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ICON

JANUARY Elena Shackleton, Joe's Verse. The Baum School of Art

The intersection of art, entertainment, culture, opinion and mad genius

INTERVIEW

Filling the hunger since 1992

18 | BOB WOODWARD

SHORT STORY

215-862-9558

20 | MY AFFAIR WITH “THE AFFAIR”

icondv.com facebook.com/icondv PRESIDENT

Trina McKenna trina@icondv.com Kacey Musgraves.

MORE FILM

ART 5|

ESSAY Hunting Party EXHIBITIONS

24 |

DOCUMENTARY De Palma FOREIGN Becoming Astrid

FOODIE FILE Simply Still The Baum School of Art

Ruth Wilson and Dominic West, in The Affair.

Claudia Bitran: Filters and Dolphin Sounds Martin Art Gallery 10 |

STAGE

12 |

NIGHTLIFE

26 |

MUSIC 28 | SINGER / SONGWRITER John Hiatt The Flesh Eaters Ruth Wyand Mark Knopfler Eric Bibb

16 |

Neneh Cherry Rosalia Who is H.E.R.?

CINEMATTERS On the Basis of Sex

30 | JAZZ/ ROCK/CLASSICAL/ALT Kandace Springs Harriet Tubman Cannonball Adderley Etta Jones Arlene Sierra

FILM ROUNDUP Cold War

Rosalia. Photo: Rolling Stone.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Vice Welcome to Marwen 22 |

REEL NEWS A Simple Favor Tea with the Dames

ON THE COVER: Journalist and author Bob Woodward. Photo: Earl Wilson/New York Times. Page 18. 4

33 | JAZZ LIBRARY Sir Roland Hanna

ETCETERA 32 |

HARPER’S FINDINGS

32 |

HARPER’S INDEX

34 |

L. A. TIMES CROSSWORD

35 |

AGENDA

I Am Not a Witch Roma

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Richard DeCosta Megan Flanagan Rita Kaplan

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS A. D. Amorosi Robert Beck Jack Byer Peter Croatto Geoff Gehman Mark Keresman

FILM 14 |

PRODUCTION

Mambo Italiano

29 | POP

Raina Filipiak / Advertising filipiakr@comcast.net

25 |

De J’ai Vue Saigon New Hope Arts Center

On the Basis of Sex.

EDITORIAL Editor / Trina McKenna

George Miller Bob Perkins Keith Uhlich Tom Wilk

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ART ESSAY & PAINTING BY ROBERT BECK

HUNTING PARTY

HEN YOU DRIVE AT night in the country, the future shrinks to the range of your headlights, and your peripheral view all but disappears. You turn the wheel, and the beams reach to the side and usher things in from the darkness for you to deal with. We are used to that. There was a time when night was night, and you waited until morning to find out what’s there, but last fall through the miracle of incandescence and internal combustion I came across two deer hanging on a rack next to a farmhouse, up-county from where I live. All of an instant, there they were, swung-in from nowhere, startling me a bit. The sight of those deer sent my thoughts in a number of directions. Some were memories from my first hunting experience, which I didn’t care for. I know how easy it is to get caught up in the beauty of being out in the natural world; the smell of the outdoors, sunrise skimming the trees, crunching through the field on a frosty morning, your breath clouding in front of your face. I appreciate the inherent satisfaction in matching wits with wild animals, but not in killing for sport or enjoyment. True, I kill things if I can’t relocate them, but I don’t like doing it. It makes me cringe. I’m fine if I never get used to it. As a rite of passage, I don’t see how hunting comes close to all the other ways you can initiate a transition to adulthood, and I suspect that buying your meat at the market is less expensive in the end. However, it’s not a one-sided issue. Hunting has come a long way since you made your own bow out of a bent sapling, but it remains a deeply-rooted cultural convention. Two million years of it. Of more immediate concern, the deer population is way out of balance around here and causing significant environmental damage, so what do you do? And having someone else kill my food for me doesn’t absolve me of anything. All that said, a dead animal is difficult to ignore when it hangs from a rope in front of your face. The encounter gave me a sober focus all week. I decided to paint what I was feeling. As I first saw it, the deer in the yard next to the farmhouse would have made an excellent plein air painting, but I didn’t have the time right then. Working in the studio gave me the opportunity to compose a larger, more complex image. My painting’s narrative often changes as I research the subject and make links to other ideas, and when I was looking at hunting pho-

tos, I noticed how many were from ads targeting women. They represent a large and growing market for manufacturers of guns and hunting supplies—including pink camo. Since much of the news at the time involved the atrocious behavior exposed by the #MeToo movement, all of these thoughts mingled in the same soup. There is no question that women are not equally represented in opportunities any more than they are in protections and rewards, and that’s wrong. And sexual abuse is wrong. But it’s not clear to me that one gender inherently conducts itself better than another when in a position of power. Images don’t have strict interpretations, like words, but there were plenty of ways to get it wrong. I was going for fair. The deer hanging in the painting are the same deer from a century ago, but this is a vastly different age. One that moves faster than we can apprehend. In spite of all the tools and information available to us, things are no more clear-cut than back then. Our dependence on the digital world makes our information-gathering vulnerable to grand feats of sleight-of-hand (which used to be called prestidigitation. I love that). And so the painting evolved, a search for a thread of truth in these thoughts. The place where a painting gets called finished is just a point along a path. The image is never one thing, rather it’s the most recent convergence of understandings that have been pulling and pushing against me my whole life. There’s so much beyond the rapidly changing view that makes you want to grab the wheel and say WAIT. . . let’s STOP and look at this a moment. But it’s more convenient, and sometimes quite profitable, to fill the darkness with easier-understood convictions and suppositions. It seems there is no time to consider the broader perspective before another distraction dances into our headlights. n ICON | JANUARY 2019 | ICONDV.COM | FACEBOOK.COM/ICONDV

EXHIBITIONS

Celebration Float.

De J’ai Vue Saigon

Sandy Corpora, Star Blue Hydrangea

Claudia Bitran: Filters and Dolphin Sounds

New Hope Arts Center, 2A Stockton Ave., New Hope. 215-862-9696 newhopearts.org Opening January 19, 6–8 Gallery hours: 1/20, 1/27, 1/28, 12–5 With the release of Sandy Hanna’s new book, The Ignorance of Bliss: An American Kid in Saigon, a combination book signing (in cooperation with Farley’s Bookshop) and art show will feature 16 new paintings of Saigon during the early ’60s. In addition, a film created by other “Saigon Kids” will be shown. Ms. Hanna’s coming-of-age story and paintings depict growing up in Saigon with her military family. She reveals a world of crushing poverty and extraordinary beauty; a world of streets, villas, and brothels, where politics and intrigue reside. Text and images on canvas provide a visual interpretation to a world as little understood then as it is today.

Martin Art Gallery Muhlenberg College 2400 Chew Street, Allentown PA 484-664-3467 muhlenberg.edu/gallery Through February 2, 2019

Lauren Kindle, Longing Endlessly

Jacqueline Meyerson, Five Cobalt Bottles

Simply Still The Baum School of Art 510 Linden Street, Allentown, PA 610-433-0032 baumschool.org January 10–February 7 Artists’ Reception: Third Thurs., Jan. 17, 6–8 Simply Still brings together four local painters in three mediums who explore the age-old genre of still life painting. Oil painters Sandra Corpora and Lauren Kindle, Master Pastelist Jacqueline Meyerson, and oil and watercolor artist Elena Shackleton create beautiful studies of form, color, texture, and composition. Using their chosen mediums, they combine traditional subject matter such as flowers and fruit with commonplace objects including glass bottles and jars, fabric, and even playing cards. Sponsors: Janet and Malcolm Gross. 6

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In her exhibition Filters and Dolphin Sounds at Muhlenberg College’s Martin Art Gallery, Brooklynbased artist Claudia Bitran premieres four new works that explore the semiotics of personal marketing and online sharing culture. Bitran’s painted, drawn, or sculpted objects explore our disposable online content by critically highlighting the unspoken and invisible digital processes we take for granted. Her “Filters” (2018) installation, is a series of abstract, colored pencil doodles drawings on Plexiglas, mounted on hand made back-lit light boxes, meant to emulate Instagram filters. Other unique works include a four-foot mixed media dolphin sculpture complete with pop music soundtrack, a DIY animation of Babies and Animals Falling, and over two dozen paintings based on Instagram influencers.

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STAGE VALLEY

CITY

Chicago. This Kander/Ebb/Fosse musical puts the dazzle back in razzle. Conniving murderesses compete for tabloid headlines and headlining vaudeville shows, managed and manipulated by a lawyer who doubles as a flimflamming ventriloquist. Scintillatingly sexy dancers contort themselves every which way and do a wicked cellblock tango. Knockout songs range from the explosive “We Both Reached for the Gun” to “Mr. Cellophane,” my favorite sad-sack soft-shoe shuffle. (State Theatre, 453 Northampton St., Easton, Jan. 30) Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play. Nuclear-holocaust survivors improvise the “Cape Feare” episode of The Simpsons, which evolves over eight decades into a “Simpsons” troupe and a “Simpsons” musical pageant. Anne Washburn’s inventive dissection of culture, civilization and myth was referenced in a 2015 Simpsons episode as a post-apocalyptic movie. (Baker Center for the Arts, Muhlenberg College, 2400 Chew St, Allentown, Feb. 20-24) Renee Elise Goldsberry. The versatile theater/TV veteran won a Tony as Angelica Schuyler, the title character’s witty, brainy sister-in-law in Hamilton. She more than satisfied in “Satisfied,” singing and rapping at warp speed of Angelica’s lightning-bolt attraction to Alexander. Her Feb. 2 concert in Bethlehem will feature “It’s Quiet Uptown” from Hamilton, “I Can See Clearly Now” and a setting of Maya Angelou’s poem “The Human Family.” Her many honors include winning the John Lennon Songwriting Contest and playing Nettie Harris in the Broadway premiere of The Color Purple. (Zoellner Arts Center, Lehigh University, 420 E. Packer Ave.) Noises Off. Fraying offstage affairs cause onstage chaos and calamity in Michael Frayn’s hilarious, ingenious double farce, which unfolds during two scary performances and a disastrous rehearsal. (Civic Theatre of Allentown, 527 N. 19th St., Feb. 89, 14-17, 21-24) Spamalot. Blame Monty Python for my high-school alternative education, or miseducation. Those six silly, scholarly anarchists seriously bent my feelings about lumberjacks, Gumby and Spam. My mind was similarly warped and my funny bone similarly bruised by a touring production of Spamalot, the musical version of the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Sitting in the State Theatre, I was thoroughly entertained by King Arthur running an obstacle course of cheerleaders, singing corpses shrubbery-obsessed knights and Broadway-musical Jews during his Holy Grail quest. Steve McCoy played Arthur with delightful deadpan daffiness and ridiculous righteous indignation. Leslie Jackson made the Lady of the Lake a seductive, sense-surrounding diva, a winning combination of Tina Turner and Denyce Graves. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Lafayette College screened the National Theatre’s mesmerizing staging of the miraculous pilgrimage of an autistic math whiz who investigates a murdered pet, tracks down his reportedly dead mother and writes a book about his outrageous adventures. Luke Treadaway’s Christopher was a brilliant tuning fork, vibrating with obsessions, fears and brutally logical, funny conclusions. He was ably aided by refreshingly natural performances from Paul Ritter as Christopher’s doting, duplicitous dad; Nicola Walker as his long-absent, long-suffering mom, and Niamh Cusack as his empathetic, empowering teacher/coach. Autism’s amazing maze was vividly visualized by onstage drawings, projected calculations and actors attaching themselves to Christopher to fulfill his actions and visions. n — GEOFF GEHMAN 10

