Edward Steed in The New Yorker
First Date
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Author Archives: Jack Shalom
“Bye, Bye, Miss American Pie”
Monday Morning, Don McLean in a great re-make of “American Pie,” fifty years later. At last, all the verses again–not like the awful truncated version from Madonna. McLean is accompanied by the wonderful acapella group, Home Free. As always, not an instrument in sight; all the percussion you hear are mouth sounds from band member Adam Rupp, in the short-sleeve purple T-shirt. See here if you don’t believe it.
Once, when McLean was asked what the song meant, he replied, “It means I’ll never have to work again if I don’t want to.”
Click on the image to play.
More at Home Free
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“What Do You Expect From A Moose?”
Welcome actors June Foray and Bill Scott to the virtual studio, as they do the voices for Rocky The Flying Squirrel and Bullwinkle Moose, among other characters from the classic Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoon television series of the early 1960s.
Click on the image above to play the clip.
Thanks to YouTuber davidalpert
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Everyone Was Beautiful: Paul Hostovsky
I first heard poet Paul Hostovsky reading in a poetry series out of Boston called Rozzie Reads. His poems immediately struck me as funny, closely observed crafted stories, the kind you come home and tell your intimate other about.
Paul’s work for the past decades situates him in a unique position with regard to language: Hostovsky is a sign language interpreter and a Braille instructor who has been a recipient of an award from the American Association of the DeafBlind “for being a devoted friend and ambassador by promoting the interests and well-being of DeafBlind Americans.”
Click on the triangle or the mp3 link above to hear the poems as broadcast yesterday on the Arts Express radio program on WBAI FM NYC and Pacifica stations across the nation.
Paul’s website is www.paulhostovsky.com and you can get his latest book, Mostly, at: https://www.amazon.com/Mostly-Paul-Hostovsky-ebook/dp/B08Z4GYRBM/
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The Eagle Has Landed
(Click to enlarge)
This osprey has just come back to its nest with a bunch of extra building material to keep it nice and warm.
Marine Park Salt Marsh
Brooklyn, New York
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Home Free Drum Kit
The amazing Adam Rupp of the a capella song group Home Free provides the percussion for the singers. In this phenomenal “drum solo” he proves to the audience that there’s no drum kit up his sleeve, and that it’s all done vocally.
More at Home Free
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Chim Chim Cheree
(Click to enlarge)
65th Street
Brooklyn, New York
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The Lost Family: How DNA Testing is Upending Who We Are: Part Two
Last week we brought you Part One of our interview with journalist Libby Copeland, author of The Lost Family: How DNA Testing has Upended Who We Are. We spoke about how the DNA tests offered by companies such as Ancestry and 23and me can have unintended consequences when people thought to be close biological relatives turn out to be no such thing. This week in Part Two we turn our attention to the larger societal issues including surveillance and privacy of genetic data.
Click on the triangle or mp3 link above to hear Part Two of my interview with Libby Copeland, as broadcast today on the Arts Express radio program on WBAI FM NYC and Pacifica affiliates across the nation.
Part One can heard here:
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Sh-Boom (Life Could Be A Dream)
Monday morning: what could be. The Chords had a hit with this song in 1954. Ever-Reliable Wikipedia tells us it was the first doo-wop song to make it into the top ten of the pop charts.
Click on the image to view the video.
Thanks to YouTuber BearWalken
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Fool Us: Vitaly Beckman
I am proud to say that after watching this very effective and puzzling illusion performed by magician Vitaly Beckman, I then watched it a few more times and came to almost exactly the same conclusion as Penn and Teller.
More at Vitaly Beckman
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Birch A-Peel
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This peeling birch is providing both insects and cover for the blue jay. Did you spot it right away?
Prospect Park
Brooklyn, New York
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Tupelo Honey
Reina and Toni with the Van Morrison classic.
Click on the image to play
More at Reina del Cid
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A Modest Proposal
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Prospect Park
Brooklyn, New York
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If I Only Had A Brain
Ray Bolger and Judy Garland, 25 years after their first meeting as The Scarecrow and Dorothy Gale from Kansas.
Click on the image to play.
Thanks to YouTuber The Vintage Archive
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The Lost Family: Part One
With TV shows like Henry Louis Gates’ Finding Your Roots, and aggressive advertising of DNA testing by companies like Ancestry.Com, millions have spit into a tube to find the names of their particular ancestors and relatives, and more generally to confirm their ethnic heritage. But these appealing tests have some far-reaching consequences that most of us have not even considered. Award-winning Washington Post reporter Libby Copeland has written about the unforeseen consequences of these genetic tests in a beautifully structured and comprehensive book called The Lost Family: How DNA is Upending Who You Are.
Click on the triangle or mp3 link above to hear Part One of my interview with Libby Copeland as broadcast today on the Arts Express radio program on WBAI FM NYC and Pacifica affiliates across the nation.
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Toto Too
Monday morning, because sometimes the original is the best.
Thanks to YouTuber Movieclips
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April Showers
In this issue:
** Comedian/actress Margaret Cho talks with Prairie Miller about Anti-Asian racism and more
** Paul Robeson re-imagined in an excerpt from actor/playwright Tayo Aluko ‘s Paul Robeson’s Love Song
** Poet Paul Hostovsky with his humorous and trenchant poems.
** Photos from the larger-than-life Garden of Sculpture
And much more!
Click here to view online:
Get your free email subscription by emailing us at Artsexpresslist@gmail.com and put the word “subscribe” in the subject line
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Crooked Path
Prospect Park
Brooklyn, New York
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Pond Life Revisited
(Click to enlarge)
Our friend Pearl Shifer created this lovely painting based on a photo I posted last week. Thanks, Pearl!
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The Portal: Nellie McKay
A beautiful haunting song by Nellie McKay.
Click on the image to play.
Thanks to YouTuber Zoltán Borók-Nagy
FREE livestream by Nellie, Tuesday April 6th EDT!!!
http://www.signaturesounds.com/homesessions
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Tony Bennett Meets Anthony Bennedeto
Alec Baldwin as Tony Bennett with a very special guest.
Thanks to YouTuber Saturday Night Live
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Good Dog
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Greenwood Cemetery
Brooklyn, New York
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So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright
Monday morning, Josh Turner and Ben Cooley make like Paul and Artie with this song from the Simon and Garfunkel Bridge Over Troubled Water album.
More at Josh Turner Guitar
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Fashion Show
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This glamorous Wood Duck walks the model runway showing off for fellow birds.
Prospect Park
Brooklyn, New York
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Voice Of America
Is the most famous and recognizable voice in America that of Homer Simpson? Or is it Krusty the Clown, Grandpa Simpson, or Willie the Groundskeeper? Voice actor Dan Castellaneta gives voice to all of them in this interview on the Conan O’Brien show.
Thanks to YouTuber Team Coco
