Two Serious Ladies

Ira Wood. The Kitchen Man. Trumansburg, New York: Crossing Pr, 1995
0895941775 Good-/Good c. 1985, beige bds. w/d.j., 307pp., (shelf wear, corners bumped, spine somewhat cocked, page ends lt.soiled, text clean, binding good, d.j. taped to bds., lt.edge wear, mylar cover, rubbing). From Library Journal Gabriel Rose is a playwright working as a waiter, and his first-person narrative by first-novelist Wood is a wonderful, warm story of a modern man's secret hopes and fears. Gabe's play, The Kitchen Man , has won some plaudits but no production, while his service at classy Les Neiges d'Antan nets him Best Waiter in Boston. But deep down he's still little Gabey, always overweight and unworthy of love. Until playwright-director Cynthia Kaganolder, divorced, zaftig, stunning to Gabecomes into his restaurant, takes him into her extended family, and teaches him at last to love himself. Often funny enough for laughing aloud and occasionally touching enough to elicit a tear, this is a fine, full-bodied book with remarkably human characters. A book to read and relish. Michele Leber, Fairfax Cty. P.L., Va. Copyright 1985 Reed Business Information, Inc. The Kansas City Star, February 16, 1986 Mr. Wood has written a funny, almost zany, sad and touching story of a young man finding himself. The Kitchen Man is an inside look at a modern, enlightened couple sharing an abundance of honesty and compassion. --This text refers to the Paperback edition. Publishers Weekly, August 9, 1985 Wood has written a delightful first novel about a young playwright in search of love and success. --This text refers to the Paperback edition. Toronto Globe & Mail, March 22, 1986 The novel is a treat, bursting with farcical turns of events on the road to Gabriel's self-realization, teeming with characters by turns funny, touching and real. Wood has an amazing talent for creating rounded people who might very go off and become central figures in their own books...If Gabriel Rose, lover of women and food, failed playwright and successful mensch, is on the feminist menu, where do I place my order, please? --This text refers to the Paperback edition. The Utne Reader, April/May 1986 If you've ever been 1) a waiter/ess 2) in love 3) out of love 4) a man 5) a woman, you'll love this warm and witty saga of passion between equals who happen to be male and female. --This text refers to the Paperback edition. The New York Times Book Review, November 3, 1985 Gabriel Rose, the "kitchen man" of Ira Wood's engaging first novel, is that all too rare creature in American fiction - neither a ladies' man nor a man's man, Gabe is a mensch who not only loves women, but can also like them as friends and equals. Finding himself attracted to a director both 13 years older and considerably more successful than he, Gabe, a frustrated Boston playwright making ends meet as a waiter, finds his way to this somewhat formidable woman's heart through her stomach. Cynthia Kagan has had her doubts about this klutzy, unpromising-looking 30-year-old (Gabe admits he has a "soft belly that hangs over my shorts like the cap of a mushroom"). But harassed and exhausted while lecturing and giving interviews in Copenhagen, she finally gives in to Gabe when he conjures up a smorrebrod (a Danish hors d'oeuvre) of lobster meat criss-crossed with curls of red onion, and ... halibut with peaks of tartar sauce and diced black radish." As the title indicates, food plays an important part in this novel, but with a unique twist, for here it is the man who does the nurturing, often at the expense of his own ambition. Not that Gabe doesn't suffer qualms about his thwarted career and what his male friends must think of him. Indeed, some of the finest comic scenes involve Gabe's attempts to get his own play, "The Kitchen Man," produced. After several rejections, the forlorn play winds up in the hands of a low-budget director, Anton Petrushevsky, who informs the baffled playwright, "We do not perform. We are not cows, Gabriel, we do not squirt plays like