In-box: February 2009

Un Miroir au soleil: Almería-Bayyana by Jeanne Chevalier. Edition Canal 1, 2006. jeannechevalier.com.
The camera of Jeanne Chevalier is always aware of everything that moves and lives around her. With this series of previously unpublished images, Un miroir au soleil Almería-Bayyana is an intimate collection of black and white images that take us to the personal history and daily life of the artist, who has spent many years visiting the Natural Park of Cabo de Gata in Almeria.

“Loving the earth, the wind, the rocks, the birds, the trees, their smells, their changes, the sun, the land, the sea, its incessant noise, the people, children, and letting oneself be enchanted by the things around us at home, in our “everyday lives”… Un miroir au soleil Almería-Bayyana is a declaration of a love for life, nature, people, the Natural Park, photography and art. A compendium of beauty and sentiment we are priviledged to enjoy in this book”. Mario Sanz.

Cuentos rotos by Carlos Herrero. Ediciones Barataria. barataria-ediciones.com.
“I’m a middle class man in confrontation with the infinites of the universe”, says one of the characters of these stories by Carlos Herrero. Because the infinites include love, sickness, health, sex, paternity, Internet, work, money, weight, happiness (or rather, the search for happiness), and these are just some of the things that will suck you in as you read these eleven stories”.

Los siete ahorcados by Leonid Andreiev. Editorial El Olivo Azul. elolivoazul.es.
“Written in 1909, and dedicated to Tolstoy, this book tries to highlight the horror and injustice of capital punishment under any circumstance. But it may have achieved much more: To delicately penetrate each and every one of the tragedies of seven revolutionaries condemned to die”.

Porón sin peros by Naranja Toscano.naranjatoscano.net.
There are two of them: Hugo Toscano, guitarrist of the Elefantes, and Sofía Mionreal who played one of the secretaries in the television series Yo soy Bea. While on first glance it appears to be a curious mix, which it is, the rock, flamenco and pop of this pair of artists works to perfection. The ease and self-confidence of the actress from Malaga fits with the musical talent of Toscano, and makes this an album to become the perfect pick-up you need at the start of the day.

Prosperidad by Carlos Herrero. Ediciones Barataria. barataria-ediciones.com.
“A surprising, fun, bitter and sweet, novel of violence, friendly and savage, wise, finger-licking good, a novel about fake breasts, smelly bread, a profoundly human novel, cowardly novel, a novel of romance, sickness and death”.

Entre mareas (Within the Tides) by Joseph Conrad. Editorial El Olivo Azul. elolivoazul.es.
“This volume brings together four short novels that Joseph Conrad put together in 1915: The Planter of Malata, Because of the Dollars (both unpublished in Spanish since 1931), The Partner and The Inn of the Two Witches. You won’t be able to put it down.

Un claro tiempo de versos. Cosmoantología poética 2004-2007 (Clearly the time for verse. Poetic cosmoanthology 2004-2007) . cosmopoetica.es.
This short book of poetry is a small reflection of the voices that have passed through Cosmopoetica, the Poetry Festival that is celebrated each year in Cordoba since 2004.

Oye al viento cantar (Hear the wind sing) by Emilio Rosales. Editorial Renacimiento. editorialrenacimiento.com.
The poetry of Emilio Rosales arrived in our post box with a personal dedication. His third book, it contains the words of this poet from Jerez, taking us on a journey.

Camino a campo abierto (The Road Into the Open) by Arthur Schnitzler. Editorial El Olivo Azul. elolivoazul.es.

A revolutionary without courage, and an adventurer unable to withstand discomfort, harsh egocentric, and an artist with little work. I know myself, but I have little desire to change…”. With these words Schnitzler describes himself in his diary. Set in fin-de-siecle Vienna, this novel, about the death of Austrian liberal society in an atmosphere of nationalism and anti-Semitism, features a handsome composer’s encounters with intellectuals and artists. It is a novel of Vienna on the verge of collapse, as Zionists flee to Palestine and nationalists to Germany. The book also examines the Viennese intellectual community, post-Wagnerian music and the psychology of Vienna’s middle classes. One of the most widely read German language writers of the 20th century, Schnitzler shows that no road into the open is likely to lead anywhere but to destruction.

La historia de Andalucía en la pantalla (The history of Andalusia on the big screen) by Enrique Colmena Talaverón. Junta de Andalucía, Consejería de Cultura, 2000. juntadeandalucia.es.
An attempt to cover the events and public personalities from the history of Andalusia. “An attempt to achieve a better and realistic treatment of our surroundings in the world of cinema for an optimum projection of our cinema internationally”.

Dentro y fuera de Hollywood (Inside and outside Hollywood by Roberto Cueto and Antonio Weinrichter. Ediciones de la Filmoteca, Valencia, 2004.
ivac-lafilmoteca.es.
Co-edited by the International Film Festival of Gijón, the Spanish Film Archives, the Centro Galego de Artes da Imaxe, the Film Archives of Andalusia and of Valencia, looks at the tradition of independent American cinema, an eclectic series of currents and movements, often in opposite directions, and that have created a tradition of opposing aesthetics and production in Hollywood.

Holiday Walks from the Costa del Sol by Matt Bulter. April 2002, Sigma Press - United Kindom. sigmapress.co.uk.

Walking guide book. Researched and written by Adventure Bug’s founder, Matt Butler - you can be sure of the finest walking routes throughout this beautiful part of Spain. Whether you are visiting Andalucia for a site seeing tour or to simply lounge on the beach this book is a great companion for any level of walker - including children and those new to the sport! Not only are there over 32 interesting walks for all ages and abilities but it also contains useful travel info for Andalucia as well. Additionally, if it’s the remote’ corners of the region you are seeking in a short time frame - Matt’s expert experience and local knowledge will get you there…