recess
r VOLUME 15, ISSUE 6
OCTOBER 3, 2013
Nasher’s chief curator extends vision Q&A with Trevor Schoonmaker pg. 5
Alice Notley renowned poet comes to Duke, pg. 6
LORDE Pure Heroine album review, pg. 3
special to the chronicle
ess recess editor’ s recess rec note r ss recess
r recess editors would shut down for...
the chronicle
recess
2 | thursDAY, october 3, 2013
news alert: the government shut down on Tuesday. This upsets me on many levels, but mostly i can’t get over how my fall break eoS field trip won’t be making it into Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. And underlying that distress is mostly my disappointment that i won’t be able to shoot killer rolls of film photographs. Pics or it didn’t happen, as they say. And it’s all too literal for me right now. i guess you could take this to be an elaborate metaphor on the government cramping society’s artistic style, but instead of discussing something so intellectual, i’m going to indulge myself. i’ll use my prime real estate in the paper to reflect on my love for photography that has followed and evolved with me throughout my years at Duke. My first year i was gripped by a fear of forgetting things, and my photographic pursuits were mostly an attempt to document my life. i would take photos of class (i was in the arts Focus, so no, i wasn’t taking pictures in a 300-person lecture hall), of meals, of friends doing 8-minute ab workouts in the hallway of Pegram, of anything and everything. Throughout the past three years, Duke has also taken me abroad to France, Jordan and Morocco, and i’ll admit that the photos really are kind of great.
Lauren Feilich..............................................................................................noccalula Jamie Kessler...................................................................................................grey’s MC Bousquette..................................................................................four more beers Megan Rise........................................................................................................abba Kathy Zhou........................................................................................four more bears
recess
Eliza Bray...................................................................................banana-nutella crepe Minshu Deng...........................................................................................yellowstone
i was extremely motivated to take photos in these places, given my sense of constant discovery and the rich cultures surrounding me. While less psychotic about my photodocumentation these days, i still kick myself in the shins if i miss a great photo opportunity. There are a variety of reasons behind a growing neglect of my cameras. They’re heavy. i’m no longer required to take photos for class. i feel really uncomfortable being perceived as an Asian tourist who takes pictures of everything. People get annoyed when they have to wait to take a bite of their maple bacon donut at Monuts while i take the perfect food shot. And each time i come home to Duke from abroad, i’m left feeling somewhat underwhelmed and unmotivated to take photos of familiar things. And so on. And i have to say that something about digital photography lost its appeal for me while at Duke. The reasons aren’t entirely clear, but i suppose it has something to do with the lack of compelling subject matter. There’s also this occasional stress i feel of digital photography being way too competitive: some people will always just be ahead of me in the game. i realized that this shift away from digital photography isn’t indicative of my “slacking off” artistically, though it kind of feels like that sometimes. While i’ve been taking fewer photos overall, i’ve also gravitated toward film photography. What i do love about film is that each photo taken on an analog camera is a process, and when a roll is finished, getting it developed is like opening gifts at Christmastime. Basically, i can have Christmas on demand. And of course there is just a certain je ne sais quoi about film’s color and grain. There’s a good chance i’ll someday return to digital photography, but only when it feels
right again. i feel the need to say that i am not a great photographer. if i take a great photo, i’m humbled because, honestly, i got lucky and my life was just beautiful in that moment. Why i’m drawn to photography at all, aside from the obvious things like its beauty and ability to capture the unexpected, is that it has the power to arrest my full attention. Curating photos for latent image, editing photos, flipping through “national Geographic”—these are all things i could do to no end. (okay, sure, anyone can scroll through Pinterest and instagram for six hours straight and be fully engaged, but hopefully there’s a difference between that and the way i interact with photos.) i’ve painted all these thoughts in large brushstrokes to demonstrate how jumbled my mind is when evaluating how i’ve grown at Duke. Things (the future, the meaning of life, why my government doesn’t work) are very unclear for me right now as a senior. This month’s special issue of “national Geographic” celebrates 125 years of photography, and after looking through some of the photos—aside from feeling pretty inadequate as a photographer—i feel this intense determination to one day live a life worth photographing. Photography continues to inspire me to live well and be well, and to simply go about the art of living. Ultimately i try not to fetishize photography, especially in a day and age where everyone is hyperaware of how their life looks in pictures. it’s tempting for me to fall into a pics or it didn’t happen mentality, but i’ve come to terms with a new philosophy: life first, photography second. — Minshu Deng
IN DURHAM, AT DUKE, THE WORLD, JUST OUTSIDE YOUR DOOR.
