One of the perks of giving a beautifully bound coffee table book to a loved one for Christmas or Hanukkah is getting to look at it yourself before you wrap it up. Here are seven newish books we’d like to have more time to linger over.
“Mural XXL” by Claudia Walde
Graffiti has a way of polarizing people. Some see it as ugly vandalism, others see it as social commentary or a pop of beauty against an otherwise blighted urban landscape.
One thing everyone who’s been paying attention can agree upon is that the art form has dramatically evolved in recent years. Now, public funds are being used to pay street artists big bucks to transform cities with their eye-popping murals.
Curated and written by a street artist who goes by MadC, this colorful volume surveys murals by more than 30 artists from around the world. The images range from startling and humorous to morbid and heartbreaking.
Atlanta artist Hense is prominently featured, along with several photographs of his murals in Lima, Peru; Washington; and Atlanta. Thames & Hudson, $40
“Southern Tufts: The Regional Origins and National Craze for Chenille Fashion” by Ashley Callahan
Penned by the Georgia Museum of Art’s former curator of decorative arts, “Southern Tufts” brings to light a little known piece of Georgia’s textile history.
Around the turn of the 20th century, before it became the carpet capital of the world, Dalton and its environs were revered for the production of tufted candlewick bedspreads, a product of the Southern Appalachian Craft Revival. By the 1930s, mass production began, an industry was born and a new name was christened: chenille.
The book is a thoroughly researched survey of the fuzzy fabric’s history, beginning with Catherine Evans Whitener, credited for reviving the art form and first commercializing it in 1895, and encompassing profiles of the northwest Georgia textile companies that produced the fabric as it rose and fell in popularity over the years.
Research and history aside, a highlight of the book is the scores of photos of beautifully detailed robes, capes, coats, skirts, jackets and bedspreads made from the nubby textile. University of Georgia Press, $39.95
“The Jemima Code: Two Centuries of African-American Cookbooks” by Toni Tipton-Martin
Drawn from the author’s 300-volume collection, this colorful compendium of African-American cookbooks is an entertaining and informative survey of black culinary arts through the ages and a commentary on how slavery and servitude shaped its evolution.
Divided into chapters with titles such as “The Servant Problem” and “Mammy’s Makeover,” the books are presented chronologically, beginning with the first known trade publication by an African-American, “The House Servant’s Directory,” an 1827 manual on household management that includes a few recipes for preserves, vinegars and beverages.
All flavors of cuisine are represented, ranging from Deep South and soul food to African, Creole and Caribbean. Cookbooks from celebrity chefs are featured, including Mahalia Jackson, Pearl Bailey, Queen Ida and Dick Gregory, as well as home chefs for celebrities (and quasi celebrities) such as Muhammad Ali, the Clintons and Elvis Presley’s uncle. There are multiple entries from Edna Lewis, including one from 1972.
In addition to a short essay on each book, color reproductions of the book jackets and select interior pages, the book is punctuated with occasional recipes for dishes that include Johnny Reb cake, sweet potato biscuits, tea cakes, blackberry dumplin’, ground nut stew and rose petal wine. University of Texas Press, $45
“Photograph” by Ringo Starr
It’s hard to imagine there’s anything new to say about the Beatles, but, lo and behold, leave it to Ringo to give us something fresh. Turns out, drumming isn’t the only thing he’s good at; he’s a photographer, too.
Something of an autobiography, the coffee table book begins with photos and anecdotes about Richard Starkey’s childhood and ends with photos from his film career. But, in between, are never-before-seen photos of John, Paul and George goofing around in hotel rooms, vacationing in Florida, recording in L.A., filming “A Hard Day’s Night” and touring in Japan, Italy, India and the Philippines. Tucked in between are cameo shots of folks like George Martin, Phil Spector, Marc Bolan, Harry Nilsson and Terry Southern.
Many of the photos are blurry, some are made from damaged slides and all of them are candid, which is what gives them their special charm. Genesis Publications, $50.
“Lists of Note: An Eclectic Collection Deserving a Wider Audience” compiled by Shaun Usner
A product of Usner's blog, listsofnote.com, this coffee table book of lists compiled by the likes of Michelangelo, Sir Isaac Newton, Chrissie Hynde and Satchel Paige is a fascinating look into the minds of history's most influential thinkers and doers.
Plus, it’s an excellent source of trivia, perfectly suited for livening up dull dinner party conversations. For instance, did you know that some of the names under consideration for the seven dwarfs in Disney’s “Snow White” were Flabby, Strutty and Puffy?
How about this: During the making of “Gone With the Wind,” censors threatened to quash the famous line, “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.” Among a list of possible replacements was the milquetoast alternative, “Frankly, my dear, I am completely indifferent.”
It’s also a great reminder that some things never change. Exhibit A: Charles Darwin’s list of pros and cons on whether he should propose marriage to Emma Wedgwood. In the plus column for not getting hitched: “Freedom to go where one liked”; “Not forced to visit relatives, & to bend in every trifle.” In the end, marry they did, remaining so until his death. Chronicle Books, $40.
“John Baeder’s Road Well Taken” by Jay Williams
What is it about images of old-fashioned roadside diners that makes many of us feel nostalgic — especially those of us who never experienced them in their pre-interstate heyday? It’s a curious phenomenon, and it’s in full force as you page through this collection of images of greasy spoons from California to Maine, all rendered in oils or watercolors by Baeder, a master of the photorealist form.
The Indiana native first made his mark in advertising in Atlanta, working on the Coca-Cola account. But, in 1972, he gave it up to become an artist, focusing on vintage diners, gas stations and hotels. Among those featured are Col. Poole’s Bar-B-Q and Pig Hill of Fame in Ellijay. The Vendome Press, $45
“Bob Dylan All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track” by Philippe Margotin and Jean-Michel Guesdon
Remember all the fanfare last month over that 110-track, 6-CD release of Bob Dylan demos, rehearsals and multiple takes of the same songs? If anyone on your gift-giving list bought that, or is otherwise a Dylan obsessive, then I have the book for you.
The subtitle says it all. Beginning with “Bob Dylan” (1962) and ending with “Shadows in the Night” (2015), biographer Margotin and musician-producer Guesdon detail the genesis, lyrics and production of every song Dylan ever recorded, including bootlegs and that Christmas album from 2009.
Interspersed throughout the 704-page phone book-sized tome are tons of photos and bits of trivia like the precise moment in a given song when you can hear a backup singer flub a line. Black Dog & Leventhal, $50.
