IRVINE, Calif. -- Plaza Bank, a business bank based in
Irvine, California, today announced that it has entered into a definitive
agreement with the Carpenter Community BancFund whereby the Fund will invest
$15 million in new capital in the Bank, subject to and upon receipt of all
required regulatory approvals from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC),
the California Department of Financial Institutions (DFI), and the Federal
Reserve.
Directors of the Bank unanimously approved the
agreement and the Fund's proposed capital investment. In return for its $15
million investment, the Fund will acquire 3 million newly issued shares of
Plaza Bank common stock and 1.5 million warrants to acquire shares of Bank
common stock. The agreement calls for the Fund to provide an immediate infusion
of capital to the Bank in the amount sufficient to establish a 4.9% stake. The
balance of the $15 million investment will be completed following required
approvals from regulatory agencies, and is anticipated to close prior to the
end of the year.
The Fund's investment in the Bank will coincide with a
companion offering to existing shareholders on the same economic terms and
conditions as the Fund. Shareholders will be offered the opportunity to
purchase units consisting of (i) two shares of common stock and (ii) one
warrant to acquire a share of common stock, all at a price of $10 per unit.
The Bank and the Fund both contemplate that the new
capital investment will position the Bank for growth and expansion in line with
its existing business plan. "Everyone at Plaza Bank has done an excellent
job in building solid core deposit, loan and customer relationships," said
Robert Feldhake, Chairman of the Board of the Bank. "This additional
investment is a great compliment to existing management, every member of staff
and an active working Board, as well as to our existing customers and
shareholders who have supported us throughout the start up period. Now, with
additional capital, we can greatly expand upon what has already been accomplished."
According to Feldhake, the investment by the Fund will
allow the Bank to better serve the needs of existing and future customers, and
to pursue market opportunities for the ultimate benefit of all shareholders and
customers.
Following and subject to all required regulatory
approvals and the closing of the investment, Mr. Gene Galloway will be
appointed to serve as the new chief executive officer of the Bank, and Mr.
Robert Forsythe will become its new president. Mr. Galloway is a career California
banker, with a long professional history in regional banking at California
Federal Bank, Crocker National Bank, and Sanwa Bank California. He completed
his tenure at Sanwa as Corporate Executive Vice President and Chief of the
Retail and Community Banking Group, with responsibility for over $3.5 billion
in banking assets and liabilities in 118 branch banking offices. Mr. Forsythe
most recently served as Chief Operating Officer of the Small Business Finance
Unit of Lehman Brothers Bank, where he oversaw a staff of 400 employees that
originated and serviced over $5 billion in credits to small businesses.
Current CEO and President Donald L. Solsby, who was
instrumental in founding the bank three years ago and in establishing its
presence in the Orange County marketplace, will be stepping aside at the close
of the investment. He fully endorses the recapitalization and business
development efforts of the Bank's Board, and is excited as to the benefits of
this agreement for all customers, shareholders and Bank personnel.
"Through a most difficult economy, we built a
bank that has an incredible client base, quality customers, a great staff and
has continued to grow while many banks have shrunk in assets or faced problems
with their loans," Solsby said. "As an organizer and founder, I am
amazed at what we were able to accomplish so far, and look forward to the
partnership with the Fund and to the special place Plaza Bank will hold in the
Southern California banking community."
This news release contains forward-looking statements
with respect to the financial condition, results of operation and business of
Plaza Bank. These include, but are not limited to, statements that relate to or
are dependent on estimates or assumptions relating to the prospects of loan
growth, credit quality and certain operating efficiencies resulting from the
operations of the Bank. These forward-looking statements involve certain risks
and uncertainties. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially
from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements include, among
others, the following possibilities: (1) competitive pressure among financial
services companies increases significantly; (2) changes in the interest rate
environment reduce interest margins; (3) general economic conditions,
internationally, nationally or in the State of California are less favorable
than expected; and (4) legislation or regulatory requirements or changes
adversely affect the business in which the Bank will be engaged.
IRVINE, Calif. -- The Carpenter Community BancFund
announced today that it had entered into a definitive agreement with
Irvine-based Plaza Bank, pursuant to which the Fund will invest $15 million in
capital into the Bank in return for newly-issued common stock and warrants. The
investment and the agreement are subject to the receipt of all appropriate
regulatory approvals.