THIS FRIDAY!!!
CAPTIVATING DIVA + EXTRAORDINARY JAZZ BAND
BILLY CHILDS JAZZ CHAMBER ENSEMBLE FEAT. DIANNE REEVES
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4 8 PM • BALDWIN AUDITORIUM
SOLD OUT!!!
SEMINAL AFRICAN-AMERICAN CHOIR
FISK JUBILEE SINGERS
SPECIAL GUESTS: DURHAM SCHOOL OF THE ARTS CHOIR
PEERLESS CHAMBER ENSEMBLE
TETZLAFF STRING QUARTET
HAYDN, BERG, BEETHOVEN
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19 8 PM • BALDWIN AUDITORIUM
SOLD OUT!!!
Hundreds of new styles and frames special for Back-2-School, so you can get Back-2-Cool! Assortments starting at $79!
DAZZLING PIANO VIRTUOSO
YUJA WANG, PIANO
PROKOFIEV, CHOPIN, KAPUSTIN, STRAVINSKY THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24 8 PM • BALDWIN AUDITORIUM
UKE
ST
UDEN
EVERY SHOW. ALL SEASON. TAKE ADVANTAGE.
GET TICKETS: DUKEPERFORMANCES.ORG | 919-684-4444
TS
D
TIX $10
MUSIC all reVieW imaGes special to the chronicle
FUZZ FUZZ Drag City
by Gary Hoffman The ChroniCle
After first listen to Fuzz’s self-titled debut album, i wasn’t sure whether its head-banging intensity was a rebellion against the modern music scene or a rip-off of late ‘60s garage proto-metal. one thing was for certain, though; Fuzz couldn’t care less whether i liked the album or not. Throughout “Fuzz,” frontman Ty Segall shows a marked departure from his previous work. The laid-back, hazy feel of projects like “Sleeper” is replaced by tight drumming, overdriven bass and heavy guitar to give a psychedelic and bluesy yet intense mood. The underwater stoner effect on the lead combines with hopelessly wailing vocals to create a dark quality reminiscent of Black Sabbath and The Stooges. Fuzz’s greatest strength is that they are able to accomplish this bleak feel without sounding dated or cliché. Their manipulation of time signature, mostly seen in ‘Sleigh ride,’ helps make them sound original. Although i’d prefer a more raw sound, the rela-
ART
DUKE PERFORMANCES
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18 8 PM • BALDWIN AUDITORIUM
the chronicle
*Promotion ends 9/30/13. Valid Rx required, outside Rx welcome. Promotion is for new frame and Rx lenses; not valid on lenses only or on previous purchases. Packages may not be combined with any other insurance discounts, government or private insurance benefits, coupons, promotions, special pricing offers or other discounts. ©2013 Eye Care Associates - Optometrists.
For an appointment at any of our convenient Durham locations call
(919) 666-3272
recess tive cleanness of the album creates an ordered clarity with a distinctly modern feel. Guitarist Charles Moothart’s solo work plays a large role throughout the album. Although it can be a bit awkward and forcibly deliberate at times, Moothart’s style creates the feeling of dialogue within the band. The psychedelic lines interspersed with aggressive chords keep the solos entertaining. one major problem with his playing is his overdone use of the tremolo bar. Yes, Fuzz is intense and edgy, but Moothart is skilled enough to convey this quality without having to use this effect as a crutch. his talent definitely shines through in the final track, ‘one,’ a dirty, fast-paced instrumental. lyrically the album is nothing special, mostly because Segall’s wailing is almost impossible to decipher. Still, upon close listening, part of ‘hazemaze’ can be made out to be, “You tell them the secrets of your mind / But the answer, still you cannot find,” and in ‘earthen Gates,’ he’s pretty clearly screaming about conspiracy. it’s safe to say you can expect sardonic, antisociety themes throughout the album. Segall’s drumming makes up for the singing, though, and its controlled intensity keeps the band from ever sounding like complete chaos. “Fuzz” sounds and feels like three friends getting together to pay tribute to a time when rock music took on the dark intensity that made it so vibrantly passionate. Musically, “Fuzz” doesn’t push any boundaries. it combines the heavy psychedelic blues and apocalyptic wailing of past masters with a modern quirkiness and musicianship to put together a solid album that is no less— or more—than straight cool.
