Can a Chief Justice Love God? The Life of John Jay

Customer Reviews:

Not a work of scholarship.......2006-05-12

I hope this was not intended to be a serious historical analysis of the life of John Jay. The writing is high school level, at best. The book abounds in typographical or factual errors: "Louis IV revoked the Treaty of Nantes ...", for example. I have no doubt Mr. Webster, about whom there is no biographical information, is a sincere evangelical Christian. John Jay was also a sincere Christian, but he was an Anglican. Indeed, he was one of the founders of the Episcopal Church on the national level in this country, a fact ignored by Webster. I don't think the Jays would have been comfortable with Webster's description of their marriage: "Sally and John went through the storms of life as a great team because they had that deep faith in Jesus Christ. When things came up in their lives that was [sic] too difficult for them to bear, they had someone to turn to: Jesus Christ. Jesus was their peace, their rock, their fortress." Jay was a Trinitarian, one of the few of the leading "founding fathers" of our country that we know absolutely was a Trinitarian, but he used 18th Century terms like Almighty and Maker to describe God, not the familiar "Jesus" of Webster's 20th Century evangelicalism.
Yes, Chief Justice John Jay clearly did love God, but it is no more wise to sugar coat his flaws, as Webster clearly does on the issue of his owning slaves into the 19th Century, for example, than it is to ignore his religious beliefs, as some biographers do.
Don't buy this book. It is a total waste of money. Walter Stahr's book, John Jay, addresses the great man's religious beliefs much more accurately and it provides the appropriate context for them in the life of the man.

A book for the serious student of US Judicial history.......2003-07-15

A book for the serious student with indepth research amd scholarship, Phil Webster has succeeded in doing what many have not, unearthing the faith,brillance and strong moral character which helped John Jay to not only endure so many personal tragedies, but accomplish so much for our nation in it's very early years that we as a nation owe him a great amount of gratitude. As laided out masterfully, Phil Webster shows how John Jay was fearless and willing to do what was right. This a book belongs on the shelves of colleges and universities for those students doing serious indepth research papers on US judicial history

Just a polemic, and a badly written one, at that........2002-12-28

This is neither a biography of jay, nor a history of his times, but a polemic intended to show that, because John Jay was a Christian, the Founders could not have believed in separation of church and state. As you might expect of one who holds such a thesis, the author writes at about a sixth-grade level. Actually, it reads a lot like "1066 and All That," but this author is deadly serious, and deadly dull. I didn't get very far into the book before deciding to return it, and I would give it zero stars if that were possible.

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Knowing New Orleans.......2000-11-29

This collection of essays provides a good slice of life for those who crave New Orleans.

I Never Danced with an Eggplant (On a Streetcar Before)

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I Never Danced with an Eggplant (On a Streetcar Before)

Manufacturer: The Urban Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000HI9PUG

I Never Danced with an Eggplant (on a Streetcar Before): Chronicles of Life and Adventures in New Orleans

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I Never Danced with an Eggplant (on a Streetcar Before): Chronicles of Life and Adventures in New Orleans
Errol Laborde
Manufacturer: Pelican Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1565548523

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I never danced with an eggplant on a streetcar before
Errol Laborde
Manufacturer: The Urban press, ;
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B00071ALBA

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Tom Sawyer's Companion) - Easton Press Collector's Edition
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Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Tom Sawyer's Companion) - Easton Press Collector's Edition
Mark Twain
Manufacturer: The Easton Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Leather Bound
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Robinson Crusoe (The 100 Greatest Books Ever Written)

Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea (easton Press)

ASIN: B000BWYLEI

Product Description

Magnificently illustrated and meticulously bound in BROWN genuine premium leather, features a hubbed spine accented with 22kt gold, lustrous moiré fabric (brown) endsheets, acid-neutral paper, gilded page ends, and a permanently bound-in satin ribbon page marker (golden yellow). (Dimensions: 6.5x9.5x1.5 inches)

Thirty Years View: A History of the Working of the American Government 1820 to 1850

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Thirty Years View: A History of the Working of the American Government 1820 to 1850
Thomas Hart Benton
Manufacturer: Kessinger Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 1419160443

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Thirty Years View: A History of the Working of The American Government For Thirty Years from 1820 to 1850.

