worlds collide

Doug Henwood dhenwood at panix.com
Mon Feb 26 07:54:07 PST 2001


Justin Schwartz wrote:


>I take it you don't care for Broadside-type political folk? Pete
>Seeger, Peggy Seeger & Ewan MacColl, Phil Ochs, Malvina Reynolds,
>etc.?

Right. That stuff makes me want to scream. Strumming banjos around the campfire will be a capital offense after my revolution.


>Leek, I saw a fine off-Broadway (well, this being Chicago, off-State
>St.) production of Brecht's St. Joan of the Stockyards, almost
>enough to revive the old time religion in me. What's your take on
>Brecht, who has irony and wit, but is also deadly earnest about the
>Revolution?

As Jill Johnston used to say, you can be serious without being earnest. I like Brecht. But that combination of political seriousness with irony and wit is pretty rare.

Am I alone in finding most "political" art unbearable or nearly so?

Doug



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