thursDAY, october 3, 2013 | 3
MUSIC LORDE Pure Heroine Universal Music
by Christina Lan The ChroniCle
Auckland’s best-kept secret is out. lorde, the mysterious effigy that swept the summer charts with the bass-thumping single ‘royals’ projects an impressive array of lyrical and vocal prowess in her debut album, “Pure heroine.” While most find her 16-year-old maturity shocking, it should come as no surprise for a girl who has been writing and developing her sound since the age of 12. She’s a teen who grew up a little too fast and, like many other young misfits, she calls out all the faux glam and glory in today’s pop culture. ‘royals’ is a testament to that disillusionment and whether she likes it or not, her gritty, no lux-loving hit sits on the top of the charts. Although the content of the rest of the album remains cunningly rebellious, the other songs don’t live up to the popworthy elements in ‘royals.’ That isn’t to say that they aren’t praiseworthy—instead, they intimate a much more talented artist in the works. ‘Tennis Court’ is lyrically gripping. Whereas she rejected fame in ‘royals,’ she mocks it in ‘Tennis Court’ after, of course, having tasted it. lines like “how can i f**k with the fun again, when i’m known,” as
eyes, that are pointed and oval in shape with dark round pupils. “river/Disease” by Anita Dube takes the form of an aerial view of the rivers of the Punjab region,while also bringing to mind the veins of an eyeball. The piece reminds the viewer that not everything was ruptured and divided by the 1947 Partition of india; the five rivers that give Punjab its name cross the country border, just as the cultural region does. The enamel eyes are manufactured for deity statues in hindu worship; their use in the piece connects the Pay it forward with Eye Care Associates. importance of the rivers to spirituality and to the eyeinfecting disease rivers often carry. Buy a complete pair of glasses including frame and the lenses, Several pieces feature traditional artisan crafts, LINES OF CONTROL and a pair will go to someone in need. making the link between identity and material culture Nasher Museum of Art even more nalini Malani and iftihkar Dadi’s Hundreds of new styles and frames specialevident. for “Bloodlines” is made of square panels of overlapping Back-2-School, so you can get Back-2-Cool! by Hannah Anderson-Baranger sequins, severed by red lines marking the border The ChroniCle Assortments startinggold at $79! created by Partition. The piece, recently refabricated, A black barrier encloses you in a small space. You was created in collaboration with embroidery artisans run around frantically, confronted on all sides by this that specialize in the traditional metal-wrapped emominous obstruction. every time you approach the bellishment of india and Pakistan. Another piece, barrier you immediately run away, unable to cross it. “Afghan (black and red)” by Mona hatoum, is a rug, eventually, you steel yourself and miraculously cross in the style that gave the afghan blankets their name, it. it wasn’t a physical obstacle after all. with threads strategically picked out to create a disThis is the action of Surekha’s three-minute video torted projection of the continents. in both pieces, it “lines of Control,” but here, the protagonist is an ant would be nearly impossible for someone unfamiliar and the barrier is a thick black line drawn at the be- with the cultural significance of the crafts to appreciginning of the video. The piece poignantly examines ate the nuances. luckily, the descriptions accompanyone of the main themes of the nasher Museum of ing each work are exceptionally informative. Art’s newest exhibition, “lines of Control: Partition While the majority of the pieces in the exhibition as a Productive Space”—that the difference between focus on the india-Pakistan border, several other borphysical boundaries and mental boundaries is not der conflicts are examined. This not only highlights well-defined. commonality in the experience of borders, but also each of the pieces in the exhibition stands alone reasserts that there are parallels in the origins of as an exploration of a single aspect of the tensions be- these, mostly arbitrary, borders. namely, the legacy tween physical borders and social reality. Therefore, of european empires and colonies, paired with toit seems fitting that each piece has its own distinct day’s intense regulation over human movement, has space on the gallery’s walls or floor. A range of me- caused, and continues to aggravate, many modern diums is represented in the exhibition—woodblock border conflicts. prints, photography, video, textile crafts, installaFor stateless nations or nations that have been distion—allowing a broad experience in content as well rupted, yearning for ancestral lands is common. Many as technique. Viewed together, the pieces offer a criti- are now barred from returning and able only to recal examination of the relationship between national member. “hoMe” by Sophie ernst combines memoidentity, culture and borders. ry, geography, visualization and language in an effort A curving vein winds its way up the wall and branch- to immortalize homes of the past. Two installations es into thinner rivulets, each made of stylized enamel are on display from the ongoing project that is based