milk, we are not turtles, we do not drop our plays like eggs in the sand. We are artists working toward perfection and truth." Any experienced writer would have run for his life after a spiel like this, but Gabe hangs on to the bitter, hilarious end. While his prospects as a playwright grow dim, Gabe, somewhat to his dismay, finds himself acclaimed by a newspaper as "The Best Waiter in Boston." Here, behind the scenes at Les Neiges d'Antan, the pretentious restaurant where Gabe works, Mr. Wood lets us in on a few tricks of the trade while introducing us to the other artistically inclined waiters. This comic ensemble adds a sharp counterpoint to the more serious scenes between Gabe and Cynthia, who are struggling with such weighty issues as children (with two children from a failed marriage, Cynthia is not so eager to have another child with Gabe) and the imminent death of one of Cynthia's best friends, Florence, a crusty Boston blue blood stricken with Hodgkin's disease. ..The unique relationship among Florence, Gabe and Cynthia provides a fresh, vital source of energy that propels the disparate elements of the plot to a satisfying conclusion. Taken together, this makeshift family of friends is a totally convincing creation that demonstrates Mr. Wood's gift for heartwarming comedy. --This text refers to the Paperback edition. Kirkus Reviews, August 1, 1985 In this delightful, laugh-out-loud first novel, Gabe Rose, the brash Jewish waiter with a play in his pocket, is looking for his big chance. Where else to find it but at the gilded, overpriced tables of Boston's fanciest restaurant, where crooked politicians, tight Old Money, preppies, parvenus and, of course, the stars come to dine on yesterday's fish under tonight's hollandaise? Under-30 Gabe contrives to meet over-40 Cynthia Kagan, a tough, sexy playwright-director, big in feminist circles. His high drive is detoured as he finds himself loved and loving, drawn into the variegated, offbeat circle of her extended family, every member with a life and a mouth of his/her own. Plot and character are pas de deux under Wood's fast-stepping, always engaging choreography, but how to explain all the sharp and colorful, emotionally honest, sometimes heart-grabbing ensemble work? There's Cynthia's friend Florence, a maverick socialite dying of cancer, gallant and astringent as she makes her last days count. There's Gabe's friend Geller, the sellout who marries into a rich, possessive family. There's Gabe's ex-girlfriend the doctor, and Cynthia's spoiled son the law student, Gabe's boss the pederast and Cynthia's seductive young rival. So what if all the married people are brats, saps, or meanies? Everything happens for the jest, but we're there, laughing all the way to the brassy all-out climax. The two leads feel real - Cynthia is worldly, honest, generous, touching;Gabe is good-natured, sexy, savvy, schleppy. They're both a little overweight, but that only makes them more human. Besides the fun, The Kitchen Man is about love and loyalty outside conventional categories of age, gender and body proportions...a gamey kind of You Can't take It With You...with extremely recognizable people. --This text refers to the Paperback edition. Excerpted from The Kitchen Man by Ira Wood. Copyright © 1998. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved Everyone else I know accepts temporary malaise, the blues, as an ordinary human infirmity like the flu and sees nothing wrong with a few lackluster days of self-pampering and doughy lying about. But my own chosen love, my Cynthia, the caramel center of my bittersweet life, views depression as indistinguishable from masturbation and weight lifting: a waste of limited male energy. I admit it. The tides of my disposition fluctuate with my luck at the mail box. Following this morning's letter of rejection I returned to the house with the glazed, magnetized eyes of the children of the damned. "Uh oh," was all Cynthia said. "Maybe it's a sign. Maybe I should give up playwriting. Finally admit ...