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Thomas Hart Benton
Matthew Baigell
Manufacturer: Harry N. Abrams
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000KWKRBU

Thomas Hart Benton: An American Original

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Thomas Hart Benton: An American Original
Nelson Gallery Foundation
Manufacturer: Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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An Artist in America
Ken Burns' America - Thomas Hart Benton
John Steuart Curry: Inventing the Middle West
Renegade Regionalists: The Modern Independence of Grant Wood, Thomas Hart Benton, and John Steuart Curry

ASIN: 0394571533
Release Date: 1989-08-26

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Thomas Hart Benton
Matthew Baigell
Manufacturer: H. N. Abrams : distributed by New American Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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ASIN: 0810920557

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Thomas Hart Benton
Theodore Roosevelt
Manufacturer: Adamant Media Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Ken Burns' America - Thomas Hart Benton

ASIN: 1421266938
Release Date: 2005-11-30

Book Description

This Elibron Classics edition is a facsimile reprint of a 1886 edition by Houghton, Mifflin and Company, Boston and New York. Series: American Statesmen. Edited by John T. Morse, JR.

Benton, Pollock, and the Politics of Modernism: From Regionalism to Abstract Expressionism

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Benton, Pollock, and the Politics of Modernism: From Regionalism to Abstract Expressionism
Erika Doss
Manufacturer: University Of Chicago Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Twentieth-Century American Art (Oxford History of Art)
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Off the Wall: A Portrait of Robert Rauschenberg

ASIN: 0226159426

Book Description

In this acclaimed revisionist study, Erika Doss chronicles an historic cultural change in American art from the dominance of regionalism in the 1930s to abstract expressionism in the 1940s. She centers her study on Thomas Hart Benton and Jackson Pollock, Benton's foremost student in the early thirties, charting Pollock's early imitation of Benton's style before his radical move to abstraction. By situating painting within the evolving sociopolitical and cultural context of the Depression and the Cold War, Doss explains the reasons for this change and casts light on its significance for contemporary culture.

"A welcome addition to the growing body of literature that deals with the art and culture of the depression and cold war eras. It is a pioneering work that makes a valuable contribution to our understanding of a puzzling conundrum of American art—the shift from regionalism to abstract expressionism."—M. Sue Kendall, Winterthur Portfolio

"An important scholarly contribution. . . . This book will stand as a step along the way to a better understanding of the most amazing transition in the art of our tumultuous century."—James G. Rogers, Jr., Art Journal

"A valuable and interesting book that restores continuity and political context to the decades of depression and war."—Marlene Park, American Historical Review

Renegade Regionalists: The Modern Independence of Grant Wood, Thomas Hart Benton, and John Steuart Curry

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H.W. Janson is Dead
A need to rethink the 'Regionalism' of the Regionalists

Renegade Regionalists: The Modern Independence of Grant Wood, Thomas Hart Benton, and John Steuart Curry
James M. Dennis
Manufacturer: Univ of Wisconsin Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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John Steuart Curry: Inventing the Middle West
Grant Wood's Studio: Birthplace Of American Gothic
Thomas Hart Benton and the American South
American Gothic: A Life of America's Most Famous Painting
Marsden Hartley: American Modernist