well as her sneering little laugh, reveal a youthful side to lorde. The song, with its minimal beats and flippant vocals, calls forth lana Del rey comparisons. Whereas lana Del rey gained her regal status by purposefully lowering her register and using sex appeal, lorde assumes goddess potential without any of lana’s baggage. ‘ribs’ is lorde’s crowning moment. The vocal layering accompanies lorde’s deep and almost chilling melodies brilliantly. her producer, Joel little, captures a nearly flawless vocal mix that fills in the spaces of a rather sparse arrangement. The panning of lorde’s vocals creates a reverberating halo, and this simple yet powerful looping effect turns so many of her other songs into gold. ‘Buzzcut Season,’ an otherwise forlorn track, features gorgeous vocal loops. The vulnerability in her voice evokes fairytale-esque images that become increasingly melancholy as she repeats the line, “i’ll never go home again.” Among other standouts is ‘Team,’ a fist-pumping anthem for all who identify themselves as outsiders (in spite of her confession, “i’m kind of over getting told to throw my hands up in the air”). Consistent with this outcast perspective, lorde wraps up the album with a claim of being immune to or at least detached from today’s overriding pop culture. ‘A World Alone’ features a solid mix of beats that create a dizzying effect but nonetheless fall short of producing an effortless dance track. lorde’s entrance into today’s market of overproduced pop hits is, without question, notable. While her preceding “love Club” eP suggested more potential charttopping hits, “Pure heroine” is not without its merits. While a bit sluggish at first, the album sheds light on a new layer of her gifted artistry with each listen. With so many years ahead of her, lorde is sure to deliver many more lyrical and melodic stunners.
on interviews with displaced Palestinians, iraqi Jews and indians. White architectural models are overlaid with video projections of sketches made during the interviews, while headphones relay memories of lost homes. The conversation and drawings center on the physical layout of the homes—the discussion of the toilet’s location versus the alley is particularly amusing. At times the sketches seem to match perfectly with the models, while at others they are completely disparate geographies, connected only by the memory that is replayed in the viewer’s ear. Then, the sketch shifts and a new piece of paper is laid out, the discussion still trying to pin down the landscape of the past. The reality of the indigenous, or native, peoples of north America exemplifies the challenges created by boundaries and the limits of language. Jolene rickard’s “Fight for the line” overlays images of the onkwehonwe people’s different definitions and dimensions of nationhood—geographical, cultural, linguistic. The onkwehonwe lay claim to ancestral lands divided by the U.S.-Canada border; they position themselves as a stateless nation who still has rights to its land. rickard’s piece pushes on the notion of what defines boundaries by combining imagery of maps, signage, protest and photographs. “lines of Control: Partition as a Productive Space” critically examines the experience of human-made boundaries, both physical and social. it may be easy in Durham to feel distant from the stresses of border conflict, but the reality is that there are boundaries everywhere. The nasher invites Duke and UnC-Ch students to break down boundaries at a Beyond Blue Borders student mixer on november 7. Perhaps we can reconcile our differences even though we are strangers, just as the final piece in the exhibition invites us to do: “The Translator’s Silence,” by The raqs Media Collective, can be taken away. each piece of art is a translucent, tri-folded paper that features three poetry fragments, written in their original languages of english, Urdu/ hindustani and Bengali. The english section reads, “Will you, Beloved Stranger, ever witness Shahid—two destinies at last reconciled by exiles?” Lines of Control: Partition as a Productive Space is on view until February 2, 2014 at the Nasher Museum of Art. For more information, visit http://nasher.duke.edu/exhibitions/lines-of-control/.
