William Blake and the Age of Aquarius by Stephen Eisenman with Mark Crosby, Elizabeth Ferrell, Jacob Henry Leveton, W.J.T. Mitchell & John P. Murphy

Mythical 1960s! What a wonderful generation that one: what an inspiring period that one! Plenty of great ideals, freedom of every kind, liberties, rights, and a new more open conception of life.
It still is the historical moment I love the most! because fresh, revolutionary, developed by students.

Universities, students, inspired people, politicians, let's remember John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Martin Luther King,  wanted to change the world.

The 1960s brought a new conception of life, more rights to the minorities, to black people and in general a more opened vision of life. Of course there were a lot of distortions, drug abuse, important departures because of personal excessive abuses but the 1960s the most beautiful flame, because people were active and not passive and because they felt that the world could be changed. In our age situation is different like  remarked in one of the chapter of this book and people are more resigned and passive regarding  important thematic and... disoriented, scared, pessimistic.
People in 1960s scared because of atomic fear, racism, separatism, a world divided in two blocks, but...

That people knew what they wanted and they fought with great energy for obtaining with success, sometimes losing their own life, their personal rights.

William Blake and the Age of Aquarius by Stephen Eisenman with Mark Crosby, Elizabeth Ferrell, Jacob Henry Leveton, W.J.T. Mitchell & John P. Murphy is a catalog about one of the most beloved artist and "inspirators" of 1960s culture, the so-called Beat Generation, the age of that Children of Flowers. Published by Princeton Press this book was born thanks to an exhibition curated at the Mary and  Leigh Block Museum of Art at Northwestern University.

William Blake is an artist with his obscurity and his light, with his strong messages and his positions. He put his soul in his work.

It was during the 1960s that William Blake was rediscovered becoming one of the flags for the American students. A poet and painter with a lot to saying and transmit revealing to everyone an artist in grade to speak with his own revolutionary words and paintings powerfully in the 1900s.

Blake has been an anti-conformist man. Courageous, anti-conformist choices meant to him  a life spent in poverty but  authenticity. Blake didn't live a life of compromises, he was a person who represented his soul in paintings and writing and that's why he will live in the Eternity.

Born in 1757 his idea of religion anti-conformist like the one of his parents. He started to work as an engraver and later he fought for obtaining more rights for this profession considered not-artistic. Later thanks to the Antique School of Royal Academy as probatory student he started to make drawings of statues but more in general Blake, continuing to work as an engraver, was defining his future.

Thanks to his frequent visions, the works by William Blake are original and there is a personal to my point of view ideas of chaos, "apocalyptic visions" that it is fascinating and scaring, stunning and beauty.

People and divinities are never represented in their "environment" but in their lyricism, in their own glory and in a sort of dream-land where bestiality and humanity lives in a complete fusion,where an aspect can't be divided by the other one, but where at the end the glory of a superior creature will present that light in grade to find according to my modest point of view an escapism from the most difficult situations.
If you see William Blake's The Dance of Albion or the Great Red Dragon, Newton, Ancient of Days, you will understand what I want to say. Light is an element of big importance for Blake in his paintings for trying to find escapism, for trying to find in the chaos and darkness the security of certainty, thanks to light.

The lecture given by Blake of our world is of great complexity  because of his extraordinary personal vision. Two worlds, the one of the Dead one and the world of the living one united and cemented in his paintings.

Chaos and order, this psychedelic vision of life was the main theme for most and very well-known artists from Patti Smith to the Doors, from Allen Ginsberg to Agnes Martin, and the hymn of the people of the 1960s in art, writing, photography! because William Blake was a powerful poet as well.

In the book many example of impressive artists, photographers inspired by William Blake and his original art.

Highly recommended.



Exhibition schedule at the Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art, Northwestern University
From September 23 to March 11 2018

Anna Maria Polidori

9/11 and the Visual Culture of Disaster by Thomas Stubblefield

9/11 and the Visual Culture of Disaster by Thomas Stubblefield assistant professor of Art History at the University of Massachusetts, is a psychoanalytic book and trip thanks to pictures in the tragedy, or spectacle (never thought that the terrorist attack could have been read also under this perspective) of 9/11.

It's an interesting book because it filters the events of that days reading it psychologically, analyzing the meaning of fall under many perspectives like also the meaning of symbols like the Twin Towers were for Western Civilization.

We will see that in particular movie industry tried all its best at first to remove any mention of the terrorist attack "deleting" the Twin Towers in movies still in post-productions like Serendipity was.

To me changed also the elaboration of new movies. Hollywood focused much more on thematic involving death and after-life and tragedies, sufferance in general leaving the lightness apart. Art followed a similar scenario, preferring to avoid a real representation of the disaster.

Not only: we will read something about the key-role played by digital pictures. That year, 2001, digital cameras appeared to the horizon and played their key-role in this tragedy.

