The Gentle Anarchist: A Life of George Woodcock

Patricia Morley is professor emerita of English and Canadian Studies at
Concordia University and an avid outdoor recreationist. She is also the
author of The Mountain Is Moving: Japanese Women’s Lives, Kurlek, and
Margaret Laurence: The Long Journey Hom

Among the myriad books devoted to the subject of Madonna, Bawdy and Soul
is notable for its austerity. There are no sexy pictures here, although
there is considerable talk about sex and its representations throughout
Madonna’s career. The intention of the book, as expressed in the
author’s somewhat labored introduction, is to examine Madonna as a
“distinct cultural force” who signifies the times in which we live.

A self-confessed admirer, Faith uses what might loosely be described as
a feminist analysis as she discusses Madonna in terms of the political
and cultural contexts “which bred [her and now] sustain her.” In
addition to examining the artist as “whore,” Faith discusses Madonna
as a role model and in one interesting chapter compares her with Michel
Foucault. Her book is well researched but the conclusions it offers are
unsurprising: Madonna is a controversial transgressor, a contradictory
female power to be reckoned with, an astute and talented artist, and
someone just a bit over the top.

Despite its lack of surprises, Bawdy and Soul is a worthy treatment. An
extensive bibliography of both academic and popular sources is included.