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The Boomerang Kid. Playwright and director Dave Orlansky’s comic tale of millennial J-dating could be a Neil Simon thing in the waiting. Jan. 10–27. Christ Church Neighborhood House, 20 N. American Street, Phila. neighborhood-house.com/calendar/the-boomerang-kid The Real Housewives Of Camden. Legendary Philly director Ozzie Jones and playwright/company founder/artistic director Desi Seck have found deep humor in their Bravo network/reality television/satire on urban New Jersey’s talented tenth. Through March 3. Camden Repertory Theater, Master Street, Camden, NJ. camdenrep.com Betrayal. Harold Pinter’s now 40-year-old sophisticated interweaving of marriage and friendship into a tale told backward from end to beginning is still ripe and original in the level of dense deception and carnal knowledge. One of Philly’s fave freelance directors, Kathryn MacMillan, helms the production. Jan. 10–Feb. 17. Lantern Theater Company, St. Stephen's Theater, 923 Ludlow Street, Phila. lanterntheater.org David Sedaris. He might stand. He might sit. Either way, he’ll be cuttingly and sardonically witty, and oddly warm, and will read from his first diary collection, Theft By Finding: Diaries (1977-2002). Jan. 11, Keswick Theatre, 291 N Keswick Avenue, Glenside, PA. keswicktheatre.com. Romeo and Juliet. The match up/mash up of William Shakespeare and director/Wilma queen Blanka Zizka (and the theater’s HotHouse Company) can’t help but be provocative and daring. Staged experimentally in a contemporary setting and featuring Taysha Marie Canales and Matteo Scammell as literature’s original star-crossed lovers, this romance promises to be a vexing battlefield of sex, love and destruction. Jan. 15–Feb. 3. Wilma Theater, 265 S Broad Street, Phila. wilmatheatre.org Awake and Sing! Philly native Clifford Odets’ Awake and Sing! was a highlight of the New Deal’s WPA Federal Theatre Project which employed artists, musicians, writers and actors. Director Max Shulman tells the still contemporary tale of a Jewish family’s three generations and their struggles. Jan. 23–Feb. 17. Quintessence Theatre Group, The Sedgwick Theater, 7137 Germantown Avenue, Phila. quintessencetheatre.org Jason Robert Brown. The theater composer is coming to PTC for a concert of his songs in anticipation of his musical adaptation of The Bridges of Madison County. He’s written songs and orchestration for Broadway hits such as Prince of Broadway (2017), Honeymoon in Vegas (2015), and You Can't Take It With You, and won a 1999 Tony for his songs/score for Parade. As a songwriter and singer-pianist, his new album, How We React and How We Recover, is radically political. This show is a must. Jan. 26. PTC at the Suzanne Roberts Theater, 480 S Broad Street, Phila. Philadelphiatheatrecompany.org HYPE MAN: A Break Beat Play. Detroit playwright Idris Goodwin (How We Got On) brings his literally lyrical tale of longtime family friendship, gun play, violence and wrong-headed police interaction to Philly’s most politicized and socially just theater company. Jan. 25–Feb. 17, InterAct Theatre Company, Proscenium Theatre at The Drake, 302 S. Hicks Street, Phila. interacttheatre.org n — A.D. AMOROSI

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NIGHTLIFE

JANUARY

CURATED BY A.D. AMOROSI

4–13 / PHILLY LOVES BOWIE WEEK

Dedicated from the City of Brotherly Love to the Starman, the now-annual, and city-sanctioned event features a

saxophonist and longtime composer who helped transform Bowie’ last album, Blackstar, into a noirish jazzrock masterpiece. Dorsey played bass with Bowie since the 1990s, along with singing background vocals. This promises to be inspired evening of inventive music with just a hint of mayhem. The Foundary atop the Fillmore. thefillmorephilly.com

Fans of glossy, ’80s through ’90s soulpop and dance hop will thrill to this party. Keswick Theatre. keswicktheatre.com 18 / KACEY MUSGRAVES

With her most recent album, Golden Hour, a big winner in the 2019 Grammy stakes, this twanging country-ish crooner with an alterna-pop lilt al-

10 / AARON NEVILLE DUO

Son of New Orleans and GrammyAward winning R&B and soul singer Aaron Neville hooks up with keyboard player Michael Goods to show off songs from his latest solo album Apache, dedicated to his mixed Choctow Indian and African-American roots, while telling stories of his ancestry beyond the Neville Brothers. Steelstacks/Musikfest. steelstacks.org 12 / NONAME

Like a female Common without the turtlenecks, Chicago poet, rapper and realist has quickly risen in the ranks since dropping Telefone, her highly anticipated debut album Room 25, and released her first music video Blaxploitation. Union Transfer. utphilly.com First Friday Bowie inspired art show at Ruckus Gallery, Brooklyn-based performer artist Raquel Cion’s showcase at Franky Bradley’s, Brittany Lynn’s, Queen Bitch Bingo at Tabu, Union Transfer’s A Night of Stardust with Jeffrey Gaines, Phoebe Legere, Ari Rubin (Minka) James Michael Baker (Oolala & Johnny Showcase) and Richard Bush. Of course, Doobie’s Bar will host more than a few events, as its owner and Sigma Kid Patti Brett, started Philly Loves Bowie Week with WXPN DJ Robert Drake— and with money going to the cancer center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, CHOP in Bowie’s name. This week dovetails nicely into the next item on our list….Various venues across the city, phillylovesbowie.wordpress.com 12 / DONNY MCCASLIN AND HIS BAND W/ SPECIAL GUEST GAIL ANN DORSEY

McCaslin is the downtown Manhattan 12

15 / THE LEMON TWIGS

The toast of Long Island, New York, brothers Brian D’Addario and Michael D'Addario on their album, Go to School, show what 70s-ish glam-based

with bandmates from the New Pornographers, and her case/lang/veirs (k.d. Lang and Laura Veirs) crew and just a little more righteous. Keswick Theatre. keswicktheatre.com 25 / WU TANG CLAN

Staten Island’s kings of absurdist Shaolin-laced hip hop return for some kung fu references and hardcore raps. Franklin Music Hall. bowerypresents.com 29 / AN EVENING WITH JUDY WOODRUFF

ways makes for a magical live show. The Fillmore. thefillmorephilly.com 18 / THE VERVE PIPE

Not to be confused with The Verve. Steelstacks/Musikfest. steelstacks.org 19, 20 / CHROMELODEON REUNION

Between 2000 and 2007, Philly’s Chromelodeon made some of the live, first chiptune based Video Game Music of VGM covers and original music. This is their first shows in 12 years. Philadelphia Mausoleum of Contemporary Art/PhilaMOCA. 25 / NEKO CASE + MARGARET GLASPY

Lehigh University's College of Arts and Sciences presents anchor and longtime managing editor of PBS’s NewsHour. She’ll tackle the subject of “Speaking Across Political Differences Today in America” during a free lecture. Zoellner Arts Center. zoellner.cas2.lehigh.edu 31, FEB 1 / THE MIDTOWN MEN/THE MCCARTNEY YEARS

While I usually don’t go for cover acts, this group of one-time members of the Broadway Tony Award-winning hit Jersey Boys, the most focused vocal and instrumental talents where the Cutest Beatle is concerned, hit the Keswick for back-to-back events. Keswick Theatre. keswicktheatre.com FEB 2 / RENEE ELISE GOLDSBERRY

This Tony Award-winner (as Angelica Schuyler) in Lin Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton, tackles a set list of stan-

While most of her lean, solo albums sing of dastardly mirth and mystery, Case’s first new album in five years, Hell-On, is richer, more collaborative

baroque pop sounds like in the 21st century. Union Transfer. utphilly.com 18 / TAYLOR DAYNE & COLOR ME BADD

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dards and new songs that have affected her life and her craft. A rare treat, this. Zoellner Arts Center. zoellner.cas2.lehigh.edu n

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CINEMATTERS BY PETE CROATTO

THANKS TO SOCIAL MEDIA turning news into a race, biopics and documentaries can provide badly needed context and background. The sturdy and enlightening On the Basis of Sex, about Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s early days as a zealous law student and reawakened college professor, goes beyond serving as a utilitarian time-killer; it is inspirational while (mostly) steering clear of the gooey pitfalls that adjective entails. The great lesson in Mimi Leder’s film is, espousing a position is fine; action is even better. How Ginsburg struggled for her chance to fight provides a blueprint for future generations. And like the fine documentary RBG, On the Basis of Sex elevates Ginsburg beyond feisty, liberal-thinking grandma status. This journey starts at Harvard Law School in 1956, where Ginsburg (Felicity Jones) is one of nine admitted female students. They are viewed as larks, so much so that when the law school’s insufferable dean (Sam Waterston) asks each woman why they’re here, he treats them like six-year-olds playing dress-up. Ginsburg sets him straight with a bracing dose of Brooklyn sarcasm. She is attending “so I can be a more patient and understanding wife.” If the treatment is unjust in a sheltered environment governed by legal logic, you can imagine what it’s like on the outside. Ginsburg, who’s married and a mother, attends Harvard and Columbia law schools, 14

On the Basis of Sex but cannot get a job at any New York City law firm, where they’re concerned about the wandering eyes of partners and her menstrual cycles. When she’s named a law professor at Rutgers, she’s a token hire replacing an African American, another token hire. “Hooray for mommy” is delivered more as an exhausted sigh than as a celebratory boast. Years yawn by without Ginsburg practicing law. But in the early 1970s, her tax attorney husband, Martin (Armie Hammer), brings her attention to a case. A Denver man has been denied a tax deduction for taking care of his sickly mother because he’s a bachelor. Ginsburg jumps on the case, and then runs into an enraging irony: her lack of experience in the courtroom—which no firm would provide her—makes her ill-equipped to run a trial, much to the chagrin of her reluctant ally, ACLU’s legal director and former campmate Mel Wulf (Justin Theroux). Ginsburg’s qualifications do not insulate her from belittlement. Leder avoids making the grand stuff grand. The rage Ginsburg faces is from everyday life. When she shows up at Mel’s office, he greets Ruth— or “Kiki”, as he calls her—by incorporating her into a childhood dance, complete with knee-slapping and rump-bumping. At a dinner party, Martin’s boss compliments Ginsburg through her husband: “You married a star.” Even her teenage daughter, Jane (Cailee Spaeny), a budding feminist, squashes her essence be-

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fore the soiree: “Go make yourself pretty for Daddy,” she hisses. With this case, Ginsburg is really defending herself—and every woman who has declined the route approved by “the way things ought to be” sect. By folding the legal struggle into Ginsburg’s everyday life, Leder gives the future judge’s professional story more importance. Forget that the opposing counsel is the country-clubbing, somber-voiced professors who marginalized her at Harvard. It’s always been personal for Ginsburg—and any woman who raises kids while cultivating a career. Hammer and Jones offer terrific, restrained performances. You see the people behind the icons: Marty loves Ruth as a person, and provides the emotional support women usually shoulder in these against-all-odds affairs, which is a refreshing switch. (He also cooks the meals.) Jones may not master a Brooklyn accent, but she captures Ginsburg’s coiled urgency in every scene. She cannot relax. The work done by Ginsburg should have produced a completely different societal paradigm. But countless men—and, judging by 2016’s presidential election, a shamefully large number of women—want women to serve as simple-minded accessories. On the Basis of Sex reminds us that is not the case. The movie concludes with the real-life Ginsburg climbing the steps to the Supreme Court, a reminder she’s reached the mountaintop. Who’s next? [PG-13] n

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FILM ROUNDUP REVIEWED BY KEITH UHLICH

Steve Carell in Welcome to Marwen.