Hardcover/Ex-Library, Good

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Pat Schroeder. 24 Years of Housework...and the Place Is Still a Mess: My Life in Politics. Andrews Mcmeel Pub, 1998
0836237072 Amazon.com Review Pat Schroeder's memoir of 24 years in politics is so enthusiastic it is easy to forget how difficult her work must have been. She was Colorado's first congresswoman and one of only 14 female representatives to the House when she was elected in 1972. "The women in Congress had to wage virtually every battle alone," she remembers of those early years, "whether we were fighting for female pages (there were none) or a place where we could pee." Schroeder takes on a lot in this book; sometimes she barely skims the surface as she tries to fit tales of politics, childhood, family life, and her opinions on a thousand disparate issues into less than 250 pages. Nevertheless, as one of our longest serving female politicians, her story of life in American politics is a welcome change from the usual political guy-ographies. Who else can write about being a congresswoman under Nixon, Reagan (whom she famously called the "Teflon President"), and Clinton? Or tell of working for women's equal rights back when there was opposition from "Ladies Against Women," who wore pins that read "I'd rather be ironing"? This is an optimistic book, a reminder of the possibility of change through politics. "Cynics claim we get the government we deserve," says Schroeder. "I say we deserve better, but we will get it only if we act." It will speak in particular to women, whom Schroeder directly urges to take the torch she is passing on. "Consider this a postcard from the front," she writes. "Wish you were here." She almost makes it sound like fun. -- Maria Dolan From Publishers Weekly On the first page of this book, former 12-term congresswoman Schroeder declares: "If you want dirt, buy a tabloid." You may not get much dirt here, but you will get clear, concise?sometimes funny?portraits of many of America's most famous politicians. Schroeder, who is now president of the Association of American Publishers, recalls being elected to Congress as a Democrat from Denver during the disastrous 1972 George McGovern presidential campaign. She found that she had to deal with Congress as a vast college dorm, with congressmen unsure of women and not very interested in learning about them. She tells of her travails there, but clearly the heart and soul of this book is her descriptions of other politicians: Richard Nixon, who wore makeup all the time ("I had an incredible urge to wash his face"); actor John Wayne, who offered her a cigarette lighter engraved with the inscription: "Fuck communism?John Wayne" (she declined the gift); and Phyllis Schlafly (who "always looked like she came out of a Talbots catalogue from 1952"). Schroeder also tells how she came up with the devastating description of Ronald Reagan as the "Teflon president" while scrambling eggs in a teflon frying pan; her opinion of the Bush-Quayle team ("What the two had in common was their trust funds?what I call the lucky sperm club"); and reminisces about her disastrous though unintentionally hilarious speech before the Gertrude Stein Democratic Club, a gay and lesbian group ("For years, I've felt like the little Dutch boy with his finger in the dike"). On a more serious note she recalls meeting her husband while they were students at Harvard Law School, the birth of her two children and the death of twins during childbirth. She reaffirms her commitment to women's rights issues?the right to be Pro-Choice, the value of the Equal Rights Amendment?and advocates medical research on women's health. This book on how the Congress really works would be frightening if Schroeder's black humor didn't have you laughing so hard. Photos. Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc..

