A Dagger Through the Heart: Photo Finish (Ngaio Marsh)

Ngaio Marsh. Photo Finish (1980) The Diva La Sommita dies of a stab wound impaling an unflattering photo of her. Alleyn happens to be on site (a mansion newly built for her on an island in a New Zealand lake). Troy had been engaged to paint La Sommita's portrait. The house party had been invited to witness the world premiere of a (bad) opera written by La Sommita’s latest lover, a star-struck boy of some but insufficient talent. That, along with old loyalties and buried jealousies and resentments, as well as a series of unflattering photos published by a pseudonymous paparazzo, provide the necessary complications.
     A late entry in the Alleyn cycle, well plotted, characterised, and written. Marsh by this time was an old hand at confecting murder mysteries, and it shows. She allows herself room for miscellaneous satire and sharp social commentary. Average for her, which makes it above average for the genre. ***

Why Right and Left are (almost) indistingushiable.

  Martin Gardner. The New Ambidextrous Universe (rev. ed. 1990) A revised version of what  Gardner understood of physics in 1990. He acknowledges the book is outdated (evidence for the Higgs boson has since been found, for example), but it’s still a good overview of the Standard Model and its implications. The title refers to the arbitrariness of the terms Left and Right. Our usage is purely conventional. Without a face-to-face encounter, even a picture can’t define the convention, since one has to know it in order to reproduce the picture the right (!) way round. That would severely limit attempts to communicate with aliens. Left-right happens to be a necessary category of symmetry, without which theories of physics don't make sense.

    Gardner writes well and clearly, with a sly wit that sometimes breaks through his earnestness. One does need at least a high school knowledge of physics to grasp some of the explanations, but the central thesis is accessible to anyone.

     Oh, about "almost indistinguishable": I don't understand it, but it seems to have something to do with C-parity. Clarifications and corrections desired.

    Recommended ****

Fear and its effects (Laphams's Quarterly 10-3)

 Lapham’s Quarterly 10-3: Fear (2017) Fear messes with one’s brain. Attempts at rational thought fail. Individually, we may panic, and fail to do what’s needed to avoid danger. Socially, we may turn on those we believe endanger us, and commit the most appalling cruelties. Politicians know this, and stoke fear in order to achieve power. Create an image of some danger, then present yourself as the only one that can and will defend against it, that’s a sure way to impose one’s will on others. This collection is heavy on the political, but includes phobias, superstitions, and fear as entertainment. The latter may help to inoculate against panic, but the data are ambiguous.
Another fine collection. ****

Ozzie Murder: Upfield's Murder Down Under (1937)

 Arthur Upfield. Murder Down Under (1937) A station-owner’s car is found nose-down in a ditch next to the rabbit fence, with no trace of its driver. Detective Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte ('Bony') is detailed to masquerade as a rabbit inspector while investigating the disappearance. He listens to people talk, asking casual questions that prompt more conversation, until the pattern emerges. Bony’s focus on psychology gets him the information he needs. Passion and greed have combined to motivate murder.
     I like Upfield’s books. They have their weaknesses: his writing reminds me of The Boy’s Own Paper, but with a somewhat more adult understanding of human relationships. The clues are placed fairly, with few red herrings. Class tends to overwhelm character. A gentleman is polite, cultured, courageous, chivalrous, generously condescending to his social inferiors, skilled at solving problems but not an intellectual, and so on. Very much a B.O.P hero.
     Still, Upfield’s treatment of aboriginals is well ahead of his time. He reproduces their dialect, but they are not inferior to the white settlers. Upfield frequently makes a point of disapproving racial prejudice. Bony asks for help from whomever can supply it. He doesn’t like bureaucracy and red tape and official procedures, especially when they obstruct his investigation. Australian society of the 1920s suffered from the same class structure as Britain, and this too interferes with Bony’s work. The overall impression is that Upfield shares his hero's aversion to authority. The books are well done entertainments with a strong subtext of social criticism.

     Recommended. ***

Pictures and words: A Walk With Me (Frostic, 1958)

    Gwen Frostic. A Walk With Me. (1958) Frostic was a Michigan artist and author, best known for her linocut prints. She set up a successful printing business, selling her prints and greeting cards, stationery and gift items based on her artwork. See more on Wikipedia.
     This book is an example of her work. Printed on deckle-edge paper in earth colours, it’s a mix of text and pictures. I like the images, Frostic has an excellent eye for shape, texture and composition. The images of leaves, landscapes, animals, etc are not only accurate but evocative. Her art is semi-abstract but accurate depiction of natural beauty.
     The texts are not up to the standard of the picturers. She uses a lot of ellipses... to make the reader pause... and take thought... and perhaps... recreate Frostic’s experience... of walking among trees... and shrubs... and flowers... noticing the little things... like mushrooms... and frogs... thus achieving insights... into the mystery... and spiritual meaning... of the natural world.
     An interesting book. Beautifully printed, it’s an example of the book as art or craft object. **

Footnote: This copy was given "With all good wishes to our "Other Bishop - in the north country - Faithfully, Anna May Johns, Midland Mich."

Michael Everett Glover: The Big Lonely and Beyond

Michael Everett Glover. Big Lonely and Beyond (2009) Anyone who’s driven any stretch of the Transcanada Highway knows why the Big Lonely is a good name for it. This book records some of Glover’s travels.
     The sketches are naturalistic, sometimes impressionistic. His paintings are semi-abstract realist. Buildings, boats, cars, railroads, grain elevators, and skies are among his favourite subjects. This sketchbook shows off his skill as a draftsman and his skill in combining and layering shapes to form a composition, His paintings display the same skill in composition plus eye for colour. His palette recalls the Group of Seven, who saw the same colours on their travels. It’s a Canadian thing.
     Glover’s work has a elegiac ambience, often showing us how the works of human beings fade away. But the land endures. We have three of Michael’s small paintings. His website is at https://www.meglover.ca/
     Full disclosure: Michael has been stopping by on his journeys across the country for several years now. He gave us a copy of this book shortly after he published it. I like looking at it. ****

More small victories: Stories From The Vinyl Cafe (1995)

Stuart McLean. Stories From the Vinyl Café. (1995) I like Stuart McLean’s stories. Reading his anthologies, I can hear his voice. His radio show was a staple in our house. This is another feast for his fans, and as good an introduction as any for those unfortunates who don’t yet know his work.
     Why do I like his stories? One reason is sentences such as Sam was pouring his own cereal, getting most of it into the bowl.
     Recommended. ****