ASIN: 0299155803

Book Description

Famous for iconic images of the rural Midwestsuch as American Gothic, Politics in Missouri, and Baptism in KansasGrant Wood, Thomas Hart Benton, and John Steuart Curry have long been lumped together under the rubric the Regionalists. James M. Dennis offers a fresh and sophisticated look at the modernist tendencies of this trio of American painters, arguing that the individual styles of Wood, Benton, and Curry were both mislabeled and misunderstood. Revisiting the artistic and political culture of America between the World Wars, he shows that critics and ideologuesfrom Time Magazine to the Partisan Reviewpigeonholed, praised, or pilloried the Regionalists to serve their own critical intentions. Amply illustrating his argument with a thematic assortment of paintings and prints, Dennis explores the social and cultural reasons why critics, from 1930 on, consistently demanded that Wood, Benton, and Curry stop straying in their art toward modernist abstraction, caricature, or fantasy, but stick instead to rural subjects and realist styles. Conservative critics wanted inspiring, all-American imagery, not borrowings from Cubism. Radical critics called for social realism depicting the plight of the workers, even claiming that the Regionalists stylized farmers smacked of fascism. Dennis demonstrates that despite these attempts at rigid categorization, Wood, Benton, and Curry were self-defining artists who freely disregarded promotional dictates of Regionalism. In particular, Dennis discusses the artists diverse portrayals of women, from rural sunbonnet women to cosmopolitan and even erotic figures and, in some of Currys work, women exemplifying themes of social criticism and political protest. In conclusion, Dennis discards the concept of Wood, Benton, and Curry as a homogenous unit, placing them within the school of American modernism more often represented by Charles Sheeler, Charles Demuth, Marsden Hartley, Arthur Dove, and Georgia OKeefe. He also shows that Sheeler, Demuth, and Hartley were themselves more consistent in painting native locales and regional themes than were the Regionalist Triumvirate.

Customer Reviews:

H.W. Janson is Dead.......2001-11-23

Finally. A well thought out and well executed book about a major movement in American art that is often dismissed as being one dimensional. Dennis' introspective look into the most revered "Regionalist" artists not only offers engaging scholarship, but a very good education in American social history as well. A must read for anyone who thinks they know what "Regionalism" is.

A need to rethink the 'Regionalism' of the Regionalists.......1998-09-25

This book makes you rethink any ideas you might have about Regionalism. Whether you agree with James Dennis or not is up to you, but he certainly does bring up some very interesting ideas. The basic ideas of the Regionalism school are initially laid out for the reader, and from this beginning it is already possible to see the weak foundation of the very definition of "Regionalism," as it was defined NOT by the artists, but by their critics and the public. The sterotyping generalities inherent in this 'school' set the stage for Dennis' questioning of the similarities of the work of Thomas Hart Benton, Grant Wood, and John Steurat Curry, the triumvirate of Regionalism. The author proceeds to explicate the inherent differences between the 3 artists' work, as well as the eventually obvious flawed general definition of "Regionalism." Dennis breaks down his discussions into realism vs. abstraction, realistic subject matter vs. fantasies, the ideas of nationalism and fascism in the artists' work, their varying depictions of women, and finally compares the three Regionalists to three contemporary modernists, Charles Demuth, Charles Sheeler, and Marsden Hartley. Dennis concludes with the assertion that the so-called "Regionalists" are in many ways more "modern" than their modernists contemporaries. The book has plenty of pictures, sadly only in black and white, and thus the book is a surprisingly quick read. Each chapter is thorough however, and must be studied to be fully understood. The reader should have some art historical background, and some knowledge of the history of the first half of the 20th century. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Regionalism, and the history of American art. Makes you think.

Thomas Hart Benton and the Indiana Murals (Distributed for the Indiana University Art Museum)

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Thomas Hart Benton and the Indiana Murals (Distributed for the Indiana University Art Museum)
Kathleen A. Foster , Nanette Esseck Brewer , and Margaret Contompasis
Manufacturer: Indiana University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Maverick With a Paintbrush: Thomas Hart Benton

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Maverick With a Paintbrush: Thomas Hart Benton
Wilma. Yeo
Manufacturer: DoubleDay
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

Book Description

"Blum is a superb writer." --Feminist Bookstore News

Put together 20 million frozen sperm, two funny women, and one impoverished stretch of Appalachia and what do you get? A wise and celebratory tale by Louise A. Blum, author of the critically acclaimed novel, Amnesty, who now uses her razor wit and deft precision to tell the story of her own life. With the help of a tiny sperm vial they call "Dad," she and her partner decide to have a child, unleashing a storm of controversy in their small town. From a glowing feature article in the family section of a local newspaper to the resulting prayer vigils on the village green, the town responds in radically different ways to their presence. A depiction of small-town life with all its comforts and its terrors, this memoir will speak to anyone who's ever felt like an outsider in America.