Cold War (Dir. Pawel Pawlikowski). Starring: Joanna Kulig, Tomasz Kot, Borys Szyc. Polish writer-director Pawel Pawlikowski follows up his Academy Award-winning Ida (2013) with a decades-spanning love story that begins in 1949. Wiktor (Tomasz Kot) is a musical director who discovers Zula (Joanna Kulig) during his state-sponsored travels to the countryside where he is seeking out “authentic” musical and artistic styles. She becomes his muse and eventually his lover, though as the Cold War and Communism become more pervasive, the lure of living in exile becomes more pronounced. Loosely based on the lives of Pawlikowski’s own parents, the film skips through time with a weight and confidence that belies its 88-minute runtime. And the blackand-white photography by Lukasz Zal, shot, like Ida, in the square ratio of 1.37:1 is consistently stunning. Something feels like it’s missing at the core, however—an emotional undercurrent that would lift the movie above the level of a superbly executed arthouse exercise. [R] HHH Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (Dirs. Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, 16

Rodney Rothman). Starring: Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson, John Mulaney, Nicolas Cage. Well, at least it looks cool. The lowered expectations that one should bring to any Marvel Studios production may be temporarily elevated during the first few scenes of this new animated Spider-Man feature. Visually it’s leagues above any live-action superhero flick, with a comic-panel gloss and a mixed-race hero, Miles Morales (voiced by Shameik Moore), at its center. Miles becomes the new Spider-Man after archvillain Kingpin (Liev Schreiber) opens a dimensional porthole and kills the old one. The rift in time also brings several other SpiderMen from alternate realities into Miles’s world. These include the Porky Pig-like Spider-Ham (voiced by John Mulaney) and the hardboiled Spider-Man Noir (Nicolas Cage, MVP of the ensemble). Unfortunately, the tedious, torturous plotting that afflicts many a Marvel movie soon takes over and nullifies most of the visual pleasure. This is the same corporate-produced gibberish, selling disingenuous homilies (all of us can be Spider-Man—feh) with slightly more style. [PG] HH Vice (Dir. Adam McKay). Starring:

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Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Steve Carell. One could conceive of a film that would find some pointed, provocative humor in the George W. Bush presidency, but writer-director Adam McKay’s painfully bad Vice isn’t that movie. The focus is actually on Dubya’s second-in-command, Dick Cheney (Christian Bale), who history increasingly suggests was the real leader of the free world during those divisive years when terrorists targeted the U.S. of A and our leaders seized the opportunity to wage wasteful wars and line their pockets. Every single actor is either one-note (Bale gained 40+ pounds for this shallow caricature?) or wasted (for shame barely making use of Eddie Marsan as Paul Wolfowitz). As in his financial crisis satire The Big Short (2015), McKay tries for disruptive burlesque—casting Naomi Watts as a fourth-wall-breaking Fox news anchor, or running the end credits in the middle of the movie—and consistently falls flat. If the film isn’t quite the travesty that the Bush years were it’s because it’s over in a little over two hours as opposed to eight years. [R] H Welcome to Marwen (Dir. Robert Zemeckis). Starring: Steve Carell, Leslie

Mann, Diane Kruger. The advertising for Robert Zemeckis’s latest suggests we’re in for a treacly retelling of the real-life story, previously covered in Jeff Malmberg’s documentary Marwencol (2010), of Mark Hogancamp (Steve Carell). The upstate New York artist was attacked outside a bar after drunkenly confessing he enjoyed wearing women’s shoes. Brain damage was so severe that he lost all memory of his past. To cope, he created a scale model WWII-era Belgian village in his backyard that he populated with refurbished dolls and action figures. He then made up high-drama stories involving Nazis and an all-girl army and photographed the results. Admirably, Zemeckis and co-screenwriter Caroline Thompson do not dispense with Hogancamp’s gender expression. This is also a rare film made in a crowdpleasing vein where the F/X—everything in the village is animated via eerie motion-capture, which contrasted with Hogancamp’s less-than-ideal (and liveaction) reality—complement the story instead of overwhelming it. There’s a lot of thematic knottiness beneath the narrative’s inspirational bent, and it moves both mind and heart. [PG-13]

HHHH n

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INTERVIEW BY A.D. AMOROSI

BOB WOODWARD ALL THE PRESIDENTS’ NEMESIS

“

BOB WOODWARD LITERALLY WROTE the book on presidential abuse of power and the cover-ups that follow with the deeply researched and acutely observational All the Presidents Men (1974) with fellow journalist Carl Bernstein. Woodward continued on such a rigorous hunt, again and again, with the Nixon resignation opus, The Final Days (1976), Veil: The Secret Wars of the CIA (1987), The Commanders (1991), the Bill Clinton books The Agenda (1994) and The Choice (1996), several George W. tomes, Bush at War (2002), and Plan of Attack (2004), and The Price of Politics (2012) about

to be everything Trump? There are always surprises, but a lot of what he does fits a pattern—for instance, all the business with the Saudis. Jared Kushner and Derek Harvey set up that relationship with the Saudis since the beginning of the Trump presidency despite resistance and warnings from everyone from the secretary of state to the intelligence agencies. But, they plowed ahead as they thought they knew better, and the fruits of that are what has happened to my colleague, Jamal Khashoggi. What has happened follows logically—whether you agree with it or you don’t is another matter altogether.

[THE TAX CUT WAS WRITTEN BY] FIVE CON-

What do you think he’ll do for Khashoggi with the Saudi’s crown prince going forward? He’s made it clear he stands with the Saudis, and that the relationship between them is more important. That was evident 20 months ago when they set up the relationship. They had him for lunch at the White House when he was deputy crown prince. Deputy crown princes don’t come to the White House for lunch unless something is afoot. It doesn’t take much to connect the dots.

SERVATIVE

REPUBLICANS,

SECRETARY

THE

TREASURY MENUCHIN, A GOLDMAN SACHS ALUMNI, AND GARY COHN, THE ONE-TIME PRESIDENT OF GOLDMAN SACHS. THIS IS THE DEMOCRATS’ NIGHTMARE, BUT THEY DROVE IT THROUGH; BOTTOM LINE, IT’S A GOVERNING CRISIS. ...TRUMP HAS IDEAS THAT DO NOT FIT WITH THE FACTS. HE IS DRIVING POLICY IN WAYS THAT ARE BAFFLING, MAKE NO SENSE AND ARE HIGH RISK.

“

President Barack Obama. Woodward’s writing is thorough and poignant, and as impeccable as his outreach into the furthest stretches and closest intimacies of American governing bodies. All that and still, Fear: Trump in the White House (2018) manages to be Woodward’s sturdiest takedown-in-progress of a leader; one who often seems hell-bent on defying the might of the Constitution while playing into his own personal tyrannical tantrums. Woodward will be at the Merriam Theatre on January 10 to discuss this in full. The esteemed journalist gave me a taste of his talk during an in-depth chat. Besides knowing you had me as your interviewer this morning, do you wake up with dread, cautious vigor or curiosity at the thought of the day’s news cycle which happens 18

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Broader strokes, here. I ask this question on a daily basis of playwrights and stand-up comedians: how do you as an artist, a journalist, create a record that stands apart from the daily morass when you must, on an hourly basis, contend with the loopiness of the Trump administration and the untruthful, regularly scheduled rhetoric that comes out of the White House? That’s a really important question. As I embarked on this project, and you can look at his untruths through what my newspaper, The Washington Post, has calculated so far to be over 6,600 something. Or what the Mueller investigation is finding out: information that is clearly serious and important … or just look at what he does every day as president. I tried to go back and find out who are the drivers and who will benefit when I look at a piece of information. Consider the Saudis, for example, or North Korea, or the tax cuts—Trump may say the tax cut is to the benefit of all Americans; it is clearly

and solely to the benefit of corporations and larger businesses. The tax cuts for ordinary or middle-class workers will expire, while they will not do so for businesses or corporations. This deal was cut by five conservative Republicans, Secretary of the Treasury Menuchin, a Goldman Sachs alumni, and Gary Cohn, the one-time president of Goldman Sachs. This is the Democrats’ nightmare, but they drove it through; bottom line, it’s a governing crisis. In all of these areas, Trump has ideas that do not fit with the facts. He is driving policy in ways that are baffling, make no sense and are high risk. You end the Trump book with the line, “You’re a fucking liar.” Perfect ending. Why that? Thanks. We know that Trump tells lies on a regular basis. There is no disputing that; his supporters don’t dispute that. The importance of that is that it was John Dowd, Trump’s lawyer, the person who worked with him for eight months running practice sessions and pretending to be Mueller. He concluded that the president made things up, couldn’t tell the truth and, that if Dowd had been Mueller, he would have been fired on the spot. This was the conclusion of the lawyer who would not sit next to Trump if he testified because he was unable to tell the truth. This wasn’t Adam Schiff or some Democrat—this was Trump’s own lawyer reviewing the evidence and potential strategy. In covering Nixon, maybe at the end, some of his aides concluded that he was a fucking liar, but never quite so boldly or while Nixon was still president. You’ve stated on more than one occasion during your tenure that you do not take sides. And, clearly, that is true within the pages of Fear. But, on a personal level, I can’t help but wonder where you stand with him. Did you follow his rise through Manhattan real estate and reality television? Were you surprised that such a huckster made it into the office? [laughs] Yes, indeed I was. I got the title of the book from an interview that I did with him, where he said, “That’s real power—fear.” His presidency shows that. That’s who he is. n

