Search results for ""Author Tom Wolfe""

Forever fascinated by canes, the author has always collected them—he even has his grandma's and grandpa’s walking sticks. And, as a professional woodcarver, he knows there’s a good market for them. Walking sticks come in three basic categories: the cane, which is a walking aid or a gentleman’s walking stick; the staff or hiking stick, which is head-high; and the chest-high quarterstaff, which Tom’s grandpa used to call a “thunk stick.” Each of these types is generously represented among the 86 patterns in this book. Their designs include everything from fish to dragons and birds to beavers. This is a valuable reference book for all carvers.

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An exhilarating satire of Eighties excess that captures the effervescent spirit of New York, from one of the greatest writers of modern American proseSherman McCoy is a WASP, bond trader and self-appointed 'Master of the Universe'. He has a fashionable wife, a Park Avenue apartment and a Southern mistress. His spectacular fall begins the moment he is involved in a hit-and-run accident in the Bronx. Prosecutors, newspaper hacks, politicians and clergy close in on him, determined to bring him down. Exuberant, scandalous and exceptionally discerning, The Bonfire of the Vanities was Tom Wolfe's first venture into fiction and cemented his reputation as the foremost chronicler of his age.‘The air of New York crackles with an energy that causes the adrenalin to pump… The feeling is perfectly reproduced in Wolfe's novel… Electric’ – Sunday Times‘The quintessential novel of The Eighties’ – The Guardian

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Now with an original introduction by David Brooks, Radical Chic and Mau-Mauing the Flak Catchers is a funny and irreverent study of class and status by the master of New Journalism.Tom Wolfe's two-act dissection of 1970s race relations in America is incisive and thought-provoking, an indispensable study in how white pieties have often worked against the interests of Black communities in the country.Wolfe first takes readers back to his original hotbed of 1970s radical chic: the party for the Black Panthers that Leonard Bernstein and his wife, Felicia, hosted at their Park Avenue penthouse. Wolfe's unerring eye for the uncanny feasts on an improbable scene that would morph into today's cocktail activism-well-heeled elites signifying their sympathy with causes related to Black emancipation through hobnobbing.Mau-Mauing the Flak Catchers, meanwhile, unfolds on the other side of the country, in San Francisco's Office of Economic

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Now featuring an introduction by Geoff Dyer, The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test is a wild, psychedelic, utterly Wolfe-ian romp through the rise of the counterculture movement of the 1960s.The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test is Tom Wolfe's seminal portrait of Ken Kesey, one of the most magnetic figures of the 1960s, and his band of Merry Pranksters. Along the way, even as Wolfe vividly recounts the group's infamous Acid Tests and the country's changing attitudes toward psychedelic drugs, he ropes in a who's who of the early years of the hippie movement, from the Hells Angels to the Grateful Dead to Allen Ginsberg.Wolfe's clear, unblinking depiction of the travels, experiments, and exploits of his subjects have made his book the quintessential text in New Journalism, which he was instrumental in creating.Readers will find an unparalleled examination of this pivotal moment in American history. The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test is a prescient,

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‘The hell with it . . . let chaos reign . . . louder music, more wine . . . All the old traditions are exhausted and no new one is yet established. All bets are off! The odds are cancelled! It’s anybody’s ballgame . . . ’ Tom Wolfe introduces and exults in his generation’s journalistic talent: Truman Capote inside the mind of a psychotic killer Hunter S. Thompson skunk drunk at the Kentucky Derby Michael Herr dispatching reality from the Vietnam killing fields Rex Reed giving the star treatment to the ageing Ava Gardner As well as Norman Mailer Joe Eszterhas Terry Southern Nicholas Tomalin George Plimpton James Mills Gay Talese Joan Didion and many other legends of tape and typewriter telling it like it is from Warhol’s Factory to the White House lawn, from the saddle of a Harley to the toughest football team in the US.

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Dogs are a favorite subject of carvers everywhere. Sometimes they are shown as companions of the human subject in a carving and sometimes they stand by themselves. Whatever your carving needs, this treasury of Tom Wolfe’s dog patterns will be a valued tool. In his long and creative career as a woodcarver, Tom Wolfe has created literally hundreds of dog patterns. 90 of the best of these is offered here for the first time in print. Clear line drawings of a variety of dogs will give carvers all they need to produce wonderful creations. The breeds covered include everything from poodles to coon dogs, and dachshunds to terriers.

