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"Filled with delicious rodeo tidbits. Stratton's the perfect tour guide, a natural-born storyteller whose prose is as lean as a cowboy and as poetic as a sunset, rendered with a delight and wonder that are downright infectious."--"The Boston Globe" Rodeo has grown into an international, prime-time television sport. Steeped in tradition and Western spirit, it calls aspiring cowboys and cowgirls to its rough-and-tumble fame as they repeatedly risk their lives for eight seconds of triumph. In "Chasing the Rodeo," Kip Stratton takes us into the addictive core of rodeo, bull riding, and the circuit. Immersed in this world, he collides with the specter of his "rodeo bum" father, finding part of the cowboy dream that was his father's legacy. "Chasing the Rodeo" is a tribute to the famed characters of the old West and a riveting look at the superstars of the new. And best of all, it's one bucking, riveting, glorious ride.
"If you love the sound of the bell, the thud of hooves, and the sight of a twisting ton-and-a-half bovine, round up a copy of this book. "Chasing the Rodeo" is a mighty fine book for any cowpoke."--"St. Louis Post-Dispatch"
W. K. (Kip) Stratton is a native of the Southwest. His journalism has appeared in "GQ, Sports Illustrated, Outside, Southern Magazine," and the "Dallas Morning News." He lives in Austin, Texas.

Originally published in the 1930s, this is a wonderfully detailed guide to marionettes, puppetry and the construction and production of a show. It contains over a hundred diagrams and illustrations detailing all the various designs for puppets and instructions for their construction. All the secrets of the trade are laid in in simple language and instructions, along with clear and detailed diagrams. This is an exhaustive manual for anyone interested in puppetry. Contents Include: By Way of Introduction Puppetry In Foreign Countries The Stage Scenery and Properties Lighting Marionettes in the Making Marionettes Continued Controls and Strings Trick Dolls The Marionette in Action The Glove Puppet Productions Bibliography Materials and Where To Obtain Them Marionettes In London Museums Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. Home Farm Books are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.Keywords: Making Marionettes Farm Books Puppetry Stage Scenery London Museums Glove Puppet Puppet Productions Marionette Foreign Countries 1900s Puppets 1930s Wonderfully Illustrations Bibliography Dolls Lighting

"A fascinating history of the unexpected intersection of science, technology and show business." --John Steele Gordon, author of " Hamilton's Blessing" "Once upon a time, American know-how flourished through show-how: spectacular demonstrations by ever resourceful technological entrepreneurs. David Lindsay brings back these glorious (and sometimes infamous) theatricals in a delightful, witty, narrative with a serious point: the American inventor, now relegated to endless rehearsals, needs to resume a rightful place on the national center stage. For admirers and critics of technology and for veteran and inspiring inventors, "Madness in the Making" will give pleasure and inspire debate." --Edward Tenner. Author of "Why Things Bite Back"

A selection of fifty of Guy de Maupassant's finest short stories, including "Was It a Dream?" "Madame Baptiste," "The Lancer's Wife," "The Relics," "The Carter's Wench," and many more!

Absorbing, entertaining guide provides all the information needed to construct puppets and puppet theaters, including valuable advice on making heads, bodies, wigs, and puppet clothing, manipulating the puppet, setting up and furnishing a stage, lighting scenes, and building miniature pieces of furniture. Complete script for "Beauty and the Beast." Over 200 illustrations.

1927. Tully, novelist, journalist, lecturer, Hollywood columnist of the 1920s and 30s, road kid, chainmaker, boxer, circus handyman, tree surgeon; an inheritor of the tradition of the literary wanderer, and father of another, the school of hard-boiled writing. A quote in the beginning of the book by George Jean Nathan reads, If there is a writer in America today who can lay hold of mean people and mean lives and tear their mean hearts out with more appalling realism, his work is unknown to me. One of his autobiographical works, Circus Parade is a series of his none too happy and often ironical incidents with a circus.

Being a thoroughly reliable guide to the art of voice throwing and vocal mimicry by an entirely novel system of graded exercises. By ventriloquism, we mean the art, the act, or the practice of speaking or singing in such a manner that the voice appears to come, not from the person himself, but from some other place, as from the opposite side of the room, above or below, etc. A ventriloquist is the performer, the actor.

Angels Can Fly, a Modern Clown User Guide, includes a mix of fiction which follows the adventures of ten clowns, some personal anecdotes from clowns from around the world, a total of 50 practical clown exercises, and some theory on the nature of modern clown. Clown is a fascinating, diverse, complex and exciting art form, which has existed around the planet for thousands of years. Like any art form it has to evolve to stay relevant to the culture nurturing it, and at the same time, and by its very nature, clown teases and turns upside down the cultural patterns and boundaries around us. This book is an attempt to chart the growth of modern clown, and to promote the process by providing, not only practical exercises for individuals and groups, but also reference points for thinking.

Volume 2 of 2. This work is Barnum's recollections of forty busy years. There is an almost universal, and not unworthy curiosity to learn the methods and measures, the ups and downs, the strifes and victories, the mental and moral personnel of those who have taken an active and prominent part in human affairs. But an autobiography has attractions and merits superior to those of a "life" written by another who cannot know all that helps to give interest and accuracy to the narrative. Barnum's narrative is interspersed with amusing incidents and even the recital of some very practical jokes. Such is simply because his natural disposition impels him to look upon the brighter side of life and he hopes that his humorous experiences will entertain the reader as much as they were enjoyed by himself.

