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Straight Up | Jan Herman

Arts, Media & Culture News with 'tude

That Gaze Is a Gaze of Suspicion

April 15, 2025 by Jan Herman

And what does she suspect?
Yes, you guessed it.
Skulduggery of course.

Musk and His Chainsaw Are Still Coming for You

March 8, 2025 by Jan Herman

You think DOGE is gone? He’s still here! And so is his chainsaw!

Proposal for a Billboard

March 4, 2025 by Jan Herman

The tag team of Elon Musk and Donald Trump were cheered ringside by MAGA Republicans during el presidente’s speech to the joint session of Congress.

You Are All Deleted. You Are Deleted Forever.

March 2, 2025 by Jan Herman

AGITPROP PROPOSAL FOR A BILLBOARD: To be deleted is not a matter of the Internet. It’s a matter of reality.

The White House

February 28, 2025 by Jan Herman

The White House in Washington, D.C. also known as Trump's Shithouse.

Color it brown.

My Books

February 19, 2025 by Jan Herman

Several books of poems are published by Moloko Print and Stadtlichter Presse in bilingual (American-German) editions, and by Cold Turkey Press in handmade chapbooks. “The Z Collection” appeared in three editions, by AC Books, Blue Wind Press, and Moloko Print.”

More Resonant Than Ever
Heathcote Williams’s ‘The United States of Porn’

February 13, 2025 by Jan Herman

Heathcote Williams [photo: JH]

Heathcote was always prescient. But it is still astonishing to realize how relevant — and resonant — his dissident voice remains more than a dozen years after he recorded “The United States of Porn.”

Steff Signer / Cabinet Music — Frozen Duck Tears

February 12, 2025 by Jan Herman

Concept & Music Vocals & Moniphonium Inventions:
Steff Signer, Switzerland
Photography: Mario Baronchelli, Switzerland
«Mother of Transgression» Poetry: Florian Vetsch
Brass Instruments & Tibetan: «singi»
Cymbals: Markus Breuss, Spain
Electric Guitar Explosion: Chanan Hanspal, England
Viola: David Schnee
Recitation Text: Liz Foulis, Scotland
Recitation Poetry: Jaswant Hanspal

What Trump Really Wants . . .

January 14, 2025 by Jan Herman

. . . is your money. Here’s his latest tacky tin-cup beg.

The Late Brion Gysin (1916-1986) Is Having a Moment

November 27, 2024 by Jan Herman

Over the years he had many, in fact, although few of them lived up to his expectations. But never mind. An updated model of his and Ian Sommerville’s Dreamachine was recently featured in a symposium on art, AI, and the humanities here in New York; and another will be installed in London at the Tate Modern, in the exhibition “Electric Dreams: Art and Technology Before the Internet,”which will run from the end of this month (Nov. 28) to June 1, 2025. Meanwhile, Roger Knoebber has brought Gysin back to life in a shaggy, unconventional book-length profile, “Hysteresis.”

Does the Dreamachine Elude AI? Yes It Does.

November 20, 2024 by Jan Herman

Scholars and specialists addressed ethical and political considerations surrounding AI in collaborations with human creators. Topics ranged from AI aesthetics to the early history of machine learning, from multimedia art to computational research experiments with artificial intelligence, including AI biases and applications.

David Erdos: ‘The United Hates of America’

November 6, 2024 by Jan Herman

You can be sure his poem will not be read at the Orange Turd’s coronation.

A Second Look
Touched by a Documentary Ode to Nelson Algren

October 27, 2024 by Jan Herman

'Ticket to New Jersey: A Portrait of Nelson Algren' by Jan Herman

Some years ago I criticized Michael Caplan’s documentary ode to Nelson Algren as the cinematic equivalent of a pop tart. Now that I’ve had another look I see that I was very wrong.

Lionel Ziprin: ‘One of the Secret Heroes of Our Time’

October 14, 2024 by Jan Herman

“I am not an artist. I am not an
outsider. I am a citizen of the
republic and I have remained
anonymous all the time by choice.”

‘Dear Willy’ Tells a War Tale of Love and Hope

September 29, 2024 by Jan Herman

The letters that Hollywood director William Wyler and his wife Talli wrote to each other during World War II are the basis of a new documentary directed by Taylor Alexander.

Artists of ‘Harlem Renaissance’ at Metropolitan Museum

June 15, 2024 by Jan Herman

Glad I got to the Met for a glimpse before it becomes hotter ‘n hell.  Although the museum was jammed, the show itself was comfortable. It was also much larger than I expected. I hadn’t realized how many accomplished painters there were among the Harlem group. For example, I had never heard of Archibald Motley Jr. who I thought pretty much sets the exquisite tone of the show, though by no means exclusively.

New York City Opera
Outdoor Puccini Celebration in the Heart of Manhattan

June 2, 2024 by Jan Herman

Huge crowds turned out for two boffo evenings of concert excerpts from Puccini’s operas. It was part of Bryant Park’s free, summer Picnic Performances. Music was provided by New York City Opera, “famously dubbed ‘The People’s Opera’ by Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia at its founding in 1943.'” I attended on a beautiful, balmy Saturday evening.

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Jan Herman

When not listening to Bach or Cuban jazz pianist Chucho Valdes, or dancing to salsa, I like to play jazz piano -- but only in the privacy of my own mind.
Another strange fact... Read More…

About

My Books

Several books of poems have been published in recent years by Moloko Print, Statdlichter Presse, Phantom Outlaw Editions, and Cold Turkey … [Read More...]

Straight Up

The agenda is just what it says: news of arts, media & culture delivered with attitude. Or as Rock Hudson once said in a movie: "Man is the only … [Read More...]

Contact me

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