4 | thursDAY, october 3, 2013
recess
The Chronicle
None of the Above exhibition examines school-to-prison pipeline
The Chronicle
recess
Jessie Gladin-Kramer
by Katie Fernelius The Chronicle
“Stories create pathways. Stories open minds and inspire actions. Stories make change possible.” This is the belief of Hidden Voices, a non-profit organization that uses both space and language to transform pertinent conversations and to inspire resonating messages. According to Hidden Voices, stories are the avenues in which we best empathize with that which is unfamiliar and inspire actions. Quite simply, stories make us bear witness and obligate us into involvement. This weekend, community members will have an opportunity to be a part of this story at the None of the Above exhibition and performance on Saturday, October 5. The exhibition examines the intersection of race, poverty, education and incarceration present in the “school-to-prison pipeline” within North Carolina. However, the aim of the project is not merely to portray the research outcomes, but to change the language of discussion to personal experiences. The multimedia exhibition not only features artistic interpretations of facts and figures, but also showcases personal narratives from students to educators to juvenile justice officials. “We started out with a classroom aesthetic,” said Lynden Harris, founder and director of Hidden
Voices. “We did workshops with students and teachers around the state in order have their perspective integrated into the exhibit in order to retain the personal element.” The exhibit has many different features, such as interactive classroom furniture, photography of students and teachers imitating each other, critical mapping of North Carolina, informational elementary school-style diagrams and a performance which will be staged as a live radio broadcast before the audience. “There are phone calls coming in from people, people speaking from the audience and a big panel of folks also contributing,” said Harris. “All of those folks are sharing their own stories and not the stories of other people—they are all stakeholders in both the problem of the pipeline and the solution.” The performance will feature individuals who are involved in some capacity in the school-toprison pipeline and give them the opportunity to voice their perspective before the community. The performance showcases these narratives and provides an avenue of connection between the audience and stage members who share in the same community. “Reading an informational paper about this situation is one thing, but performance can influence people to think about situ-
ations and ideas they otherwise might not have, and change the way they think about a given subject, “ said Imani Ifedi, Trinity ‘15. “The emotionality actors can bring to their characters can distinguish the performance from just the statistical and objective approach, thus prompting viewers toward action. This is especially true for this kind of performance that features many different perspectives.” The collaborative element of the project already demands conversation. Photographers must work with students and teachers alike to figure out the best way to demonstrate their relationship. Researchers and artists must come together to figure out not only how to portray the school-to-prison pipeline, but also how to galvanize a meaningful conversation. However, the most pivotal collaboration is between those who create this exhibit and those who witness it. Familiar desks, a map of North Carolina and performed narratives evoke a call-to-action from those who attend. “Empowering people to take action, small or large, is what we all have to do now in our public and private lives,” said Harris. “We do have the power to make change, and we actually have substantial opportunity to move towards a more compassionate and progressive agenda.” Accordingly, None of the Above will feature a section called “Do
One Thing,” which will have a list of actions that any visitor can do during or after their time in the exhibition. The list includes many items that take no longer than one minute, like signing a petition or tweeting a statistic or story from the exhibition. Other items demand more time, like writing a letter to the editor, running for school board or tutoring and empowering a student. “This show is important for people of all backgrounds, but especially for those who, for the most part, cannot relate to what is being discussed.” said Ifedi. “For me, it has solidified the definition of ‘privilege’ and has reinforced the moral obligation I feel to use whatever privilege I have for the betterment of others who deserve just as much as I have been given.” “I think people should be horrified and energized,” said Harris. “I want people to understand that there are real alternatives; there are districts around the country who very effectively dismantled their own school to prison pipeline, and we can too.” None of the Above will be in the Jameson Gallery in the Friedl Building on October 5. The exhibition will finish with a performance at White Lecture Hall at 8 p.m. For more information, visit http://www.http:// hiddenvoices.org/.
thursDAY, october 3, 2013 | 5
Recess interviews Nasher’s new chief curator Trevor Schoonmaker
Q & A
by Sid Gopinath The Chronicle
Trevor Schoonmaker joined the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University as the founding contemporary curator in 2006. Prior to that, Schoonmaker worked as an independent curator in New York. Schoonmaker was recently promoted to the newly-created position of chief curator at the Nasher. Recess’s Sid Gopinath sat down with Schoonmaker to discuss the transition from independent to museum curation and his vision for the future of the Nasher.
