“First published in November 1956, Alan Ginsberg’s “Howl” has sold nearly a million copies. The 1957 obscenity trial over it helped break down barriers against free expression, forcing American society to reassess what was and wasn’t acceptable to say. Ginsberg’s ardent anti-establishment stance laid the groundwork for both the upheavals of the 1960s and the marketing juggernaut we call “youth culture” today. As “Howl” marks its 50th anniversary, then, it seems important to ask how (or whether) it continues to resonate, what it has to offer a new generation.”
Tag: 05.28.06
A Place To Lock Away Your Music
New services to store your digital music are coming online. “Today the computer remains the de facto content locker. But things may get more interesting as more and higher-speed Internet-enabled devices hit the market, from PDAs and car stereos to home entertainment systems and mobile phones. Suddenly, the computer and the MP3 player no longer are the keystones of the mobile-music experience, and there is less need to worry about transferring compatible files from device to device. Each connects directly to the content locker to play or download music.”
Howard Hodgkin At 73
“Falling into his armchair, Hodgkin looks beautifully patrician, but gloomy: the Emperor Hadrian on catching sight of yet more Northumbrian rain. In a way, it is odd that he wants to be interviewed in his studio. It is a place associated with pain and strife because, even after all this time, he still dreads painting.”
Hard Ride – A Musical Making Them Walk Out
“The Black Rider” is an unconventional musical now playing in Los Angeles. The piece has polarized reactions, provoking a rash of audience desertins in the middle of the play; they’re walking out. “As playgoers continue to abandon seats costing as much as $95, a night with “Rider” has turned into the showbiz equivalent of red states versus blue, two camps seeing the same thing and reaching polarized conclusions.”
A Constable Puzzle – The Sketch that Might Have Been For Something Else
“The Opening of Waterloo Bridge was supposed to be reunited with its full-scale preliminary sketch as part of ‘Constable: the Great Landscapes’, opening at Tate Britain on Thursday. But shortly before the exhibition was due to open, technical experts discovered the sketch was more likely to be the beginnings of a separate work that was never finished.”
Bach By Deaf Kids? Is It Art?
Is trying to teach deaf kids to sing Bach cruel? Or is it inspiring? A new video documenting the exercise raises questions about artistic impulse. “The video first shows us the deaf students learning to sing, under the guidance of an enthusiastic young music teacher. Not surprisingly, the result comes close to pure cacophony. It’s likely to provoke a grimace from music lovers. It’s also likely to pain anyone with even a hint of political correctness.”
Do New Internet Jukeboxes Signal End Of An Era?
“At thousands of bars and restaurants, patrons can now listen to songs stored on hard drives or downloaded from remote servers. Some find the change a refreshing departure from the limited selection of records or CDs of old jukeboxes. Others lament the transformation of an American icon. They say the smaller collections of compact discs or 45s in traditional jukeboxes gave barrooms a distinct feel that gets washed away by the new technology’s nearly unlimited choice and flashy screens reminiscent of video poker machines.”
What Happened To The Movie Premiere Party?
“The premiere party used to hold great sway in Los Angeles nightlife. In a town whose occupation is looking good, it was a hallowed kind of faux-civic event — celebrities showing up to watch themselves on-screen and then repairing to a party to discuss themselves. The premiere was a win-win for Janie in Peoria and Hollywood both. Janie got her fix of Hollywood meta-existence, sure that all anyone in L.A. did every night was go to premieres, and Hollywood got Janie. Things have changed.”
Denver Contemporary Looks To Step Up
The Museum of Contemporary Art/Denver is only 10 years old. But it is looking to break into the big leagues with a new $15 million building. “Perhaps most important, the museum hopes to gain the participation of top-level international artists it simply could not approach before because of the deficiencies of its facility and the institution’s lack of stature.”
Canadian Book Chain Banishes Harper’s Mag From Its Racks
Canada’s largest book chain has pulled this month’s issue of Harper’s magazine off its shelves. “Indigo Books and Music took the action this week when its executives noticed that the 10-page Harper’s article, titled Drawing Blood, reproduced all 12 cartoons first published last September by Jyllands-Posten (The Morning Newspaper). The article also contains five cartoons, including one by Art Spiegelman and two by Israelis, ‘inspired’ by an Iranian newspaper’s call in February for an international Holocaust cartoon contest ‘to test the limits of Western tolerance of free speech’.”