Reading this book puts one right on the ship with Mr. Grey, to wittness all the splendor and action that goes with deep-sea fishing. His descriptive writing technique is easy to understand, and beautifully captures in detail the beauty of the Tahitian waters, islands and people. Accompanied by spectacular photos, you can easily slip back to another time and place, when the fish were teaming and the islands pristine. On a side note, the references and brutality to sharks slightly disturbed me, for Mr. Grey claims to be a naturalist, how can he despise any living creature? I chalk it up to another era of outdated thinking, and today we know that sharks have a vital role in the oceans. All in all, I enjoyed this book very much and look forward to reading more of Mr. Grey's writing.

Brilliant, terrific. A must for Gaddis fans, and any writers of criticism (including all you Amazon hacks)!

And after reading this book that's as much as I dare say.

Due to a production error, the final line of my preface was cut off. It should read "... date due to a surge of new material." If you like, send me your copy and I'll handwrite the missing line and autograph the book gratis. E-mail me at stevmoore@earthlink.net.

I first heard about this author from Rich Horton. Now that I think of it, I've only heard about this author from Rich, but the buildup that Rich gave him forced me to pick up the Dalkey Archive complete collection of his works. I'm not very familiar with the Dalkey Archive, but from what I can tell, they are a non-profit or collective determined to keep worthy literature in print in inexpensive editions, mostly trade paperback (the name of the press is from a novel by Flann O'Brien). Spackman is a Harvard man who graduated from college just before the Depression, wrote and published his first novel at the age of 45, then had to wait over twenty years before his second was accepted. That novel, An Armful of Warm Girl (what a wonderful title!), received enough critical acclaim that he published three more novels in the succeeding years.

Heydey is that first novel, published in 1953, printed here in a revised form that the author had not completed before his death. The setting is New York City during the Depression and the characters are Harvard grads trying to live their dreams in a world that has all but collapsed. They take solace in alcohol and sex in an endless string of late night parties and rendezvous (is that the plural of rendezvous?). Imagine a Thorne Smith novel with no supernatural elements and a Harvard education.

I loved it, finishing it in two reading sessions. The style is the sort of thing I try to achieve in my own fiction--a balance between exposition and dialogue that alternates between insight and wit. The structure is oblique, to be nice, but revealing once we achieve the finale. At times, you wonder what does it all mean, but then, that may be the point.

There are some similarities between Spackman and Anthony Powell (another favorite of Rich's), including the focus on gossip and the "dance" of a group of people who step through life, changing partners or standing by the wall spilling punch. Powell, though, is so understated that his dance seems hidden, lost in the intricacies of its creation; Spackman, while not explicit, is like the best 1940s screwball comedy, teasing the censor with a playfulness that is *sans* malice.

It seems fairly obvious to me that Heydey is autobiographical (again, like Anthony Powell's dance). As the advice goes, Spackman started writing by writing what he knew. I look forward to reading the rest of the novels in this collection to see if they contain the same strange combination of *joi de vivre* and world-weariness.

I was wandering through the Literature section of a local bookstore the other day, looking at the "usual suspects" (Amis, Davies, Borges, Powell, and so on), really just checking out their selection, not expecting to find anything new, when I thought: "I'll bet I can stump them. Let's see if they have any W. M. Spackman!". Spackman is one of my secret pleasures: a rather little-known writer, born in 1905, died 1990, who published 5 novels, _Heyday_ in the early '50s, then 4 very short, utterly charming, stories of men and woman and guiltless affairs, published from 1978 through 1985. Spackman was a Philadelphian, at a guess "Main Line" or very close, very patrician, rather academic (he was a professor by main career), seemingly quite well off. His later novels (the early Heyday is somewhat uncharacteristic: sadder, dealing with younger people), are all concerned with older (and very well-off) men (usually in their 50s) in guilt-free adulterous relationships with younger women (from late teens to 40s in the various books). As such they have always struck me as full of wish-fulfillment. On the other hand, it's a wish that part of me secretly shares. Moreover, the prose style of these novels is stunning, gorgeous, complex, utterly elegant: worth reading almost as poetry.

Anyway, I had assumed (rightly until this book) that Spackman's stuff was OP: over time I've tracked down the novels in used book stores, but I've had a secret hope that I missed one, or that there might be short stories, or ... anyway something!

Went over to the S's. No expectations of success whatsoever. And what do I see: _The Complete Fiction of W. M. Spackman_. All five published novels (Heyday in a much revised form that he was working on when he died), one never-published novel, and two short stories!

What a find! This is a new book, published in 1997 by The Dalkey Archive Press. And I should plug that publisher: they seem to have been formed to republish the works of Flann O'Brien (another of my "secret pleasures", though O'Brien is actually quite well known), as they take their name from the title of one of O'Brien's novels, but they also publish a number of other very deserving writers.

And Spackman is very deserving indeed. As I have said he is most obviously notable for his bravura prose, but his characters are well-limned, and the events are funny and interesting. And behind all the blithe lovemaking is the shadow of aging and coming death: even in Heyday, which is about people in their 20s. Beautiful stuff.

One another great hing about this book is that you can mix up a little the enviroment the players are used to play. Getting Vampire and Werewolf players to play togueter was a great idea, except for the fact that the vampire players were complaining that the "Lupines" were kicking their asses, but it was fun anyway. It's a great book.