R: To start off, what got you to this point?
The above portraits from None of the Above showcase students and teachers imitating each other. The exhibition also includes interactive classroom furniture, a performance and much more.
TS: As an undergrad, I studied art history at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. I grew up in Winston-Salem. I went to University of MichiganAnn Arbor for graduate school. There, I was working on a Ph.D. in art history, focusing on contemporary African art in the mid ‘90s. One thing that happened while I was there was that my advisor, who was from Ghana, did not get tenure after four years into my studies. That gave me an opportunity to rethink what I was trying to achieve. And I realized that a Ph.D. really wasn’t for me because I knew I wanted to curate. So I left! I went to New York, and the first thing I did was I started working in commercial galleries in Chelsea. Working in the commercial gallery environment is a fantastic learning experience because everyone filters through there. All the artists, all the collectors, all the curators, all the museum directors, the whole art world globally passes through. You can quickly learn who is who and how things work in the contemporary art world ecosystem. The gallery I worked for, Brent Sikkema, allowed me to curate my first show, which was in the summer of 2000. I’d been thinking about a show around Fela Kuti, this Nigerian musician and activist who died in ’97, who was very prominent in the ‘70s and ‘80s. I pursued this show and basically naively quit my job at the gallery because I was trying to do this in the evenings and on weekends, and it just wasn’t enough time. The show turned out to be very successful, and some opportunities came my way because of that.
Then [the Nasher] opportunity presented itself and turned out it was an amazing experience. To be here and to join the staff shortly after the museum opened, was really exciting.
R: Compared to being an independent curator, what’s it like being a curator at a museum? TS: It’s completely different. The analogy might be a writer who is at home, writing his or her novel. You know, you’re doing exactly what you want to do. You’re completely focused. As opposed to, say, a beat writer for a magazine or a newspaper. Your voice comes through, your idea comes through, but you’re part of a larger institution. You have a lot of administrative, managerial responsibilities. And so that’s been the larger challenge: finding time to do the research, the reading, the writing.
R: What did the contemporary curator position entail? TS: Thinking about what shows we want to curate ourselves, what artists we want to put forth, what shows we might consider from other institutions and then building a collection. It’s really more about personal relationships. If you know the artists, museum curators and directors and the gallery directors, then they will start to get an idea of what you’re interested in, and they will eventually start presenting things to you. It’s been a big benefit to us.
R: What is the difference now that you are chief curator? TS: It’s really shifting to more managerial duties and being in charge of the department and division, rather than just being a significant player on the team. We have a new director, so it’s working very closely with her to determine our vision for the future.
R: What is your vision for the future of the Nasher? TS: One thing we will see is a little bit more attention on our collection. We’ve been very exhibitionfocused, which has been great for me, because I love doing these shows. But, at the same time, we’ve been building a fantastic contemporary art collection. So we’re going to more frequently have the contemporary collection on view, which is good in a lot of ways. We’re paying attention to a lot of younger artists and artists who’ve been maybe a little overlooked by either
Special to the Chronicle
Trevor Schoonmaker studied art history at UNC before becoming the chief curator of the Nasher Museum of Art.
the marketplace or critics. One example would be Barkley Hendricks. We organized his retrospective in 2008. Now, he’s recognized as one of the great American artists because people just hadn’t had [previous] access to see his work.
R: How does the Nasher fit into the Durham and the Duke community? Is it fitting the way you want it to? TS: We always want to do more, and we always want to do better, but the engagement with students and faculty and the administration is tremendous, and we’re really thrilled. We also have a strong, robust program of teaching. Not only professors teaching classes in the museum, but also bringing students to the museum’s storage. With the Durham community, we’re also very pleased. We’re really happy because we feel like we’ve brought in audiences that, prior to the Nasher’s existence, maybe didn’t have much interaction with the university. The museum has a very university-focused mission, but it also has a public mission. We do a lot of programs for the larger community, and we’ve become sort of the de facto regional museum just by virtue of being here and doing what we do.
