Archive for June 4th, 2008
By the numbers Sundown Poetry Series–Paul Allen Yesterday evening, I attended an excellent Sundown Poetry Series reading by Paul Allen. His poems from his new collection, Ground Forces, were on target in describing the human condition as well as quite hilarious. The new venue for the event, the City Gallery, provided a lovely backdrop of the series as well as air conditioning. Allen also played guitar, and sang. The line the stayed with me the most is, “In my mind, bi-polar is a bear with an interesting sex life.” What a unique way to think of illness. Ten Trees
After the reading, I went to check out the Ten Trees Exhibit and documentary by Sam Fleischner that was is in the back on the gallery. The exhibit is a theatre made of ten trees worth plywood, and the accompanying film, which was made in South Carolina–one of the largest producers of plywood–was shown in the structure. The film shows the entire process of the plywood manufacture from cutting the trees to finished product, on a truck, awaiting delivery. The movie is very much like an episode of How It’s Made, except it doesn’t have narration or music. The only sounds are the sounds of the production of the sheets (even with workers taking breaks and looking bored).
They played great and the packed room really felt the magic. But the behind-the-scenes driving force is Jack McCray. It was his evening, his day, his week and his 30th year of being Mr. Jazz in Charleston. This year he led the creation of the Jazz Artists of Charleston. This is his third successful gathering of talent and businesses to make things happen. I’ve known Jack for years as the hip music writer at The Post and Courier and editor of neighborhood editions of the paper. Jack is my go-to man when I have questions about music: the Blues, Jazz, you name it. The man knows his stuff. My Day With McCray started in Philadelphia Alley, next to the Footlight Theatre on Queen Street, when we participated in the afternoon interactive rhythmic workshop presented by Clay Ross and members of his group. It was a moving experience. No, I mean it, we REALLY moved around. Then we climbed the stairs and met in a room over the Theatre and Jack regaled us with a vivid recap of his 30-year musical odyssey in Charleston jazz awareness and growth. He is a great storyteller and took questions from the rapt audience. After a break for a bite to eat, I was back for the 7:30 performance of The Homecomin’. Naturally, Jack McCray was the Master of Ceremonies. A beautiful day in our seaside city with a man who continues to turn his vision into reality. More Chucker on Spoleto at Chuckography. This evening I filed my assigned story on Laurie Anderson, whose musical piece Homeland has its Spoleto USA opening Wednesday night. Not an easy story to write, I told editor Stephanie Harvin, because interviewing an artist like Anderson doesn’t make you want to go write prose — it makes you want to respond to her enigmas with enigmas of your own. Am I serious or bemused? Or just coy? Well, I’d say, you decide, and then I’d skate away on two blocks of melting ice. I spent the morning reading about Anderson, watching Anderson’s videos and listening to Anderson’s music, and I have to say I enjoyed “Only an Expert,” a portion of Homeland, more than any of her better-known material from the 1980s. It’s clearly about some big ideas, the kinds of ideas you’d like to talk about if you’re interested in culture and society and politics and art. Very cool, very contemporary stuff. Only here’s the rub: If you could have that conversation (and when you’re dealing with someone with the celebrity of Anderson, as a practical matter that’s a privilege you must to earn), would it take you any closer to the subject? Read the rest of this entry » |
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Some information provided by the staff at the city’s Office of Cultural Affairs about the 2008 festival:
Geoff’s back in the studio with Janet for Podcast number thirteen, discussing whe she’s bought Monkey tickets twice, how much it costs to run the Piccolo Fringe, and what we all got up to last night - performance wise, that is.
