Take My Advice: Letters to the Next Generation from People Who Know a Thing or Two - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0743210921 ISBN 13: 9780743210928

Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2002

Synopsis

The author collects writings from young intellectuals, artists, provocateurs, filmmakers, cyberpunks, visionaries, fashion designers, trend-setters, cultural critics, poet, and many others as he share words of wisdom from some of the most creative and visionary people of the modern world. 30,000 first printing.

About this title

About the Author

James L. Harmon is a descendant of the outlaw Cole Younger (Mom's side) and the renegade Comanche chief Quanah Parker (Dad's side). He rarely takes advice. A writer and artist, he lives in Portland, Oregon.

Reviews

In the spirit of Rainer Maria Rilke's Letters to a Young Poet, Harmon's tongue-in-cheek collection of words to live by should become a new classic. Over the past 10 years, he queried hundreds of social thinkers, academics, poets, artists and more--and received some fantastic responses. As Harmon says, "I would be a complete ingrate not to share those thoughts." And so, Mary McCarthy advises, "Be truthful... and pay attention. I would also recommend the avoidance of credit cards." Anita O'Day suggests, "Just get up there and let it rip!" Dr. Laura Schlessinger counsels, "Never sell your soul." And Katharine Hepburn recommends, "Work as hard as you can, whatever you do, and try to spread generosity of spirit."
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Determined not to make a "warm, gooey book with the shelf lifeof a banana," artist and writer Harmon asked a wide range of authors,activists, artists, radicals, journalists, and academics to offertheir advice to a new generation just reaching adulthood. Theresulting "letters" range from shocking to straightforward, intenselypersonal to generic, and the views are slanted far to the artisticleft. There's sound advice: "Look for independent sources ofinformation." And less sound advice: on the necessity of travel, onecontributor scolds, "Don't say you can't afford it. In a pinch you canalways smuggle something." And there's the completely outrageous:"Beware of whores who say they don't want money. The hell theydon't." The best selections are wise, realistic, and not coddling,and they offer fine, provocative browsing to world-wearytwentysomethings with artistic aspirations. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Publication date: 2002
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0743210921
• ISBN 13: 9780743210928
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 256
• Editor: Harmon James L.