Imagine youre in a museum. You might spot a gargantuan four-poster bed that was a 16th century pub tourist attraction or a threadbare sackcloth robe worn in church by a 17th century adulteress. Yet despite their rarity; we often fail to engage with these extraordinary objects. We simply nod and move on. But it doesnt have to be that way. Through its 26 Treasures project; writers collective 26 is exploring how to create emotional connections between objects and individuals. In 2010; Londons Victoria Albert museum chose 26 objects from its British Galleries and randomly assigned them to 26 writers. Each person wrote exactly 62 words ndash; 26 in reflection ndash; in response to the object. The results were beautiful; surprising; lyrical; sometimes comical. Andrew Motion wrote about a bust of Homer; a 17th century Chinese porcelain figure reminded a writer of a pub landlord in Inverness; while the wedding suit of James 11 inspired 62 words about a suit as full of scratches as a rose-garden. In 2011 they took the idea to the National Library of Wales; the Ulster Museum and the National Museum of Scotland; where writers were let loose on objects as disparate as a mediaeval illuminated book; a beggars badge and a 16th century Scottish guillotine. It seems that all writers and readers treasure connections with the past through objects ndash; personal ones and those displayed in museums. There are more than a hundred writers involved in this collection; including many of the best-known literary authors in England; Scotland; Wales and Northern Ireland. The result is an exquisite illustrated book; where the 104 objects and their accompanying sestudes appear side-by-side.
#1417044 in eBooks 2015-09-01 2015-09-01File Name: B00WAK7FEC
Review
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful. Good; but some problemsBy LondonnoiseA great insight into Bernards life. Im a great fan of New Order and found some of the behind the scenes stuff really fascinating.My two criticisms were that; while he has been in a longtime disagreement with Peter Hook; Bernard sometimes comes across as a little childish in his constant justification of himself as being completely blameless in the argument (though in fairness; Hookys book pretty much does the same in reverse). It takes two to have an argument; and I found this quite jarring.I also thought he was a little condescending about Gillian. I paraphrase "she had come on in leaps and bounds". I always thought she added a lot of warmness to New Order records (witness the recent Music Complete); and it just felt dismissive as if she isnt that important. Id disagree.However; these are fairly minor criticisms and all in all; if you are a fan of Joy Division; New Order; or even that period of English music; this is well worth a read.12 of 12 people found the following review helpful. A very insightful autobiography!By R. WattsA very insightful autobiography from one of the music communities most elusive; yet talented members. Founding member of Joy Division New Order gives a wonderful first-hand account of his early days as a child growing up in Salford; England during its darker days; to a single mother suffering from CP and confined to a wheelchair. I honestly had no idea of the depressed state of his childhood until reading this book. There is a lot of somber reading material throughout the first quarter of the book; but it certainly gives the reader a deeper appreciation of Bernard. Sumner; as well as other artists who perhaps have gone through similar situations during their childhood. Naturally there is a lot written about the Joy Division years and this section is certainly not without its share of sadness; what with singer Ian Curtis depression and bouts of epileptic seizures. Its never pleasent to read things such as this; but the friendship and support that Bernard gave Curtis during his life is very uplifting. The chapters on the transition between Joy Division and New Order are very interesting; as are the chapters written about their time in the studio and Bernards discovery of the various electronic studio equipment that New Order had employed during the recording of their albums. His perspective on the Hacienda is entertaining and of course he touches on the issues surrounding New Order and former bassist Peter Hook. Theres no trash talking---its actually very "high road" and Sumner makes his stance on the matter quite effectively. Very entertaining if you like New Order or even Joy Division; but still a great read for the casual fan looking for something new to read.7 of 7 people found the following review helpful. the Peter Hook book about Joy Division was incredibly detailedBy Royal Fork BassThis was well-written and had a manageable length. With such a long span of time to cover; he does breeze through a lot of time periods and just cherry picks random events to elaborate on. By comparison; the Peter Hook book about Joy Division was incredibly detailed; although not as eloquently written as this one.Overall I enjoyed it and learned a lot about New Order; Joy Division; and Mr. Sumner.
