Tosh Berman's Blog, page 157

Bruce Conner Artist on Tea With Tosh

Along with my father Wallace Berman, Bruce Conner is one of the great artists to come out of 20th mid-Century America.  I have known Bruce throughout my life, and one day, out of the blue, he called me to ask if he can be on "Tea With Tosh."   I remember being nervous interviewing him, due to his nature, but also my appreciation for him as an artist and filmmaker.  Shot in 1987, this is a snapshot of Bruce and his world.   - Tosh Berman, the host of "Tea With Tosh"

Egisto Macchi Italian Film Composer on Tosh Talks

Michael Silverblatt on Tea With Tosh

Michael Silverblatt has been in my life or presence since the 1970s.  I met him at Papa Bach Bookstore on Santa Monica Blvd in West Los Angeles, where one cannot help chatting with such an acknowledgeable gentleman.   The fact that he is one of the most popular Book related media person is easy to understand. His radio show "Bookworm" is the essential literary programming.   Michael is probably one of the great readers, and his knowledge about books and the arts are as endless as the deepest part of the ocean.  This episode of "Tea With Tosh" was shot in 1987.  At the time, Michael was working in public relations.  At the time (and I'm sure he still does) he had an incredible knowledge how information was spread through the world of journalism.  At the time he had a focus on Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center as well as on Los Angeles artists and writers.  This episode is a great snapshot of Los Angeles culture, but also a great man among our town.  Not me, but Michael Silverblatt!    - Tosh Berman, your host of "Tea With Tosh"

Scott Becker Option Magazine on Tea With Tosh

Scott Becker was the publisher and editor of a really interesting magazine, OPTION, that came out six times a year. They focused exclusively on independent or underground music. Not only rock but experimental and jazz as well.  I find this show interesting because of my interest in music, the music world, and publishing.  The fact that this show was taped in 1986, it's funny that the issues of publication are still with us, for instance making zines.  OPTION was tailored made for the adventuresome music lover.  I miss the nature of music publications like OPTION.  Come to think of it, the review section in WIRE reminds me very much of OPTION.   A classic Tea With Tosh episode!  Oh, and forgive some of the visuals/sound toward the end of the show.  We did the best we can, but even tape gets old.  - Tosh Berman

"Martini Teeth" by Tosh Berman

Due to my extensive dental surgery, I can only drink my dinners at this time.  My dentist suggested that since I'm already an alcoholic, I should just sip cocktails that have some food attached to it.  Which means, of course, the olive vodka martini, which is made correctly at TAIX Restaurant and bar in Echo Park.   Right between the drink and focusing on much as possible a book I brought with me to the bar, Andre Hodeir on Classical music after Debussy, it struck me how hard the bartender works, as well as the waitresses.   Personally, I have always been served well in this establishment.  I also ordered navy bean soup since it was a Thursday, and rightfully so, a Thursday which is Navy Bean Soup day.   I can never fully understand the connection between the Navy and bean soup, but I never question these things in front of a busy bartender.



I had a rough day.  I lost a temporary cap on my tooth, which makes it impossible for me to chew my food.  The thing has I had the perfect 'soft' burrito in front of me, and I felt a hard substance in my mouth, which was odd because I'm eating just a bean burrito.  I discovered it was my tooth cap, which carefully I didn't swallow, due that I put my fingers in my mouth among the bean material to remove the object.  It takes about 30 seconds to realize that something is drastically wrong, and then my temper came up.  I wanted to have a quick lunch before I shot my "Tosh Talks" episode on Jean-Luc Godard's film soundtrack music.  I was in such a state that Lun*na wanted to know if I want to postpone the filming.   I said go on.  Strange enough, I think this is the best "Tosh Talks" show ever.  Lun*na mentioned that my voice was loud and very clear.  I think all of this was due to my anger of losing the temporary cap.



After the show, I contacted my dentist who told me, even though she's on holiday, to come to her office at 5:30 this afternoon.   I did and met her at the parking lot because it seems the front door was shut due to construction work on the building.  I was a concern because when a car approached the parking lot, I didn't want to think whoever in that car thought I was a perv waiting in the darkness.   Luckily in the vehicle was my dentist and her almost adult daughter.  She took me through the back entrance which led to the employee's kitchen and sometimes storage room for outdated customers with their x-rays of teeth.   The whole dental office was under construction or remodel job of some sort, and therefore I didn't have to go to the dental chair, but the kitchen chair in the employee's room.

When I lost and obtained my temporary crown, I was immediately impressed with the horrible scent of my cap. It smelled like a dead rodent in my crown, but the fact is, my tooth, as busted as it was, felt like the dead animal lived there under a witness protection secrecy program from the Department of Justice.   Still, I was fascinated with the wretched scent of my cap, and wondered if perhaps all tooth caps smelled the same way?  