Upon completion of the investment, the Fund will
acquire a majority interest in the common stock of the Bank, as well as three
seats on its board of directors. The agreement states that the Fund's
investment is contingent on implementation of growth initiatives for the Bank's
existing product and service lines, and includes the appointment of both of a
new chief executive officer and a new president for the Bank, subject to
receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals.
Following and subject to all required regulatory
approvals and the closing of the transaction, Mr. Gene Galloway will be
appointed to serve as the new chief executive officer of the Bank, and Mr.
Robert Forsythe will become its new president.
Mr. Galloway is a career California banker, with a
long professional history in regional banking at such institutions as
California Federal Bank, Crocker National Bank, and Sanwa Bank California. He
completed his tenure at Sanwa as Corporate Executive Vice President and Chief
of the Retail and Community Banking Group, with responsibility for over $3.5
billion in banking assets and liabilities in 118 branch banking offices.
Mr. Forsythe most recently served as Chief Operating
Officer of the Small Business Finance Unit of Lehman Brothers Bank, where he
oversaw a staff of 400 employees who originated and serviced over $5 billion in
credits to small businesses.
The agreement was unanimously approved by the Bank's
board of directors and the Fund's investment committee. Both the Fund and the
Bank intend that the investment will be made with a view toward safe and sound
revenue growth and resultant increased shareholder value from implementation of
the Bank's existing business banking plan.
"Irvine is our home city, and we are delighted to
make a significant investment in an Orange County-based commercial bank,"
said Edward Carpenter, chairman of the Fund's general partner. "We have
high hopes for this strong business banking team in meeting the needs of
clients in today's changing banking environment."
"Plaza Bank offers opportunities for revenue production
by expanding its products and services aimed specifically to the small business
community," said Howard Gould, vice chairman of the general partner of the
Fund.
"For the most part, the Bank's operating
infrastructure is already in place," Mr. Gould noted. "An infusion of
capital will help the bank grow its customer base. We hope that our firm's
lengthy record of success in advising community banks will allow us to act as a
resource for its senior leadership team."
Completion of the investment is anticipated prior to
the end of the year, subject to all necessary regulatory and other approvals.
This news release contains forward-looking statements
with respect to the financial condition, results of operation and business of
Plaza Bank. These include, but are not limited to, statements that relate to or
are dependent on estimates or assumptions relating to the prospects of loan
growth, credit quality and certain operating efficiencies resulting from the
operations of the Bank. These forward-looking statements involve certain risks
and uncertainties. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially
from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements include, among
others, the following possibilities: (1) competitive pressure among financial
services companies increases significantly; (2) changes in the interest rate
environment reduce interest margins; (3) general economic conditions,
internationally, nationally or in the State of California are less favorable
than expected; and (4) legislation or regulatory requirements or changes
adversely affect the business in which the Bank will be engaged.
P.G. publisher comes out with a healthy travel guide.
With a father who believed the grass was always
greener, Pacific Grove author-publisher Patricia Hamilton was carted around the
country as a kid, moving eight times between the third and the sixth grade.
Somewhere amid the hustle and bustle, she realized wherever she went, people
were drawn to her because she hailed from California. But little did she know
that the Golden State wasn't just an ice-breaker-it would ultimately further
her career.
"California gave me an identity; it gave me
life," she says.
Before the "green" movement began, before
Whole Foods charged $14 a pound for salmon, and before vegetarianism became
common, Hamilton was living the healthy food lifestyle.
"I spent a lot of my youth on a farm: for my
family, whole foods were the only way to go," she says. "But when I
started traveling, I found it was near impossible to eat healthy and stay
active without a big hassle. L wanted to find options and then get the word
out."
Her book, California Healthy (Southern California
edition), was crafted as a result. After she debuted the book through her own
locally headquartered Park Place Publications, Hamilton managed to negotiate a
contract with Hollywood's Renaissance Hotel to have it placed in every single
room, an impressive venture considering she did it with no other agents.
The book, a polished work one might expect from a
company that has helped 50 authors publish their prose, draws contributions
from former Stanford University Executive Chef Bruce Biron and exercise
physiologist Janel Willette - and ultimately succeeds at the goal Hamilton lays
out in the introduction: It "highlights the extraordinary natural
offerings of Southern California, from the charming organic farms and wines of
San Luis Obispo County to the outstanding health food cafГ©s
and restaurants of San Diego County."
