Customer Reviews

A Star for Noon: An Homage to Women in Images, Poetry and Music

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Gordon Parks, an American renaiisance man, is one who will never cease to amaze us. A remarkable man with a remarkable vision, he invites us into his world with his new book, A Star For Noon. The book is a compilation of poems and photographs of his greatest muse...woman. Parks, a photographer who gained fame in the 40's, 50's, and 60's as a photographer of Life magazine, publishes still lifes and nudes for his concept piece. The photographs, very tasteful and moving show the reader that this is a man who truly loves women for their strength, intellect, beauty and sensitivity. Through his aesthetic work, we find that he teaches us that women are the most beautiful people in the world. The best way to experience this book is to look at the photographs and read the poetry while listening to the music. The accompanying CD of Parks' music is a welcomed joy for those of us who've appreciated the man's work for a number of years. Although performed live various times, Parks' music has never been available on the market until now. The soothing and moving music of his "A Star For Noon" suite will drive you to tears and joy. My hat goes off to the concertmaster Kermit Moore for helping Dr. Parks bring his musical vision to fruition. We know that Art books dont geniunely sell, but I hope that more and more people know about this book. His previous, "Half Past Autumn", was a great success as a exhibit and a book. A genius and an inspiration, may Gordon Parks keep on keeping on with more great works to come. *If one may be interested in the creative process of Parks' work, HBO will be showing a documentary of Mr. Parks and his work in honor of his 88th birthday on Nov. 30th at 9pm.

This book contains wonderful poetry, outstanding photography, and a delightful CD of piano music with the accompaniment of a small orchestra. As superb as each element is, the overall structure, design and concept are even more wonderful. I feel like this work is a breakthrough into a new type of communication. Mr. Gordon Parks has created here one of the most moving works to honor women that it has been my pleasure to enjoy. I strongly urge you to acquire this work and be inspired by it!

Before going further, let me mention that the book contains many beautiful nude images of women that would earn its contents an R rating (or even a bit more) if the book were a motion picture. The images will remind you of Edward Weston's work, as the ambiguous line between landscape and the female form are portrayed.

The book is divided into the themes of awakening, longing, remembering, waiting, returning, and homecoming. Each section has its own previously unpublished poetry, color, and thematic photographs. The images alternate among female nudes, landscapes, nudes superimposed on landscapes (like the cover image), flowers, and still lifes. The photographs' compositions, reproduction quality, and connection to the themes and each other are stunning. Although the work is unformly of high quality, I liked the flower photographs best. They will remind you of Robert Mapplethorpe and Georgia O'Keeffe.

Of the many elements in this work, I actually enjoyed the poetry the best. You should play the music as you read the book to deepen your emotional connection and experience.

Here are a few samples of Mr. Parks's understanding of how much meaning women bring to our lives.

"I lie here abandoned,

longing for you to give

the thinnest hope to my heart.

Speak to me." -- Dayspring

"I lie haunted in the ashes

of shapeless memories." -- Memories to Forget

"How could you let him caress hands

I held just one love ago?" -- I'm Not Close

"You and longing are as one." -- I Breath Deeply and Want

"Nothing

can

be

more

indiscreet, or arduous,

than love." -- I Know

"Yet I still know

what I am in search of --

one unending love that claims

the need to be remembered." -- Friendly Advice

"If you would have a star for noon,

it shall be yours." -- A Child Arriving

You can feel the vibrancy of the work from these words, I'm sure. What's amazing to me is that Mr. Parks is now 88. Yet his vision here is that of a quite young man. Remarkable!

After you have enjoyed this outstanding milieu Mr. Parks has created for us, I suggest that you think about what women have inspired you to accomplish that would not otherwise have happened.

To me, above all women are muses making the heavens' silent potential resound with meaning!

Parks has assembled a lovely and loving homage to feminine charm, in one work that spans many media - hardly surprising, considering the breadth and complexity of the topic it addresses, and all his own work, from photo to phono. I found the photos and composites most compelling, gorgeous images of attractive young women. Although they all display a slim, twenty-something style, they cover a reasonable range look and coloring. Other photgraphy includes flower closeups, landscapes, and a wide range of subjects that contribute to the warm and mysterious mood. A couple of paintings (watercolor and oil?) appear as well. Although nice enough, I didn't find that they add much.

Unfortunately, the book centers on a series of poems, around which the imagery seems built. I say "unfortunate" because, among all arts, poetry is the one I like least - in fact, I have a strong dislike of it. That has nothing to do with this collection in particular, but leaves me unable to comment on the merits of that part of the work. A CD of Parks's music comes tucked into an envelope in the back (make sure your used copy has it), but I haven't listened to that yet.

I enjoy the mood and the models in this book - even the nudes are tasteful enough for most coffee tables. I can't call it a must-have for any collection, however.

-- wiredweird