Queer Style offers an insight into queer fashionability by addressing the role that clothing has played in historical and contemporary lifestyles. From a fashion studies perspective; it examines the function of subcultural dress within queer communities and the mannerisms and messages that are used as signifiers of identity. Diverse dress is examined; including effeminate pansy; masculine macho clone; the lipstick and butch lesbian styles and the extreme styles of drag kings and drag queens. Divided into three main sections on history; subcultural identity and subcultural style; Queer Style will be of particular interest to students of dress and fashion as well as those coming to subculture from sociology and cultural studies.
#3416729 in eBooks 2013-12-10 2013-12-10File Name: B00GMIUFCC
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Perhaps Bach was a stand-in for the rabbi or priest I never had - a prophet whose music moved me deeply. page 129By Clay GarnerSteinhardt weaves several themes (love for Bach; lust for beautiful violins); and one melody; devotion to violin music. Smooth and touching.Chapters -1. Survival of the Fittest2. Photo Gallery3. Thump; Thump; Thump; Thump; Thump4. Violin 1015. Mischa; Jascha; Toscha; Sascha6. Music School7. I; Violinist8. A Flying Leap9. The Dating Game10. True Love11. Chaconne12. A Most Heavenly Music13. The Dance of Life and Death14. Dance Fever15. Cremona16. A Concert Hall for the GodsEpilogueThe first half is Steinhardts recollection of childhood and schooling in violin. Warmly touching. His parents who played violin for him in the womb. Imposed a steadfast but loving discipline. Explains his parents understood the truth; that if violin training was postponed until adolescence; student could never reach the full limit of his potential. Fascinating.Details special feelings for each teacher; different and complicated; how each one added something different. Relates his normal desire to play with others and his parents wish for him to work at the violin. Changed when accepted a challenge to compete. Worked harder and harder and won. I was struck with the contrast between his arduous toil (six to eight hours daily) with modern demand to receive recognition without effort. Almost seems Steinhardts purpose is to show future students what is essential.Second half covers his life as professional. Many famous musicians appear; George Szell; Pablo Casals; Issac Stern; Jascha Heifetz; etc.. Also explains the influence of past masters; Debussy; Leopold Auer; Fritz Kreisler; etc.; etc.. Adds color and interest. Makes many come alive. Well done. Spends pages on the history of violin construction and who and where. Not dry history; but warm insight into his true love; beautiful violins.Nevertheless; my favorite theme is Steinhardts focus (obsession) with Bach; especially his Chaconne. First and last chapters highlight this marvelous piece. Also; throughout Steinhardt returns; again and again; explaining his deepening Insight. Presents his feelings about this Chaconne as a child; adolescent; new professional and mature musician. A disc in included with the book with two renditions; done years apart. Wow!At Marlboro; learned and played Bachs religious music. The music affected me deeply in itself but also for what it stirred up. It was nor]t easy to put a name to the inchoate spiritual feelings that I felt occasionally bubbling to the surface. . . . My own mortality stood in the back of my consciousness; waiting to be addressed. I was content to let the rest of my musical journey unfold in its own time and place; but in my mind there was a special urgency to the Bach problem. (129)Perhaps Bach was a standin for the rabbi or priest I had never had - a prophet whose music moved me deeply but seemed nonetheless just beyond my grasp. (129) This from a life long atheist!Writing is clear; smooth and includes a touch of scholarship. Really is a musical biography; little of his non musical life included. I enjoyed it.One drawing of a disassembled violin. No index. No photographs.CD of two performances of Bachs chaconne included. This cd alone with the price of the book.38 of 38 people found the following review helpful. a valuable; ennobling bookBy Nathaniel R. BrownViolin Dreams; on the surface; is a simple book; recounting Arnold Steinhardts life as a violinist from his first days of playing; up to his career as first violin of the Guarneri Quartet - the quartet; by the way; from whom I first "learned" the Beethoven quartets. The book also tells of Steinhardts lifelong quest for the "perfect" violin. But this is only the surface of the book. Intentionally or not; Steinhardts very simple prose conceals a sub-stratum of deep feeling; musical insight; and a mans search for meaning in his own life.As a sports professional; I found Steinhardts confrontation of the possible loss of his ability to play at all deeply moving. What are we; when the thing we have lived for is taken away? If we are nothing without our profession and our tools; then we are nothing with them - as Steinhardt points out.Arnold Steinhardt; it turns out; is a great deal more than just his violin. He grows increasingly curious about the music behind the music - repeatedly; we return to the Bach Partita for Violin solo No. 2 in D minor; from which the chaconne becomes a touchstone of Steinhardts "journey towards music"; as Victor Gollancz once memorably put it. He travels to wonderful places such as Machu Pichu (on foot; which says something about the man). He pays homage to the luthiers of Cremona. He grows through friendships with some of the worlds great musicians; and from friends less musically exalted. And each journey brings Steinhardt; and the reader; closer to music; and to something both basic and ennobling.At the end the book; I was taken by surprise at how emotionally engaged I had become. John Steen has pointed out that the real purpose of the critic is to make us hear music better and to lead us to deeper engagement with it. Away from his violin; this is exactly what Arnold Steinhardt has done with this book. I loved it; am buying multiple copies to give to musical friends; and recommend it heartily.Now back to practicing; with no hope of every playing at Mr. Steinhardts level; but with an increased love of the instrument; and of making music.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A violin lovers love story!By Kindle CustomerI could not put this book down but only to eat and sleep. Being a guitar player yearning for the violin; I leaped into this book with my entire heart. I ate it up with relish and was delighted with each progression of Arnolds career from toddler with a toy violin to a master violinist who owns a Storioni. His warmth and honesty about himself and his chosen career is masterfully laid out in attention-grabbing chapters. It was very well written especially his travels and also those dreams were fun. Now I dont put any stock in dreams per se as I believe they are for the purpose of allowing us to work out our deepest fears within our sleep hours instead of experiencing them in our waking hours so with that said; I did find them all quite interesting.If I were to tell you what I have gone through recently with the violin; you wouldnt think I was very bright. Maybe Im not. I thought I wanted to play it and thought why not! I went so far as to order one; all the stuff and signed up for lessons. Then; I began to have sleepless nights. Forget the dreams. No Sleep; period! I couldnt understand why. I thought learning the violin at an advanced age would help me stay sharp; on edge and brainy. NOT! This is when I found Arnolds book. I too had violin dreams. But he was living his and I wasnt and I felt bad about it but after reading his book half through; I realized that I was 50+ years too late. I should have continued to play Twinkle Twinkle in grammar school instead of playing with my friends on the monkey bars and spin the bottle. Yes; spin the bottle. Remember we are talking about the 50s now. Well; as I worked my way through his wonderful story; I came to understand why the greatest violinists in the world begin their journey at ages 3 or 4 years old. They are mold-able; pliable and teachable. These little ones do as they are told by Mom and Dad and they practice and practice and practice for ten or twenty years until they can stand before an audience of 5;000 or more and play Bach or Vivaldi or Beethoven. So; after I closed the book; I got all my violin stuff out and sold it. Reality isnt such a bad thing after all. I am back to my comfort zone. My guitar; thanks to Arnold and his violin dreams. Thanks Arnie.....I love you!
