Fine and Not So Fine Arts
This category includes dance, art, theater and music related posts.
Hoarding is not collection development
Funny Ha Ha?
How to be Really Funny
Stolzenberg
1988
I’m not sure a book can tell you how to be funny, whoops, I mean really funny, but this book does. It literally tells you what is funny. Example: simple mindedness also known as a “nice way to say stupid”. On the plus side, there are discussions about some excellent talent such as Lily Tomlin, Steve Martin, Johnny Carson, and Jack Benny. For what it’s worth, I would think this book is more about improv and comedic acting than just “being funny”. Even for 1988, this one had too many references to shows in the 1960s and earlier. (Find me a kid that knows about the show Laugh In heck, even their parents probably won’t know.)
“Say Goodnight, Dick”
Mary
Dancing in the Stacks
Tap Dancing
Atwater
1971
I am sure that all the kids will lining up to pick up some tap dance tips from this attractive book. I initially thought this book was much older than 1971 given the somewhat 50s-looking cover costume. (I think my dad’s high school prom picture circa 1954 sported a similar look.
In my new job, I am tasked with the 700s and I have to wonder if maybe dance instruction books are obsolete. Is a book the best way to learn dancing? I’d be curious to hear how other dance instruction books compare to instructional DVDs.
Library science aside, I must reject this book on principle for the odd looking clownish type costume on the kid in the second picture below. <shudders>
Marty
Grab a Dummy!
Fun With Ventriloquism
Van Rensselaer
1955
As a kid, I thought ventriloquism was kind of cool and do remember Edgar Bergen and Shari Lewis. In 1968, I would have been all over this book (if the puppets weren’t too creepy). This particular book probably hadn’t seen much action since the catalog was automated.
So, break out the dummy and head to the library so you can be just like Shari Lewis.
Mary