Learn how to throw your voice! Make your hand talk, your shoe sing, and your mother-in-law shut up! Everyone will be tongue-tied when you start talking to the lamp shade - and it talks back! Paul Stadelman, a professional ventriloquist who starred on his own television show for many years, shares with you the secrets that have made him a hilarious success. Ventriloquism, as taught in this book, is easy to learn. If you follow a few simple rules, anybody can do it. And it's so fun that once you start, you'll be talking to yourself for hours. The book explains how to use standard puppets as well as novelty figures such as balloon animals and gym socks. It includes 22 complete comedy dialogues to get you started. All are outrageously funny.

A century ago, daily life ground to a halt when the circus rolled into town. Across America, banks closed, schools canceled classes, farmers left their fields, and factories shut down so that everyone could go to the show. In this entertaining and provocative book, Janet Davis links the flowering of the early-twentieth-century American railroad circus to such broader historical developments as the rise of big business, the breakdown of separate spheres for men and women, and the genesis of the United States' overseas empire. In the process, she casts the circus as a powerful force in consolidating the nation's identity as a modern industrial society and world power.

Davis explores the multiple "shows" that took place under the big top, from scripted performances to exhibitions of laborers assembling and tearing down tents to impromptu spectacles of audiences brawling, acrobats falling, and animals rampaging. Turning Victorian notions of gender, race, and nationhood topsy-turvy, the circus brought its vision of a rapidly changing world to spectators--rural as well as urban--across the nation. Even today, Davis contends, the influence of the circus continues to resonate in popular representations of gender, race, and the wider world.

In 1770 in the imperial court of Vienna, one of the most extraordinary and baffling hoaxes in history was set in motion. 

As soon as it was unveiled to the cries of shocked courtiers, the Mechanical Turk became a sensation: a life-sized clockwork figure dressed in Eastern costume that, somehow, could play world-class chess. For decades this incredible automaton confounded audiences across Europe and America. It trounced grand masters, outwitted Napoleon, defeated Benjamin Franklin and was even said to have stopped Catherine the Great from cheating.

What was its secret? Could a machine really think? During its chequered career the Turk sparked frenzied speculation and often downright fabrication, but it was nearly a century before the truth was finally discovered …  

Clear explanations and over 70 illustrations demonstrate how to position your hands to make lifelike shadows of a lumbering dinosaur, a pair of playful monkeys, an eagle taking flight, a cat scratching itself, a howling wolf, a neighing horse, a dog that eats a rabbit, and many other figures. Good advice also on how to organize a performance of your own shadow art.

Every year, magic gains popularity because it offers more rewards than almost any other hobby. The time spent learning and practicing tricks is a pastime in itself.

Remember that drum set you bought your nephew for Christmas a few years ago? Your brother does. Aside from being expensive, amusements like drum sets and pianos are hard to carry around with you and take many hours of painful practice to learn. In Me and My Shadows there is a gift that is easy to learn, educational, physically beneficial, and always "right at hand" to provide amusement. It is fueled by your imagination. Buy this book. Give it to your nephew for his birthday. Buy several. Don't neglect your niece. Your relatives will be pleased and excited by this gift that will give endless pleasure and amusement to children of all ages. Where else could you find something this good? It's even a perfect gift to give to yourself Think of the hours of enjoyment you can have by developing a few simple skills and having the portfolio of characters in this book at your command Me and My Shadows is much better than a drum set and, for many, will bring back memories of a simpler time when entertainment was in your own hands. This is a fun book but there's more Me and My Shadows has a big brother The enhanced edition for just a few dollars more (kindle book B00AV2QOXY, paperback ISBN 978-1481954228 ) includes Practical Paper Pastimes as well fun stuff like paper puppets, hats, secret messages and paper towel tricks. Both editions are also available in paperback--popular as inexpensive gifts that keep on giving - for years of entertainment.

Strip Search is one of the favorite spots on the UExpress website. Aspiring cartoonists are invited to submit their strips for possible inclusion. (Note: The Big Picture book on the Spring 1999 list came through this site.) To further the search for new cartoonists, AMU has joined with Follett College Stores to sponsor a Strip Search contest.

The Follett Company manages approximately 450 college bookstores throughout the U.S. These stores range from full-service campus bookstores to small outlets that sell books on the opening day of school. The contest is running from August 1 through October 31, 1998. Entries are submitted for one of three categories: comic strip, comic panel, and other. Contest submissions will be evaluated by the Universal Press Syndicate editorial staff. After the closing of the contest, the winning strips will be transmitted to AMP editorial, who will produce the book.

Publicity and promotion for the book will be in April 1999. The contest winners will be announced to coincide with the book publication. A publication party for the overall winner will be at the Follett store nearest his or her college residence.

Main Street America is kicking up its heels—and you're invited to the party!

Goodbye sprawl-and-mall—hello downtown! Long-neglected town centers are coming to life once again, and the buzz is back on main streets all across the country. Come celebrate their rebirth with this one-of-a-kind guide to over 700 local festivals and events nationwide. From the weird and wacky to the wild and wonderful, the fun starts with Main Street Festivals. Which will you do first?

Enter a rubber duck race . . . Join a "walk of art" scavenger hunt . . .

Find hot-rod heaven . . . Play cow patty bingo . . .

See antiques and heirloom displays . . .

Discover "bullistic" bull riding . . . Go to a hog slopping contest . . .

Eat black dirt cake . . . Hear blues, bluegrass, and brass bands . . .

Watch a Little Miss National Peanut Pageant . . .

Inside you'll also learn where to find: an onion rodeo, cornstalk shooting, a beautiful baby bagel contest, arts and crafts demonstrations, the perfect-pierogie cookoff, a slugburger fest, quilting exhibitions, farmer olympics, and more. . . . There's something for everyone in Main Street Festivals.

Lucid, easy-to-follow guide covers voice use and synchronization, stage deportment and interactions, improvisation, staging, lighting, much more.