Four savage and remarkable autobiographical stories from one of the most acclaimed and controversial artists of his generation; each illustrated with powerful ink drawings by the author himselfFor most of his life; David Wojnarowicz considered himself the ultimate outsider and a true invisible man. ldquo;Irsquo;m a blank spot in a hectic civilization;rdquo; he writes in this fierce and unforgettable collection of four blistering autobiographical pieces; illustrated with his own arresting ink drawings. Wojnarowicz; who died of AIDS in New York City at the age of thirty-seven; left behind a body of work that was staggering in its variety and originality. Painter; writer; photographer; performance artist; and filmmaker; he made an indelible mark on virtually every stage of the national arts scene. Yet nowhere does his anger; love; or compassion show itself as strongly as in his writing; which prompted critics to call him the Jack Kerouac of his generation.The horrors of Wojnarowiczrsquo;s past inform his literaturemdash;his years spent as a child prostitute and living homeless on the New York streets; his outspoken; very public battle against the disease that would eventually take his life; and the entrenched government bureaucracy that sat by and did nothing. The world as seen through Wojnarowiczrsquo;s eyes in these four masterful short works is stark; cruel; and coldmdash;and yet gloriously alive; ennobled by surprising acts of heartrending humanity. Memories That Smell Like Gasoline is a celebration of sorts: of sex; of love; of art; and of having truly lived.
#4278837 in eBooks 2014-06-01 2014-06-01File Name: B00KAHU8MI
Review
83 of 85 people found the following review helpful. Amy Herzogs best book yet!By EllenWhen I read that Amy Herzogs third book was about to be published; I told myself that I have "Knit to Flatter" and "Knit Wear Love"; so why would I need a third book about knitting sweaters? About a minute later; I placed an order. I would have made an enormous mistake if I hadnt. Another reviewer has given a good description of the book; so Ill try not to repeat it. I love raglan sleeves. "Knit to Flatter" made me feel guilty for awhile every time I wore one of my many raglan-sleeved sweaters that fit me better than any ready-made sweater with set-in sleeves. Amy has softened her anti-raglan stance over time and actually designed a pattern with raglan sleeves that I purchased and made. This latest book has an entire section with raglan designs. What makes this book such a valuable addition to the first two books is the focus on the process of knitting and the wealth of valuable tips to produce a great sweater; from selection of the right yarn to mastering the mattress stitch that joins the parts of the sweater after knitting them. It is not a book for beginners; because the process does not include how to cast on; knit; purl and bind off.. It covers a great deal about what then. If I had to choose the one book of Amys three that I think every knitter should have; it would be "You Can Knit That". Its the one book every knitter should have; period.78 of 81 people found the following review helpful. Great Book for Improving Knitting SkillsBy Rebecca HadenI dont usually review a knitting book till Ive completed a project from that book; but Im making an exception here because a) Ive knitted several of this designers patterns and theyre consistently good and b) theres so much more going on in this book than just the patterns.There are 24 patterns in this book; sorted out by sleeve type. So theres a chapter of vests; one for sweaters knitted with the sleeves knitted into the pattern (one is a sleeve cuff-to-sleeve-cuff knit); drop sleeve sweaters; raglans; yoked sweaters; and sweaters with set-in sleeves. Each type is presented with notes on how this type of sweater works and the special skills required to knit them.The patterns include traditional knitting instructions and schematic diagrams. There are 12 sizes for each sweater; which means that there are a lot of numbers in parentheses -- "Bind off 2 (1;2;2;0;2;2;2;2;1;2;2;2) stiches" for example. I find that its useful to go through and circle all the correct numbers before starting to knit. The broad range of sizes also means that you can knit for just about every woman you know with this one book.Its worth noting that one of the four sweaters in each chapter is a childs sweater. This is great if you knit sweaters for kids. If you dont; the author suggests that this "mini project" will be good practice for making an adult sweater; less daunting and a good way to practice skills. Im not buying that. There are plenty of womens patterns and I have grandchildren; so its fine for me; but you should know that youre buying a book with 1/4 kids patterns.There are sections for before the knitting (swatching and fitting); during the knitting (how to understand a knitting pattern); and after the knitting (blocking and care).Each chapter also includes tutorials and actual little practice projects in the form of swatches. Theres a worksheet so that you can keep notes as you make your buttonhole swatch or neck edge swatch; so that you can refer back later. The book also begins with the most complete and useful discussion of swatching that Ive ever seen. Along with the excellent fitting notes; these features make this a great book for knitters who want to hone their skills.Its well written and the models are diverse in age; size; and style. The author shares that she always wants to knit sweaters photographed on Icelandic hillsides (Im that way about Scottish moors; so I totally get what shes saying) and this may be the reason that shes chosen to photograph her styles simply in a plain room. It makes it easier to tell what the sweater will actually look like in your home or office on a person of your size and shape. Theres also a quick reality check list for determining whether youll like a sweater after its made.I sort of want to give this book to every knitter I know. Its the ideal choice for knitters who are ready to move on from rectangular projects to sweaters; or for those who have disappointing results when they knit sweaters. But advanced knitters will still find new nuggets of information -- and a couple dozen great pattern; too.13 of 14 people found the following review helpful. ... a sweater from this book - it is absolutely AWESOME! Not a sweater I dont likeBy Barbara D.Though I havent had a chance to knit a sweater from this book - it is absolutely AWESOME! Not a sweater I dont like! Cant wait to dig in and knit these! So happy that Amy Herzog is paying attention to beginning sweater knitters who fall by the wayside of overwhelming sweater patterns and designers - we need help ;-) Bravo; Amy!