Bob Woodward at home. Photo courtesy of TIME Magazine. ICON | JANUARY 2019 | ICONDV.COM | FACEBOOK.COM/ICONDV

ESSAY BY GEOFF GEHMAN

My Affair with The Affair

HATE RUBBERNECKING. I think it’s mean to stare down a waitress after she’s dropped a tray of dishes, cruel to slow down to inspect a highway wreck, stupid to obsess over the extramarital flings of the CEO of the USA. Yet I gladly rubberneck The Affair, the Showtime series that spins around two couples who split but can’t quit each other after a summer infidelity in Montauk, the East End of Long Island’s East End. For four seasons I’ve avidly followed four basically decent people who keep making disastrous mistakes: abandoning a child for six months to get mentally well; burning down a house to deny and confirm a family curse; stalking a stalker who may not be a stalker. Alison, Cole, Helen and Noah are the black sheep of my

it all started so innocently... ing with his family in Montauk, and Alison, a Montauk-raised waitress and nurse mourning her drowned son. In an instant a sexy coincidence became seductive in the den of a house across the street from Wainscott Cemetery, the final home of Jake Murray, my first writing and sex teacher, who drowned himself in the East River. The Affair sucked me into its rip tide of misery, ecstasy and murder mystery. What really sucked me into the show was the undertow of my memories of Montauk, where I first made love, flew a kite, body surfed, clammed, clam baked, picked Black-eyed Susans, and roller coastered—over the slaloming Old Montauk Highway. My senses go haywire on the East End’s East End; the Montauk Point panorama makes me feel enshrined in one of those huge Kodak pho-

were aggravated by their loneliness. Dad missed his children; Mom missed her mate. My parents made peace after Dad’s second divorce. Three months before he died, they agreed to share a gravestone. Three months later, Mom came with me to see his corpse. She wanted to comfort her son and say goodbye to the only man she truly loved. Affair characters bury axes with their exes, too. Alison and Cole buy and restore the Lobster Roll, which replaces the Montauk horse ranch he lost with his brothers and mother. Helen nurses Noah out of a psychotic haze caused by a nearly fatal stabbing; he swears his attacker is his alleged stalker, a jealous prison guard. Helen is essentially repaying Noah for essentially saving their family by confessing to a crime she essentially committed.

OVER THE NEXT 20 YEARS OUR FRIENDSHIP DEEPENED WHILE OUR YEARNING LINGERED. WE NEVER REGRETTED OUR AFFAIR; WE ONLY REGRETTED THAT WE DIDN’T PURSUE A ROMANCE WHEN SHE WAS SINGLE. WE CONTINUED TO HAVE REFRESHINGLY FRANK, FUNNY PHONE CONVERSATIONS UNTIL THREE WEEKS BEFORE HER SUDDEN DEATH LESS THAN A YEAR AFTER HER DAUGHTER’S SUDDEN DEATH. IN OUR LAST CHAT WE DISCUSSED SEX, RELIGION AND CHILDREN WE DIDN’T HAVE TOGETHER. TV ark, the rogue surfers of emotional tidal waves that crash into my life on and off the South Fork. My affair with The Affair began on Halloween 2014, a day of expected and unexpected treats. I was visiting friends in the East End hamlet of Wainscott, where I lived from 1967 to 1972, when I developed all my major passions, from baseball to sex to writing. That morning I satisfied my love for nature by walking the Walking Dunes, an 80-foot-high ridge in Napeague, the wide-open stretch between Amagansett and Montauk. I hiked over the mountainous mounds into the sandy bowl where I once ate hot dogs grilled on a hibachi, listened to twilight ghost stories, and imagined Rudolph Valentino roaming a Sahara stand-in in the silent film The Sheik. All that trudging made me hungry, so I headed to the Clam Bar in Napeague for Manhattan chowder, sweet potato fries and my first-ever mid-day beer. Driving back to Wainscott I saluted another Napeague landmark, the Lobster Roll, where I ate my first lobster roll and met my first lover. That night I accidentally tuned into a rerun of the first episode of The Affair, which opens, lo and behold, at the Lobster Roll. Not only that, the eating place is the meeting place for the titular cheaters: Noah, a bored Brooklyn writer and teacher summer20

tographs that illuminated Grand Central Station. There’s so much cheating on The Affair, it should be called “The Affairs.” Characters not only cheat on their exes, they cheat with their exes. The tsunami of sex catapults me back to the seismically sexy ’60s on the South Fork. It was an off-the-chart-erotic era of shrinking bikinis, wildfire teen romances between natives and foreigners, and parties where guests spent the night with guests whose keys they plucked from a bowl. My parents never “keyed”; they might have had my mother been half as libidinous as my father. The Affair is a handsome exploration of ugly behavior. Writers and actors expertly examine the detritus of divorce: the guilt, the relief, the guilty relief, the torn treaties, the lashing limbo. I know because I’m one of divorce’s children. My parents’ 15-year marriage dissolved in 1972 after my father sold our Wainscott house without telling my mother, while we were housesitting for his brother in Southern California, one of the settings of this season’s Affair. At the time Dad desperately needed money after losing his job and $10,000 of his kids’ college tuition on a bad business deal in Montauk. The bickering between Mom and Dad escalated after he married the owner of a bigger Wainscott home, which I passed every time I visited Beach Lane Beach. Their arguments

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Noah’s hell is very much like my father’s. My dad mastered pretty much everything: selling ads, playing tennis, singing barbershop, telling stories, arguing, writing whimsical animal poems worthy of Ogden Nash. The only things he couldn’t master were his alcoholism and his manic depression. Living alone in Hampton Bays after his second divorce, he substituted wine for Lithium, which led to a stroke, which led me to move him into my apartment in Pennsylvania. Embarrassed by feeling like a burden, he disappeared for a month, living in shelters and parks in Manhattan, where he worked for four decades. He was rescued by psychiatric nurses, social workers and loved ones who knew he was a good guy in a bad way. Noah pays dearly for his affair. He turns it into a best-selling novel that angers Alison, who has a child with Cole that for two years Noah thinks is his. My affair was a lot less costly. Helen—yes, she shares the name of Noah’s ex—and I had four nights of passion 12 years after one night of passion that climaxed a year of beautiful mental foreplay. She was tickled when I told her I decided to scratch our itch while watching Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep do the same in The Bridges of Madison County. After our erotic reunion, Helen returned to married life with kids in Texas. I returned to single life in

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Pennsylvania, where I met Helen and the very decent fellow I always knew she would marry. Over the next 20 years our friendship deepened while our yearning lingered. We never regretted our affair; we only regretted that we didn’t pursue a romance when she was single. We continued to have refreshingly frank, funny phone conversations until three weeks before her sudden death less than a year after her daughter’s sudden death. In our last chat we discussed sex, religion and children we didn’t have together. Like any affair, The Affair puzzles and pisses me off. Much of the sex is monotonous and mean; all that vertical grinding and grunting is far more neurotic than erotic. Characters whine their asses off; Ruth Wilson (Alison) and Maura Tierney (Helen) endlessly exercise their perfectly pouty overbites. Sorrows pile up like executioner stones, crushing joy and hope. Watching two Brits play New Yorkers makes me slightly barmy—and I’m an Anglophile with an English mom. Yet those Brits, Ruth Wilson and Dominic West, are exceptional stage actors who can turn soap opera into Shakespeare. They can be emotionally naked even while trespassing in a hot tub behind a house along the Old Montauk Highway. Rising like a shingled ramp to the sea and sky, the origami-like home was designed by Norman Jaffe, who created my favorite South Fork structure: a shingle-and-stone farmhouse/fortress in Wainscott seemingly built by masons from outer space. Watching it take form, chiseled rock by chiseled rock, launched my affair with architecture. What keeps me rubbernecking The Affair are the brutally honest, brutally dishonest conversations between couples willing to give each other much more than a second chance. I hear myself talking to Helen and my other exes whenever the show’s characters ruthlessly inventory their relationships. When Noah and Helen fill a favorite restaurant with confessions, accusations and resolutions, it reminds me of the last great chat I had with my former wife. It took place, lo and behold, in our favorite restaurant right after I told her, in our therapist’s office, that I didn’t want to be married anymore. We were so relieved that we still liked each other, we hurried home to make unfettered, unmarried love. It took me 30 years to realize we were auditioning for The Affair. n Geoff Gehman is the author of the memoir “The Kingdom of the Kid: Growing Up in the Long-Lost Hamptons” (SUNY Press).

Dominic West

Ruth Wilson ICON | JANUARY 2019 | ICONDV.COM | FACEBOOK.COM/ICONDV

REEL NEWS DVDS REVIEWED BY GEORGE OXFORD MILLER

Judi Dench in Tea With the Dames.

A Simple Favor (Dir.Paul Feig). Starring: Anna Kendrick, Blake Lively, Henry Golding. Whether or not “Simple Favor” is a classic film noir or a parody filled with one-line clichés, we can’t escape Emily (portrayed unforgettably by Lively) as the femme fatale extraordinary. She’s scary beautiful, mysteriously coy, and as irresistibly seductive as bait in a trap to the mousy, widowed Stephanie (Kendrick). Emily dresses in an immaculately-tailored masculine suit and fedora and drives a Porsche to the school their sons attend. Insecure Stephanie over-compensates by dominating the school’s volunteer activities and as a self-appointed guru on her recipe-sharing blog. She can’t believe her luck when sophisticated Emily invites her over for martinis while their boys play. Soon they’re sharing deep secrets and bonding as only inebriated new best friends can. Then Emily suddenly disappears. Stephanie takes the case and starts a tenacious search, documenting it all on her blog. From this point on, nothing in the house-of-mirrors plot is as it seems— not the seemingly self-doubting Stephanie, manipulative Emily, or even Emily’s glamorous husband Sean (Golding). Flashbacks drop big reveals, the plot loops into a tangled web, double-crosses beget more elaborate double-crosses, and hidden agendas abound. Tongue-in-cheek dialogue and syrupy suspense lubricate every convoluted twist of this the just-for-fun drama. [R] HHHH 22

Tea with the Dames (Dir. Roger Michell). Starring Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Eileen Atkins, Joan Plowright. Forget “New Jersey Housewives.” With “The Dames” we get show-business reality as experienced by four of the most acclaimed actresses that ever graced stage or screen. The clutch of awardwinning octogenarians, all recipients of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (Dames), gather periodically at Ms. Plowright’s lavish country estate where she lived with her husband, Lawrence Oliver. Director Robert Michell tags along with cameras and crew and documents one of the most invigorating, entertaining, and far-ranging conversations of the century. The four best friends reminisce and muse about the highs and lows of their lives and careers. Though eyesights may be failing and stamina fading, no memory lapses here, and no shortage of humor. It’s no holds barred with cutting oneliners, mutual digs, critiques of ex-husbands and fellow actors, and memories of their most challenging roles. Michell delightfully cuts in clips to illustrate some of the references to the Dames’ early roles. At times he tries to steer the conversation, such as asking what advice they would give their younger selves. And at times he gets told to f*** off. The conversation chooses its own direction, and we eagerly hang on for the ride. The fabulous four have played roles from low comedy to Shakespeare and starred in global hits that grossed billions of dollars, yet the larger-than-

