Art That Makes a Difference
November 2, 2006 – 9:11 ami’m dedicating november to the arts. for example, all the fireside chats this month will be about art that made a difference in our lives.
She has tagged me to write "about works of art that made a difference in your life."
is there a book that you want the whole world to read?
a movie that changed your life?
a piece of music that makes your heart swell every time you hear it?
a special play?
some other creative work that you can’t forget?
Here my answers:
Book: Anything by Paco Ignacio Taibo II. He writes across many genres with wit, charm and a sense of history. I first read his book Four Hands and watched him weave a tale of political and historical intrigue that interrogates the U.S. relationship with Mexico on every page. But he doesn’t write thrillers, and his mysteries - hard boiled detective works - are luminous. A passage in Leonardo’s Bicycle about the contents of the protagonist’s ashtray gave me permission to write.
Movie: The Official Story (La Historia Oficial)
This movie made me see, for the first time, how individual choices impact the lives of people we never see; and how those of us who come from the upper classes can simply choose not to see so very much.
music: Lambert, Hendricks and Ross Sing a Song of Basie. Everytime I play this CD I get chills.
Photography: Weegee.
Dance: Judith Jamison for her grace, perserverance and breathtaking style. I saw her perform in 1989. She transported to a nonverbal place where understanding is communicated through movement. And that sentence does not do her majesty justice.
Mark Morris for his willingess to break all manner of dance conventions. I remember seeing a documentary about Mark. In it he is describing his choreographic (?) decisions as the piece is being performed by his dancers. Towards the end he says (and I’m paraphrasing), "You know I could have made this a dark, crappy ending or a happier one. No choice, I picked the happier one. People can look to the own lives to find sadness."
For some reason that sentiment has always stuck with me.
How has art made a difference in your life.
I’m tagging a few of my blogger friends with this question – Alex, Blue, Brownfemipower, Kevin and Sokari.
2 Responses to “Art That Makes a Difference”
I’m all over this meme. You can expect my response within the next day or so.
By Kevin on Nov 2, 2006
me too!
what a great meme…meme’s have been getting much better lately, have you noticed?
By brownfemipower on Nov 3, 2006