Dreams of a Great Small Nation

Today we’d like to announce a very special talk of by fellow SVU* member, Kevin J. McNamara about his book, Dreams of a Great Small Nation. This book is a wonderful narrative about a part of history that could have been lost to the Western world, had not McNamara painstakingly collected documents, had them translated, and pieced...

Books, ENTERTAINMENT

October 17, 2016

Nobody’s Son by Mark Slouka

We interrupt our regular programming to alert all of our Czech and Slovak friends in the New York area to try to attend Mark Slouka’s book launch for Nobody’s Son at the Powerhouse Arena on Thursday, Oct 20, 2016. Mark Slouka is a fellow member of Czechoslovak Society of Arts & Sciences (SVU)* and we’re pleased to...

Books, ENTERTAINMENT

the-new-vision-for-the-new-architecture-czechoslovakia-1918-to-1938

October 1, 2016

The New Vision for the New Architecture Czechoslovakia 1918-1938

Browsing at an old bookstore, we came across a treasure! The New Vision for the New Architecture Czechoslovakia 1918-1938 by Jaroslav Andel, published by Scalo Verlag AG, Zurich 2006. What a beautiful and fantastic huge volume featuring the Modernist and avant-garde architecture from Czechoslovakia from 1918 to 1938. This hardcover edition of The New Vision for...

Architecture, Books, CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT

January 19, 2016

Dear Exile by Hilary Liftin and Kate Montgomery

Dear Exile by Hilary Liftin and Kate Montgomery is, as it states on the cover, a true story of two friends separated (for a year) by an ocean. This book is a fast and easy read, one perfect for a long train ride, or a relaxing day by the pool. The book is made up of real letters...

Books, ENTERTAINMENT

November 19, 2015

Reading Can Make You Live Longer

Scientific experiments have shown that reading can not only make you smarter, it can also make you live longer. Reading anything, from fiction to literature, can stimulate your brain sells and make your mind stay young longer. Reading can also make you a happier person and reduce stress altogether. I’m sure that everyone reading this...

Books, ENTERTAINMENT

October 23, 2015

Vintage Czech Cookbook Illustrations

The following vintage Czech cookbook illustrations are from my cookbook, Česká Kuchařka from 1969. Yes, it has been in our family all those years. It was my grandmothers, then my mothers, mine and soon my daughters. It’s filled with over 500 delicious Czech recipes which make for some amazing dinners to please our friends and impress...

Books, ENTERTAINMENT

October 5, 2015

Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell

Homage to Catalonia is an account of the Spanish Civil War written by George Orwell. It follows his experiences fighting with the Party of Marxist Unity (POUM) Militia in Spain from the years 1936 to 1937. Written several months after George Orwell left Spain, Homage to Catalonia is a great account of the Spanish Civil War. Lionel...

Books, CULTURE

September 18, 2015

Illuminations by Arthur Rimbaud

Illuminations is a collection of poems written by Arthur Rimbaud between the years 1873 and 1875. The majority of the poems which compose this collection were written during Rimbaud’s stay in the United Kingdom. It is a compelling read filled with vivid imagination and profound clarity. The translator, John Ashberry, writes in the preface, “What are...

Books, ENTERTAINMENT

September 16, 2015

Go-To Coffee Table Book

This New York Times Bestseller is filled with loads of inspiring people and stories, not to mention all things modeling. Written by TV personality and former model Nigel Barker, it was published on February 10th of 2015. This one of a kind book is an instant classic. The 256 page book features 50 models, from...

Books, ENTERTAINMENT

September 11, 2015

The Undiscovered Chekhov: Forty Three New Stories

The Undiscovered Chekhov is a collection of forty three stories written by Anton Chekhov during the most prolific years of his life. Written between the years 1880 and 1887, the stories featured in this book have a refreshing youthfulness to them which differentiates them from Chekhov’s later works. The short stories in this collection are brimming...

Books, ENTERTAINMENT

September 3, 2015

The Good Soldier Švejk

What is the most translated novel of Czech literature? The epitome of Czech thinking? The cornerstone of Bohemian literary works? The answer is The Good Soldier Švejk (pronounced: shvayke) an unfinished satirical comedy novel by author Jaroslav Hašek. The original full Czech title of the work is Osudy dobrého vojáka Švejka za světové války, which literally translates...

Books, ENTERTAINMENT

September 1, 2015

It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want To Be

Paul Arden and Roger Kennedy teamed up to write this 127 paged motivational book titled It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want To Be. Published by Phaidon, this is a beautiful edition with indented gold and silver text on the cover, and plenty of amusing graphics and illustrations throughout the book. Using...

Books, ENTERTAINMENT

August 13, 2015

Jack Kerouac’s Final Years in St. Petersburg, Florida

You may say that you can’t judge a book by its cover but we know for a fact that you can’t tell an author’s interior life by his home. Jack Kerouac spent his final years in St. Petersburg, Florida in a simple home in a quiet neighborhood. That’s right. The Beat Generation high priest, free-spirited novelist...

Books, ENTERTAINMENT

August 5, 2015

Jim Morrison’s Paris Journal

Before he died in Paris in July of 1971, Jim spent much time writing in a journal. This writing has come to be known as Jim Morrison’s Paris Journal. It is a notebook that some refer to as a manuscript which went on to be published in full as a part of The American Night:...

Books, CULTURE

July 15, 2015

The Cowboy and the Senorita

The Cowboy and the Senorita book arrived and I jumped in right away. My father loved Roy Rogers and Dale Evans and as a child, their shows or music was always playing somewhere in the background. They represented America and an imagined west that can only exist in the mind of immigrants who visualized the American...

Books, ENTERTAINMENT

American-Lady-Caroline-de-Margerie-Book-Review-Tres-Bohemes

June 15, 2015

American Lady by Caroline de Margerie

American Lady is a fascinating book about Susan Mary Alsop, a very active and interesting figure, who entertained notorious figures such as Winston Churchill, John F. Kennedy, and Christian Dior. More than a biography, this book also paints a clear picture of life in post war Paris and Georgetown. Though at times a bit tedious,...

Books, CULTURE