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life characters they played shrink in comparison to the reality of the tea-sipping, bursting-with-life Dames.[not rated] HHHHH I Am Not a Witch (Dir.Rungano Nyoni). Starring Maggie Mulubwa, Henry B.J. Phiri. This modern-day cultural satire, called a ”fairy tale” by the film’s director, explores rural life in an African village caught between cellphone technology and traditional superstitions. In the spirit of using everything to your advantage, Banda (Phiri), the police chief and head of Tourism and Traditional Beliefs, exploits the villagers’ commonly accepted belief in witches for his personal gain and fame. Local women accused of witchcraft are incarcerated and consigned to chaingang labor, or for a fee they will cast a spell for rain on a farmer’s parched field. Banda is elated when an 8-yearold orphan is declared a witch because she startled a villager. The women in witch camp try to protect the child, but Banda uses her to pick out criminals, to appear on TV, and as a tourist attraction. Shot in Zambia with nonprofessional actors speaking native dialects, the parable illustrates the real problem of exploiting the helpless and homeless, but balanced with the absurdity of goofy officials twisting traditions for political advantage. [not rated] HHHH Roma (Dir. Alfonso Cuarón). Starring Yalitza Aparicio, Marina de Tavira. A saying goes, “Look at a dewdrop and dis-

cover the cosmos.” This Netflix streaming movie by Director Alfonso Cuarón gives us a time-capsule glimpse into the year 1970 and the life of a family in Mexico City. It reveals a universe— Cuarón’s personal universe. The memoir is staged in a replica of his home in an upscale neighborhood called Roma, and the family mirrors his childhood. The film has been both praised and criticized for its lack of a narrative arc, lack or dramatic action, and lack of resolution. Such was Cuarón’s intention. The story is neither character nor plotdriven. Instead, it’s vision driven, both by Cuarón’s memories and the powerful, high-resolution black-and-white cinematography that envelops the viewer physically and emotionally. The story follows Cleo (Aparicio), the servant and surrogate mother in the household of a doctor, his wife, and three children. The opening scene of Cleo methodically scrubbing the garage floor sets the pace and tone. We step into the family and live with them moment by moment. Things happen in each episodic scene, personal things, even history-making cultural and political things. Yet the earthquakes, babies born, riots, fires, even near-death experiences seem more like life moving along day by day than cinematic drama. As the story progresses the distance between the viewer and characters compresses and absorbs us into the family until we care personally and deeply about every detail that transpires on the screen. [R] HHHHH n

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Director Brian De Palma and Michael Caine on the set of Dressed to Kill.

DOCUMENTARY

De Palma

BRIAN DE PALMA (B. 1940) IS SOMETHING OF a rarity (or throwback, if you will). Since circa 1972, De Palma has directed (and wrote and/or produced) some of the most commercially and artistically successful movies of the 20th century: Sisters; Carrie; The Untouchables; Scarface; Blow Out; Body Double; and the first Mission: Impossible. He’s also no stranger to controversy: Body Double had such a violent scene that some accused him of misogyny; he’s been accused of ripping off director Alfred Hitchcock; and Bonfire of the Vanities took a beloved novel and turned it into a much-despised Hollywood mega-bomb—it cost $47 million to make, took in a mere $15 million, and many people who loved the book on which it is based hated the movie. This documentary could be subtitled “An Evening with Brian De Palma”—most of the movie is De Palma talking to the camera in a relaxed manner, reminiscing about his origins, his love of film, how his career began, and where it, for now, ended up. One of the things that makes this doc so watchable is how personable De Palma is—one might expect him to be full of himself, but he approaches his life and his career with gently reflective and slightly self-deprecating humor. Simply put, even when he’s serious about his work, he never takes himself too seriously. Unlike some biopics, there aren’t a lot of quotes from famous peers and influential critics. De Palma talks and the screen flashes to still photos and film clips. Also nice about this doc is it illustrates (via stills and clips) his cinematic inspirations, such as clips from Hitchcock’s Rear Window and North By Northwest. De Palma’s voiceovers go into detail, so we don’t merely see the influences, we know why and how they’re essential—to him personally, to us as viewers and fans, to the creative process of his films. Both De Palma and this film bio convey those feelings palpably. Like 24

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Hitchcock, many of De Palma’s films share a common theme: The darkness, intrigue, and (often) horror that lies just beneath an average-looking or deceptively normal surface. We learn his beginnings as a filmmaker—he was part of the somewhat rebellious generation of actors and directors that included Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, Robert De Niro, Jennifer Salt, and others that came of age in the 1960s. These people did not emerge from the Hollywood system (in the oldschool sense—they grew up with classic Hollywood films and rock & roll, with cheesy exploitation movies, and the French New Wave (director Jean-Luc Goddard). They made independent features, low-budget and no-budget-at-all, and worked in TV before moving onto/into mainstream films, yet always kept a toe in the indie zone. There are clips from some of De Palma’s first efforts (with a very young De Niro), some likely not viewed beyond the small theaters of NYC in the 1960s, such as the intriguingly-titled Murder a la Mod from ’68. De Palma includes clips from and his insights into his hits—Untouchables, Mission: Impossible—and his misses—the mob comedy Wise Guys (1986, and not that bad of a movie), and The Black Dahlia (2006, hampered by a bad script). He acknowledges his failures with a mix of two-sides-to-every-story pragmatism and humor-tinged resignation with just a tad bitterness. De Palma talks about the business side of filmmaking, too, and the personal as well as creative prices the movie business can exact. Directors Noah Baumbach and Jake Paltrow have fashioned a documentary that will not only appeal to fans of De Palma but movie aficionados of all ages. Two thumbs way up. n — MARK KERESMAN

FOREIGN

Becoming Astrid FILM BIOGRAPHIES ARE OFTEN problematic: Do they genuinely impart a sense of who the person was or a sense of the person’s life’s work? Or both? Or does it go only so far and leave the viewer mystified? Becoming Astrid (2018) purports to be a film bio of Astrid Lindgren (1907-2002), popular writer of stories for children. Pippi Longstocking? Her creation. As biographies (written and otherwise) have shown the Collective Us in the past, writers can be miserable human beings. This film shows the humble beginnings of Lindgren, who grew up in a provincial area of Sweden with (mostly) stern Christian parents. She became interested in writing and went to work as an intern at a local newspaper whose editor becomes her lover (who, surprise, is married). She becomes pregnant, which turns her life upside-down—her parents are not particularly supportive. A friend/foster mom raises her son until she can hack it as a single mom. Her feelings for the father cool and her son spends so much time with the nanny he has trouble connecting to his real mom. The one good constant in Astrid’s life is working at a publishing house as a proofreader with a boss who is genuinely concerned for her. If this sounds depressing, it is. Becoming Astrid shows the harrowing trials and tribulations of Lindgren, who maintains a never-give-up attitude. This is slowly paced—very slowly. To use a word that critics sometimes resort to: lugubrious. We see how one bad thing after another happens to her, but we don’t get to know the process that inspired her to become the storyteller she became. I could see how she could’ve become Tennessee Williams, a notoriously

troubled writer with a gift for delineating dysfunctional situations, but not a teller of uplifting tales for children. The film is sketchy as to why the relationship with Astrid’s married lover went south. There are some characters important to her story—her boss, her father, her even sterner mother—but we learn little of how their relationships evolve. We learn less of how her storytelling skills develop. In Naked Lunch—another disturbing movie about a writer—we see the surreal antics that blur the lines between William Burroughs’ typed words and his (mis)adventures…and while it’s a very different movie, granted, it is also an entertaining one (in a twisted manner, to be sure). Becoming Astrid is dangerously close to being simply a downer—especially since the cinematography is in shades of dull gray, evocative of that feel-good Danish filmmaker Lars von Trier opus Nymphomaniac. The saving grace of this film is Alba August, starring as Astrid—even when she’s silent, she gives the impression that something is going on beneath the surface. Without seeming plucky or noble, she conveys resilience and tenacity—the way she keeps trying to be accepted as a mother by her diffident son is inspiring without being overly dramatic or heroic. Astrid has an absurd side—she’ll dance in a semi-outrageous manner to music while her peers dance in the ways of polite society—or is she being satirical? Is she thumbing her nose to convention? Or just having silly fun? I wish that side of her personality had been explored further. Recommended with reservations. n — MARK KERESMAN

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FOODIE FILE BY A.D. AMOROSI

MAMBO ITALIANO IT’S THE FIRST WEEK in November, and Michael Schulson is standing in a heap of dust on Sansom Street, telling me how his head is spinning. It’s no wonder. Not only did he, his wife and partner Nina Tinari and their Izakaya take part in the 15th anniversary of Savor, at the Borgata in Atlantic City later that same week. “Borgata was my start,” said Schulson, who made his owner’s restaurant debut in Atlantic

City with a Japanese-focused eatery. “Izakaya at Borgata is the baby of the enterprise, of everything we’ve built since.” The Schulson/Tonari team were busy that week. The reason Schulson was standing in dirt on this morning, however, was because he was putting the finishing touches on the now-open Giuseppe & Sons, his 1523 Sansom Street partnership with Termini Bros bakery for the fine dining Italian food find of the year. “The culinary team is rocking and rolling, and I’m right in line cooking with them, and we’re doing full-fledged training for the front of the house today.” Traditional South Philly-grandmother Italian Sunday dinner hasn’t come this close to Rittenhouse since D'Angelo's Ristorante Italiano. To then make Giuseppe & Sons as big as it is—two floors, two restaurants in one, 14,000 square feet—is quite a daring undertaking. Through a revolving door, and upstairs at G&S, is a brightly lit luncheon area with under 70 seats, booths, bar stool and counter service for drinks, meatball and roast pork sandwiches, veal and chicken parm, Termini desserts and a takeout counter. But, 26

