Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules

by David Sedaris (Editor), David Sedaris (Introduction)

Overview

This volume examines the life and career of L. Munatius Plancus, and through him, explores the tumultuous final years of the Roman Republic. Plancus had very active and lengthy political career, from his initial appearance on the staff of Julius Caesar in Gaul in 54BC at least through the censorship of 22BC. During this time, he was in close contact for over 30 years with all the major figures during a period of tremendous political and social upheaval in Rome. He maneuvered carefully and cautiously, changing affiliation from boyhood ties to Cicero, to Caesar, to Antony and Cleopatra, and finally to Octavian - it was Plancus himself who proposed the motion whereby the Senate conferred the name "Augustus" on the new ruler of Rome. More than just a biography of this fascinating figure, this volume also offers insight into the politics of this complex period.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780743273947
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster
Publication date:	04/04/2005
Edition description:	Original
Pages:	352
Sales rank:	680,628
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.44(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Thomas H. Watkins is Emeritus Professor at Western Illinois University, USA, and after his retirement taught Roman history at Virginia Tech for 10 years.

Hometown:

London, England

Date of Birth:

December 26, 1956

Place of Birth:

Johnson City, New York

Education:

B.F.A., School of the Art Institute of Chicago, 1987

Table of Contents

	Introduction	1
	Oh, Joseph, I'm So Tired	9
	Gryphon	37
	Interpreter of Maladies	57
	The Garden Party	83
	Half a Grapefruit	101
	Applause, Applause	121
	I Know What I'm Doing About All the Attention I've Been Getting	141
	Where the Door Is Always Open and the Welcome Mat Is Out	145
	The Best of Betty	165
	Song of the Shirt, 1941	189
	The Girl with the Blackened Eye	199
	People Like That Are the Only People Here: Canonical Babbling in Peed Onk	213
	Revelation	251
	In the Cemetery Where Al Jolsen Is Buried	277
	Cosmopolitan	289
	Irish Girl	317
	Bullet in the Brain	331
	Epilogue: About 826NYC	339

Editorial Reviews

This recording of five stories from Sedaris's longer print collection of the same name is a brief but delightful audio treat. The stories vary widely in theme and style, but each is powerfully emotive and paired with an excellent narrator. Of particular note are Cherry Jones's rendition of Patricia Highsmith's farcical "Where the Door Is Always Open and the Welcome Mat Is Out," and Parker's take on Amy Hempel's "In the Cemetery Where Al Jolson Is Buried." In the former, Jones perfectly captures the well-intentioned but ill-fated preparations of a woman who has moved to Manhattan from Ohio and is awaiting a visit from her perfectionist sister, and in the latter, Parker delivers a poignant performance of a friend's bittersweet musings on the death of her friend. Hearing Sedaris read an offbeat, deeply personal story not his own is another of this audio's many pleasures. While Sedaris has grown famous for his reading style, his earnest portrayal of youthful admiration and his spot-on characterization of a quirky substitute teacher in Charles Baxter's "Gryphon" demonstrate his range as a storyteller-and show that much more than his high pitch makes him such a distinctive voice in modern literature. Simultaneous release with the S&S paperback. (Apr.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

This collection of stories, many well known, is remarkable for its variety, intensity, and quality. Readers are well matched, each one capturing the story's voice and striking just the right balance between restraint and emotion. Cherry Jones's dialogue shines as she depicts the tension between estranged sisters. Toby Wherry captures the cynicism of a literary critic who critiques his own murder. David Sedaris underscores the child's incredulity in the story about a bizarre substitute teacher. Akhil Sharma, the only author in the collection reading his own work, adds a strong sense authenticity with his accent. Mary-Louise Parker's performance of a woman at the bedside of her dying friend made this listener cry. E.S. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine

FEB/MAR 06 - AudioFile