I sat down among the wires, plastic coverings, and industrial dust in their kitchen area.  Luckily I didn't feel any pain, but just awkwardness in chewing and my self-regard concerning my face.  I thought I had a vacancy between my mouth and everyone looking at me will be aware of my ugliness.   Ever since I was a young boy, I felt like an alien because other kids my age would comment on my oddly shaped teeth.  It wasn't until I reached into my 60s when I decided to get my teeth fixed. The irony is, I will probably be dead before the work is finished.   Still, a corpse with a good mouth is something people will remember me by. I'm just hoping that the casket will be open during the funeral procedure.

As I left the dentist office, I became more aware of how vulnerable I'm to other's opinions on my physical appearance. To dwell on the negativity is an endless amount of ocean of regret.  I choose to go into the darkness of the night and gently chew whatever is out there.

- Tosh Berman, Los Angeles, January 2, 2018

Robert Frank Film Works on Tosh Talks

[FULL] Jean-Luc Godard interview with Dick Cavett (1980)

A full hour of Jean-Luc Godard in English, with Dick Cavett .  A very enjoyable discussion.  And I have to say I have seen only half of this interview.  I'm grateful that the whole show is here.

Jean Luc Godard Soundtrack Music on Tosh Talks

Being a long-time fan of Jean-Luc Godard's cinema, it's interesting how important the music or sound is to all his films.   I don't imagine Godard ever thought about the separation of sound and image, but more with the relationship between the two mediums.  Over the years I have collected both on vinyl and CD numerous soundtrack compilations or the original soundtrack to Godard's works, but this hand-made bootleg, with the images pasted on the record sleeve, is perhaps the best of the lot.  
This compilation on vinyl goes from 1959 (A Bout de Souffle) to 1980 (Sauve qui Peut La Vie), and what one would consider the iconic Godard years.  Due to avoiding the legal issue, this album is the best representation of Godard and sound/music of those years.   The one thing that struck me is the sadness in the music. Composed by various writers such as Martial Solal, Michel Legrand, Georges Delerue, Paul Misraki, Antoine Duhamel, Gabriel Yared, and singing by Chantal Goya (Masculin Feminin) which is superb French Yé-Yé and the ultra-rare (and the excellent) Claude Channes' "Mao Mao." The instrumental passages are very somber when you listen to it without the Godard images.  Not sure if Godard instructed the mood that is in the music for his film, but the above composers all wrote magnificent pieces for the Godard soundtrack. 
The album is not that easy to locate, but one can through by chance your local store, or more likely on the Internet.   If you are a fan of Godard, it's a must that you obtain this specific recording.  Beyond that the music here is gorgeous.  - Tosh Berman

"Liquidation World : The Art of Living Absently" by Alexi Kukuljevic (MIT Press)

ISBN: 978-0-262-53419-2 The MIT PressA very dense book regarding mostly the "Dandy" spirt or aesthetic through literature and art.   Alexi Kukuljevic pulls out all my favorite heroes in this one volume:  Buster Keaton, Kubrick's "The Shining," Marcel Duchamp, Charles Baudelaire, Alfred Jarry, Jacques Vaché and even the great comedian Andy Kaufman.   A deep reflection on those who lived/worked on the outskirts of their interested field.  Kukuljevic's book is dream-like on a subject matter that is very difficult to nail down.   The above artists and writers (and performers) are hard to define for their 'absently' spirit, where in many cases, it is their art that speaks for themselves, and we reflect on what we think is their personality, but in the end of the day, who knows?  "Liquidation World" got to me because I often think of these artists as major touchstones for my own aesthetic and pleasure.  A fascinating book that keeps turning the wheels in my mind, long after I read the last page.

Benjamin Weissman Writer Amy Gerstler Poet on Tea With Tosh

Both writer/artist Benjamin Weissman and Poet Amy Gerstler had and still have a major influence over my life as a writer and sometimes curator, especially when it comes to my blog, and of course, when I was the Director/Programmer for Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center in Venice California.  For one, Benjamin's writing has a strong presence in my mind when I write fiction.  His short stories were so absurd, yet logically put together so well.  I was struck by his interest in literature, but also in the visual arts, and that made a fantastic impression on me with my work on the pen on paper (writing) as when I was doing programs at the Baroque.  Amy for her god-like presence was very encouraging to me as an administrator at the job, but also her writing is so fantastic.  She is without a doubt, the great living poet in America.   Most of her books now are published by Penguin, and you can find Benjamin's work in two books "Dear Dead Person (High Risk Books) and "Headless" (Little House on the Bowery).  Both titles are highly recommended.  This video was shot in 1987 and I was nervous interviewing these two, because of my admiration for their work.  Watching it now, I love how they answered my questions. Some great advice here!  - Tosh Berman (Tea With Tosh).