Henri Michaux is widely recognized as a major twentieth-century French poet and painter. Although his fascination with universal languages has attracted the attention of several of his critics, it has up until now been treated as a marginal concern. Henri Michaux: Poetry, Painting, and the Universal Sign argues that his ideas on what might constitute a universal language are central to an understanding of his works. It suggests that both his ambivalent articulation of his relationship to the languages and literary traditions of his native Belgium and adoptive France, and his efforts simultaneously to exacerbate and subvert the differences between words and images, are rooted in Enlightenment theories of the relationship of the self to nature and its language
Rigaud-Drayton's study makes a substantial and original contribution to the study of this complex artist, exploring the intricate relationships between word and image in his poetry and paintings, and his quest for a single, unifying language or sign.

"A career in music ... is a calling with such a strong pull; you'd think a tide was sucking you under. It becomes an intense obsession of such great intensity that you can almost think of nothing else, it drives you with a fever and fervor."

In the early 70s, an idealistic young man - Brian Torff - arrived in New York to pursue his passion for music. During an excursion to Long Island, Brian found his dream instrument: a 1775 re-built Nicola Galliano bass.

Such was the beginning of a career that led Torff from Cafe Carlyle to Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, and the White House. He has toured worldwide with the greatest: from Frank Sinatra, Mel Torme, George Shearing, and Erroll Garner to Stephane Grappelli, Benny Goodman, Mary Lou Williams, and Marian McPartland.

As Brian notes, "bass players do a lot of observing from the back of the bandstand." It is this supportive role that qualifies Torff to share his insight into jazz music, and its many personalities. Torff takes us beyond the music by adding depth with his vision of American music, and paints vivid portraits of the musicians with whom he played.

Torff's memoir is one of creativity, and determination mixed with timing, and plain good luck. His sharp narrative not only brings the legends of jazz to life, but reading about them here will certainly motivate you to add some music to your collection.

Rocking the Wall explores the epic Bruce Springsteen concert in East Berlin on July 19, 1988, and how it changed the world. Erik Kirschbaum spoke to scores of fans and concert organizers on both sides of the Berlin Wall, including Jon Landau, Springsteen's long-time friend and manager, to unearth this fascinating story. With lively behind-the-scenes details from eyewitness accounts, magazine and newspaper clippings, TV recordings, and even Stasi files, as well as photos and memorabilia, this gripping book transports you back in the middle of those heady times shortly before the Berlin Wall fell and gives you a front-row spot at one of the biggest and most exciting rock concerts ever, anywhere. It takes you to an unforgettable journey with Springsteen through the divided city, to his hotel, and his dressing room at the open air concert grounds in Weissensee, where The Boss, live on stage, delivered a courageous speech against the Wall to a record-breaking crowd of more than 300,000 delirious young East Germans full of joy and hope. Their thunderous reaction to his speech was so intense that it even briefly brought tears to Springsteen's eyes. And their tremendous, powerful cry for freedom became the "final nail in the coffin" of the Communist regime and subsequently helped fuel the uprising that brought down the Wall.

Erik Kirschbaum, a native of New York City and long-time Springsteen fan, has lived in Germany for more than twenty-five years and in Berlin since 1993. He is a correspondent for the Reuters international news agency and has written about entertainment, politics, sports, economics, as well as disasters and climate change in nearly thirty countries. He is a devoted father of four, an enthusiastic cyclist, a solar power entrepreneur and an unabashed crusader for renewable energy. Rocking the Wall is his third book.

Praise for Rocking The Wall

Inside this book is as clear a statement of the power of this music as anyone, ever, has come up with." -Dave Marsh

"An illuminating and impressively detailed examination of a frequently overlooked moment in the nexus of rock music and political liberation. I learned a great deal and enjoyed doing so." -Eric Alterman

This memoir takes a look into the heart and mind of one man who suffers from schizoaffective and bipolar disorders.

Jeffrey Hochstedler's life has seen its share of twists and turns-a culmination of the many choices and decisions made at any one time. In this memoir, he shares revelations and meditations from events in his daily life and how these occurrences shaped the man he is today.

Written in diary format, "Forty Days from the Diary of a Delusional Man" illustrates how his mind thinks, feels, and perceives. He reveals details from many parts of his life-his birth in 1957; growing up in Indiana with his parents and brother; battling depression in his teen years; enlisting in the Army in 1981; dealing with his relationships and his schizoaffective and bipolar disorders; and finding solace in art.

