She was the last person to be hired at Andy Warhol’s Factory and she wants to talk about it. Natasha Fraser-Cavassoni wants to talk about all of her experiences including an affair with Mick Jagger when she was a seventeen-year-old school girl. Ms. Fraser-Cavassoni isn’t one to hold back, in her new book, After Andy – Adventures In Warhol Land, she tells all…. Read more »
“This is a remarkable debut novel, on finishing, I flipped to the first page to start over…just in case I missed something!” This is Norman B on The Ready Made Thief by Augustus Rose. The Chicago-based writer has deftly conjured up an extraordinary plot packed unexpected twists and turns and a cast of unlikely characters…. Read more »
A quick trip to Havana showed us a powerful, vibrant and often really funny art scene, especially street art. Here are some of the pieces that caught our attention. Street art These next four are from a community center/workshop by the Capitol, Taller Communitario Jose… Read more »
“There is an art to every practice, activism included.” Says Stephen Duncombe, co-founder of The Center For Artistic Activism. “This is a place to explore, analyze, and strengthen connections between social activism and artistic practice. Our goal is to make more creative activists and more effective artists. We aim to win.” Stephen has been an activist… Read more »
More than 260 protesters came out in the drizzly rain to the Pinellas County Courthouse in downtown St. Pete. They were part of a national March for Truth day. Here are some of their creative signs. [updated]
Honey we shrunk the monolith. That could be an alternative title to the new exhibit at the Dali Museum in Saint Petersburg. The Spanish sculptor, Eduardo Chillida, is showcased in the museum’s first sculpture display in its new building. Chillida is best known for his monumental pieces set in public spaces. But, the showing, Memory,… Read more »
Is Sonia Taitz’s new novel, Great With Child, a well-crafted summer read about an aspiring lawyer, who happens to be single and pregnant, involved in a love triangle while engaged in an intriguing sub-plot? Or, is Sonia Taitz presenting a shrewd observation on the hurdles of being a working mother dealing with rampant misogyny and… Read more »
The proposed Florida State 2018 budget has been sent to the Governor. Educators and citizens are calling on Governor Rick Scott to veto the budget because of the shift of $140 million to private education from struggling public schools, and forcing school districts to share capital funds with charter schools . House Bill 7609 was crafted away… Read more »
Eleanor Oliphant struggles with appropriate social skills and tends to say exactly what she’s thinking. Nothing is missing in her carefully timetabled life of avoiding social interactions, where weekends are punctuated by frozen pizza, vodka, and phone chats with Mummy. This is the set-up for Gail Honeyman’s remarkable debut novel, Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine…. Read more »
With a catalog that includes titles such as President Trump Unveiled: Exposing the Bigoted Billionaire, The Animals’ Vegan Manifesto, Kingdom Of The Unjust: Behind the U.S.–Saudi Connection, The United States Vs. Pvt. Chelsea Manning, and At The Tea Party plus controversial authors like Julian Assange, Patrick Cockburn, Sue Coe, and Clark Stoeckley, you know OR… Read more »
The last Saturday in April is Independent Bookstore Day. In a world of tweets and algorithms and pageless digital downloads, bookstores are not a dying anachronism. They are living, breathing organisms that continue to grow and expand. In fact, there are more of them this year than there were last year. Take a look at… Read more »
“Billy, my cross-eyed Siamese cat had an unusual habit. Before he would settle in to enjoy a nice meal of whatever ridiculously expensive gourmet cat food I provided, he would clamber up to the top of a dresser in my bedroom. Once perched on top, he would skillfully reach down with a paw and open… Read more »
The U.S. has access to 94,000 miles of coastline, and nearly half the population lives less than ten miles from the sea. Yet 91 percent of the seafood Americans eat comes from abroad. In contrast, a third of all the fish and shellfish we catch are sold to foreign countries. What is keeping us from… Read more »
“The men liked to put me down as the best woman painter. I think I’m one of the best painters.” Georgia O’Keeffe Here are some links and general information about women’s presence in the performing and visual arts. The gist of the information is that maybe things are slightly better than they were a few… Read more »
Siv Jakobsen first made an appearance on Life Elsewhere in the summer of 2015. At that time, Norman B predicted we would be hearing more from, “An artist who displays a maturity, way beyond her years.” Siv is back with a new single, a wonderful primer for her forthcoming album, expected later this year. All the enthusiastic… Read more »
“Rock ’n’ Roll began when I was born…in 1947!” A bold, challenging proclamation if uttered by anyone else, other than Ronny Elliott. Often referred to as a cult artist, Ronny has many-a-story to back up his claim. The fact that he has played on bills with Van Morrison, The Allman Brothers, Wilco, Sly & The… Read more »
Two regular contributors to Life Elsewhere join Norman B to chat about everything from the extraordinary mess-up at the Oscars to pissing off Martha Stewart. Noted film and media critic, Bob Ross weighs in with his take on the relevance of the Oscars and asks, “Do movies cause social ills?” Esteemed political caricaturist and social… Read more »
“I consider myself an American patriot. I write this with no irony, although with plenty of outrage, a new outrage.” The stirring words of David Ulin in a vibrant essay titled, How To Be A Patriot In America for Literary Hub. David uses his well-honed literary skills to take us on a journey of discovery…. Read more »
Josh Idehen of Hugh wrote to us a few days ago, he wanted to let us know about his band’s new single, This Is How It Starts. The title, he says of their first single for 2017, is deliberate. Hugh wants to alert their past and new fans they’re starting the new year as they… Read more »
St. Pete’s mural game is fierce, and more walls have been beautified since September’s Shine Festival. There is a map of murals here (not completely up to date). We will try to get some pictures and information up about some of the newer ones. Grab a copy of the map and your guests, and take yourself… Read more »
What is Love? How do you know you are in Love? Do you have a favorite Love song? Next on Life Elsewhere, The Valentine’s Day Special a distinguished panel of guests will answer Three Questions About Love: Audrey Bilger, vice president and dean of the college at Pomona College & co-author of Here Come The… Read more »
Last year before the election, Philip Kennicott, the Pulitzer Prize-winning Art and Architecture Critic, imagined with clever wit, what would happen to the Arts in America if Mr. Trump became President. His scenarios were fantasy, but the context for Kennicott’s creativity was built on facts: In a gallery in Chelsea, New York, a crudely made sculpture of… Read more »
“Where words can be twisted, fact-checks dismissed, and lies perpetuated, photographs can sear an image into public consciousness that leaves little room to dispute. The responsibility of the media as defenders of democracy has never been so urgent. And within the media, photojournalists, with their incredibly strict code of ethics have a distinct and important ability to… Read more »
This Sunday in St. Petersburg, Florida, authors, poets, musicians and leaders will gather as part of an international movement known as Writers Resist. It’s a few days before the Inauguration of president-elect Donald Trump it’s also Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday. WMNF interviewed one Writers Resist participant: poet Jay Hopler, who splits his… Read more »
How many times during the past twelve months, when reflecting on the run-up to the Presidential election, have you thought, “This is too fantastic to be true”? The ongoing shenanigans by the most unlikely of Presidential candidates, now President-elect and the perpetual circus surrounding him, has perplexed even the most revered brainiacs. The conundrum of… Read more »
