“A sweet; sad; sunny meditation on birds and music and the gentle approach of death.rdquo;— John Rockwell; former New York Times arts critic and editor and founding director of Lincoln Center Festival"A book like a fantastic party; as unshakeable as a childs faith. . . . Astonishes to the very end."—Neue Zuuml;rcher Zeitung"With layers of inventive language; vividly drawn characters; history; music; birds; love; loneliness; and wisdom; this is a brilliant book; rich and satisfying as a Viennese torte."—Sy Montgomery; author of Birdology"A celebration of creation and all its wonders; full of the joy of life."—Der Spiegel"A work of unbridled imagination. Marjana Gaponenko is exuberantly talented; and here she pulls out all the stops."—Die Welt"A panorama of twentieth century Central European history."—Citation for the 2013 Adelbert von Chamisso PrizeIn this rollicking novel; 96-year-old ornithologist Luka Levadski foregoes treatment for lung cancer and moves from Ukraine to Vienna to make a grand exit in a luxury suite at the Hotel Imperial. He reflects on his past while indulging in Viennese cakes and savoring music in a gilded concert hall. Levadski was born in 1914; the same year that Martha – the last of the now-extinct passenger pigeons – died. Levadski himself has an acute sense of being the last of a species. He may have devoted much of his existence to studying birds; but now he befriends a hotel butler and another elderly guest; who also doesnrsquo;t have much time left; to share in the lively escapades of his final days. This gloriously written tale; in which Levadski feels “his heart pounding at the portals of his brain;rdquo; mixes piquant wit with lofty musings about life; friendship; aging and death.Marjana Gaponenko was born in 1981 in Odessa; Ukraine. She fell in love with the German language as a young girl; and began writing in German when she was sixteen. She now lives in Vienna and Mainz.
#2728537 in eBooks 2013-01-01 2013-01-01File Name: B00MSYQ0AA
Review
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. Highly recommended but title is a little misleadingBy Michael BrochsteinWhen I first started Nancy Wolffs book I was expecting; given its subject matter; a dry and slow read of its ~240 pages. What I got was an interesting; fairly quick and enjoyable read on a subject that is not the sexiest. It almost made me think that I would enjoy being an intellectual property lawyer.I agree with the other reviewers here that this book is not an all encompassing legal guide for professional photographers as the title might lead one to think and that another book like the one mentioned in another review here (Best Business Practices for Photographers by John Harrington or maybe the ASMP Professional Business Practices in Photography) would be necessary to more fully cover all the legal areas that a professional photographer may face.While Ms. Wolffs book may not cover every legal area that a professional photographer may face; it does cover some important ones and does so very well. My only suggestion is that I would have preferred if there were a glossary of the legal terms used in the book. While most are defined somewhere in the text; I did need to look back a few times to remind myself of what they meant. In any case; I highly recommend this book.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A lot of good information; but it needs updates.By PHILIP D LANUMA great deal of detailed information. The information provided should give the typical photographer a baseline for understanding the legalities of photography. The best information I received was:1. When in doubt - get a model release.2. Register images with the Copyright office.3. If/When you are infringed - talk to a lawyer - dont ask your "buddies" on the internet.9 of 11 people found the following review helpful. This one gets it rightBy Robert C. CumbowIn a field plagued by rampant misinformation and vague legal theorizing; this is bar none the best down-to-earth; layman-friendly explanation of copyrights; trademarks; rights of publicity and privacy; and contracts that Ive ever read. Im a lawyer practicing in this field; and I recommend this book to ALL visual artists; not just photographers. Ms Wolff explains the legal issues in plain language; citing to appropriate recent cases and keeping her advice grounded in everyday practical reality. This book is a gem; and should be on the bookshelf of every lawyer and every visual arts professional.
