A lovely Bay Area day in historic “Provo” Park. The Watershed Festival evoked deep love and deep concern for the environment. It delighted human and beast alike and brought out the bioregionalism in all of us.
University of Le Havre symposium deconstructs legacy of Woodstock
For two days, 20 speakers are gathering at this scholarly symposium in France to “recontextualize” the historic and wild counter-cultural event that was Woodstock!
The English translation at the conference website reads:
In August 1969, Max Yasgur organized a festival of music and peace on his farm near the small town of Woodstock in upstate New York. His “Woodstock Music and Art Fair” was a great moment in popular music but also – and perhaps more importantly – Woodstock became a symbol of a whole generation of young people who face an America that was reactionary and warlike, adopted a particular way of being and living, culture, freedom of thought and political vision of the United States and the world.
As part of this conference, author Destiny Kinal is presentating a paper on the Diggers [Read more…] about University of Le Havre symposium deconstructs legacy of Woodstock
Big Beautiful Sexy Banned Books
Sexual, blasphemous, atheist, magical, anti-racist and feminist, or just too rooted in scientific reality — which books, From the ridiculously licentious Fanny Hill to the sublimely path-breaking Origin of Species — have raised the ire of a school board or other authority? The ALA (American Library Association) has lists of books people have tried to get ousted from libraries and schools and they might surprise you. [Read more…] about Big Beautiful Sexy Banned Books
Indian academic calls women writers whores but women wield their pens undaunted
The recent public remarks by an Indian university vice chancellor, Vibhuti Narain Rai, that Indian women writers are no better than prostitutes (chinaal) has unleashed a (well-deserved) storm of controversy and (appropriate) demands for his resignation.
In the name of everything matrilineal, and human, this is the stuff of feudal history. [Read more…] about Indian academic calls women writers whores but women wield their pens undaunted
Mountain lion shot in Berkeley, tragedy of time and place
Mountain Lions in Berkeley? Mike Davis once wrote a book called Ecology of Fear where he took on the bad rap mountain lions have gotten. Through no fault of their own, they must struggle to survive as humans invade their habitat. He described the voracious and amoebic development of Los Angeles with its negative unintended consequences as it sprawled over the former wild and wetlands, wiping out predators and spreading disease.
It was horrifying enough to read about this happening in LA — but — is the same thing occurring in Berkeley of all places? [Read more…] about Mountain lion shot in Berkeley, tragedy of time and place