Hardcover, Very Good

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[TSUKIOKA, Settei]. ONNA DAI RAKU TAKARA BAKO: GREAT PLEASURE FOR LADIES ON OPENING THE TREASURE-BOX.
A 1770'S ILLUSTRATED TREATISE ON LOVE-MAKING AND SEXOLOGY This is an early erotic illustrated book, with color woodblock printing on the frontis page, the balance of the work is in Sumi [black India ink & white] entirely hand printed on hand-made Washi paper, contained in a new indigo Chitsu [folding case] with new title labels, two bone clips. The fascinating point of this unusual work is that women of all classes of Japanese society are illustrated and discussed as all have the same basic instincts, erotic nature, erotic zones and erotic pleasures. The work was designed and illustrated to be an erotic training book for women and girls. * This book illustrates various classes of Japanese society, farmers life, showing the threshing of and planting of paddy rice by both men and women, most of whom are engaged in love making while performing their tasks. The book then continues into Japanese court life taken from the Tale of Genji, with nobles fully engaged in love-making throughout. This set of illustrations are done in the old Momoyama style, where the viewer is somewhere in the clouds, looking down upon the earthlings as they engaged in their daily life and love. The next section begins the instructional text and illustrations of ONNA DAI RAKU TAKARA BAKO, wherein we see a mother presenting her daughter with a lacquered tray containing two dildos, one white, the other black. Its time for the young lady to learn the pleasures of self stimulation & enjoyment. * The next shows a man and his lover sitting at the Kotatsu [table over a Hibachi-like warmer with quilt cover], while the girl looks at an erotic book, the man uses his toes to stimulate her clitoris. Next shows a father teaching his daughter calligraphy, while he makes love to a very ecstatic mother. Followed by a several views of couples fully engaged in love making. One shows lovers exchanging tongue kisses & making love while a maid voyeurs. Then a group of superb illustrations showing couples making love while engaged in daily chores, such as spinning thread, washing Kimono, weaving, embroidery, knotting silk cord, papermaking [this is illustrated in Hillier as #108, see notes below], dyeing thread and others. * Next shows a very unusual & highly imaginative illustration of a woman under a horse who penetrates her open vulva with huge penis that has a silk cord tied around it. Others show couples engaged in love-making: tea-leaf pickers, fishermen & fisher women, pleasure boat passengers, Shamisen players, and a host of others enjoying a passionate moment. * Following is a fascinating physiognomic illustration in the central part of the book, revealing a graphic display of superior feminine sexual markers. A nude woman is depicted showing her places of superior sexual value and locations of excitement. These are individually marked with a tremendous amount of black dots, with a descriptive paragraph of explanation. Jumping to the last page, it continues in this vein, but with focus strictly on the vulva: the various shapes and types, markers of the labia, clitoris and showing the various "types," that is, those with and without pubic hair and the value and comparisons. This section begins with a group of illustrations of erotic implements that will enhance the male organ: ointments, powders, silk threads to tie up the penis to keep it erect, "challase" or rings worn and held in place by erection, penis extenders and others that were known to bring joy and pleasure to women. See the William Lessa citation below for more details on the study of physiognomy. * Back to the center of the book, where it continues, with an unusual essay on homosexuality. This essay is on the thirty- two erotic styles of love-making and erotic behavior of men who cross dress and wear women's clothing, and hair styles, who are homosexuals or transvestites. There are 15 illustrations showing the type of young men or boys, who take on the feminine role and submit to being penetrated from the rear and ravaged by their lover men. Illustrations of their faces and physical attributes, reveal the nature of homosexuals and their physiognomy. Openly illustrated, showing the men engaged in love making, with good view of the sexual organs of both men and young boys. * The following section returns to women, with 6 pages showing women in Kimono and what they look like in the nude, with comments on the various "types" of faces, bodies and sexual and physiognomic markers. Followed by a section on the vocabulary, glossary of love words, expressions and love letters. Among the following illustrations is a very RARE view of a Nagasaki Dutchman and his Japanese courtesan or whore and her pleasures of the large foreign penis. In this section are also illustrations of various sex toys, penis extenders, rings, balls, lacquer