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it’s downstairs, at night, with the lights low, that the action of cooking and eating takes place with 200 seats, plaster walls, lots of shining black-and-white tile and brass, and a traditional Carrera marble bar straight from the old country. Design aside (executed and twisted by G&S Chef Wesley Fields with Schulson culinary director Leo Forneas), the tradition begins and ends with the food: a Sicilian menu based on Vince Termini Sr.’s Mr. Joe’s Café. How is the food? Fantastic, hearty, down-to-earth, and warm from familial tradition. Starting with the slightly zesty, not sweet red gravy, the spaghetti was an al dente delight, and the meatballs were exceptional. For someone who grew up in an extended allItalian, half-Sicilian household where grandmother, aunts and my mother fought (literally) over who made the best meatballs, G&S has a seat at the Amorosi table. Or at least a glove in that boxing match. The braised octopus was tender, as was the similarly prepared tripe. The mortadella, mozzarella and provolone stromboli was supple and light. The broccoli rabe was bitter and served the right way (with a lemon wedge to cut the sourness to taste). The crab and macaroni was hard to eat but worth the struggle as the red gravy managed to not overpower the shellfish (a pet peeve of mine). The flounder Sor-

rento with capers was delicate and meaty. And the chicken parm—so often done incorrectly and messily—was perfectly pounded, soft, breaded, dosed with a thin layer (not too much—it ain’t pizza) of mozzarella and lovely. To finish this enormous meal, what else could you have? A Termini’s cannoli and a cup of espresso. As an Italian and as an eater—the two are never mutually exclusive—Giuseppe & Sons is the real deal. n

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SINGER | SONGWRITER REVIEWED BY TOM WILK

John Hiatt HHH1/2 The Eclipse Sessions New West Records John Hiatt’s songs take on an analytical tone on The Eclipse Sessions, his first studio album in four years. Hiatt, 66, seems to be in a reflective mood and a listener can feel as if he or she has been sitting in on a session between a patient and a psychiatrist. That’s the case on “Poor Imitation of God,” a spirited rocker that serves as a confrontation between good and evil. “I can do the devil in my sleep/All day waiting for my midnight creep,” Hiatt sings in his trademark baritone. “If you love me, don’t expect a lot/I’m a poor imitation of God.” The penetrating “Nothing in My Heart” could have fit in on Bob Dylan’s classic album Blood On The Tracks in depicting the narrator’s failure to love. “Over the Hill,” punctuated by Yates McKendree’s bluesy guitar, finds Hiatt confronting life’s romantic mysteries. “You talk about love/I talk about love/Sometimes I even think/We know what we mean.” Hiatt shifts to a higher vocal register for the rueful “Outrunning My Soul.” On “The Odds of Loving You,” an acoustic blues, Hiatt evokes the spirit of legendary bluesman Jimmy Reed. The lively “One Stiff Breeze” invites comparisons to his up-tempo songs from his late 1980s albums Bring The Family and Slow Turning. (11 songs, 42 minutes) The Flesh Eaters HHH1/2 I Used to Be Pretty Yep Roc Records With Chris D. as principal songwriter and lead singer, the Flesh Eaters, one of the earliest new wave bands in Los Angeles, have had a rotating cast of backing musicians since the group’s formation in the late 1970s. I Used to Be Pretty finds him reuniting with guitarist Dave Alvin and drummer Bill Bateman of the Blasters; bassist John Doe and percussionist D.J. Bonebrake of X; and saxophonist Steve Berlin of Los Lobos for their first studio album since the lineup recorded 1981’s A Minute to Pray, A Second to Die. “Black Temptation,” the album’s opener co-written by Chris D. and Alvin, starts off with a swampy vibe before transitioning to full-throttle rock 28

with Berlin contribution some jazzy horn fills. The band employs an eclectic approach throughout. Alvin’s guitar provides a bluesy beginning to “House Amid the Thickets” before turning into a slice of no-holds-barred punk. The bracing “My Life to Live” has overtones of the Clash with Chris D.’s vocals recalling Joe Strummer’s emotional power. The aggressiveness of “Pony Dress” recalls the early singles of X with Doe’s bass setting the pace, while Bateman’s percussive power is spotlighted on “The Wedding Dice.” The band revives Jeffrey Lee Pierce’s “She’s Like Heroin to Me” with Chris D. chanting the title like a mantra and provides an ominous feel to “The Green Manalishi,” a cover of a Fleetwood Mac song written by Peter Green. “Ghost Cave Lament,” a 13-minute track, ends the album on an ominous note with a soundscape inspired by flamenco music and a spaghetti-western soundtrack. (11 songs, 58 minutes) Ruth Wyand HHHH Tribe of One Back Bay Bill Records With just her guitar, expressive voice, and foot drums, Ruth Wyand distills her music to the essence of the blues. Her less-is-more approach pays off on Tribe of One, an album of riveting originals and well-executed cover versions that showcases her skills as a guitarist. An Atlantic City native now living in North Carolina, she displays nimble fingerpicking on “Bad Mojo (Working Overtime)” as she takes on the disruptive influence of modern technology. “Break The Curse” has her switching to electric guitar as Wyand details the futility of trying to shake off a romantic obsession. Wyand displays jazz-like phrasing on “The Last Nail,” a philosophical tale of death that references blues legend Robert Johnson (“My hellhound has caught up with me”). She shows off her lighter side on “Better Off Alone” with bottleneck playing that’s reminiscent of early Bonnie Raitt and lyrics that recall Mose Allison. “I gave you a penny for my thoughts,” she wryly notes. “Now I want my money back.” On Bob Dylan’s “Blind Willie McTell,” Wyand recasts the song in the

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style of Piedmont Blues to take the song at a faster pace and make it her own. For Jimi Hendrix’s “Little Wing,” Wyand goes the acoustic route to put the song in a new light. She wraps up

Photo: Megan Moss.

the album with an instrumental version of Etta Baker’s “Mint Julep,” one of her guitar influences, and pays tribute to her with her own “On The Porch with Etta.” (14 songs, 40 minutes) Mark Knopfler HHHH Down The Road Wherever – Deluxe Edition British Grove/Blue Note Records Mark Knopfler’s Down The Road Wherever – Deluxe Edition is a fitting title for an album that serves as a musical and lyrical journey. The former leader of Dire Straits effectively moves across a variety of musical styles while the characters of some songs come to terms with their new location. The bluesy guitar of “Just a Boy Away from Home” has echoes of Mississippi Fred McDowell’s “You Gotta Move” as Knopfler creates a sketch of a soccer fan on an opposing team’s turf. The song incorporates Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” the theme song of the Liverpool Football Club. “One Song at a Time” is Knopfler’s reflection on his early days with Dire Straits and the struggle to make it. “I’m picking my way out of here one song at a time,” he sings. “Matchstick Man” nicely showcases Knopfler’s acoustic

side as he recounts a tale of a musician trying to hitchhike home on Christmas In a change of pace, “When You Leave” shows Knopfler as a crooner with a cocktail piano and muted trumpet for backing. “Every Heart in the Room” serves as a message to a struggling musician not to give up in the face of adversity. Knopfler shows a willingness to experiment with his sound and succeeds. (16 songs, 78 minutes) Eric Bibb HHH1/2 Global Griot Stony Plain Records Eric Gibb brings an international flavor to Global Griot, a two-CD collaboration with American, African, and European musicians that was recorded in seven nations on three continents. It’s a worthy follow-up to Migration Blues, his 2017 Grammy-nominated album. Gibb kicks off the album with “Gathering of the Tribes,” a soothing song about the power of community. He doesn’t shy away from issues of the day, tackling income inequality in the soulful “Whereza Money At.” On “What’s He Gonna Say Today,” he stridently takes on the shoot-from-themouth comments of the president with a musical backing that recalls Marvin Gaye’s “Inner City Blues.” “Spirit Day” is a successful blend of American blues and African rhythms, featuring Harrison Kennedy and Senegalese singer Solo Cissokho. On the traditional “Mole in the Ground,” Gibb and Jamaican vocalist Ken Boothe team up for a folk/reggae hybrid that bridges their cultures. Alongside his own songs, Gibb mixes in spirited covers of Big Bill Broonzy’s “Black, Brown, and White,” a still relevant song on racism, and Ed McCurdy’s “Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream.” Gibb manages to find common ground among songs from different eras. (23 songs, 90 minutes) n [Tom Wilk: All journeys must come to an end. After 16 years, this is my final column for ICON. It’s been a pleasure to review music and interview a wide range of artists, including Mary Chapin Carpenter, Dave Alvin, Chris Smither and Amy Rigby, for stories in these pages. Thanks for reading.]

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POP BY A.D. AMOROSI

Neneh Cherry HHH Broken Politics Smalltown Supersound Nearly 30 years (!?) after the pingponging pop-hop of her Raw Like Sushi and its global hit, “Buffalo Stance,” Neneh Chery has found a style in which to maintain the ebullience of that youthful debut—and aging that torrid pop tone gracefully—while honing in on the socio-political now with deeply personal lyrics and a pulsing, spacey score provided by producer Four Tet’s Kieran Hebden. Broken Politics is no easy listen. Between Hebden’s fussy beats and aggressive collage atmosphere and Cherry’s tossed-in-the-air wordplay, there’s a tension behind a great portion of the new album, a friction portraying Cherry’s vision of an uneasy world. That doesn’t mean Cherry is Kafka-Lite, and Broken Politics an existential mess. With its joyful noisy Ornette Coleman sax sample and its Jamaican steel drum loop, “Natural Skin Deep,” gives Cherry a big bouncy way into a stray, gleeful hook, one where she intones, “my love goes on and on” as a release. Like someone winning a tug of war, exhausted by the push-pull, Cherry’s Broken Politics feels like a deep breath after a long tense struggle. Rosalía HHHHH El Mal Querer Sony Latin The sophomore release from the stagey, Spanish-language, flamenco-pop singer who’s as radically experimental as it is coolly contemporary, memorably melodic and R&B scented. The husky baritone Rosalía Rosalia at the 19th annual Latin Grammy Awards can sing quietly but dra- on Nov. 15, 2018. Roger Kisby for RollingStone matically of being treated badly, yet winning immediate respect on the spare, clacking “Malamente.” She can then turn up the theatricality quotient, and loudly croon with a hearty quiver through the obsession-based lyrics and dense electronic bass of “Pienso En Tu Mira” and the FX-heavy, discoish “De Aqui No Sales.” With flamenco’s toque and palmas (guitar strum and handclap rhythms) as El Mal Querer’s gentle framework, Rosalía also tips her hat to her classical training by sampling cellist Arthur Russell, then similarly brushes up to Justin Timberlake’s “Cry Me a River” on her own bruised cut, “Bagdad.” Always though, there is the sense of the visceral and empowered 25-year-old woman testing all boundaries and pushing all envelopes on this album. No matter what mood or music she’s vibing through, rhythm she’s flexing, or language she’s intoning, you can always feel Rosalía’s lyrical and vocal reach—tormented or ecstatic, winningly romantic or wronged—on El Mal Querer. n