For more on Park Place Productions, visit
www.parkplace-publications.com.
Ephraim, Qres
Anderson, Garret Joseph
Baseball player. Personal: Born Jun 30, 1972,
Los Angeles, CA; married Teresa Arciniega, Feb 20, 1993; children: Brianne,
Bailey. Career: California Angels, 1994-96; Anaheim Angels, outfielder,
1997-04; Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, 2005-07. Orgs: Boy Scouts Am
recruiting campaign & Responsible Fatherhood Campaign; Calif Dept Social
Serv; LA City Championship baseball team, 1989. Honors/Awds: All-LA City
& All-League prep honors, 1989-90; Am League Rookie Player of the Year, The
Sporting News, 1995; Topps Rookie All-Star Team, 1995; Most Valuable Player,
MLB All-Star Game, 2003. *
Marx, Steven 1942–
PERSONAL:
Born July 13, 1942, in New York, NY; married Jan
Howell, April 2, 1967; children: Joe, Claire-Elise Grace. Education:
Columbia University, B.A., 1963; Stanford University, Ph.D., 1981. Hobbies
and other interests: Hiking, camping, kayaking, photography, blogging,
gardening, environmental activism.
ADDRESSES:
Home—San Luis Obispo, CA. Office—Department of English,
California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo, CA. E-mail—smarx@calpoly.edu.
CAREER:
California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo,
professor of English, 1988—. Active in local environmental politics.
MEMBER:
Modern Language Association of America, Shakespeare
Association of America, Renaissance Society of America, Association for the
Study of Literature and the Environment, Sierra Club (member of executive
committee, Santa Lucia chapter).
WRITINGS:
Youth against Age: Generational Strife in Renaissance
Poetry, Peter Lang (New York, NY), 1985.
Shakespeare and the Bible,
Oxford University Press (New York, NY), 2000.
(Editor) Cal Poly Land: A Field Guide,
California Polytechnic University (San Luis Obispo, CA), 2003.
Contributor to books, including Mapping American
Culture, University of Iowa Press (Iowa City, IA), 1992; The Canon and
the Core, University of North Texas Press, 1993; and Shakespearean
Criticism, Gale (Detroit, MI), 1996. Contributor of articles and reviews to
periodicals, including Journal of the American Academy of Religion,
Renaissance Forum, Studies in English Literature, 1500-1800, and Black
American Literature Forum. Author of Web log, Steven Marx.
BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:
ONLINE
Steven Marx Home Pages,http://www.cla.calpoly.edu/~smarx (July 25, 2008).
Hytrek, Gary 1963(?)- (Gary J. Hytrek)
PERSONAL:
Born c. 1963. Education: California State
University at Bakersfield, B.A., 1985; University of California at Los Angeles,
M.A. (Latin American studies), 1988, M.A. (sociology), 1990, Ph.D., 1996.
ADDRESSES:
Office—Sociology Department, California State University, Long Beach, 1250
Bellflower Blvd., Long Beach, CA 90840. E-mail—ghytrek@csulb.edu.
CAREER:
California State University at Long Beach, Long Beach,
CA, sociology department, associate professor, 2002—.
WRITINGS:
(With Kristine M. Zentgraf) America Transformed:
Globalization, Inequality, and Power, Oxford University Press (New York,
NY), 2008.
Contributor to the Journal of Third World Studies.
SIDELIGHTS:
Gary Hytrek attended California State University at
Bakersfield, where he earned his undergraduate degree in political science.
From there he continued on to the University of California at Los Angeles,
where he obtained a master's degree in Latin American studies, followed by a
second master's degree in sociology, and ultimately a doctorate in sociology as
well. In 2002, Hytrek joined the faculty at California State University at Long
Beach, where he serves as an associate professor in sociology. His primary
academic and research interests focus on the sociology of globalization,
including the restructuring and community development tied to overall
globalization, the effects of globalization on democracy, and social change in
Latin America. In addition to his academic duties, Hytrek has written about
various issues in Latin America, with a particular focus on developing nations,
contributing to such academic publications as the Journal of Third World
Studies. He is also the author of America Transformed: Globalization,
Inequality, and Power, which he wrote with Kristine M. Zentgraf.
