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Christopher E

Christopher E

My name is Christopher.

I am a recent New Yorker, with trails elsewhere: most recently DC, but also PA, NJ, IL, TN, VA and CA. In that order. I am culturally a midwesterner with Californian tendencies and East Coast impatience.

Before my a BFA in film/video/performance and certificate in interpretive exhibition design, I... more »
  • El Barrio, New York, NY, USA
  • member since July 31 2008

Reviews

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  • Hirohito and the Making of Modern Japan
    • Rated 3 stars

    “As an overview of 100 years of Japanese history, this is very strong. But Bix has a very clear agenda, and if he often seems to be drawing very specific conclusions out of think air -- or perhaps he thinks he's been very clear, when he details several points (all foot noted) and then wants to draw a specific conclusion of what Hirohito is thinking. Frankly, he's not that good writer. And didn't present enough of a clear picture of who Hirohito is to be able to discover along with Bix the development of Hirohito's thinking.

    It's also frankly too long. There's a lot of new names and places and people and things are mentioned briefly 100 pages before they appear again. There should have been a chart or timeline to refer too at some point in the book.

    OVerall, I'm glad I read it. It certainly helped me understand Japan in terms of modern literature and movies. But it was a slog that took me far too long to get through. And while parts some parts seemed overly detailed, he's practically breezy in the last 50 pages. And the war sections read very clearly too.

    Like my review here, he needs editing. Perhaps there was a feeling that the book was such a revelation (only to American audiences, I think. It's clear the European, Asian and even Japanese press have an understanding of Hirohito that Americans do not) that they needed to rush it to press.

    Still it's a good source book. And obviously important. But it good have been better written.”

    Christopher E wrote this review Monday, September 7 2009. ( reply | permalink )
  • Escaping God's Closet: The Revelations of a Queer Priest
    • Rated 4 stars

    “I only had the wherewithal to take one class from Bernard Mayes. After reading this, I realize that was completely ill advised. His story, always told in rumor among undergrads, is even more fascinating and unbelievable that we imagined: survived the London Blitzkriegs to go as an ordained Anglican priest, founder of the first suicide hotline, founding member of what became NPR and reporter for the Beeb on life in America. All while living relatively out and proud.

    Aside from this astonishing story, Mayes takes a theological approach to his autobiography and comes to terms with and espouses a radical theory of the cosmos.

    All together, tremendous. ”

    Christopher E wrote this review Wednesday, September 17 2008. ( reply | permalink )

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