March News and Review Round Up

Here at David R. Godine, Publisher, we strive to produce high quality books above all else. So, when our books and authors are praised, we hope you'll forgive us for acting like proud parents. Please join us in celebrating the recent success of a few of our talented authors.

First and foremost, we are honored to announce Joe McKendry's One Times Square: A Century of Change at the Crossroads of the World as a winner of a New York City Book Award for 2012.

For a firsthand look at his beautiful illustrations, find One Times Square on our website.

This past March there were also a host of positive reviews of Godine's books. Photo Life magazine praises not only the formal beauty of the photographs in Karsh: Beyond the Camera but also the book's illuminating content:

. . . this book features many of his beautiful black-and-white photographs. In addition to that, Karsh: Beyond the Camera includes the background stories of the portrait session when the images were taken. This enjoyable text provides insight into how Karsh so successfully connected with his subjects and established a high degree of trust through his "gift for interpersonal exchange and an inquisitive temperament."

There was also a review of Karsh: Beyond the Camera in The Antioch Review, which concurs on the power of the commentary, both from the photographer himself as well as from photo curator David Travis. Travis "places the image in a historical context, but also has the ability to articulate what is special in a photograph and what was involved in getting the image," and his reflections slow the experience of looking at the portraits to thus allow them to speak more forcefully.

We were pleased to celebrate the beauty of Karsh on March 27th in an event at the Fairmont Copley Plaza, put on by the Canadian Consulate. It was a great event, filled with stories about the famous photographer from those who knew him best, including his widow, Estrellita Karsh, and long-time assistant Jerry Fielder.

Estrellita Karsh and David Travis, editor of Karsh: Beyond the Camera.

To learn more, you can purchase Karsh: Beyond the Camera on our website.

Connecticut Today delves into the history of Adam Van Doren's artistic career and shares some of his insights behind the illustrations for An Artist in Venice:

"I saw the buildings as works of art unto themselves and was less interested in their technical aspects," says Van Doren . . ."Venice is conducive to the experience of painting," he says. "It's meditative, with unusual light at all times of the day. There are no tall buildings so you have unobstructed panoramas. You can disappear in time, with no reminders of modernity except tourists."

Read the full article for more of Van Doren's thoughts and past experiences. The book can be found here.

Barbara Paul Robinson continues to be applauded for her brilliant biography Rosemary Verey: The Life and Lessons of a Legendary Gardener. The gardening publication Historic Gardens Review contrasts the pristine picture of Verey painted by another book with the "darker side of Verey" that Robinson describes. The review goes on to say that:

Robinson's crisp narrative emphasizes that in spite of the showbiz element (Elton John was one high-profile client) Verey's work should not be forgotten and was underpinned by considerable scholarship.

Find Rosemary Verey: The Life and Lessons of a Legendary Gardener on our website, and take a look a the homepage of Godine's website for many more new and noteworthy selections!