Harmonies & Hurricanes, by Kumiko Sudo: Like the "life lesson" thrown into a book of erotica to provide "redeeming social value," the do-it-yourself patterns offered at the close of Kumiko Sudo's voluptuous collection of quilt art seem meant to justify pure pleasure with a little instruction. Forget about it. You may be inspired by her gorgeous dream meditations on the Japanese-American experience, but you will never duplicate them. This series of one-of-a-kind art quilts paints noble ladies, bold chargers, wind-driven galleons, and cranes in flight, all with a ravishing collection of silks. It's a book to savor by firelight. Best to let this fine artist feed your dreams, not drive you to futile imitation. Sip a fine wine and let your imagination soar--what fabrics would you choose to illustrate your personal history, your trans-oceanic heritage? What migration, what aristocracy, what conflict, lies in your past? What family story would you tell? Paperback, 144 pp. Published by McGraw Hill; list price $27.95.