More Than Things

Lincoln and London: University of Nebraska Press, 2013. First Edition . Trade Paperback. Very Good. 6 1/2" X 10. 322 Pages. Unexplained loose Contents page and the following page that listing the iIllustrations has a 3/4' by 1' tear-out . These defects may have been done at the printing as there no other defects of any sort. Interior text pages are flawless. This book is a collection of essays, 29 in all, on a variety of political, cultural, and literary issues, all linked by Margaret Randall's attention to power: its use, misuse, and impact on how we live our lives. There are texts on sex, fashion, food, LGBT rights, automobiles, forgiving, women's self-image, writing, books, and more. Two of the essays provide glimpses into present-day Cuba and Tunisia. She reflects on her family; her romantic partners; and the revolutionaries, writers, artists, and activists she has known personally and admired: Roque Dalton, Meridel LeSueur, and Hayde Santamara. Randall's writings move in unexpected directions, evoked by the things and ideas in her life: objects picked up around the world, her children's names, family heirlooms, artistic practices, dreams, poems, and memories. Elegantly weaving together the personal and the political, the author gives us a tour de force by one of Americas most formidable and elegiac writers. Illusltrated throughout with 33 photographs and copies of documents.