BOOK MARKS
THE thorough selection process that results in this annual anthology means it has come to represent “best of ” collection, showcasing some of South Africa’s most dedicated poets.
What I always admire about it is that it is so democratic. Well-known names and completely new names in poetry all live alphabetically alongside one another.
This is because the winning poems are selected blind. The judges – Ingrid de Kock, Johann de Lange and Goodenough Mashego – do not see the names on the poems entered into the competition.
As always, the poetry is uneven: cliched in theme and phrase in many places, but in other places rising like cut and polished precious stones on a rocky plain. In this issue, the poems by Thabo Jijana stood out for me because of their brevity, clarity and humour.
Karin Schimke
REFLECTION Heinrich van den Berg
HPH Publishing FROMthe lion’s eye that coruscates on the front cover to the final vivid double-page photographs of birds in colourful surroundings, there is not a page that isn’t surprising, nor a single dud photograph in this spectacular coffee-table book.
These wildlife photographs move from black and white through intensifying shades to arrive finally at vivid colour – an interesting and arresting arrangement which succeeds because of the intrinsic drama in the progression.
Van den Berg’s eye for detail and composition, an ability to exploit light to luminescence and a natural understanding of theatrics in nature, make this a breathtaking book.
The accompanying text, however, is distracting. Where one expects information on species and geography, we get philosophical ponderings that detract from the very intimate impact each sensational photograph makes.
Karin Schimke BOLLYWOOD BLONDE
Gené Gualdi MFBooks Joburg GENÉ GUALDI’S Bollywood Blonde spins her misadventures in the Indian film industry into an often harrowing, yet engaging read. The young photographer finds herself whisked off to a strange land by a powerful producer and reduced to the status of an accessory, but in the process, she discovers much about herself and others.
It’s difficult not to be frustrated by the young woman as she allows herself to be repeatedly mistreated, considering that Gualdi has been courageous in letting the reader into her 24-yearold self ’s head space. Not to mention the fact that a lot of those involved threatened repercussions should the book be published.
It’s an exposé, of sorts, on the industry, but also on the risks we’ll take and the lengths to which we’ll go to realise our dreams when we’re still too young to know better.
Terri Dunbar-Curran THE latest erotic choose-your-own-destiny adventure adds a new layer to the fantasy – a big enough budget to jet across the world for dalliances with online suitors in cities such as New York, Venice and Amsterdam.
You’re flirting with an Italian count, a rugged fireman and a passionate sculptor, and as you fly through the pages, you get the chance to expand your horizons with each of them and a range of other saucy characters too.
Feel the buzz of excitement in a gallery, take a steamy bath with an equally steamy fantasy, get acquainted with the scent of a woman, or paint more than just the town red – it’s all up to you.
Once again the writers have dreamt up a variety of sizzling tales to keep you panting for more. There’s even a little humanitarian message included.
Terri Dunbar-Curran