In an essay for the Journal of Third World Studies,
Hytrek analyzes the relationship between labor and social development in both
Chile and Costa Rica. A reviewer for the Poverty Net Web site addressed
Hytrek's opinion regarding the idea that faster economic growth in a nation
leads to increased social development, and that the growth itself is spurred on
by the availability of a competitive marketplace and a hands-off government
that allows the process to foster itself naturally. This concept is based
primarily in a neoclassical theory of economics, and Hytrek points out that in
certain instances, such as in Chile and Costa Rica, the free market itself
causes social issues within the country and that privatization of particular
aspects of the economy can also help encourage social development.
In America Transformed, Hytrek, along with
Zentgraf, examines the ways in which globalization has affected the world
socially, economically, and politically, and the new issues that arise as a
result of this global marketplace and the shrinking of the world as a whole.
The book questions whether globalization is the best course or the only option,
and how the different inequalities present in various nations may be improved
or deepened through the globalization process. A listing for the book on the
Oxford University Press Web site remarked that the book "provides powerful
insights into the contested dialectical relationship between global and local
forces."
BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:
PERIODICALS
Choice: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries, October 1, 2007, R.S. Rycroft, review of America Transformed:
Globalization, Inequality, and Power, p. 323.
ONLINE
California State University at Long Beach Web site,http://www.csulb.edu/
(July 9, 2008), faculty profile.
Oxford University Press Web site,http://www.oup.com/
(July 9, 2008), book listing for America Transformed.
Poverty Net,http://poverty2.forumone.com/ (January 1, 1995), review of Hytrek's essay "Labor and Social
Development: Costa Rica and Chile."
Sutherland, John 1938–
(J.A. Sutherland, John A. Sutherland)
PERSONAL:
Born 1938. Education: Holds a B.A. and Ph.D.
ADDRESSES:
Home—London, England. Office—Department of English Language and Literature, University College
London, Gower St., London WC1E 6BT, England.
CAREER:
California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA,
faculty member, 1984-92, visiting professor; University College London, London,
England, became Lord Northcliffe Professor of Modern English Literature,
currently professor emeritus.
WRITINGS:
(Editor, with Michael Greenfield, and author of
introduction) William Makepeace Thackeray, The History of Henry Esmond,
Penguin Books (Baltimore, MD), 1970.
(Editor) Anthony Trollope, Phineas Finn: The Irish
Member, Penguin Books (Harmondsworth, England), 1972.
(As J.A. Sutherland) Thackeray at Work, Athlone
Press (London, England), 1974.
(As J.A. Sutherland) Victorian Novelists and
Publishers, University of Chicago Press (Chicago, IL), 1976.
(Editor) William Makepeace Thackeray, The Book of
Snobs, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1978.
(As J.A. Sutherland) Fiction and the Fiction
Industry, Athlone Press (London, England), 1978.
Bestsellers: Popular Fiction of the 1970s, Routledge, Kegan Paul (Boston, MA), 1981.
Offensive Literature,
Barnes & Noble (Totowa, NJ), 1983.
The Longman Companion to Victorian Fiction, Longman (Burnt Mill, Harlow, Essex, England), 1988, published as The
Stanford Companion to Victorian Fiction, Stanford University Press
(Stanford, CA), 1989.
Mrs. Humphrey Ward: Eminent Victorian, Pre-eminent
Edwardian, Oxford University Press (New York, NY, 1990.
(Editor and author of introduction) Anthony Trollope, Rachel
Ray, Penguin Books (New York, NY), 1995.
Victorian Fiction: Writers, Publishers, Readers, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1995.
The Life of Walter Scott: A Critical Biography, Blackwell (Cambridge, MA), 1995.
(Editor) The Oxford Book of English Love Stories,
Oxford University Press (New York, NY), 1996.
Is Heathcliff a Murderer? Great Puzzles in
Nineteenth-Century Literature, Oxford University
Press (New York, NY), 1996.
Can Jane Eyre Be Happy? More Puzzles in Classic
Fiction, Oxford University Press (New York, NY), 1997.
Where Was Rebecca Shot? Curiosities, Puzzles, and
Conundrums in Modern Fiction, Weidenfeld &
Nicolson (London, England), 1998.
Who Betrays Elizabeth Bennet? Further Puzzles in
Classic Fiction, Oxford University Press (New York, NY), 1999.