Who is H.E.R.? When you hear the name H.E.R., you’re automatically stopped in your tracks. Who H.E.R.? Why H.E.R.? What does that mean? Getting to know 21-year-old California-native Gabriella ”Gabi” Wilson has been made even more difficult since the artist has long been complicit in the notion of anonymity in regard to the deeply passionate music and its marketing. She did few interviews. Her record covers either showed her in sun-framed silhouette, or in the case of her most recent EP, “I Used To Know Her: Part 2,” hidden behind a childhood photograph. H.E.R. isn’t interested in image. H.E.R. only cares about soul. “I’m not hiding,” said H.E.R. with a laugh from a pre-show sound-check in Philadelphia. “I only ever wanted to be known for the music I was making.” H.E.R.’s wish has come true, as voters for the 61st Grammy Awards (in February 2019) gave her an Album of the Year nomination (for 2017’s self-titled compilation of EPs “H.E.R. Volume 1,” “H.E.R. Volume 2,” and six additional songs), and another nod for Best New Artist. She also earned Grammy nominations for Best R&B Album for H.E.R., a Best R&B Performance for her “Best Part” track featuring Daniel Caesar, and Best R&B Song for “Focus” (with co-composers Darhyl Camper Jr and Justin Love). Five 2019 Grammy nominations put H.E.R. right next to fellow newbie Cardi B, and veteran superstars Lady Gaga and Childish Gambino. Wilson takes R&B in new, live directions and snags Grammy nominations for her trouble. She believed that RCA cared about real soul artistry and development from the start, and that RCA Chairman/CEO Peter Edge understood that her goal was to be a career artist, rather than a flash-in-the-pan or trend conscious creation. “RCA was a great fit with where I wanted to go,” she said. “From Alicia Keys to Chris Brown to Justin Timberlake, they are all career artists, plain and simple. That’s where and what I wanted to be, and RCA has been with me since day one, knowing full well my intentions.” H.E.R. called herself a longtime “studio rat” with much music to be heard, past and present. “When I don’t have the time, I make the time to get my ideas out—that’s who I’ve been before making records,” she said. “It came to a point, however, that I had so much music that needed to be heard, I just wanted to get it out.” Since 2016 and “H.E.R. Volume 1,” H.E.R. has done that through EPs—five so far (remember, her Grammy nomination is for an album that is her first two EPs and a handful of newer songs)— a format that she believes allows the artist to focus on what audiences are all about at present. “People have short attention spans,” she said. “That’s something that social media adheres to, because people can forget pretty easily. Coming out with a constant stream of music keep listeners engaged and interested.” Focusing on music, and not caring about what she says is “looks or cliques” have allowed her to focus on her strong but sensitive R&B-based tales, and the audience that loves those songs. “I want people to vibe with these songs, my songs, and fall in love with the music. I want to build a fan base that stems from that, not cosigns or associations. The artists I love—Michael and Janet Jackson—they were low-key in revealing who they were, despite what the press did. Their personalities were introverted. We’re loners. Out here, being myself, being in the studio, that’s crucial. My personal life is not important. With me, and for me, it’s all about the music.” n ICON | JANUARY 2019 | ICONDV.COM | FACEBOOK.COM/ICONDV

JAZZ, ROCK, CLASSICAL, ALT REVIEWED BY MARK KERESMAN

Kandace Springs HHHH1/2 Indigo Blue Note No sophomore slump for this Nashville native—Indigo is the second full-length by singer, pianist, songwriter Kandace Springs, and it’s an even more accomplished synthesis of jazz, oldschool (specifically early ’70s), modern rhythm & blues, and pop. Springs has a smooth, soulful warble in the manner of Phyllis Hyman and Sade. Unlike

some singers, Springs doesn’t try to hit every note in the sonic spectrum in one song—she simply sings with classy, understated heart. This set is mostly originals except for a couple of covers that exemplify her roots and approach—Roberta Flack’s 1972 hit “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” and The Stylistics’ “People Make the World Go ‘Round.” The only downside is some of the hip hop-styled rhythms get a bit stiff ‘n’ same-y, but that’s made up for by a guest appearance of (recentlypassed) trumpet ace Roy Hargrove. While not as folk- and blues-oriented as Nina Simone, Ms. Springs may well be a worthy successor to her for our time. (13 tracks, 48 min.) bluenote.com Harriet Tubman HHHH1/2 The Terror End of Beauty Sunnyside Here’s a tough one, students. While the players in this trio have extensive jazz backgrounds—Brandon Ross, electric guitar; Melvin Gibbs, electric bass, J.T. Lewis, drums—the results defy people’s general conception of 30

jazz. While very rhythmic, there’s little swing in the usual sense; while Ross has a different style of improvising than Jimi Hendrix his smoldering, aggressive (though not frenzied) tone is much closer to that of Hendrix than, say, Jimmy Ponder, Pat Metheny, or Joe Pass (though some influence of pre-Mahavishnu-era John McLaughlin can be discerned), and the team of Gibbs and Lewis throbs and shifts in a manner similar to reggae (especially dub). Jazzheads will say this is “rock” though the lack of rocking-out (and subtlety) will cause many rockers to cry “jazz”—fans of progressive and post-rock, electricera Miles Davis, and NYC’s polyglot Downtown Sound might call it “theirs,” however. The music itself? Tense, stormy, dusky with strong tendencies toward simmering vehemence. (For the less historically-minded reader, Harriet Tubman [1822-1913] was an anti-slavery activist and Civil War spy for the Union Army.) The clincher: The way these cats nail the meta-funk groove of “Five Points,” sounding like an outtake from Sly & The Family Stone’s magnum opus There’s A Riot Going On, is nearly worth the price of admission. If Hendrix had lived, if Sly hadn’t lost his way, if (more) jazz sixstringers or adventurous rock slingers picked up where Jimi H left off…etc., imagine no more and dig in. (10 tracks, 46 min.) sunnysiderecords.com Cannonball Adderley HHHHH Swingin’ in Seattle Etta Jones HHHH A Soulful Sunday Reel to Real Here are a couple of platters of previously unreleased live material from some now-departed jazz giants. Cannonball Adderley (1928-1975) was at one time hailed as a successor to Charlie Parker but blazed his own path into history. Based in Parker, Adderley’s sound is husky and mercurial, conversant in super-fast/razor-sharp bebopery sophistication but with a heavily blues-soaked tone. When some jazz players played for themselves (or so it seemed), Adderley’s 1960s and ‘70s music spoke to people—it was immediate, it was melodious/tuneful, it swung—later incorporating funk—and was infectiously fun. Seattle comes

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from the Penthouse Club in 1966-67, and is it ever swell—mostly wonderful sonic quality, it captures Adderley’s Quintet in excellent form at a point in their development as they were just beginning incorporating funkier (but preelectric) sounds in their mix. PreWeather Report-er Joe Zawinul is here on acoustic 88s; Sam Jones, bass, and

Roy McCurdy, drums, a little over-busy but fiery. As a bonus, some of Adderley’s cool-cat stage banter is included for that you-are-there feeling. This scorcher is not only recommended to Adderley/hard bop fans but also to novices to the man’s music. Adderley is practically a force of nature and his brother Nat is incendiary. (For much funkier edge, check out Music, You All, recorded in ’72 and recently reissued.) (19 tracks, 73 min.) Etta Jones (1928-2001), not to be confused with R&B icon Etta James, was a classy jazz singer who enjoyed a level of success slightly unusual for someone of her generation. At a time when jazz was thought in commercial decline (the onslaught of rock and R&B, y’know), her 1960 album Don’t Go To Strangers sold over a million copies, and up to her passing released several popular albums in musical partnership with tenor sax wizard Houston Person. Sunday was recorded in Baltimore 1972 with pianist Cedar Walton’s Trio (w/ Sam Jones and Billy Higgins). While she was greatly influenced by Billie Holiday, Jones had a truly robust, fillthe-room voice—somewhat evocative of Dinah Washington, almost like a female counterpart to Joe Williams or Jimmy Rushing. She goes to town on standards such as “This Girl’s in Love With You” and “For All We Know” (not the Carpenters’ song), Walton’s trio providing understated backing

throughout. Fans of Jones and oldschool jazz singers: Add this to your shopping list. (11 tracks, 55 min.) cellarlive.com Arlene Sierra HHH1/2 Volume 3: Butterflies Remember a Mountain Bridge While Miami-born, classical composer Arlene Sierra (b. 1970) plies her trade in London. Vol. 3: Butterflies… is her music for small groups of strings and piano. ”Avian Mirrors” for violin and cello is written for the upper reaches of the instruments—it’s subtly dramatic yet playful, evoking a duo trading stories via their instruments. There are some virtuosic touches and hints of a Eastern European Gypsy hue and the songs winged creatures. There is a vigorous sense of rhythm at work in Sierra’s music, as with the obliquely dancey “Truel,” for violin, cello, and piano, which has a playfully manic, darkly giddy Brahms-meets-Bartok intensity,

19th century elegance clashes with early 20th century modernity. The piano notes ring like a death knell, the strings are tense and insistent. “Of Risk and Memory” is for two pianos—it has a rolling, somewhat cyclic cadence that evokes the minimalism of Phillip Glass and Steve Reich but there are strains of Rachmaninoff and Shostakovich—a bit of drama yet there’s heart-on-sleeve passion, especially the crescendo. Sierra’s music is certainly not avant-garde (like Cage, Stockhausen, and Xenakis) nor is it a throwback to earlier concert hall elegance, yet it is very modern while possessing plenty of old-school lyrical qualities. Like (classy) sounds for violin and cello? Investigate. (11 tracks, 58 min.) bridgerecords.com n

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harper’s FINDINGS

INDEX

Political scientists concluded that the sharing of hostile political rumors is not motivated by partisanship and is typically practiced by status-hungry, socially marginalized groups who rank high in a “Need for Chaos” metric and who wish to “burn down the entire established democratic cosmos.” A new analysis described how P. T. Barnum launched his career by arranging for public dissection of an old female slave who died while under contract to him, and then planting false newspaper stories about the event. Prior exposure makes fake news appear more accurate. Hate-speech filters on social media platforms can easily be fooled by removing spaces between words or by adding the word “love.” Sexually Transmitted Diseases published the article “Anal Sex Is More Common Than Having a Twitter Account in the United States.” A study of 980 million tweets determined the Deep South to be the birthplace of the word “baeless.”

