“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.”
Blog
Iron Man Opera Singer Archie Drake, 81
Archie Drake sang 109 different roles for Seattle Opera in more than 1,000 performances over 39 seasons. He sang the last performance of the company’s “Macbeth” Saturday night, then headed home where he suffered a massive coronary and died. Seattle Opera general director Speight Jenkins last year described Archie Drake as “the soul of Seattle Opera.”
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.”
Saatchi – The Empty Cube Online
Charles Saatchi has opened an online gallery. “In creating a site that offers to exhibit exactly the kind of outsider who will have spent the last two decades years reviling Saatchi, the millionaire collector appears to have done something innovative, even generous. But it’s only after, ooh, about ten minutes at Your Gallery that you see the emptiness of the exercise.”
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.”
French Rapper Charged For Offending France
A popular French rapper has been hauled into court, charged with offending public decency for insultinjg France. “Monsieur R, whose real name is Richard Makela, could face three years in prison or a €75,000 (£51,000) fine after an MP from the ruling UMP party launched legal action against him over his album Politikment Incorrekt.”