Reminiscing about his early days in Seattle, musician, and producer, Gordon Raphael, casually mentions the velvet clothes he preferred to wear just as flannel shirts were becoming the standard uniform for any aspiring rock star from the Pacific Northwest. It’ an important detail because Gordon didn’t readily fit into an obvious category then and avoids… Read more »
World War II was the biggest (but not the only) war after the ‘War to End All Wars’. Lasting officially from 1939 to 1945, estimated 50-85 million people, civilians and soldiers, died in it. The Greater Japanese Empire was already at war with China for more than 4 years when it attacked Pearl Harbor in… Read more »
Jimi Hendrix enjoyed the international limelight for less than four years, but his innovative and imaginative interpretations of blues and rock continue to inspire guitarists and music lovers across ages and genre. Coinciding with what would have been Hendrix’s 75th year on this mortal coil is the publication of (incredibly) the first full-blown illustrated book exploring… Read more »
If you have been to the renown Art Basel, you would not be alone in finding it overwhelming, confusing, albeit intriguing. Londoner, Ryan Stanier felt the same, his experiences at Art Basel and other prestigious art fairs led him to believe there was a need for an alternative to the high-end, glossy, money-dominated events. So,… Read more »
“If men are not naturally sexual predators, why does it happen so often?” Asks author and professor of anthropology, Agustín Fuentes. An article he wrote for Psychology Today, a couple years back, is more than relevant today, what with the tawdry accusations surrounding Harvey Weinstein and Bill O’Reilly plus the unabashed sexual bragging of one… Read more »
In answer to the question, “Was the truth hard to decipher?” Roben Farzad admits when dealing with notorious cocaine dealers, where each and everyone suggests that they were the role model for Tony Montana in Scarface…”You have to select and trust your research carefully.” Farzad replies. His new book, Hotel Scarface Where Cocaine Cowboys Partied… Read more »
There are many things to say about Spud Goodman, but that task is better left to the host of The Spud Goodman Show. The perplexing, spatula-wielding and Pepto Bismol-drinking talk show host came to prominence in the middle 80’s, first on local cable TV, then in national syndication and most recently with his highly-rated, radio… Read more »
The 2017 Shine Festival in St. Pete just concluded this weekend (okay, there might be a few artists still working…) and we have some photos today – more later this week. The cover mural is by Hu=man, or is it Hueman? I don’t know, but she’s great. It’s on 17 st S, just south of… Read more »
St. Petersburg’s SHINE mural festival is going on now. Here’s a video report from the first one, two years ago: In case you haven’t seen the brightly painted buildings, St. Petersburg is in the middle of a mural festival. The SHINE festival is bringing together more than a dozen street artists, including Ricky Watts from… Read more »
When the Tampa-based non-profit RL Stage Inc. launched the Tampa Bay Theatre Festival back in 2014, their goal for attendees wasn’t that much unlike the experiences we have when we go to the theatre: an event that is compelling, memorable, and eye-opening, and leaves us with a different perspective of the arts and ourselves. It… Read more »
The Village Voice, the independent weekly New York City newspaper, announced on Tuesday that it will end print publication. The exact date of the last print edition has not yet been finalized, according to a spokeswoman. The Voice, as it became known was essential reading for New Yorkers of a certain age. It was the… Read more »
When Adeline, a wealthy art student, chances upon a young man from the Midwest known only as Baby in a shady East Village squat, the two begin a fiery friendship that propels them through a decade of New York life. In the apartments and bars of downtown Manhattan to the infamous nightclub The Limelight, Adeline… Read more »
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 »