BACKC0VER: "Blum's first novel, Amnesty, [was] a lesbian coming-out tale, but what distinguishes it from a tide of sister books is Blum's poised prose, trained on detail and pleasingly free of breast beating." --Village Voice

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful Book.......2005-08-11

I read Ms. Blum's book for a Sociology class. I actually started reading it before hand on the recommendation of a friend. I must say that this book is amazing. Ir gives you a view of gay life away from the normal booze drugs and sex. Also Ms. Blum is extremely witty. She is brutally honest about her pregnancy and the troubles it caused her! She also talks in DEPTH about the birth of her daughter. Though I thought some of the sex scenes were too graphic other than that I thought this book to be an amazing read!

One book...so many emotions!.......2005-07-08

I hope my review isn't seen as less credible because of this, but I know Louise, her wife, and their amazing daughter. She attended a summer camp where I was a counselor and I have to say that she's the most self-actualized individual I have ever known. She's an amazing person, due in no small part to what her moms have gone through in bringing her into the world. :)

I'd been wanting to read this book for quite a while once I realized it was out there. I was amazed at how this slim volume brought such a myriad of emotions to the surface. One minute I was laughing, the next minute I was so sad, then I was angry and militant, then disgusted at the evil of some people, then comforted by the love that Connie and Louise obviously share. It's a great book...with a wonderful, frank, conversational style that doesn't hide the facts, but doesn't spare the rich details. You feel like you are right there with them. The dialogue is honest and fleshed out very well. No small wonder, considering Louise's writing abilities!

Whether you are gay or straight, consider reading this book. It will help you understand how hard it is to be gay and how wonderful it is as well. And hopefully, it might make you see that it doesn't matter what sexual orientation parents have...just that they truly love and want their children. :)

Great Read.......2004-06-15

Louise Blum has given us a book that will make you laugh at the outrageous behavior of "decent" people, will make you cry for her struggle to be accepted on her own terms, make you ache with her yearning and cheer for her triumph. Whether you love women or men, the love story touches your heart. But mostly, this book is glaringly honest and doesn't shy from truth on any front. I loved it!

Must have read for Lesbian Moms-to-be.......2002-12-04

I picked up this book while wondering aimlessly through the aisle at the local library. I thought it would be something to pass the time. Needless the say, the book draws you in, makes you laugh, cry and get angry, all while thinking to yourself "I've been there before". I truly enjoyed the book and would gladly recommend it to all women, whether you are a lesbian or not.

Really a great book.......2001-06-16

I was a student at the university where Ms. Blum taught while she was pregnant. Working in the book business, I stumbled upon an advertisement for this title in the publishers' catalog. (Of all catalogs to accidentally be placed in my mailbox, of all the pages the catalog could have opened to when it fell out of my mailbox, and of all the things that usually distract me from noticing a name I found familiar - it's a wonder all the pieces fell in place.) Anyway, I immediately ordered the book - if for no other reason than for the fact that it intertwined with my personal history with the university and the Pennsylvania towns she writes about. But I think the book is more than a piece of history. Her words are fluid and poetic. I gobbled up the chapters as if it were chocolate-y fiction, sneaking it in between breaks at work. It speaks to me as a woman, as a "non-traditional" worshipper of religious faith, and as someone who hopes to have her own children someday. I would, and have, recommended this memoir to many people.

You're Not from Around Here, Are You: A Lesbian in Small-Town America (Living Out: Gay and Lesbian Autobiographies)

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You're Not from Around Here, Are You: A Lesbian in Small-Town America (Living Out: Gay and Lesbian Autobiographies)
Louise A. Blum
Manufacturer: University of Wisconsin Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000ORLKOE

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