The Literary Detective: 100 Puzzles in Classic
Fiction, illustrated by Martin Rowson, Oxford University Press
(New York, NY), 2000.
(With Cedric Watts) Henry V, War Criminal? And
Other Shakespeare Puzzles, introduction by Stephen Orgel, Oxford University
Press (New York, NY), 2000.
(Selector) Literary Lives, Oxford University
Press (New York, NY), 2001.
Reading the Decades: Fifty Years of the Nation's
Bestselling Books, BBC (London, England), 2002.
Eminent Victorians,
Oxford University Press (New York, NY), 2003.
Stephen Spender: The Authorized Biography, Oxford University Press (New York, NY), 2005.
(With Deirdre Le Faye) So You Think You Know Jane
Austen? A Literary Quizbook, Oxford University Press (New York, NY), 2005.
Inside Bleak House,
Duckworth (London, England), 2005.
How to Read a Novel: A User's Guide, Profile (London, England), 2006.
Bestsellers: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford University Press (New York, NY), 2007.
The Boy Who Loved Books: A Memoir, John Murray (London, England), 2007.
Author of a weekly column for the Guardian;
contributor to works by others.
EDITOR; "WORLD'S CLASSICS" SERIES
Anthony Trollope, The Way We Live Now, Oxford
University Press (New York, NY), 1982.
(And author of introduction) William Makepeace
Thackeray, Vanity Fair: A Novel without a Hero, Oxford University Press
(New York, NY), 1983, reprinted, 1998.
(And author of introduction) Anthony Trollope, He
Knew He Was Right, Oxford University Press (New York, NY), 1985, Penguin
Books (New York, NY), 1994.
(And author of introduction) Anthony Trollope, Is
He Popenjoy?, Oxford University Press (New York, NY), 1986.
(And author of introduction) Jack London, John
Barleycorn: Alcoholic Memoirs, Oxford University Press (New York, NY),
1989.
(And author of introduction) Anthony Trollope, Ralph
the Heir, Oxford University Press (New York, NY), 1990.
(And author of introduction) Anthony Trollope, An
Old Man's Love, Oxford University Press (New York, NY), 1991.
(And author of introduction) Anthony Trollope, An
Eye for an Eye, Oxford University Press (New York, NY), 1992.
(And author of introduction) Anthony Trollope, Early
Short Stories, Oxford University Press (New York, NY), 1994.
(And author of introduction) Anthony Trollope, Later
Short Stories, Oxford University Press (New York, NY), 1995.
(And author of introduction) Wilkie Collins, The
Woman in White, Oxford University Press (New York, NY), 1996.
(And author of introduction and notes) Anthony
Trollope, Barchester Towers, edited by Michael Sadleir and Frederick
Page, illustrated by Edward Ardizzone, Oxford University Press (New York, NY),
1996.
(And author of introduction) William Makepeace
Thackeray, The History of Pendennis: His Fortunes and Misfortunes, His
Friends and His Greatest Enemy, Oxford University Press (New York, NY),
1999.
(And author of introduction) Wilkie Collins, The
Moonstone, Oxford University Press (New York, NY), 1999.
(And author of notes) Jack London, The Sea-Wolf,
Oxford University Press (New York, NY), 2000.
SIDELIGHTS:
John Sutherland, a professor of modern English
literature whose interests include Victorian fiction, twentieth-century
literature, and the history of publishing, is the author or editor of many
volumes in these areas. In reviewing his Victorian Fiction: Writers,
Publishers, Readers for Studies in the Novel, Robert L. Patten wrote
that Sutherland "has, by dint of an extraordinary range of intelligent and
well-written publications, established his credentials as the foremost
authority on the nineteenth-century fiction industry," and "is one of
the few critics writing now whose prose encourages reading literary history for
leisure." In essays written over two decades, Sutherland advocates for a
reading of nineteenth-century writers, stating that "the more we know
about the local conditions of Victorian fiction, the better we shall understand
it." Bradley Deane wrote in Victorian Studies that Sutherland's
"interest in these local conditions will be unsurprising: his work has
always forcibly reminded us that novel writing is a form of labor, that
publishing is a business, and that the shape of Victorian literature has been
indelibly stamped by these material facts. Sutherland dislodges the canonical
novelists from their pedestals to show them rubbing shoulders, as they did in
life, with hacks and advertisers, politicians and publishers."
