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Newest Blog Entries:
NYT Books in Review: “A Freewheelin’ Time,” “Farm Friends,” “Hot, Flat and Crowded”
Dylan's old girlfriend reminisces; a former commune member checks in on his old mates; and Tom Friedman's newest is a clarion call for renewable energy.Posted by Ian Alterman, Sunday, September 7, 2008
NYT Saturday Profile: From the Cuban Underground, a Punk Rocker’s Protest Reverberates
"The level of unpopularity of the Castro dynasty is so great. It's obvious. You breathe it. It's dense. But the people are afraid."Posted by Ian Alterman, Saturday, September 6, 2008
NYT (2): Art & Politics
Two extremely different exhibitions: at NYC's Asia Society, a look back at the art of pre-capitalist China; and at Philly's Institution of Contemporary Art, an homage to R. Crumb.Posted by Ian Alterman, Friday, September 5, 2008
Paul Cantor: Who Killed Victor Jara?
go to article"A few days after the other 9/11, Victor Jara., a Chilean folksinger, songwriter, actor, director, poet, political activist and teacher, was tortured and then shot to death while being held prisoner by the [US/Nixon-backed Pinochet] military. This year on May 15th Chilean Judge Juan Eduardo Fuentes found Colonel Mario Manriquez, the man in charge of the makeshift prison where Jara was being held, guilty of his murder. Today Colonel Manriquez is under arrest awaiting sentencing while the judge is attempting to determine who else was responsible for torturing and killing him" - Cantor
Posted by Mike Blaxill, Thursday, August 28, 2008
NYT: Israel, After 43 Years, Is Ready for Beatlemania
The government asks for forgiveness for a "missed opportunity" (in 1965 saying that the band had "an insufficient artistic level") and prepares for the first-ever concert by a Beatle.Posted by Ian Alterman, Thursday, August 28, 2008
NYT (2): Politics/Arts
Is Jon Stewart "the most trusted man in America?"; and "For the coming political conventions, Minneapolis and Denver, the host cities, have urged artists to make works that address the political process."Posted by Ian Alterman, Sunday, August 17, 2008
NYT: Let the Sunshine In, and the Shadows
"It is deep summer in the late 1960s in Central Park, and nobody is keeping off the grass. A heady concentration of anarchic youth has come out to play, flooding the shaggy green patch of turf that has been made of the stage at the open-air Delacorte Theater. And the whiff of hedonism that this crowd emanates induces a serious contact high in anyone who comes near it. The pure hormonal vitality that courses through the Public Theater’s exuberant production of “Hair,” which officially opened Thursday night, is enough to make it the pick-me-up event of New York’s dog days this year. But middle-aged audience members who revisit this landmark work from 1967 in search of the feckless flower children they once were are likely to uncover more than they bargained for."Posted by Ian Alterman, Friday, August 8, 2008
NYT: ‘Hair’ Revival: A Time Warp for Tears and Fun
New "Hair"" production is "shockingly relevant."Posted by Ian Alterman, Tuesday, August 5, 2008
NYT Saturday Profile: Back to Art, Havel Meditates on Power
"Vaclav Havel’s new absurdist tragicomedy, “Leaving” — his first play in about 20 years — depicts a womanizing former political leader who grudgingly confronts the political wilderness. Much has been made of the parallels between the plot and Mr. Havel’s life."Posted by Ian Alterman, Saturday, July 26, 2008
NYT Book in Review: “Heavy Metal Islam”
"The Islamic world has a surprisingly active heavy metal subculture."Posted by Ian Alterman, Sunday, July 20, 2008
NYT: Rockwell Re-enlisted for a Nation’s Darker Mood
Interpreting an American classic for a new era.Posted by Ian Alterman, Wednesday, July 9, 2008
NYT Op-Eds (4)
"The fierce urgency of now that drives the family movie “Wall-E” and its yearning for change is absent in both the Barack Obama and John McCain campaigns these days" (Rich); "We need a national Truth Commission to investigate abuses in the aftermath of 9/11 and to begin a process of soul searching and national cleansing" (Kristof); "University affirmative action programs, whatever their benefits, are no remedy for the problems of the black poor" (Stephen Carter); "How to dodge mates who would maul your happiness" (Dowd)Posted by Ian Alterman, Sunday, July 6, 2008
NYT: Remembering Brainwashing
"Cold war thinking: Communists can control minds. And we must catch up."Posted by Ian Alterman, Sunday, July 6, 2008
George Carlin, American Radical
Posted by Bill Swiggard, Tuesday, June 24, 2008George Carlin dies at age 71
Posted by Bill Swiggard, Monday, June 23, 2008Cockeyed optimists again
Posted by Bill Swiggard, Thursday, June 19, 2008Culture Catch Book Review: “The Beatles In Dream and History”
A review by Civic editor Ian AltermanPosted by Ian Alterman, Tuesday, June 10, 2008
NYT Blogs (2)
A must-read from Judith Warner; and a short opinion from Chris SuellentropPosted by Ian Alterman, Friday, June 6, 2008
NYT: Back to the Garden: A Woodstock Museum
Posted by Ian Alterman, Thursday, May 29, 2008A Race Straight Out of a ‘West Wing’ Rerun
Posted by Bill Swiggard, Monday, May 26, 2008NYT Saturday Profile: Released From Rigors of a Trial, a Nobel Laureate’s Ink Flows Freely
"When I turn 75 years old, I expect I'll have nothing left to write as a novelist. In any case, I'll write this and then I can pass away."Posted by Ian Alterman, Saturday, May 17, 2008
NYT Books in Review: “Girls Like Us,” “The Word of the Lord is Upon Me,” “The Politics of Chaos in the Middle East,” “The Fall and Rise of the Islamic State,” “The Man Who Pushed America to War”
The influence of Carole King, Joni Mitchell and Carly Simon; the words of MLK; the politics of the Middle East; and the lies of Ahmad Chalabi.Posted by Ian Alterman, Sunday, April 27, 2008
NYT: Nine Writers See if the Fate of the Earth Can Be Any More Dramatic
"Global warming is the star in a festival of one-acts."Posted by Ian Alterman, Saturday, April 19, 2008
NYT Guest Op-Ed: Beware the New New Thing
"What good is advanced Internet technology if we don't have access?"Posted by Ian Alterman, Saturday, April 5, 2008
NYT: Dutch Film Against Islam Is Released on Internet
While I strongly support free speech ("I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it"), is this really helpful?Posted by Ian Alterman, Friday, March 28, 2008