SPECIAL To THE CHRONICLE
Schoonmaker poses alongside Wangechi Mutu, an artist and sculptor who previously had her works displayed at the Nasher last spring.
the chronicle
recess
6 | thursDAY, october 3, 2013
Visiting poet brings “imagined territories” to Duke by Kaley Deal The ChroniCle
“Art uses me for whatever it wants,” said Alice notley, a woman on the front lines of poetry whose work has constantly challenged poetic conventions. An esteemed poet, notley weaves critique, imagination and memory into one of the most dynamic collections of poetry for her generation. This Monday, october 7 at 7 p.m., notley will give a reading in McClendon Commons as part of an event sponsored by the Blackburn Fund and the Duke english Department. Among other notable awards, Alice notley has received the los Angeles Times Book Award for Poetry and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. She has written over 25 books of poetry as well as an autobiography, a play and a series of essays. “every book is incredible,” said Joseph Donahue, professor of the practice of english at Duke University. “it will be amazing to hear her voice work through these imagined territories.” “She can do everything. lots of poets can make a career doing just one of the things that she does,” continued Donahue. notley’s poems range from personal narratives to “hair-raising” epics to political inquiries that fiercely criticize the decisions of hegemonic structures within our global society. “There is a fearlessness about her and a trust in her imagina-
tion,” said Donahue. These allow her to do “things that others will be afraid to do.” Joel Brouwer, Professor of english at the University of Alabama, described notley in an october 2007 new York Times review as a “poet who persistently exceeds, or eludes, the sum of her associations.” Although notley is often described in terms of feminism, experimentalism and her family, she resists the need to use labels, which she deems restrictive. notley is often quoted for her statement, “it is necessary to maintain a state of disobedience against...everything.” With this mindset, she has been able to craft her work in a manner that severs ties with tradition. notley has delved masterfully into the world of epics, a historically man-dominated area, as a means to unveil narrative. She has, however, sometimes had to face sexist pushback denouncing the legitimacy of her work. “i demand to be treated better and to be read better,” said notley. in her essay, “The Poetics of Disobedience,” notley rejects the labels that lump people together and have been placed upon her, refusing to let them become “not only an infringement on my liberty but a veil over clear thinking.” There is a freshness to her tone that invites the audience to become “disobedient” along with her, questioning the norms of the worlds in which people find themselves and pushing through any limitations placed
MUSIC special to the chronicle
DANNY BROWN Old Fool’s Gold Records
by Derek Saffe The ChroniCle
on “old,” Danny Brown responds with a vigorous “up yours” to his haters, and confirms that “XXX” was only the beginning of his reign at the helm of the hip-hop underground. Known as ‘The hybrid,’ Brown is perpetually striving to reimagine his style. But for some, his stylistic fluctuation is unwanted. After his aforementioned iconoclastic mixtape “XXX,” Danny Brown has been beset with critiques of how he eschewed his musical roots and flung himself into rap’s avantgarde abyss. influenced heavily by his house DJ father, Britain’s grime scene and ‘90s hip-hop greats like e-40 and ice Cube, Brown has never shied away from reveling in eclecticism. The Detroit native can wax poetic about hometown hero J-Dilla and post-punk greats Joy Division alike. naturally, the gaptoothed and flippant rapper envelops himself in his art—a practice notoriously entwined with his debaucherous lifestyle. An adderall apologist and cannabis connoisseur, Brown car-
upon creative expression. The spaces that fall between her words allow for reflection upon the resonance of sound, and the stream-ofconsciousness style of many of her pieces develops ideas in a manner not far removed from the natural processing of the mind. notley has lived in many different places throughout her life, and the spaces themselves speak through her poetry. She was born in Bisbee, Arizona but grew up in needles, California and, after moving around for a few years, settled in new York, informing her style as a second-generation new York School poet. She currently resides in Paris, her home of 21 years. When asked about the ways in which her writing has been influenced by the physical spaces of her lifetime, Alice replied, “When i write thinking about needles, my work becomes more hard-edged, as if it’s in a desert light—i’m talking about the words themselves here, not necessarily about what my so-called subject might be. When i write out of a feeling for new York or Paris, the language becomes denser or more conversational. one’s writing grows to resemble the place where one lives, though this is usually pretty subjective in poetry.” notley, as described by Donahue, is “incredibly prolific,” “fearless,” and “always a surprise.” he continued, “it is a reading of a lifetime...to hear a poet of this scale scope read. She’s one of the great ones.”