Victorian Fiction
also studies changes in publishing, law, and celebrated trials. Deane felt the
most "striking" essay to be the last, titled "The Victorian
Novelists: Who Were They?" Here Sutherland provides an analysis of 878
novelists, using such factors as age, gender, background, and productivity,
demonstrating that seven percent of this group was responsible for one third of
the more than 15,000 novels studied. The results show Anthony Trollope, several
of whose works Sutherland has edited for Oxford University Press's
"World's Classics" series, to be notable in his output. Unmarried female
writers are the single most prolific category, probably because there was
little other work available for women of their intelligence and ability. Deane
concluded by saying that, "with his usual grace and wit, Sutherland here
offers another tour of the hectic world of urgent deadlines, clandestine
negotiations, and shifting alliances that made Victorian novels
Victorian."
The Life of Walter Scott: A Critical Biography relies on primary sources, which are substantial. Included is an
extensive overview of Scott's literary output, as well as the details of his
private life, including his love life and tendencies toward alcohol abuse, the
part politics played in his career, and a close look at collaborators whose
contributions elevated Scott's reputation. Review of English Studies
contributor Peter Garside felt that the book is likely to evoke two sets of
reactions, one from Scott scholars who may find it hostile, and the other from
readers who, not as familiar with Scott, will cause the novelist "to be
written off all too lightly as yet another dead male writer with an inflated
reputation…. Certainly Sutherland's вЂ˜darker’ Scott needs to be interrogated carefully, and with a view always to
the possibility of other factors; but, at its best, this is a stimulating and
provocative account, with the potential to shake complacencies in more than one
quarter."
In addition to editing works for Oxford's
"World's Classics," Sutherland has written a number of books that
examine novels in which there is an unanswered question. These include Is
Heathcliff a Murderer? Great Puzzles in Nineteenth-Century Literature, in
which the question of the title refers to Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights
and whether Hindley Earnshaw drank himself to death or was helped along by troubled
Heathcliff. Sutherland plays with the possibilities, suggested by lapses in
information in three dozen novels by Charles Dickens, William Shakespeare, and
Jane Austen, among others. Sutherland notes, for example, that Robert Louis
Stevenson never describes the face of his monster, Mr. Hyde, leaving that to
his reader. An Economist reviewer noted that "the ambiguous ending
of Charlotte Bronte's Villette, in which the heroine's fiance may or may
not drown, was a means of avoiding the happy ending that readers—including Miss Bronte's father—were demanding." The reviewer
concluded by saying that while "this may not be the sort of criticism that
reveals new depths to genius," Sutherland's book sparks "a
stimulating discussion that risks giving pedantry a good name."
Another of Sutherland's "puzzle" books is Henry
V, War Criminal? And Other Shakespeare Puzzles, in which he joins
Shakespeare scholars Cedric Watts and Stephen Orgel. This book is more academic
than its predecessors, because the text must be studied closely to uncover the
inconsistencies and loose ends in Shakespeare's work. Joan Bridgman wrote in Contemporary
Review that "this is a most refreshing and irreverent look at the bard
yet without diminishing the power of his work. It is lively, racy and
provocative, but with scholarly comment closely textually linked in such a way
as to drive one back to reading the plays…. It does for critical commentary what the film Shakespeare in Love
did for the bard, it makes him fun."
In writing Stephen Spender: The Authorized
Biography, Sutherland had the benefit of Spender's papers, provided by Lady
Spender, and drew on the noted poet's own 1951 memoir, World within World.
Spender, like Sutherland, was Oxford educated, and he counted among his friends
W.H. Auden and Christopher Isherwood. Born in 1909, he came to prominence
during the 1930s with his politically charged poetry, notably Poems, as
well as his fiction and nonfiction, and continued to publish until 1985. Early
in his life, he was bisexual, but he was happily married to his second wife,
pianist Natasha Livin. He favored and then discarded communism following World
War II and was a coeditor of Encounter, a magazine funded by the Central
Intelligence Agency through the Congress for Cultural Freedom as a vehicle for
promoting American views. (Spender resigned in 1967 when he learned the truth
about the publication's backing.) Sutherland shows Spender to be a devoted
family man and loyal friend. A Kirkus Reviews contributor wrote that Stephen
Spender "pays fitting tribute to a man who was as admirable as he was
gifted," and Library Journal critic Ben Bruton called it the
"most thorough biography of Spender's life to date."
