Tosh Berman's Blog, page 144
March 12, 2019
Thank You from Tosh Berman
First of all, I want to thank everyone who came to my events in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Berkeley, and Portland. What I find amazing, is that each event was different from the other one. Great attendance throughout the tour, but the conversations were different. No one asked the same questions as far as I can remember. My book TOSH is very textural, and each reader gets something personal or different from the other person. I can't explain why, but it just happens that way. I'm still high from the tour, and I'm just thrilled to see all of you out there, and such interesting comments from the audience as well. Amazing. Really amazing. - Tosh Berman
March 7, 2019
Tosh Talks - Lun*na Menoh Sewing Machine Bolero
Tosh Berman and Lun*na Menoh discussing Maurice Ravel's "Bolero" as well as her recording of the piece just using sewing machine noise.
March 3, 2019
Book Review: "Head-to-Toe Portrait of Suzanne" by Roland Topor; Translated by Andrew Hodgson (Atlas Press)
ISBN: 978-0-9931487-5-0Roland Topor is very much like my beloved Boris Vian, in that he's mentioned, and thought of, but still a mystery figure, especially to the English reading world. I know of Topor's work as a visual artist/illustrator, but I also read his novel 'The Tenant" which was later made into a terrific film by Roman Polanski. Topor's literature/illustrations are a combination of absurdity and physical/psychological dread. Writing-wise, he reminds me a bit of Kafka, but even more focused on being uncomfortable in social settings. There are toilet anxieties, as well as sexual fear, or the feeling of being exposed to the public. It reminds me of my dreams when I walk into a school room full of people or classmates, but I forgot to put pants on and hoping no one will notice my nudity. "Head-to-Toe Portrait of Suzanne" is a novella focusing on the dread or the feeling of not being worthy in a world that is harsh and borderline logical in its treatment of the oddities of humans. This fable-like narrative is about a fat man whose left foot is his lover, or perhaps what he thinks of his diseased foot as - a broken relationship with a woman. Topor is an incredible presence in 20th-century European literature and fiction. Another childhood figure who was on the run from the Nazis, and that experience, of course, is tattooed in his existence. Like Georges Perec and Serge Gainsbourg, the experience of being alienated in Occupied France is a horror show, and all three artists/writers express that dread. "Head-to-Toe Portrait of Suzanne" is a remarkable little book.
- Tosh Berman
March 2, 2019
March 1, 2019
February 26, 2019
February 14, 2019
Tosh Berman and Andrew Lampert on TOSH at Artbook @ MoMA PS1
This event is free and open to the public.
E-mail booksmomaps1@artbook.com to pre-order a signed copy of TOSH: Growing Up in Wallace Berman’s World.
Book SpaceArtbook @ MoMA PS1 Bookstore22-25 Jackson AvenueLong Island City, NY 1110(718) 433-1088
February 13, 2019
Largehearted Boy: Tosh Berman's Playlist for his Memoir "TOSH: Growing Up in Wallace Berman's World" (City Lights)
"For us Topanga citizens, Neil Young was the cultural king of the area, and his band, Crazy Horse was his knights around the table. My dad was friendly with Neil, but his close friends Dean Stockwell, Russ Tamblyn, and George Herms were very close to the musician, and it was a regular event to see Neil and Crazy Horse either playing at the local bar, ‘The Topanga Corral’ or at a venue in greater Los Angeles."Tosh Berman shared a playlist for his memoir, Tosh: Growing Up in Wallace Berman's World, at Largehearted Boy.
Largehearted Boy: Tosh Berman's Playlist for TOSH
February 11, 2019
Tosh Berman and Jason Schwartzman discussing "Tosh: Growing Up in Wallace Berman's World" at Skylight Books
It was a treat for me to do an event and signing at Skylight Books in Los Feliz (Los Angeles). The crowd was amazing and I enjoyed the conversation with Jason Schwartzman about my book "Tosh." Jason is a very good friend, and it was comforting for me to be in front of the audience with his presence. I want to thank Skylight Books for hosting, and just being a fantastic bookstore. So thank you!
Here's the discussion:
Tosh Berman and Jason Schwartzman at Skylight Books in Los Angeles. January 24, 2019