ries himself with drug-addled exuberance on his recordings and live interviews. This is seldom done, however, without a heavy dose of self-awareness and insight, infusing his work with a succulent emotional core fleshed out by his virtuosic lyricism. The album’s tracks work well individually and meld together with robust thematic consistency when viewed as a whole. on Side A of his lP, Danny Brown unleashes his most narratively evocative tracks and his surprisingly insightful musings on hood life and the dark side of his lifestyle. Side B of “old” answers the question “Where’s that old Danny Brown?” by painting himself as a serial consumer of molly off of your girlfriend’s derriere—complete with a toothless grin and chemically induced jocularity. old’s instrumental structure is constructed from the immaculate taste of choice producers like Paul White, Skywlkr, Darq e Freaker and rustie. The South london-bred Paul White is the breakout star from the album’s production stable. White blends sitars, Krautrock riffs and disparate musical influences (note the Andean flute section on the buoyantly trippy ‘Wonderbread’) to create a mass of sound that lends itself surprisingly well to Brown’s dynamic cadence and introspective subject matter. ‘Side A (old)’ leads off his first barrage with Paul White’s immaculate production sensibility and dispels his detractors with brisk literary fury: “now i’m in the rap game, verse worth a brick/fiends linin’ up for a hit of this sh*t/and i reps that shit now and forever.” ‘The return’ follows up the opener with an effortless swagged-out aes-
notley will read both published and new work on Mon., october 7 at 7 p.m. in McClendon Commons. Admission is free. For more information, visit http:// english.duke.edu/.
special to the chronicle
Poet Alice Notley featured above has received the Los Angeles Times Book Award and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.
thetic that includes a Freddie Gibbs feature matching Brown on the hype scale. Gibbs discharges blazing verbiage over the suave g-funk referencing beat. Another standout—‘Clean Up’—contains the most sobering verse of the record: “daughter sending me messages saying daddy i miss you/but in this condition i don’t think she need me.” ‘25 bucks’ featuring Purity ring is the only discernible sonic miss from his crop. his voice never truly meshes with the metallic sheen of the Canadian electro artists’ sound. But even though it may not merit repeated plays, the track still shines as an insightful effort to expand from Brown’s musical comfort zone. ‘Side B (Dope Song)’ marks the moment when Brown pops a molly (or three) and veers the album into the sweaty confines of grime and trapinflected party rap, gushing about excess with eloquent vulgarity. ‘Dip’ and the Scrufizzer featuring ‘Dubstep’ are the most resplendent from Side B and are assured warehouse party fixtures. ‘Kush Coma’ sees him partnered up with fellow herbal enthusiast A$AP rocky and is one of the hardest hitting stoner anthems ever, pulverizing ThC-infused brains with pulsating snares and kick drums to delirious effect. By the time album closer “Float on” fades out and the listener is left to assess what just happened, there is one thing left clear. nobody in the American scene can match the hype levels of Danny Brown at the moment. As long as he doesn’t oD or return to prison, Brown will happily serve as our purveyor of dopeness for the time being.
CHILDS from News page 1 vocalist in conjunction with his jazz chamber ensemble, a group for which he has written for 12 years. “each new commission is always something different. i thought it was appropriate to take poetry that describes the whole situation of commemoration.” Childs said. “i took poetry and set it to music, [and] had Diane reeves participate and sing in it. She and i go way back.” The poems that reeves will sing in “enlightened Souls” are Claude McKay’s “The White house,” Dianna DiPrima’s “revolutionary letter #20” and Walter Benton’s “This is My Beloved: entry April 28.” Childs arranged, orchestrated and conducted reeves’s Grammy-winning album “The Calling: Celebrating Sarah Vaughan.” he has also served as her music director. Childs was approached by Greenwald roughly a year ago about the concept of doing a project for Duke. “it sounded like an incredible idea once i found out what the whole thing was about,” he said. “i started getting down to the nuts and bolts of it a couple months ago. i can’t wait to perform this piece. it’s very ambitious.” reese noted that, although the upcoming weekend is the 50th Anniversary’s formal finale and includes the closing gala, the nature of the celebration will live on. “This is the formal ending, but we will continue to reflect on the presence of African-American students and continue to enhance and further a wonderful, world-class institution,” reese said.