Many pictures taken of the various people, who, that day decided to fall from the Towers because too warm for staying there. The choice, the alternative was to burn in the buildings.

I also thought while I looked at that pictures of falling people if someone recognized their dear ones, thinking also at the horrific scenario people in the streets, spectators were seeing.
I still remember the crying of the people: "Oh my God!" was the main expression, observing the various falls with the consequent horrible departure of that men during a sunny beautiful September Day a normal work-day for them all, unexpectedly the day of their death.

Analyzed also the symbolic meaning of fall.

I highly suggest to everyone to read this book. For not forgetting and for trying to remember the world before 9/11, sunny and beauty and the society created later. It will be a strong reflection.


I thank a lot Indiana Press University for the physical copy of this book.



Anna Maria Polidori

AnyDay by Henry Mitchell

AnyDay by Henry Mitchell preface by John Gallman was born thanks to the love of Mr. Gallman from Washington for his land. Although Mr Gallman at some point left his native State for Indiana, he continued to receive The Washington Post appreciating in particular the articles by Henry Mitchell about gardening.

Mitchell anyway loved also to writing about customs and society, I would classify these articles in that way, and when Mitchell died  the idea of publishing some pieces of his column AnyDay, the last article appeared on October 5 1984, the first on Dec 29 1973, born thanks to an intuition of Mitchell's wife Virginia. Mr.Gallman appreciated the gardening pieces by Henry Mitchell but these ones...Could they find readers? Yes because Henry Mitchell in that pieces writes about customs, about society. There is everything for everyone but this everything for everyone will be sufficient? thought Gallman.

Gallman started to read these pieces and wow! yes, they deserved to be published!

Henry Mitchell wrote about a potpourri of facts: from his aunt real rats hunter, to bad and good coffee, or bad and good food, passing through the advent of a so-called new curse for the world according to the conservatives, AIDS,  to Christmas, without forgetting Richard Nixon's tapes.  He portrays a stunning portrait of E.B.White, but will also write about dogs and other animals as well. Mitchell has a special fixation you will find also when he doesn't write directly of it: he loves Christmas and when he can writes of it,  it does it with joy.
Mitchell is dense and ironic at the same time, never "light" in his writing-style and AnyDay is this: the image of a country lived and seen through the eye of this columnist per years. A picture each time of new customs, new problems, new ideas, or just little facts of his ordinary day.

The cover is beautiful and the book created with great love.

Enjoy this book.

Highly recommended.

I thank Indiana University Press for the physical copy of this book.

Anna Maria Polidori

Cake, I Love You by Jill O'Connor photographs by Leigh Beisch Illustrations by Jordan Sondler

Cake, I Love You by Jill O'Connor photographs by Leigh Beisch Illustrations by Jordan Sondler is a sunny, absolutely delicious new baking cookbooks by Chronicle. It will surely bring sunshine in your life and the contagious enthusiasm of the author will conquer you!

If you follow Jill O'Connor you know that all her cookbooks are precious.
She studied at Le Cordon Bleu Cooking School in London and she loves to add in every cake a strong personal touch and a lot of fantasy for trying everytime to create a special cake, a cake remembered by everyone. As the author adds, I agree! a cake brings good mood and it's a joy for a family.
So: without forgetting our daily diet, adds the author, it's important to live this life giving some space to delicious cakes.
Chapters after a first introduction in the world of cakes and how to obtain a great cake with precious advice, are divided in flavors. Banana, Coconut, Chocolate, Caramel & Butterscotch, Citrus, Spirits & Spices, Garden & Orchard, but more what this book with its triumphant cakes will teach us is this: to add fantasy while we are baking.
The book is plenty of great examples, most of these cakes are simply superlative, incredibly elaborated and absolutely stunning. 
Each of them is explained very well so that you won't get lost and you can choose with logic what you will prefer to realize for a certain moment or special occasion.
They're for all tastes!

Highly recommended.
I immensely love the cover as well! It's a triumph of joy and happiness!

I thank Chronicle Books for the physical copy of this book.

Anna Maria Polidori

The Hygge Life Embracing the Nordic art of coziness through recipes entertaining, decorating, simple rituals and family traditions by Gunnar Karl Gislason & Jody Eddy

The Hygge Life Embracing the Nordic art of coziness through recipes entertaining, decorating, simple rituals and family traditions by Gunnar Karl Gislason & Jody Eddy is a warm book about Nordic traditions In Winter-Time that lands don't see any kind of light for example but people not only are not discouraged but plenty of enthusiasm for enjoying time with family and friends, for staying together and for trying to create wonderful moments to remember forever.
The word hygge for example means taking care of yourself and your dear ones.

Translated, the word means: "coziness" although for Scandinavian it doesn't just mean creating a warm and inviting space.

Hygge it's an attitude for Scandinavian: it's that "feeling cozy from the inside out" says the author so that wherever people go they transmit happiness and joy. A positive attitude.

