Tosh Berman's Blog, page 160

Robbie Conal Political Poster Artist on Tea With Tosh

"Tea With Tosh" episode with artist Robbie Conal, videotaped in 1987.  Conal is an amazing artist whose work is political and very much in one's face.  In the 80s and if you lived in Los Angeles, it would have been impossible not to have seen his posters of various Republican politicans.  At the time of the taping, it was the height of the Reagan decade, and the Iran/Contra issue was on everyone's mind.   The one thing that shocked me while watching this episode this morning (for the first time in 30 years) was me mentioning Fawn Hall.   At the time, I would have never imagined meeting her in the future.  But alas, I did, and now she is one of my closest friends.  If you mention her name to me now, I wouldn't even think about the Reagan/ North connection.   Life is strange in how things turn out. 

Carole Caroompas Artist on Tea With Tosh

Carole Caroompas is a fantastic painter, artist, and performer.  One of the reasons why I wanted to do "Tea With Tosh" was to exposed artists that I greatly admired, and feel that they needed more exposure at the time. This episode was filmed sometime in 1987.  It was a moment in time, but alas, due to the magic format of videotape, we can go back to the past.  In this sense, it's a great pleasure to spend time with Caroompas, and see her great work as art and performance. - Tosh Berman.

Tosh Berman Introduction on Tosh Talks

"A Dance with Fred Astaire" by Jonas Mekas (Anthology Editions)

ISBN: 978-1-94460-09-7 Anthology Editions LLC
Once in a while, a presence comes upon the landscape and shows an incredible amount of character and interest.   Jonas Mekas is clearly in that bracket of a human being.  Filmmaker, head honcho of the Film Anthology in New York City, as well as the Filmmaker's co-op, and writer.  There are many great writers who write about film, but Mekas is the best, because he clearly shows his love for the medium, and by his writing, he expresses that enjoyment of seeing the projected light on a screen.   There have been a few great books by Mekas on film and his life, but "A Dance With Fred Astaire" may be my favorite of his books.  
For one, it's a perfect entrance way to his world for someone who is not familiar with New York / European / World filmmakers, because if nothing else (besides his talent as a filmmaker/writer) Mekas connects to his world like no other individual.  He knows or knew everyone from Andy Warhol to Fritz Lang to Jacqueline Kennedy.   He is the other side of the coin of Warhol, in that in his own fashion he also attracted talent by just standing there.  Of course, that is not true.  He was the publisher and editor/writer for the greatest film publication ever, "Film Culture."  And his weekly column for the Village Voice was the most passionate and smart writing on artist's films and their world.  Like Warhol and his Factory, artists were drawn to Mekas, either by his passion or personality, but it was truly a wonderful culture that produced many flowers that bloomed into films, art, writing and so forth.  
There are so many amazing chance meetings that are listed in "A Dance With Fred Astaire."  For one, Fred Astaire himself who was invited by Yoko Ono to participate in her film by dancing in it, with Mekas following his steps best as possible.  So yeah as a reader, you are trying to put all of this in one's head:  Yoko, Jonas, and yeah, of course, Fred Astaire, with John Lennon.  Or the time he visited Jacqueline Kennedy and she casually told Mekas that Kennedy received an 8mm camera which he kept in his coat pocket the last few years of his life.   She went to the closet, found John's coat, got the camera out and showed it to Mekas.  At the time there is still film inside the camera.  One wonders what is on that film???   And where is that film and camera now?   There is also the incredible connection between Tony Conrad, Henry Flynt, and the UNABOMBER!   
"A Dance with Fred Astaire" is full of illustrations and the book is beautifully designed by Nicholas Law with art direction by Bryan Cipolla.  Creative Director is Johan Kugelberg, who has done numerous great books on cult faves.  Remarkable. 

Russ Tamblyn Actor on Tea With Tosh

Russ Tamblyn my special guest on Tea With Tosh.   From 1987!  A superb gentleman.  A close friend of my father Wallace Berman.   Russ is an amazing actor/artist and tells some hysterical stories here. Love the man.

