Category: AJBlogs

During the cultural Cold War, President John F. Kennedy delivered eloquent speeches claiming that only “free societies” fostered great creative art. But no one scanning centuries of Western literature and music could possibly believe that. Where did this Cold War dogma come from? One Nicolas Nabokov. – Joseph Horowitz

No picture this time because food was so bad. The kitchen, which prepared the takeaway in front of me, tried hard and worked like crazy, getting it hot and out. – Jeff Weinstein

I gave the newly expanded Museum of Modern Art a test it was bound to fail by revisiting on the Sunday after Christmas—a tourist-heavy time of year. Below is my report card, along with some pro-tips for navigating the obstacles and minimizing the amount of time wasted in waiting. – Lee Rosenbaum

It’s a provocative claim, and I’ll admit my first reaction was to dismiss it out of hand. And yet … – Douglas McLennan

Spinning Song: Duck Baker Plays The Music Of Herbie Nichols
In the New York jazz scene of the 1950s and early sixties, the breadth and depth of his talent won enormous respect for pianist and composer Herbie Nichols. One of those affected by Nichols is Duck Baker, a fingerstyle guitarist from Richmond. – Doug Ramsey

This was the year of our national discontent and contentiousness, as manifested in the artworld by the rallying cry, “Decolonize Museums!” – Lee Rosenbaum

“Did you see my cardoons?” Mike pointed to a pile of leafless, longer celery. I have eaten cardoons, I remember, at an optimistic Sicilian-only restaurant in Manhattan, long- and quickly gone, and in one other place, forgotten. Never saw them in a market before, and the produce guy, who pretends to know me, was proud. I looked, touched, and didn’t buy, a cooking coward. Then I drove back. – Jeff Weinstein

The formidable Norwegian soprano Lisa Davidsen, making her Metropolitan Opera debut in Tchaikovsky’s Queen of Spades, is right now New York’s most talked about opera singer. I caught the final performance in the run, on December 21 – and discovered myself mainly thinking about the Bolshoi Opera’s historic four-week New York season of 1975. – Joseph Horowitz

Do all uncooked foods talk back? Snap crackle crunch; that’s how cerealized infants learn words for eating. Yet the sound of celery is curbed by wilt. And then comes heat, and silence. – Jeff Weinstein

… when it seems that everybody is looking back over their shoulder more with nostalgia than disgust. I am not immune. Scrolling through some old emails, I came across this one called “from NELSON ALGREN’S LETTERS TO RAJAH.” – Jan Herman