Bohemian Manifesto: A Field Guide to Living on the Edge

by Laren Stover and Paul Gregory Himmelein

Book Overview

A lively and witty overview of the Bohemian lifestyle glorifies the creativity, originality, and spirit exemplified by free-thinking and free-living intellectuals, artists, poets, musicians, and writers, categorizing the diverse ingredients of the Bohemian life, including the contents of a Bohemian's closet, bathroom, and bookshelf.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0821228900
• ISBN13: 9780821228906
• Release Date: November 2004
• Publisher: Bulfinch Press
• Length: 271 Pages
• Weight: 1.44 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.3" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

An Art- Rich Lifestyle

I have for a long time considered myself a Bohemian. This book summarized every aspect of the lifestyle beautifully. Yes, there are some cliché's among its pages, and the book is written with a touch of humor, but I find that it doesn't mar the beauty or quality of Ms. Stover's book. It is filled with references to famous Bohemians in history, and lists dozens of unique books, movies, and music that are essential to the culture. The word 'Bohemian' has been commercialized over the years, and mutilated into such phrases as `boho-chic' and whatever else fashion magazines want to advertise, or 20 something's want to buy into. Bohemia was a culture that was the opposite of trends, conformity, or mainstream culture. It was sometimes blissful, sometimes agonizing, but always rich with art and a unique beauty that lingered long after it passed. I believe it's still possible to live a life dedicated to the lifestyle and culture, and this book is a little relic to lend you a helping hand and show you how it's possible.

Learn to love art and life here

Terrific! If this book had come out when I was 18 (drinking green chartreuse while reading Anais Nin in my dorm room ) I could have spared myself an identity crisis and found a reassuring and wonderful roadmap of lifestyle possibilities. Instead I had to do it the intuitive way, calling myself a "medieval hippy" when I was, in fact,an emerging part of the Great and Venerable Bohemian Tribe! Give this book to your young artistic friends so they don't just give up and become Goths! Read it with joy if you want to celebrate the magical and often hilarious ways (without means) of the true Bohemians, eternal rebels and stardust children. Now, as a practicing "BoBomb" (Bohemian Bombshell of course) I bought this book and loved every charming and wry page, especially those with illustrations.(The best books are illustrated, n'est ce pas?) It's refreshing to find a book which puts its values in the right place- measuring one's life by the next trip,creative meal,painting,performance,costume made or poetry read rather than the witless bottom line. For if you ARE a true Bohemian there is no cure. "Abandon all hope Ye who enter here!" You might never come back, but in the Bohemian Manifesto we have Ms. Stover, Bohemian Scribe, to charmingly navigate the scene of the "divinely seductive" and the "deviant". I can't help imagining her living in her Greenwich Village walk-up, surrounded by taxidermy, alabaster busts, and maybe a weasel or two. What does she drink? Chartreuse? Absinthe? Or perhaps Champagne.... The Bohemian Manifesto is about living large in a palace of your mind. After reading it you might even be surprised to find yourself, as I did, singing "Vissi D'Arte, Vissi D'Amore" !

GLAMOROUS, ABSORBING, ENCHANTING!

This book instills in me a sense of freedom and wonder. Loosen up! Put your feet up! Relax. "Bohemian Manifesto" is half antropological study and half whimsy. Enjoy the poetic language, the detailed, researched anthropology and go for the joyous ride! I sure did, and I'm inspired.

Finally--a book for Bohemians to call their own

I was thrilled when I first saw this book sitting on a bookshelf of a large chain bookstore. It's an amazing find and I thought it was about time that someone came out with a book that explains what Bohemian is for those who don't have a clue. Bohemianism is something I first heard about in the late 1980s when Edie Brickell sang about "What I Am" with her band, called "The New Bohemians" and I realized that I found the perfect culture category that fits my way of being. This book is a great manual for anyone who finds himself/herself outside the norms of the conformist, corporate, capitalist mindset and culture, and it's also great for non-Bohemians if they are curious about understanding what Bohemianism is all about. I like how the author subdivides Bohemians into smaller subsets, like Beat, Zen, and others. A lot of the descriptions of personality traits and quirks were so dead-on that I laughed in recognition of my own tendencies that fit the description (such as my discomfort riding in an SUV because it goes against who I am as a person; my lifelong fondness for a life on the road, the Citroen 2CV; why I get bored easily in the same job and baffle friends, family and co-workers alike by shunning job security for adventure and new experiences). The art in this book is fantastic! They add a lot to this book, providing interesting visuals of style. This manual is a must have for anyone who is dissatisfied with the conformist, corporate lifestyle of bland suburbia and keeping up with the Hiltons mode of living. Bohemians will always be at the forefront of cultural/literary/artistic trends and don't care who knows it or not. It's about time someone with enough brilliance and humor came up with this idea and put it out there for public consumption. My only regret is that if non-Bohemians read this book, they might want to become bohemians too (or maybe crossbreeds like Bourgeois Bohemians--BoBos for short). The fact is, not everyone can be a bohemian or should...but for those who can't fit into the mainstream of our bland Walmart culture, you just may very well be a Bohemian, so get this book, read it and find your own bohemian style!

fabulous

I loved The Bombshell Manual of Style (my copy is threadbare) and the Bohemian Manifesto is a perfect follow-up. Like the author says, some people are Bombshell Bohemians (my favorite people, actually). It's sharp, funny and makes you feel glamorous reading it--like you're sitting in a Parisian cafe in the 30's arguing with Picasso or Henry Miller. Great for any aspiring artist with a glam streak...