays to complete the picture.

The one downfall of this book is that it is rather technical. It is not written in layman's terms nor does it waste page space with extraneous words. As a reference to horse owners and riders this book is invaluable, but it does require a certain amount of familiarity with anatomy terminology in order for the user to reap the full benefits. However, for anyone who owns or cares for horses, The Horseowner's Guide to Lameness is a necessity.

I use this book all the time, not only through my university course work, but also now that I am teaching Equine classes. It covers bits of everything and has great diagrams and pictures. I would difinitely recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more about horse lameness.

I would recommend this book to all music lovers who had a grade 3 and above.Fantastic,I love the tunes and some of it were soothing.Keeps you relaxed too!

As a singer and pianist, this music book was very exciting as well as helpful! I would recommend it to any piano player, as well as piano teacher!

Ms. Wilder creates a world which she expounds upon throughout her next two novels, Yorath the Wolf & the Summer King. This is not the best-written, nor the best conceived fantasy which I've ever had the privilege of encountering. However, if you have the time & happen to encounter it, the I'd recommend reading this series. The books have their draggy parts, but overall there are some very interesting premises, imaginative techniques employed & can be sometimes very unpredictable.

Being the starting book of The Rulers of Hylor trilogy it is incredible. The history and beauty to these books are amazing, the way the author wrote them is so wonderful. It's one of the best fantasy books I have ever read. I often wonder how come these books aren't more popular or known?

For me, trying to get pregnant, I found this book to have a great overview of lots of topics, nicely balancing between simple explanations & technical talk, starting with info on how to get in shape before pregnancy & how to choose a dr. However, don't be misled by the copy on the back cover that says 'thoroughly revised to incorporate all the latest medical advances...' please note that though this book is available in new book stores, it was in fact published in 1992. This is sometimes noticable in the text, like 'the baby is taken to the nursery, where most of its needs will be met for the next few days.' What insurance plan was that? Keep that in mind if you're really researchin the latest info. Overall? good info & not nearly as depressing as some books that really point out all the problems you could have.

This is a classic book now in it's fourth edition. I have found it reassuring, informative, simple to understand without any strict point of view. It seems to be basic reading for pregnant couples.