Richard Lloyd Everything is Combustible on Tosh Talks

My little commentary on a very fine memoir by Richard Lloyd, regarding his years with the band Television, as well as a great history of the CBGB's decade in NYC.   Excellent book.  If you have the chance please subscribe to my YouTube channel.  Thanks, Tosh Berman

"Ork Records New York New York" on Tosh Talks

A new "Tosh Talks" episode on the greatness of the "Ork Records: New York New York" (Numero Group) vinyl box set with book.

Peter Case Singer Songwriter on Tea With Tosh

An episode of "Tea With Tosh" with guest Peter Case.  A wonderful guy and a superb songwriter.  From the year 1987.



https://youtu.be/Ul_2VIMVgrA

Robert Desnos - "The Punishments of Hell" (Atlas Press)

ISBN: 978-0-9931487-3-6 Atlas Press


As a teenager who loved to read, I couldn't get enough of The Surrealists.  Before I even found their literature on the printed page, I was intrigued by their sense of dress and haircuts.  There was also a 'gang' mentality when you see a photograph of all of them together.  It's them against the world.  It's that aspect that was a huge appeal for me when approaching the world of DADA and Surrealism.  Once I have bitten into the forbidden apple that is their work, I was hooked.  As of this writing, I'm still glued to their personalities and work.   There are many cliche aspects of Surrealism, but you can't eliminate the wit of some of its writers.  Robert Desnos is the proto-type Surrealist.  He's the guy who could go into a trance and tell a tale that would be mind-blowing.  Although, I suspect that he really wasn't into a dream state, but knew how to fool Andre Breton and company.  
"The Punishments of Hell" is Desnos first prose book.  Written in 1922, I think it was much later published in France.  As mentioned, the gang mentality is very much present, even in this collection of dream prose pieces.  All of Desnos famous friends are mentioned in the narrative, and being a work that was produced during the DADA stage, that was emerging into the Surrealist era, is a fascinating document of its time, place, and more important, the individuals.  Sexual in tone, but never pornographic (at least for the contemporary reader) there are 'shocking' imageries, in the flavor of the Count de Lautrémont, who was clearly the inspiration for "The Punishments of Hell."  Still, it's fascinating how crime and Westerns very much influence surrealist text like this book.  Both in the cinematic world as well as literature.  In a way, Desnos is writing a thriller but with a different type of imagery.  
The book is very dark but humorous.  All of the named figures who were friends of Desnos, pretty much end up dead in a bizarre fashion.  There is a homage to his associates and friends, but all living in a cemetery!   In the common grave, those who are buried are such inspirations to Desnos such as Jarry, Rimbaud, Pierre Souvestre & Marcel Allain (writers of Fantomas) and so forth.   A beautiful edition from Atlas Press, who seem never to fail the fan or reader.  

"Roots, Radicals and Rockers: How Skiffle Changed the World" by Billy Bragg (Faber & Faber)

ISBN: 978-0-571-32774-4 Faber & FaberMusic artist Billy Bragg's history of Skiffle is a remarkable book. For those who don't know, Skiffle is music made in the United Kingdom by people (not all trained musicians) who used homemade instruments, including guitars, to perform blues and folk music, mostly that came from the United States. Lead Belly was the leading performer and songwriter that these young British musicians admired the most, and generally, it is their version of his songs which became popular and in turn, inspired rock 'n' roll in England. Nothing is by itself, and this narrative has the cold war politics as well as how the recording industry operated and tried to control their airways. The power of the teenager, both as a creative force as well as an economic strength is part of this story as well. Bragg did a magnificent job in capturing this large movement on these pages. The book is full of fascinating characters such as Ken Colyer, Lonnie Donegan (Skiffle's Elvis in one sense), Joe Meek and the whole traditional jazz scene, especially in Soho London. 

I have always been fascinated with the post-war years in London, and "Roots, Radicals and Rockers" is a wonderful journey into the world of contemporary music of that time. Also, fascinating to me is how another culture borrows from another to make something new. I would also recommend this book to anyone who is interested in British Punk rock because they share a similar DIY practice.