Geoffrey Notkin's Blog - Posts Tagged "memoir"

This astonishing and deeply moving work contains some of the most beautiful and original prose I have ever encountered. Initially, “H is for Hawk” is a personal memoir of grief and loss; author Helen Macdonald embarks upon an all-consuming mission to train a dangerous and difficult bird of prey as a method for coping with the sudden death of her adored father. It becomes, also, an exploration of the strange life and works of fellow falconer T.H. White (“The Once and Future King”), a mediation on the beauty of flight, the puzzling relationship between humans and wild things, as well as falconry, change, life, death, depression, recovery, hope, friendship, and even the meaning of the landscape around us. I already love birds, but this work of uncommon beauty and insight forever changed the way I see them. Exquisite, passionate, and full of precise insight and vision, “H is for Hawk” recounts a powerful and profound personal journey.

Clothes, Clothes, Clothes. Music, Music, Music. Boys, Boys, Boys.: A Memoir by Viv Albertine

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


As a veteran of the original punk rock movement in London and having written extensively about it, I am not easily impressed by punk memoirs, but I was extremely impressed and moved by Viv’s work. I saw her band, The Slits, numerous times during the punk years and was expecting an amusing reminiscence of the punk years, but Viv’s memoir is so much more than that. A sometimes-harrowingly honest look back at an extraordinarily varied life that sees her as punk rock star, TV producer, filmmaker, mother, cancer survivor, and artist, “Clothes … Music … Boys” is written in a lively, conversational style and is peppered with anecdotes and insights into music, music history, and the importance of creativity. It is so much more than a rock ’n’ roll memoir. Viv recounts a life built on uncompromising individuality and courage, and her amazing journey will inspire all who strive to find meaning through adventure and creativity. I loved every page. Five stars and a tip of the hat to a fellow punk rocker turned author.



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