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In his long and creative career as a woodcarver, Tom Wolfe has created literally thousands of patterns. Many of them have appeared in his previous books, but many more have not. Now Tom's creative energy and talent is available in a series of books containing his previously unpublished patterns. The first of these books contains a variety of animals from dragons to mice, and pigs to raccoons. In all, 108 of Tom's animals are presented for the use of woodcarvers around the country. This will be the source of many hours of fun and productivity for the woodcarver, resulting in some charming and delightful creations.

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When Tom Wolfe published his first book on Woodspirits, Tom Wolfe Carves Woodspirits and Walking Sticks, we had no idea how popular it would become. Thousands of people saw it, bought it, and asked for more. So here it is, a new collection of Woodspirits, this time done in the traditional Bavarian way. Carved from a section of a tree, the branch forms the hat. Of course Tom brings his own inimitable style to the carving, making it lively and creative. As always he takes the carver step-by-step through the carving process. There can be no pattern, because each Woodspirit springs from a unique piece of wood. But the technique and the sequence of carving can be easily learned through the step-by-step color illustrations. A gallery of several Woodspirits will give the carver many ideas about the variety and variations they can obtain when they release the Spirits from the Wood.

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These ancient creatures from folklore have captured the modern imagination, including Tom Wolfe's. In this book he brings his creativity and skill to the task of creating a whole community of gnomes, bringing them to life from a block of wood. With each step illustrated in full color, Tom takes the carver cut-by-cut to a finished figure. The book includes a gallery and patterns for 5 other gnomes plus "gnome" accessories such as mushrooms and a cart. The gnomes are exciting projects, allowing the carver to add a little of his or her own creativity to the work. The step-by-step illustrations mean that even the beginning carver can end up with a gnome he or she will be proud of. In this book, Tom makes extensive use of the power carving tools that have found such widespread acceptance in the carving community. Tom uses them principally for finishing and detail work; carvers will find his techniques helpful.

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These four-legged friends of man have been a favorite subject for carving since the earliest years. From hunting dogs to the family pet, dogs have a special place in the hearts of people and Tom Wolfe manages to capture their personality in his own creative, witty way. Easy to follow step-by-step instruction, with color illustrations.

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Once again Tom Wolfe brings his artistry, skill, and wit to the mythic figures of bygone days: The Wild West. Taken separately, the cowboy, gambler, bartender, sheriff, and soiled dove offer interesting challenges to the carver. Together they make an enchanting scene, interacting with each other and almost magically taking on a life of their own. Fully illustrated, step-by-step instructions from the blank to the painted figure.

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Santa Claus, elves, gnomes, wizards. These fanciful characters delight and mesmerize us. All of them are magical creatures, possessing great and wondrous powers. Tom Wolfe has a bit of this magic himself. In his hands a piece of wood, carved with the simplest tools, is transformed and takes on a personality of its own. They come to life. The projects he shares in this book are perfect for the beginning carver, or the person who likes to whittle for fun and relaxation. They also give the opportunity for the more experienced carvers to be creative and expand their repertoire. Whether the carver is experienced or not, the objects in this book are just plain fun and make wonderful gifts.

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Following the tremendous success of his first book, Tom Wolfe now offers his most popular wood-carving with step-by-step instructions. Tom attributes the popularity of his Pig Pickin' carving to nostalgia. This work harkens people back to a simpler time, when the hog harvest was a community event. Everyone shared in the festivities...and the food. Tom makes the directions clear and each step is illustrated with a photograph. Because the book starts with the bandsawing of the pattern and continues through the painting, even a novice should be able to complete the project. At the same time, the seasoned carver will benefit from Tom's technique and expertise, and everyone will enjoy Tom's anecdotes about country life.

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Bottlestoppers offer a great opportunity for caricature carvers, and Tom Wolfe shows the process in his unique way. Preparing the wood block, carving, painting, and applying the hardware are covered in detail and illustrated in detail with full color photographs. The reader gets a clear idea of what needs to be done and how to do it! Tom brings his creative imagination to the project, along with well-honed skills, humor, and some new tricks that will interest carvers of all abilities. The result are bottlestoppers with character, to keep your “spirits” high and delight your guests or customers. A gallery of finished works shows a wide range of possibilities and inspires the carver’s creativity.

