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Category:2007 non-fiction booksFriday, February 8, 2010
Joan Baratta has just put out his latest book, That's Not Art, which is a new collaboration between him and Ted Rall. The book collects his long-term "that's not art" essay pieces, many of which have appeared in The New York Observer over the past decade.
Here's an excerpt:
Who else to blame but the woman who invented the Christmas tree? It's only now that I fully appreciate the irony in the phrase "holiday tree" - the name itself speaks for itself. It's the ultimate Christmas tree in every respect: it's ornate, ornamental, beautiful, and worthless.... Let's not kid ourselves. We've all become a nation of tree worshippers, in complete denial that the Christmas tree is a thing of beauty, and that it's only worth keeping and decorating during December, thanks to retailers, who have persuaded us that there's nothing so brash or silly or tacky or garish or trendy as a plain-Jane spruce, yet somehow this shrub will look right at home standing in the center of our living room, not to mention our hall and our kitchen. But let's not kid ourselves. The tree has a public purpose, and its purpose is to convince people they're doing it wrong. They're doing it wrong, and that's why they should keep it.
Joan is a hilarious writer who is rarely funny unless he's attacking the PR people behind the successful media (he has a habit of blaming the mainstream press for sagging mainstream and he makes a very good case against the former). He's in the business of pointing out obvious truths - he's not a contrarian like I am.
Of course, Joan's column is all about self-discipline and self-esteem (and about having fun and being your own person, which are key elements of the life that he leads and the kind of thing I would like to pass on to my daughter). The fact that he does so in such an amazing, hilarious, intelligent manner makes me like him a lot. (Although I agree with his criticism of the Christmas tree - I hate it too.)
That's Not Art is a fascinating book because Joan talks about so many things, among them: ac619d1d87
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