In How to Read a Novel: A User's Guide,
Sutherland "gives you everything you need to know to become a successful
and happy novel reader," wrote Gene Shaw in the Library Journal.
Sutherland not only suggests what to read when considering the classics, as
well as contemporary authors, he suggests that the reader not be swayed by
inaccurate reviews and misleading covers, or fall into the trap of believing he
should only be reading the best sellers. He studies the history of publishing,
explains the differences between genres, examines fiction and nonfiction, and
advises on how to gain the most from what is read. Booklist contributor
Bryce Christensen concluded his review by calling the guide "a key for
unlocking an entire library." In reviewing How to Read a Novel in
the Weekly Standard, Diane Scharper noted: "Whenever the subject
matter threatens to become heavy, Sutherland adds an anecdote or puts forth a
pun. He doesn't tell any explicitly dirty jokes, but he often illustrates his
points with some laugh-out-loud sexual innuendo…. But as pleasant as
it is to read, this book has a serious message: The more intelligently you
read, the richer your experience will be. And while you don't have to
understand all the historical and internal underpinnings of a book, knowing
those things can't hurt."
Guardian reviewer Ian Sansom
noted that in spite of its title, in The Boy Who Loved Books: A Memoir,
"Sutherland writes hardly at all about books, and whenever he does he
leaves the reader yearning for him to return to what he writes about best, which
is people and places and stuff. This is not a book about the growth of a mind;
it is, properly, a book about the growth of a boy, at a particular time, and in
a particular way: from grammar school through national service, to university,
into alcoholism and finally, thank goodness, serenity and success."
Sutherland writes of his father, who died in South Africa while serving with
the Royal Air Force when Sutherland was a small child, and of his mostly absent
mother. Sutherland writes that "familylessness works," and in his
case it may have been the driving force that led to his own objectivity in
approaching his writing and achieving success in a field that he loves. New
Statesman reviewer Anita Sethi commented that "it is Sutherland's
detached approach to his material that makes him so engaging."
BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:
BOOKS
Sutherland, John, The Boy Who Loved Books: A
Memoir, John Murray (London, England), 2007.
PERIODICALS
Booklist, January 1, 2005,
Bryce Christensen, review of Stephen Spender: The Authorized Biography,
p. 802; March 1, 2007, Bryce Christensen, review of How to Read a Novel: A
User's Guide, p. 54.
Contemporary Review,
November, 1995, Eric Glasgow, review of Victorian Fiction: Writers,
Publishers, Readers, p. 277; March, 2001, Joan Bridgman, review of Henry
V, War Criminal? And Other Shakespeare Puzzles, p. 182; January, 2005, Joan
Bridgman, review of Stephen Spender, p. 51.
Criticism,
winter, 1996, Ina Ferris, review of The Life of Walter Scott: A Critical
Biography, p. 158.
Economist,
October 19, 1996, review of Is Heathcliff a Murderer? Great Puzzles in
Nineteenth-Century Literature, p. S15.
Guardian (London, England),
June 16, 2007, Ian Sansom, review of The Boy Who Loved Books: A Memoir.
Kirkus Reviews,
December 15, 2004, review of Stephen Spender, p. 1193.
Library Journal,
January 1, 2005, Ben Bruton, review of Stephen Spender, p. 112; October
1, 2006, Gene Shaw, review of How to Read a Novel, p. 72.
New Statesman,
July 5, 1996, D.J. Taylor, review of Is Heathcliff a Murderer?, p. 47;
August 14, 2006, Alexander Larman, review of How to Read a Novel, p. 53;
August 6, 2007, Anita Sethi, review of The Boy Who Loved Books, p. 51.
Notes and Queries,
June, 1996, Fiona Robertson, review of The Life of Walter Scott, p. 230.
Review of English Studies,
May, 1997, Peter Garside, review of The Life of Walter Scott, p. 267.
Studies in the Novel,
spring, 1997, Robert L. Patten, review of Victorian Fiction, p. 136.
Victorian Studies,
winter, 1997, Bradley Deane, review of Victorian Fiction, p. 326.
Weekly Standard,
February 19, 2007, Diane Scharper, review of How to Read a Novel.
ONLINE
University College of London Web site,http://www.ucl.ac.uk/
(January 20, 2008), profile.