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Tom Wolfe's Santa Claus carvings have enchanted carvers and collectors alike with their joviality and character. By popular demand, he revisits Old Saint Nick with a carving of the "jolly old elf" walking with a cane...perhaps to get the sleigh ready for its overnight journey. With 340 color photographs the reader is taken step-by-step through the carving process. Easy-to-follow instructions review some of the basic techniques of carving caricatures before introducing some new tricks for carving and finishing the figures A large gallery offering four-sided views of a variety of Santas, is a useful guide. The exciting variety of Santas will inspire carvers to produce full figure carvings, busts, ornaments, bottle stoppers, and more. A great book for woodcarvers of all ages.

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Tom Wolfe's cane carving books have been popular with readers. in this new one, Tom starts with a sapling straight from the hillside and takes the carver through each step to create a charming cane. He begins with prepping the sapling, helps the reader think through the design of the spirit that will emerge, and explains the various carving techniques that are needed to do the work. Finally he shows the painting and finishing steps, including ways to conceal unexpected problems. Each step is clearly photographed in color, with a concise, easy-to-understand explanation of what is happening and how to do it. This is a clear and informative guide and will be valued by carvers of every skill level.

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Woodcarver Tom Wolfe has never been accused of depictng the rich and famous, at least not without his tongue in his cheek. He always sees the rough edges that make his miniature characters look human, and a little bit off-center. So it is with these angels. A little wrinkled and and a lot ugly, they are proof that God must have a sense of humor. Tom is a great teacher and takes the reader through each step of carving, finishing, and painting these angels, sharing the secrets he has learned over a rich and fruitful woodcarving career. Everything you need to know about making these angels is illustrated with a color photograph, and there are patterns to help you carve a whole band of them. This long-awaited book will be a welcomed addition to your woodcarving library.

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Of all the things that Tom Wolfe carves, none is more popular among collectors and students than his canes and walking sticks. Following the success of his fancy cane book last season, Tom is sharing some of his techniques for creating a fancy walking stick. The difference is in the size and shape of the creature. A walking stick is usually longer to provide more support for the hiker, and has a knob at the top rather than a handle. This knob provides the carver with many possibilities. In this book Tom carves a woodsman's head. He takes the reader through the process from the beginning of the carving to the attachment of the head to the shaft and the decoration of the shaft. Each step is illustrated with a color photograph and a clear explanation. The gallery give other ideas for carving the knob, and patterns are provided for several of them. A great book for new carvers and old pros.

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The cane is a simple accessory with a lot of personality. Some are sleek and elegant, others are twisted and gnarled, others are bright and silly. Canes make great carving projects for many reasons—they have endless creative potential, require only a relatively small time investment, and they are good pieces to practice on. They make terrific gifts, and are always top sellers at shows. In this book, Tom Wolfe guides the reader through the carving of a particularly clever cane, a fancy bird that doubles as a nutcracker. He explains carving, painting, and finishing the piece, as well as fitting the handle to the spindle. The step-by-step instructions are clear enough for the beginner to follow, while more advanced carvers will learn from Tom’s expert techniques. A huge, colorful gallery illustrates dozens of canes of all skill levels to give you plenty of ideas for carving your own.

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A roughout is the start of a carving that allows the carver to skip the first few steps to go right into the “good part”. They’re great for developing your creative eye, because they have a basic but distinct shape that lets your imagination take off. The rough figure might have its own shape, but no one said which side was the front, back, top, or bottom. That’s up to you to decide. Hold the roughout one way and maybe you’ve got a grizzly old rebel in the making; turn it upside down and there’s a lazy bullfrog. In his friendly, laid-back way, Tom Wolfe guides you step-by-step through the carving of an unlucky fisherman from his own roughout design. The emphasis here is on staying loose with the carving and seeing the endless possibilities you have in carving anything from the most basic shapes to the smallest details. A large full color gallery features a variety of characters all made from the same roughout. Don’t look too far ahead, because you might miss something!