penis tips & for the less than virile male, followed by several pages of sex education texts. * For more on physiognomy see William Lessa: CHINESE BODY DIVINATIONS: Its Forms, Affinities, and Functions. This outlines the physical body features that have special meanings in physiognomy, neomancy, metoposcopy et al. Again, the Japanese have used Chinese physiognomy for centuries as part of their medical pantheon to explain how physical features represent a systematic description of sexual prowess and attributes, as well as personality and health indicators. * THE ARTIST/AUTHOR Tsukioka Settei was also known by his studio names as Masa- nobu & Rojinsai among others [1710-1786] was a famous Kami- gata painting master [Kyoto-Osaka area artist & style], and was a pupil of the celebrated Sesshu school painter Keiho, and later followed the Kano style. He eventually created his own famous Ukiyo-e, painting style Tsukioka Settei School," which was one of the main branches of Kamigata Ukiyo-e and painting school. He produced over 30 superbly illustrated books during his tenure at the pinnacle of his career ca. [1753-71], including notable Shunga books, and ranked among the best artists of the day, [paraphrased from R. Lane, page 320-321]. His pupils were his sons Sessai, Sekkei; Munenobu [Soushin], Kangetsu, Buzen and Gyokuzan. Per Roberts p.144: [paraphrased] "...Settei used a combination of Moronobu and Sukenobu styles, with traces of aristocratic refinement... especially well known for graceful and elegant erotica, his paintings generally date after 1771 and are quite unlike those of his orthodox Ukiyo-e contemporaries..." * This book title was pun, a parody based on the famous work by Kaibara Ekiken [1630-1714]: ONNA DAI GAKU TAKARA BAKO: A TREASURY OF KNOWLEDGE FOR FEMALES, a serious Confucian moral treatise. Our title ONNA DAI RAKU TAKARA BAKO is essentially a knock-off of the Ekiken's famous title, with one character and one sound different, replacing "Kaku" [study, learning] for "Raku" [pleasure, enjoyment, with a sexual connotation and pun]. Basically Settei felt that women should also have proper access to equally valuable and important sexual lessons juxtaposition to Ekiken's work, in order to have a rounded education in all of the "arts." See Hillier [below] for excellent follow-up text on this book, its dual-meaning title, signify cancer and teachings. * All things considered, this is a very good copy of a very obscure and rare book. Profusely illustrated in a charming and elegant manner by an exponent of the early Kayo-e period. This title is seldom found on the market for sale. * BIBLIOGRAPHY: J. Hillier: THE ART OF THE JAPANESE BOOK, vol. 1, pp.289-290 & plate 206; vol. 2. p.1118 index. Hillier also describes & illustrates other erotic titles by Settee on pages 284-296. * L. Roberts: DICTIONARY OF JAPANESE ARTISTS, p.144. * R. Lane: IMAGES FROM THE FLOATING WORLD, pp.320-321, under Settee. * H. Kremlin lists another title by him. * Kiyoshi Shibui: UKIYO-E NAISI: Old Documents Concerning Human Life Instincts and Emotions as Interpreted by Japanese Artists in the 18th and Earlier part of the 19th Centuries, Tokyo 1932. See volume 1, p.16, item #15 and the two illustrations on p.10 of the plates for this work, Shibui lists under an alternate title: ONNA DAI RAKU HOKUKAI. * Color scans can be sent by email. Images displayed may not be the actual copy in stock for sale at any given time; if you want to see the exact image of the book or edition in stock, please request this by email and an image will be returned to you by attachment. * * * BUY WITH * * * * SHIPPING: WE SHIP WORLD WIDE * * * * * The shipping costs displayed for our books on ZVAB are ONLY AN ESTIMATE !!! * ACTUAL costs are based book weight, destination and value. * We will inform you of shipping costs and options once you select the book. **FOREIGN: We usually ship by registered/insured airmail to customers abroad. **DOMESTIC: We ship to USA customers by UPS/FEDEX or U.S. MAIL, appropriate insurance/registry and signature required will appply. ***** Please inquire if you have any questions regarding shipping or payments .

Japan n.d. ca 1770. New green silk cloth-covered boards, 113 double-folded leaves, woodblock printed by hand on hand-made paper, first few pages later amateur color, thumbed, else as issued, illustrated on nearly every page, 18 x 25 cm. RARE !

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Bowles, Jane. TWO SERIOUS LADIES. New York: E. P. Dutton, Inc., 1984.
Some light edge and corner shelf wear, previous owner's name in ink, light creases, scuffing. ; Cover design by Miriam Schottland. Author photo on back cover. ; A Dutton Obelisk Paperback; Trade PB; 8vo 8" - 9" tall; 201 pages; From review by Tennessee Williams-"I consider her the most important writer of prose fiction in modern American letters. "! ! Book and Read on ! !. 0525481362.

Softcover, G.

[SW: Fiction Novel,]

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