I can honestly say I'm not a great poetry lover. I can appreciate good poetry but I would never considered buying a poetry book. This book is definitely the exception, it is wonderful. Every single one of Darlene Tucker's poems invokes emotion and will touch any woman that reads them. Since buying this book for my best friend, I've been trying to get copies for my sisters and sister friends but can't find it anywhere. Anyone that comes across this book should get it, you will not be disappointed.

superb and inspiring work by an up-and-coming Atlanta author...

Notre Dame Game Day: Getting There, Getting In, and Getting in the Spirit is a must-read for even the most casual Notre Dame observer. Author Todd Tucker provides invaluable insight for making the most of your Notre Dame game day experience, including what to do before, during and after any Fighting Irish home contest. Even more intriguing are the anecdotes Tucker sprinkles throughout the book about Notre Dame, its history, its players and its facilities. That's where Tucker's depth of knowledge about his alma mater really shines through.

Even if you're no "Golden Domer," - and I'm not - you can appreciate the great traditions and spirit that Tucker ably details here. It's an easy read. I was left wanting more, including a couple of midfield seats.

Notre Dame Game Day: Getting There, Getting In, and Getting in the Spirit is a must-read for even the most casual Notre Dame observer. Author Todd Tucker provides invaluable insight for making the most of your Notre Dame game day experience, including what to do before, during and after any Fighting Irish home contest. Even more intriguing are the anecdotes Tucker sprinkles throughout the book about Notre Dame, its history, its players and its facilities. That's where Tucker's depth of knowledge about his alma mater really shines through.

Even if you're no "Golden Domer," - and I'm not - you can appreciate the great traditions and spirit that Tucker ably details here. It's an easy read. I was left wanting more, including a couple of midfield seats.

I've used this book for five years, teaching poetic elements to fourth and fifth graders. There is no other book that makes poetry as fun and accessible to 9-12 year olds as does this book. Every class I've had has loved the lessons.

Painting The Sky enables the teacher to lead students through creative lessons to express their ideas in poetry. The lessons contain elements of grammar, poetry patterns, and language arts elements that meet standards. The book can be easily used with each lesson taught independently or as a weekly activity. There are children's poems included to use as examples. This is truly one of the best teacher guides I have seen for introducing students to the wonderful world of poetry!

I really wish my teachers had this book when I was in school. It would have made Shakespeare so much more fun to study. Going back to Shakespeare after reading Secrets of Acting Shakespeare, you can actualy see the stage directions with every word Shakespeare writes. When you know the stage directions Shakespeare wrote into his texts, Shakespeare's works become so much more fun to read. Patrick takes you through the way Shakespeare's plays were performed when Shakespeare was still alive, and leads you through the discoveries Patrick's actors made when he and his theater company started performing Shakespeare's plays the way Shakespeare wanted it done. Needless to say, this book is the best book on Shakespearian Acting I've ever read, and would recommend it to anyone who's even slightly interested in the Bard's works. I would also recommend Patrick Tucker's First Folio Monologue books for men and women. They're a crash course in the work Patrick covered in Secrets of Acting Shakespeare, and a great way to sink your teeth into Patrick's ideas.

-Christian, Improvactor.com

This is an exciting book about how Shakespeare's plays actually got on to the stage. The actors then were hardworking, often doing a different play each night, and there was no time for rehearsal as we know it today.
The actors learnt their parts from cue scripts, long scrolls showing the last few words of the previous speech and then their own. They had to be extra attentive or they might miss their entry. The Book-holder, or prompt, was the only person to have the entire text (a valuable document you didn't want anybody else to steal, no copyright in those days) was prominently on stage to see that things went right and, if a prompt was needed, it was given openly. The audience accepted this as part of the performance though anybody needing too many prompts would doubtless get some barracking.
The author, who clearly has a science background and knows how to present a logical case, shows that all the information needed is in the First Folio which is an actors' tool, not a dead piece of Eng Lit. 'you', 'thou' and 'thee' are not interchangeable but actually tell the actor where to stand in relation to others on the stage. Modern editions of Shakespeare have tidied the text up to be read by students; the First Folio had lines, half lines, capital letters in odd places, strange commas; but all actually telling the actor what to do.
The author has been working as a director for the last forty years or so and has refined his theories on the job. He has run The Original Shakespeare Company with many successful productions using his methods. He is wildly popular with his actors and the few productions he was allowed to do at The Globe, London, were sold out and enthusiastically received.
The academic world and theatre establishment are not so happy to see their entrenched theories challenged; and it must be extra annoying that he writes so well and is such a pleasure to read.

During my first read through my jaw kept dropping as I came to understand how little I know about screen acting, even at my low level of experience.

This book did more to open my eyes to the virtually hidden peculiarities and demands of acting for the screen than anything I've ever read. The pages of review sheets at the back are worth the price of the book.

The style is readable and the author speaks with the authority of experience. I'm sure that this will turn out to be the best investment I've made in my fledgling career as a film actor. I'm going to give this book to my closest actor-friends. I can't think of a better way to show how much I value them.

Includes numerous detailed techniques for film acting, such as adjusting your performance for various camera distances (master shot vs. close-up, etc.

