A remarkable expatriate American, Paul Bowles (1910–1999) has been thoroughly discussed as a writer. He is best known as the author of The Sheltering Sky (1949), a novel made into a brilliant film by Bernardo Bertolucci. Chandarlapaty looks at other dimensions of Bowles's fame. He was the subject of photo essays and documentary films, and he was a composer. He recorded Moroccan folk music. He inspired Beat writers such as William Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, who knew him in Tangier. He had an impact on rock music and jazz (the Rolling Stones were fans). Chandarlapaty writes in depth about this major cultural figure, someone deserving the overworked label icon. The research in this book is impressive in the light of Bowles's multidimensional talents. . . .This well-documented book—Chandarlapaty's heavy use of jargon notwithstanding—will serve as a good contribution to the discussion. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates and above.
