In this edition, an interview, another late-ish show, a play and a museum. And I have a question about a book and a film recommendation.
Kwame Anthony Appiah interviewed by David Remnick at the Morgan Library. Part of the Paris Review decades-long series of interviews, now archived at the Morgan, this short but fascinating evening was the first step of what will, after many more hours of talking, research, and editing, be published in a future issue of the Paris Review. Appiah is a philosopher, social commentator, and author, and also writes the weekly Ethicist column in the New York Times Sunday magazine. Much of the hour focused on his origin story, with his philosophy, and the controversy it has generated, touched on only briefly. His father was Ghanaian, originally a comrade and later an opponent of Kwame Nkrumah, and a significant figure in the drive for independence from Britain. His mother came from an old and distinguished English family. Appiah was born in London but moved with his family to Ghana when he was six months old. After his father had a falling out and was imprisoned by Nkrumah, Appiah was sent to a school near to his English grandparents. He is charming but it is hard not feel a bit intimidated by his intellect. David Remnick, the editor of the New Yorker, and a pretty smart guy himself, can sometimes dominate an interview, but he let Appiah speak. An uplifting night of conversation.
Nilson Matta’s Brazilian Voyage Quartet at Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola. Some nights you see a performance that just carries the entire room to a higher level, when the musicians are on and the audience gets it. This was one of those. It was a beautiful evening, and while I am often struck by how little like a jazz club Dizzy’s looks—with a huge wall of glass overlooking Columbus Circle, the bottom of Central Park, and the lights of midtown—on this night it all seemed perfect. Matta is a warm host and bandleader, and a superb bass player. His group included Helio Alves on piano, Brian Lynch on trumpet, and Adriano Santos on drums and percussion. Most of the night was devoted to original compositions by Matta, Alves, and the other members of the group, but the band also interpreted some standards, including several pieces from Black Orpheus. They also did a version of Girl from Ipanema, a beautiful, if ubiquitous, song that sounded fresh in their hands. Matta started a number of the tunes by playing variations on the central theme solo, then joined by the rest of the band. A few songs in, the fifth member of the quintet—tap dancer Felipe Galganni–came out and brought the proceedings to yet another level. His skill and energy, trading riffs first with the entire band, then with each of the players, was infectious. A really special night of music—warm, joyful, accomplished.
Anatomy of a Suicide at the Atlantic Theater Company. A brilliantly staged and acted play by Alice Birch, originally produced in London. Three generations of women are portrayed in simultaneous scenes, sharing the stage, lines interplaying and sometimes overlapping or voiced in unison, all revolving around action somewhat obvious from the title. After an hour and forty-five minutes with no intermission, some very fine acting, and inventive staging, I am not certain the play effectively illuminated the motivations of the characters or the issue of mental health more broadly. Still a fine evening of theater.
Edith Halpert and the Rise of American Art and Rachel Feinstein’s Maiden, Mother, Crone at the Jewish Museum. The gallerist Edith Halpert founded the Downtown Gallery in 1926. She had a brilliant eye and the resolve to bring her artists into prominence—and sales. She promoted American artists like Stuart Davis and Georgia O’Keeffe at a time when the art world looked primarily to Europe. She championed folk art at a time it was not considered a “fine art”, as well as the work of diverse artists such as Jacob Lawrence and Yasuo Kuniyoshi. And she helped populate some of the major art collections of her day, including that of Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, much of which became the core of the original collection of the Museum of Modern Art. A fascinating look into the history of American art in the first half of the 20th century. Rachel Feinstein came much later—she rose to prominence in the 1990s—but this exhibit includes an arresting collection of her work in several media, including a film, some large sculptures along with beautifully intricate maquettes, and paintings on mirrors. It also includes a white-painted wood panel and some wallpaper executed by her. A small but dense exhibit and worth the trip.
Six Feet of Books, Short Takes edition: After staring at the cover of Isabella Hammad’s The Parisian in the window of one of my favorite bookstores for months, I was given a copy by a dear friend. It is a sweeping saga centered around Midhat Kamal, a Palestinian from Nablus, who is sent to France to study medicine. Hammad is young and a masterful storyteller, and the book offers insights into the history of Palestine in the first half of the 20th century. As with many such books, there is a “cast of characters” at the beginning of the book, now well-thumbed on my copy. And a timeline of key historical events in the back. But Hammad also uses Arabic expressions throughout with no translation. Some are easy to figure out from the context, but at times I found the device distracting. What do you think about this technique?
As an aside, if you are ever in or around Chelsea, please stop by 192 Books on 10th Avenue between 21st and 22nd Streets—it is a small space but its stock is wonderfully selected and the people who work there are extremely knowledgeable.
A recommendation: Four Winters. Please be on the lookout for the documentary Four Winters, the story of the Jewish Partisans in World War II. Likely the last direct testimony of extraordinary deeds by ordinary people in resisting the Nazis and their collaborators. A must see.
Next up: Hamlet at St. Ann’s Warehouse.