This book was born not just for Scandinavians: they know the meaning of a hygge life, but for all the rest of the people in the world. A special warm guide for taking good care of yourself and your dear ones.
Hygge means says the author: "Illuminating your world with value and grace." If you give importance at these two words in your life you won't never get lost.


Of course all recipes in this book are strictly Scandinavians but it's possible of course to copy some of them, and to enjoying the great advice of this book. What I loved the most reading The Hygge Life was to discover this sensation of attention, warm, cure for every details, because love means to sharing our devotion to others, to being there to others also for just an evening or a lunch or a special moment in our life curing particulars, details in the house, meals.

You will discover the main passion-beverages of Scandinavians, coffee and tea and how they love to drink them with a lot of suggestions!
but also how to take care of yourself, how to organize memorable  home meals during the weekend, or for a special movie night.

I found interesting and so funny the Hygge pizza party. All the participants will cook their own pizza! and it seems great. No one will complain ;-)
At the end of the book great advice regarding gardening and  for children how to raise a butterfly!
What a magic!
Highly recommended.

I thank NetGalley and Ten Speed Press for this beautiful eBook!


Anna Maria Polidori

Zingerman's Bakehouse by Amy Emberling and Frank Carollo pictures by Antonis Achilleos

Zingerman's Bakehouse by Amy Emberling and Frank Carollo pictures by Antonis Achilleos is a book celebrating the first 25st anniversary of this yummy reality! born in Michigan and feeding up people from that State but also the rest of the USA.

This book doesn't want just to let you know this important reality from Michigan and OK its special successful birthday and anniversary, but wants to share with you all their best recipes, some of them authors tell are still unknown and never never shared in the baking classrooms that they often organize.
Zingerman's own hundreds of recipes from bread to cakes. During these years they  opened other 10 businesses stores and 700  people work for them.

Zingerman's wants to be an artisan bakery with traditional methods.

Frank was born from Sicilian's parents in Detroit. He enjoyed pasta and arancini and later when he moved to Ann Arbor he started to work in a restaurant and he discovered he loved it!
Amy Emberling was born in Nova Scotia, Canada and then she studied  cooking and baking in Paris. She is with Frank one of the founders of Zingerman's.

In the book at the beginning how to start to bake with success, necessary tools, ingredients. Then enjoy yourself and your eyes in this delicious trip through the best of baking.
Every recipe explained in detail, sometimes you can discover its story. Every treat is born once for a reason, you must know. Hungarian and Jewish  baking the most favorite ones at Zingerman's. You will find, we are in theme, close to Halloween, A Transylvanian's Cinnamon Swirl Bread, a Boston Cream Pie, a delicious Challah (Jewish baking tradition), Ginger Jump-up Cookies, a wonderful Sour Cream Coffee Cake, and you can try the Sicilian Sesame Semolina Bread just for naming some of the recipes you'll discover in this wonderful cook book.
It's not important if it's a feast, it's not important if it's  a special occasion, a cake or some cookies will always be loved and appreciated by your family and friends and a part of that "Sharing Memories Passing through Food" so important in our existence.


Highly recommended.

I thank Chronicle Books for the physical copy of this book.

Anna Maria Polidori

The Wompananny Witches Make One Pizza by Jennie Palmer

You know: being a witch is not simple. You can be misunderstood, surely you are not the most loved creature on the face of this Planet and more or less people don't want to have anything to do with you. If they know that YOU are a witch of course.

Anita and Winifred Wompananny love to cook to badly and that's what they love to do all the time and everyday. In particular what they love to cook the most is pizza, their favorite food (who knows if Anita is related with someone close to Garibaldi and Italy? We will never know).

They hate, strongly hate children. Just the pale idea of them scare them to death and so also for this reason they prefer to stay inside and cooking, cooking, cooking but one day some children ring their doorbell...

It's a theory I know: if you put your fears and anxiety in your dishes while you are cooking they won't be great. And same it happens to these poor witches and their pizza. They create a one mean pizza and this pizza starts to go out, without any control. Poor them! Everyone was scared and children the order of not eating it, but once a toddler thought: why not? discovering that it was simply divine! and spreading the word so that everywhere children ate the delicious one mean pizza of these two after all funny witches.

Not only these poor witches who thought that they were discriminated started to be loved by all children but they simply enjoyed and adored to cooking for children.

Being appreciated, and being considered is the main lesson of this book. If we give importance to people, people will be more joyous and happy sharing with us with joy and harmony their numerous or little talents.

Perfect for Halloween, The Wompananny Witches Make One Pizza by Jennie Palmer writer and illustrator is a cute, wonderful children book. At the end  the recipe of the famous One Mean  Pizza (be careful who knows what can happens when you cook it in particular if you are  a witch eheheh...) for the joy of everyone!

I thank ABRAMS and Abrams&Chronicle Books for the physical copy of this book.



Anna Maria Polidori