books
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FlCT ON A Different Beat
Edited by Richard Peabody (Serpent’s Tail £8.99) 1* it 1*
Initially, the temptation may be to pick up this book and put it straight back down. It’s not only the indifferent Jacket, but the blurb which informs us that 'this collection contains work by 27 women who are the missing link to the riot grrrls, angry women and Thelma And Lourse'
The writings 'speak to post-feminist women of the 90s’ and provrde the women of the beat generation With 'a forum to sound a call to arms’ Oh dear.
the bookstop cafe
drink the latte eat the muffin read the book
chew the cud
never has retail been so good for the soul
4 teviot place, edinburgh 0131 - 225 5298
opening times 10 - 8 mon - sat 12 - 8 sun
lt's surprising then to discover, not a collection of rantings, but a mature anthology documenting the life of women of the Beat Generation With humour, irony and even tenderness.
Carolyn Cassady, Joyce Johnson and various Kerouac's are represented and the Contributions from the, perhaps, lesser known writers really stand up particularly Hettie Jones, Diane iii ana and the sad account of Elise Cowan by Leo Skir - who, eh, is actually a man. (AM)
NON FICTION A Season In Hell
David Bennie (Mainstream £14.99) * * it i
That Nick Hornby has a lot to answer for. Not only did he write one of the finest books on football, obsession and the links between the two, but he has been accused of opening up the floodgates to a whole host of wannabes.
Thankfully, DaVid Bennie's two contributions to the oeuvre -- A Season II) He// follows the pitched fever of Not Playing For Celt/"c are Just as funny, knowmg and movrng as the Gunners best efforts.
A Season In Hell is a sometimes tortuous v0yage around every senior Scottish ground during season 96/97 While he lays on the metaphors and Cultural references by the barrowload, his insights are well nigh spot on though surely he tests when espousing the aesthetic and profesSional attributes of sports presenter Ha7el lrvme and you know he's got to be kidding when describing Arbroath as a 'fleshpot' (BD)
PAPERBACK REPRINTS Autobiography Of A Murderer
Hugh Collins (Pan £6.99) * fir ** Collins's first book is a powerful and shocking portrayal of his graduation from Glasgow gangland murderer to sculptor and artist, vra his time as one of Scotland’s most feared prisoners. He makes no excuses for his actions but attempts to explain why he became a killer in Violent social circumstances and portrays some of the Scottish prison system's inadequacies. This autobiography makes compelling and uncomfortable reading and throws up d0uble-edged questions about society’s fascmation with murderers. (KM)
ratam‘ant
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The Sunday Rhymes: Spoken word upstairs at Bret Hosted by Viv Gee with speciaf guests (Liz Lochhead,]i[i Peacock, Pout Wefsh, David Duff, etc) The fast Sunday of each month, starting 30 November. 3 - 5pm Free admission Speciat previews Sundays 9 «65’ 16 November. Afso 'five’ on Subcity Radio - Saturdays . . 8, 15 «b: 22 November, it. i 2 - 4pm. 106.2fm
FICTION
The Speed Queen
Stewart O’Nan (Viking £9.99) ****
America's trash culture is vividly painted in this compulsive, combustive tale of fast food, fast cars and fast bucks. O'Nan takes a classic noir premise — death-row dame awaits execution or midnight- hour reprieve - and gives it a 905 pop twist.
Thus, Marjorie Standiford, dubbed 'The Speed Queen’ by tabloids after a sulph-fuelled, pedal-to-da-metal massacre, spends her last hours on Earth dictating replies to 114 questions set by arch horror hack Stephen King, who has bought the rights to her life story.
This odd premise provides the ingenious structure - one chapter per question - and makes the reader a voyeur, complicit with both King and the wider, cheap-thrill, quick-hit public which O'Nan mercilessly satirises. We gorge ourselves on every lurid detail as Standiford and car-crazy husband Lamont accelerate through a landscape of narcotics, takeaway
dinners and trash TV to a final date with destiny in a drive-in diner.
But The Speed Queen is no one-dimensional polemic. Using marvellously emotive phrasing, O'Nan endows his novel with gritty humour and real human warmth to balance the sex 'n' drugs ’n' homicide escapism, so
creating a rounded, intelligent work. Read over a Big Mac and fries. (PR) J
The Picador Book of Sports Writing
Edited by Nick Coleman and Nick Hornby (Picador £7.99) * fir * *
Sports writing has emerged from the primordial soup of sports reporting and opinionated tabloid editorials as a new super spec ms. The impact of the genre, as ably illustrated in this anthology, has been far-reaching, capable of capturing the imagination of all, and inspiring the pens of Journalists, playwrights, sportsmen and novelists alike. (SM)
Children of Chaos
Douglas Rushkoff (Flamingo £6.99) 4: **
Dramatically subtitled 'Survrvmg The End Of The World As We Know It, Rushkoff attempts to presc ribe a new blueprint for living in a post- lnformation Age society, through the
deconstruction of youth culture It's a
sharp and seductive read, certainly, but ultimately suffers from being over-analytical and one-dimensional (SM)
REVIEWERS THIS ISSUE:
Brian Donaldson, Susan tvlacKen/ie, Alison Maxwell, Deirdre Molloy, Kathleen Morgan, Peter Ross
STAR RATINGS 3* * * fir it Unmissable
it * 1r * Very good it t it Worth a shot it 1* Below average
* You've been warned
106 THELIST / ~20 Nov 1997
Glasgow
Dorinda Hafner Sat 3 Nov. I 2pm. Waterstone's. 15.3 157 Sauchiehall Street. 332 9105. The popular TV chef will be launching her new book (r'ni'lr'r/ ’liixlt's (1! America (libury Press £ 16.99).
An Evening With Chuck 0 Sat 8 Nov. 9pm. £5 in advance: (£6 on door). The Arches. 30 Midland Street. 221 4001. The
i founder and lead rapper of' Public Enemy
has turned his talents to writing and tonight will be launching his first book I‘Alt'lll 'I'lit' I’mver (Payback Press £12.99).
A.L.Kennedy On Writing . . . Mon It)
Nov. 8pm. £2. Waterstone's. 153 ~ 157 Sauchiehall Street. 332 9105. Hints on pi‘oblem-solving and troubleshooting when writing. with this popular Scottish
author.
Terry Brooks .‘ytoii 1().\'ov.
12.31) 1.30pm. l)illons. 17.1.-\rgyle Street. 248 841-1. The former lawyer will be signing Copies ot‘ his new fantasy novel Running Hit/i 'l'lit’ Demons (( )i'bit
crow). Dorothy Dunnett Tue ll Nov. ().3()plli.
John Smiths. 57 St Vincent Street. 221 7472. The author will be reading from her latest book ('u/n‘i't‘t'.-1rit/ Rum/n (Michael Joseph £10.99).
Simon Armitage Wed l3 Nov. 7pm.
Waterstone's. 153 I57 Sauchichall Street. 332 9105. Armitage reads from his new collection of poems ('lum/(‘iu‘kuolmii/ (Faber £7.99).
? 101 Things To Do With Your Computer . Thu 13 Nov. 2pm. Waterstone's. 153 1157 3 Sauchieliall Street. 332 9105. An
interactive event with the author of this user-friendly book. Tony Wheeler. which
i is aimed at kids and parents. Donny O'Rourke 'l‘hii l3 Nov. (3.30pm.
John Smiths. 252 Bytes Road. 334 2769. ()‘Rourke reads from his latest poetry book The Hurst/hind (Polygon £6.95).
continued on page 106