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Tom Wolfe brings together two of his great loves in this new book: the love of wood carving and the love of a good cigar. While there is much ado about cigars today, Tom has been an aficionado for many years. Now he brings his carving skill to that all important piece of equipment for the serious cigar smoker, the humidor. From a caricature Texas Troubadour Humidor to a simply elegant decoy humidor, Tom opens a new range of carving for both novice and experienced carvers. The results are useful objects that catch the eye and the imagination. They will look good on the mantel, and even better on the carver’s table at the local carving show. An amply illustrated gallery and many patterns make this book a vital addition to your carving book collection.

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House spirits are magical creatures who watch over homes and families. They come in all manner of shapes and sizes. With a keen eye, house spirits can be found almost anywhere in the wood and timbers throughout the home. Tom Wolfe shows you how to coax them out of their hiding places with power tools. Five patterns are included. Tom provides step-by-step instructions with over 230 color photographs. One project is carved to completion and patterns for two other spirits are included. These projects are a great learning experience for the beginner picking up power tools for the first time. They present the more advanced carvers with plenty of opportunities to stretch their creativity. No carver will see wooden objects around the house in the same way again. These projects will challenge the beginner and will fascinate the more advanced power carver.

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For caricature carvers the greatest challenges and the greatest rewards come from carving the head and face. This is where the personality of the figure resides. The exaggerated nose, the enlarged ears, the toothy or toothless grin...they all combine to give the figure a story we can understand at a glance. In this new book, Tom Wolfe concentrates on the caricature head by carving busts. About 8 inches tall, these carvings give plenty of room for detail, and allow the carver to explore new ways of giving expression to their work. One figure is carved step-by-step, with clear color photographs illustrating each technique. They carry the reader from laying the pattern on the blank to the final painting. Also included are patterns for 15 other figures, including military, western, and Victorian characters, and a full color gallery of 23 finished busts, each shown from four angles. This is an important guide for caricature carvers, and will lead to hours of learning and pleasure.

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Tom Wolfe's genre-defining magical mystery tour through the 1960s published in Vintage Classics for the first time to mark its fiftieth anniversary.WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY JARVIS COCKERIn the summer of 1964, author Ken Kesey and his Merry Band of Pranksters set out on an awesome social experiment like no other. Blazing across America in their day-glo schoolbus, doped up and deep ‘in the pudding’, the Pranksters’ arrival on the scene – anarchic, exuberant and LSD-infused – would turn on an entire counter-culture, and provide Tom Wolfe with the perfect free-wheeling subject for this, his pioneering masterpiece of New Journalism.'The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test is not simply the best book on the hippies, it is the essential book...the pushing, ballooning heart of the matter' New York Times

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Here are speeches, essays, and articles from them man who turned Boston University into a major educational institution. John Silber speaks as an educator, parent, philosophical leader, and political observer and participant (Ahead in the polls, he probably would have been elected Governor of Massachusetts had he not run afoul of a beloved media personality. The famous incident is recounted in high style in Tom Wolfe’s foreword).He tackles issues including education at all levels, culture and the media, democracy and international affairs. Delivered from 1971 to 2012, the speeches offer his incisive reflections on the Vietnam War, Watergate, student activism of the seventies, the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, developments in science and technology, the increasing power of the media, global corporations, and many other issues. His style is lively, crisp, and pointed, spiked with his acerbic wit and guided by an ongoing search for wisdom.Mr. Silber was a model of probity and integrity in both his private and his public life, an intellectual pessimist and a congenital optimist. Even as he transformed Boston University from a sleepy and fast-declining “streetcar college,” he spoke out on topical issues and principles on which our human fulfillment and national identity depended. Inspiring many and infuriating some, his was a life that mattered and his voice was one worth listening to.

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Founded in New York City in 1870, The Lotos Club is one of the oldest literary and arts clubs in the United States. Lotos became known for its tradition of honouring outstanding men and women from all walks of life with testimonial 'State Dinners', especially after it began to commemorate these occasions with unique souvenir menus designed by artists and illustrators of the day. Art at the Table is a lavishly illustrated retrospective of the Club's 150-year-old-tradition, featuring the art of the menus and the stories behind them. American culture and history are chronicled in these fetes, from Gilbert and Sullivan and Mark Twain to aviator Amelia Earhart and author Tom Wolfe.

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