Its fantastic to finally have a source book for the "forgotten" characters... the social outcasts and eyesores. These characters are the most challanging to play and this author brings new depth to role playing a pirah. James Moore's constant tongue in cheek humor keeps the book interesting and enjoyable. The new information available makes creating a "socially unacceptable" character much easier and offers many new avenues to choose from

Wild West Companion is the best of the books for Werewolf the Wild West. A combination of a players guide and a storytellers guide, WWC shines in both departments. Chapter 1 is devoted to the history of the wild west in the World of Darkness as told by Laughing Manyskins, a Nuwisha. The info is perfect for both players and storytellers, giving you a great idea of what the Savage West was like.

Chapter 2 covers the other half of the west; the Storm Umbra. The Storm Umbra is a nasty, violent place, with Storm Eater on the loose devouring or destroying everything in it's path. This chapter give a discription of it, as well as nasty rouge storm spirits and ideas for adventures.

Chapter 3 is the goodies chapter for players. It includes Merits and Flaws, Natures and Demeanors, Tribal Weaknesses, and the big attraction, all new Gifts. Most are good Gifts, with a few incredible ones spiked in here and there (Most notably, the Silver Fang Gift Silver Bullets. Very deadly in the right situation).

Chapter 4 is the sotrytellers section, starting off with the Storm-Born, twisted creatures merged together by the power of the Storm Umbra. Next up are the stats of various creatures of the wild west. There's every thing here from the normal (Bisons, Horses, Wolves, ect.) to the fantastic (the Chupacabra, or the Jackalope). The chapter finishes with mass-combat rules.

Chapter 5 is on the other changing breads in the wild west. It covers the Ananasi, the Gurahl, and the Qualmi. It also covers the Cascra AKA Abominations, the Bunyip, and a all new bloodline, Los Infelizos. Overall this is one great book, with a lot of info. However, if you already have the Werewolf Players Guide, there is a lot of info that has been recycled (most of chapter 3 and 5), but if your looking for a real gem for Werewolf the Wild West, GET THIS BOOK!!!

This is the review which was in the Times-Picayune on March 3, 2002.The young and the restless

The epic tale of the Acadian 'Evangeline,' told for children who know the territory
03/03/02

By Marigny Dupuy Children's book columnist

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poetically tragic love story of Evangeline and her lost love, Gabriel, has held readers in thrall since its publication in 1847. And whether readers know the source or not, many are familiar with its opening line: "This is the forest primeval." Sentimental by modern standards, it is a tale of families torn apart, exile, homelessness, death and the pain suffered by separated lovers -- and it has a sad ending. This not the typical material for a picture book for children.

"Evangeline for Children," written by Alice Couvillon and Elizabeth Moore, illustrated by Alison Davis Lyne, retells the story in simple language. From the pastoral happiness enjoyed by the Acadians in the French settlement of Grand Pre, Nova Scotia, to the cruelties they suffered at the hands of the British who expelled them in 1755 to various locations in American and Europe to ensure their political powerlessness -- this describes a sad piece of history. The settings and events are real.

The story is told through the sorrowful experience of a pair of Acadian lovers, Evangeline and Gabriel (fictitious, though possibly based on real people), who are separated during the grand derangement of 1755 and only reunited many decades later -- and then only for a moment. Evangeline searches desperately for her Gabriel, going as far south as the town of St. Martinville, La., inquiring at every settlement of displaced Acadians for news of her love, but never with any success. She eventually joins a convent and is reunited with Gabriel through pure chance as he lies on his deathbed. She dies soon after and they are buried together.

While the story is not necessarily suited for young children, there is a connection with the history of south Louisiana that makes this useful for teachers and librarians. Many local children are familiar with Evangeline Parish to the Evangeline Oak and the statue of young Evangeline that stands prominently in St. Martinville, and may enjoy learning more about Evangeline's connection to our part of the country. Certainly the link between the exiled Acadians and Louisiana Cajuns is a meaningful one.

Illustrated in full color, "Evangeline for Children" includes an excellent short history of the Acadians at the end of the book, describing their troubled history, their significance in Louisiana, and the story of Longfellow's epic poem.

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I am a third-grade teacher, and I loved this story. The chaos that is portrayed on the pages of this delightful picture book is so true regarding what it is like the last few days before Christmas vacation. I especially loved reading about the room mom commandos and the yearly Christmas pageant. I have bought this book as a gift for several of my colleagues who have also thoroughly enjoyed it.

I had the pleasure of receiving this book as a gift from not one but two different students ... I read it aloud and fell in love with it. The author is a teacher (no surprise), and I ... met him at a conference! He couldn't have been nicer. I have every intention of giving this book as a gift to my own children's teachers ... If you work in an elementary school or know someone who does, this book is a find. Best of all, the kids think it's hysterical!

Clever illustrations and a humorous storyline make this a must- read Christmas picture book for both children and adults. I am a first-grade teacher, and this book is the story of my life. I read this book to my students, and they could not wait to see what funny incident happened next. They have also asked me to read it to them over and over again. I highly recommend this title.

This is a scholarly work by an author of immense erudition who never reveals his own beliefs but gives an elaborate and clear account of the religion known as Judaism as it developed during its normative period.

The index of passages cited in the work is enough alone to humble all but the most profound of scholars of the Hebrew and Aramaic and classical sources.

Anyone seriously interested in Judaism as a religion should read this book.

Many years ago the late Professor Leon Roth (a former Rector of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem) said to me that he regarded the book as the best book in the English language on Judaism and possibly the best book in any language on Judaism. Having read it I agreed with him and in the intervening years I have never encountered anything to change my view.

Highly recommended.