With many examples of Hochstedler's art included, "Forty Days from the Diary of a Delusional Man" shows how he was affected by confusion and despair. But it also communicates how he leaned on art and God to survive each day.

"Looking for Calvin and Hobbes" is an affectionate and revealing book about uncovering the story behind this most uncommon trio - a man, a boy and his tiger. From the get-go, it was obvious that this was no ordinary comic strip. Calvin was named after the 16th-century Protestant theologian who believed in predestination, Hobbes after the philosopher a century later who once observed that life is 'nasty, brutish and short'. Watterson injected real philosophical questions into his strip and coupled his commentaries with groundbreaking artwork. His lavish half-page Sunday strips completely re-envisioned the potential of the comics, while never detracting from his poignant humor. Bill Watterson was completely different from most comic strip creators because he never wanted to see Calvin & Hobbes turn into a commercial monolith. A longtime liberal and former political cartoonist, he staunchly refused to have the characters merchandised - a decision which could have netted him millions of additional dollars in income per year - and rarely made public appearances or granted interviews. When Steven Spielberg called him to talk about making an animated Calvin & Hobbes movie, Watterson didn't take the call. As a result, dozens of bootleg items have flooded the market. There were only 3,160 strips ever produced, but Watterson has left behind an impressive legacy. Calvin & Hobbes references litter the pop culture landscape and his fans are as varied as they are numerable.

"Harry's Art" is fine art for the twenty-first century revealed by the artist himself in his own style. This is how he designed his own multifaceted world of art. He brings his own advanced technology for a perfect presentation. This art book is unique because it combines art and architecture. It's a vividly authentic book. For example, "The Citadel" depicts a real-world masterpiece. "We Are One" is a celebration of love. "The ICU Code" is a glimpse at a very painful and personal event in the artist's life. "Synchronized Stretch" depicts the magnificence of the human body while exercising. "Negro" embodies the power of black people, and "The Human Bridge" exemplifies the beautiful balance of art and architecture. The artist invites all passionate art lovers to understand his philosophy in "Harry's Art. "

ANDY GOLDSWORTHY: TOUCHING NATURE DESCRIPTION

A new and revised edition of our best-selling book on Andy Goldsworthy. A completely rewritten exploration of the sculptor, updated to include recent works such as Night Path (2002) and Chalk Stones (2003) in Sussex, Three Cairns (2002) on the American East and West coasts, Stone Houses (2004) and Garden of Stones (2003) in Gotham, Passage (2005) in London, and Slate Domes (2005) in Washington, DC.

Known as a land, earth, nature or environmental artist, Andy Goldsworthy works with(in) nature. He uses natural materials in natural shapes and forms often set in natural contexts (but also in cities, towns, parks, sculpture parks, and many spaces created or adapted by people). FROM THE INTRODUCTION

In the 1990s, Andy Goldsworthy s art began to rise in popularity: the glossy coffee table book Stone became a bestseller (bear in mind it was then priced at $55). In 1994 Goldsworthy took over some West End galleries with a large one-man show. In 1995 he was part of an intriguing group show at the British Museum (Time Machine), creating sculptures, along with Richard Deacon, Peter Randall-Page and others, in amongst the monumental statuary of the famous Egyptian Hall. Also in 1995, Goldsworthy designed a set of Royal Mail stamps (and again in 2003). Digne in France became an increasingly important Goldsworthy location, with shows in 1995, 1997 and 2000). Prestigious commissions occurred in the US from the mid-1990s onwards. For instance: the giant Wall at Storm King Art Center in 1998; the Three Cairns on the East and West Coasts and Iowa in 2001-02; the stone houses at the Metropolitan Museum in Gotham in 2004; the monument to the Holocaust (also in New York) in 2003; and the slate domes in Washington, DC in 2005. Goldsworthy continues to work in countries such as Japan, Australia, Holland, Canada, North America and France (with France and the US becoming primary centres of Goldsworthy activity), but his home ground of Dumfriesshire in Scotland remains (at) the heart of his work.

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

William Malpas has written books on Richard Long and land art, as well as three books on Andy Goldsworthy, including the forthcoming Andy Goldsworthy In America. Malpas s books on Richard Long and Andy Goldsworthy are the only full-length studies of these artists available.