I bought this graphic novel on a whim! I'm an avid Star Wars fan and am willing to read anything Star Wars. However, graphic novels tend to be expensive, so I usually just satisfy my Star Wars cravings with a regualr novel. I saw my opportunity to check out this portion of the Dark Forces trilogy, based upon the Dark Forces video game, when it was marked down as a special deal in a local store. I figured that if I didn't like the novel, I didn't pay much for it, and I can sell it off. Well, I can say with confidence that there is no way I'm going to sell this graphic novel!...
...Not only will you find the story entertaining, but the artwork is amazing. The novel has 25 lithograph-style pictures beautifully done by Ezra Tucker. The story is full of action and you'll find yourself rooting for Kyle and his partner Jan. I find myself wanting to get a hold of the rest of the series! Definitely a trilogy worth checking out!

I kept putting off purchasing the Dark Forces graphic novel series, but I finally gave in. I was pleased with what I found. This is the first volume of the trilogy and I enjoyed it immensely. Good artwork complemented a description of the Kyle Katarn's beginnings as an Imperial cadet. We see Kyle struggling with his morals as he becomes increasingly against Imperial rule and, once he finds out the Imperials killed his father, joins the Rebel Alliance. The story weaves into the first level of the Dark Forces PC game and concludes with the Rebels obtaining the schematics of the first Death Star. I recommend the whole Dark Forces series. It was very fun to see Kyle Katarn outside of a PC.

This is a great book even you are not interested in the state of New Mexico... and if you are that much the better. Toby, a journalist for the Albuquerque Tribune, looks at ordinary people, landmarks, and places in a way that brings them alive. He choses interesting subjects and then lets you feel that you've been there and met them. Very objective, interesting, and accurate.

Toby Smith has an enviable ability to bring his subjects -- the people of New Mexico -- to life. My favorite story is "A Clean Sweep," but every one has something to enjoy. This is my second favorite book on New Mexico. My first is "New Mexico Odyssey," by the same author!

This book is a fascinating and unique book on jazz, gender, and race. Thoroughly researched and beautifully written, Swing Shift documents the central position black and white women musicians played in the Swing Era and World War II. Sherrie Tucker combines oral histories with archival research, producing a stunning record of what history books can be and what jazz women are. Most amazing is the author's analysis of race and racism as structuring aspects of the music industry, jazz history, and contemporary accounts of the 1940s. Swing Shift is the most accomplished book on women, music, and race that I have ever read; it is a gift as remarkable, talented, honest, funny, and captivating as the women musicians Dr. Tucker researched and loves.

My Grandmother was part of an all-girl band during this era, and still plays strong today. She was contacted to participate in the making of this book and thus my interest in reading the work was peaked. However, I soon realized there is so much more the book offers. Starting with a detailed historical description of the way African-American women were treated, the book moves on to cover a wide variety of trials women went through to get their music heard. I highly recommend the book for anyone interested in Jazz, in history, in women's study, or in just understanding the power of music, of voice, and of struggle throughout the ages of this society.

Tucker's collection of case studies involving the use or attempted use of chemical or biological weapons is truly excellent. It not only gives in-depth histories for each of the cases, but it also presents an analytical approach to their interpretation. The book is concluded by comparing all of the case studies in order to determine potential patterns and characteristics that would be useful in identifying potential terrorists and thwarting their efforts before they could come to fruition. Each case profiles the people that are involved, including the personalities of leaders, technicians, and of the actual cadres. It evaluates where and why successes occurred, and also where failures prevented perfect execution. From this book you will learn what certain groups have targeted, what as led them to violence, and how they attempted to use CBW. The book also examines a few cases where it has been believed that CBW was used, but the evidence has indicated otherwise. This book is perfect for people who desire to study terrorism in-depth, and for the reader who would like to be informed of many cases of terrorism throughout the 20th century.

Tucker's collection brings together analyses of all known historical usages of chemical and biological weapons (including toxins) by terrorists, as well as debunkings of three popular but apocryphal stories of such use. The book is absurdly thorough, and an invaluable historical resource, whether one agrees or not with the conclusions the editor draws from the collection.

Tucker's poems offer surprises of perspective, from the view point of the observer, and from who or what is observed. The interactions of sometimes several sets of observers, as in "Holding Patterns," reverberate from the last line of the poem, "but there are other burials," to the beginning. In "Ghosts," silent grandmothers reflect from the polished surfaces of spoons.

This collection explores histories, places and family ties through apt, many layered use of detail. The image itself can be haunting: "From what overflow of desire--/this tired woman/ nightly turning emptiness into white azaleas-" At other times the speaker draws us into an insight, "After you learn the words, the play changes," and leaves us looking, searching, for more. A great book!

Tucker's poems prove themselves rewarding for the reader who is willing to look closely at the world. Her poems seem to beckon the unwavering stare. One of her speakers admits, "Now I'm the last one in the museum. No one sees / a woman searching wall after wall as if for lost children." One sometimes feels that same sense of urgency reading this collection, looking into the truths and untruths of the world, some simple, some fragmented, some hopeful, others harsh and cruel.

This collection explores the ways of seeing and the ways of being seen. Ghosts of grandmothers stare down; Miss Dalton dances for us all, and the skull of a Saber-Toothed Tiger is on display. Tucker's awareness of place, history, and familiy ties, as well as her lyrical sensibilities and fine use of detail, work together to keep the reader returning for more.

In her poem about Rabun Gap, Tucker writes, "Mist / clings to our hands, softly brushes our bodies / in the places air had touched / without our notice." Tucker's poems are like the mist she describes. They brush against us. They softly call us to take notice. An excellent book!