Estimated number of Nigerians killed in clashes between herders and farmers over the first six months of 2018: 1,300 In fighting with Boko Haram: 217 Factor by which more Americans are murdered each year by knives than by rifles: 4 Number of states since 2010 that have repealed or weakened knife laws: 21 Chance that an American believes that all members of the armed services should be described as heroes: 1 in 2 That a German does: 1 in 7 Number of children since 2007 who have been denied UK citizenship for failing the country’s “character test”: 517 Minimum age of children to whom the test is applied: 10 Amount of FEMA funding that has been transferred to ICE this year: $9,800,000 Number of “two-hundred-year floods” Houston has suffered since 2015: 4 % of Americans who have had to evacuate their homes because of a natural disaster: 22 Distance, in feet, by which the Earth’s axis of spin has shifted since 1899: 34 Estimated percentage of that shift that is due to climate change: 40 Factor by which national parks have warmed more rapidly than the US as a whole since 1895: 2.5 Portion of US households in 2015 that reported keeping temperatures at “unhealthy or unsafe” levels to save money: 1/10 Average value of a payday loan in the United States: $375 Average amount a borrower ends up spending in fees on a payday loan: $520 Percentage of US public employee applicants for student loan forgiveness who have been approved since last year: 0.3 Portion of millennial men who identify as socialists or democratic socialists: 2/5 Of millennial women: 1/5 Percentage by which women are more likely than men to volunteer for work tasks that probably won’t lead to promotions: 48 Percentage of Americans who believe that men and women have different leadership styles: 57 Percentage of those Americans who think women generally have the better approach: 22 Who believe that men generally do: 15 Portion of US companies that claim to have been affected by prescription drug abuse among their employees: 7/10 Minimum number of US cities that have announced plans to establish supervised drug consumption sites: 5 Estimated minimum number of cities that have such sites worldwide: 100 Number of people who have ever died of an overdose at one of these sites: 0 Percentage by which a US teenager was more likely to use marijuana than adults in their fifties or sixties in 2011: 121 By which adults in their fifties or sixties are more likely to use it than a teenager today: 3 Factor by which the average South Korean man spends more on skin care than the average man in any other country: 2.3 Portion of US men who do not regard changing underwear daily as “very important” behavior: 1/5 Percentage of Americans who say they have and enjoy a large social circle: 16 Percentage of cell phone calls in 2017 that came from scammers: 3.7 Estimated percentage of cell phone calls next year that will: 45 % of Americans aged 13 to 17 who cite texting as best way to communicate with friends: 35 Who cite talking in person: 32 Percentage of interviews with professional baseball players that feature a variation of the phrase “one game at a time”: 7 That feature a variation of “a heck of a game”: 50 % of adults last year who reported doing or learning something interesting the previous day: 46

Marriage in the United States is becoming less common and more stable, and the divorce rate is expected to further decline. A study of twelve diverse populations from the former Soviet Union, Latin America, and North America found that men with greater upperbody strength are less likely to support economic egalitarianism. Norwegians, despite having a more sexually egalitarian culture and being less inclined to accept misogynistic rape myths than Americans, are more pessimistic about the benefits of #MeToo. Psychopaths and Machiavellians are more likely to think that artificial intelligence poses a malevolent threat. Schadenfreude is more intense in real life than in lab simulations. People who are made to feel poorer desire more meat. High-status consumers consume lowstatus goods ironically to signal their difference from middle-status consumers. In Sweden, an eight-year-old girl named Saga pulled a pre-Viking sword from a lake. All-male legislative bodies are generally considered a less legitimate form of government.

An interdisciplinary team described a history of European animal trials by secular and ecclesiastical courts, including a sixteenth-century case against French rats, whose public defender, upon the rats’ failure to appear, remonstrated with the court: “What can be more unjust than these general proscriptions, which overwhelm whole families in one common ruin, which visit the crime of parents on the children, which destroy indiscriminately those whom tender years or infirmity render equally incapable of offending?” Mountain goats were airlifted out of Olympic National Park after attacking and harassing human visitors in an attempt to access the salt in their sweat and urine. Octopuses submerged in an MDMA bath for ten minutes will, when subsequently given the chance to enter a tank with a caged octopus, spend more time with the other octopus and will put their tentacles and mouth on the cage. Neurobiologists were researching why octopus mothers whose optic glands are removed do not follow the regular behavioral pattern of brooding, wasting away, and self-harming to accelerate death, but rather abandon their eggs and resume eating. Warming seas were making coral reefs larger but more porous, and were making farmerfish more aggressive in defending their reefs from corallivores. Astrophysicists pointed out that many advanced alien civilizations may have been killed off by climate change. A billion years ago and a billion light-years away in the galaxy PG211+143, matter was observed falling into a black hole at 30 percent the speed of light. 32

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SOURCES: 1,2 International Crisis Group (Brussels); 3 Federal Bureau of Investigation; 4 Knife Rights (Gilbert, Ariz); 5,6 YouGov (NYC); 7,8 Project for the Registration of Children as British Citizens (London); 9 Federal Emergency Management Agency; 10 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Silver Spring, Md.); 11 YouGov; 12,13 Jet Propulsion Laboratory (Pasadena, Calif.); 14 Patrick Gonzalez, University of California, Berkeley; 15 US Energy Information Administration; 16,17 Pew Charitable Trusts (Washington); 18 US Department of Education; 19,20 Maru/ Blue (Toronto); 21 Lise Vesterlund, University of Pittsburgh; 22–24 Pew Research Center (Washington); 25 National Safety Council (Itasca, Ill.); 26,27 RTI International (San Francisco); 28 Leo Beletsky, NortheasternUniversity (Boston); 29,30 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration(Rockville, Md.); 31 Euromonitor International (London); 32 Ipsos (Washington); 33 YouGov; 34,35 First Orion (Little Rock, Ark.); 36,37 Common Sense Media (San Francisco); 38,39 Washington Post; 40 Gallup (Washington).

JAZZ LIBRARY BY BOB PERKINS

Photo: Dennis C. Owsley.

THIS PIECE IS ABOUT a most interesting jazz musician-plus, named Roland Hannah, who was often referred to as Sir Roland Hannah. Roland Hannah was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, one of the cities that has served as a cradle for budding jazz greats and near-greats. His father was a minister and a musician, so young Roland was introduced to music at an early age. Roland began piano lessons at age 11, and a few years later, attended Detroit’s famed Cass Technical High School, responsible for helping to groom jazz figures like Ron Carter, Geri Allen, Gerald Wilson, Regina Carter, and Alice Coltrane, to name a few. As he matured as a musician, his musical range broadened, he became influenced by classical music, and his playing began to reflect the works of Chopin, Debussy, Ravel, and other great classical composers. He grew into a no-nonsense guy when it came to respect for the “good” music of many genres. He once told an interviewer, “Anyone who plays music should play it primarily for the love of the art. The business end of it should come as an afterthought.”

After graduation from Cass-Tech, Roland spent two years in the army, playing with the United States Army Band. Then in 1953, came one year of studies at the Eastman School of Music in New York. He left the school early because he was not permitted to play jazz there. Two years later, he enrolled at New York’s prestigious Julliard School of Music. As mentioned earlier, Roland’s musical range was far-reaching. This was further revealed when he took a leave from his studies at Julliard to join Benny Goodman’s band for a European tour, and a 1958 performance at the Newport Jazz Festival. Goodman’s band was primarily a Swing Jazz group, and Roland was into a more modern form of jazz. But, as already stated, he believed in good music in many forms. Roland’s musical versatility and eclecticism were further born out when he began to play on and off in bassist Charlie Mingus’s band. From Goodman to Mingus was considered a giant step in contrast. Roland returned to Julliard, earned his degree, and graduated in 1960. Long afterward, he served as accompanist to singers Sarah Vaughan and Al Hibbler, while forming his own small groups, and taking time out to work as a sideman in other bands; one of the bands was the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra. Roland encountered a problem there because the band began to incorporate rockoriented arrangements in its repertoire. Although a professed lover of many genres of music, he thought such inclusion went a little too far. The handle of “Sir” fronting his name came about when he performed several solo concerts in Liberia that raised considerable money for the education of the nation’s children. For this, the country’s government conferred upon him, the title of Sir. Besides heading his own jazz bands, Roland continued concertizing and recording the classical compositions of legendary classical composers, while also composing chamber and orchestral music and performing them. Over the latter part of his years, Roland performed with many symphonic orchestras, including the Eastman Symphony Orchestra, the Swedish Symphony Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra, and at a homecoming with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Along with the all of the aforementioned involvements, he was a respected music educator and held a tenured professorship at the Aaron Copeland School of Music, Queens College, at the City University of New York. Roland recorded more than 50 albums under his own name. One of my favorites is titled Romanesque, performed with bassist George Mraz. Their rendition of “Serenade” is a gem. Jimmy Heath, a friend and colleague of Roland’s and Professor Emeritus at Queens College said, “No matter what Sir Roland Hannah did, or how he did it, he was always raising the bar.” Sir Roland Hannah died on November 13, 2002 at the age of 70, the result of a viral infection. n Bob Perkins is a writer and host of an all-jazz radio program that airs on WRTI-FM 90.1 Mon. through Thurs. night from 6–9 and Sunday 9–1. ICON | JANUARY 2019 | ICONDV.COM | FACEBOOK.COM/ICONDV

The Los Angeles Times SUNDAY CROSSWORD PUZZLE

BETA BLOCKERS By John Lampkin

ACROSS 1 7 14 20 21 22 23 25 26 27 28 30 31 33 35 37 40 41 42 43 46 49 51 52 53 55 56 57 58 60 62 63 65 66 68 69 72 73 77 78 82 83 85 87 88 90 92 93 94 95 97 99 34

It’s usually spotted in a game Prolong painfully Pablo’s putting-off word Heat-sensitive patch 1982Toto hit Twist counterclockwise, as a nut Defeat decisively in an annual Nathan’s contest? Hardly modest Hardly quick Steamed dumplings, e.g. Oft-mispunctuated word Plane angle symbol Alley Oop’s love Diplomacy Tribute with bent elbows Best-liked, in texts Flabbergast One in line for what’s left For instance Whale-tale captain Cutlery causing boo-boos? Cell dead spot indicator European capital Many misses Ripped Super __ fu Amer. fliers Ripped off Handle change Actress Peeples Bird on LSU’s seal Is for all Apply, as butter 41-Across, often Explore à la an aging Captain Kirk? Director Lee “Enough already!” Vague opening? 98, but not 98.6 Bird hunted to extinction by the Maori Easygoing sort The boy well-known in meteorology? California roll ingredient Bat head? Cardiff’s country Galileo’s birthplace Give __ Last-__: desperate Greening up Roleo official? Actress Sommer

100 Revival prefix 101 Some reddish deer 103 Place to stay when you’re out, ironically 104 Many retirees: Abbr. 105 Against a thing, at law 107 Utah national park 108 Bury 110 Eager kids’ plea 112 Heady quaff 114 War zone excavation 116 GI no-show 120 Achieve success 122 Farm workers’ coffee setup near a fence post? 125 “We can’t hear you!” 126 Consequence of only getting close? 127 “Enough already!” 128 “The Communist Manifesto” co-author 129 Sign off on 130 Govt. securities

DOWN 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 24 29 32 34 36 37 38

39 41

Conks out Verbal Con __: musical tempo Halved Japanese 7-Down Dies in this puzzle? See 5-Down Pitchers Darling and Guidry Quick-witted Pilot feeder Palindromic celeb Not suitable First presidential swinger, golf-wise Org. with minors Critical ticker valve Where even termites were welcome, presumably One who sniffs out good investments? Tree house “Dragonwyck” novelist Seton Criticize to death Astronomer’s aid Kentucky __, event before the Derby Trim, as a pic Painfully off-pitch Jewish diva? Get all misty “__ woman wishes to be no one’s enemy (and) ... refuses to be anyone’s victim”: Angelou Like some memes Kind of tea

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42 44 45 47 48 50 54 58 59 61 64 67 69

“Because I __!” 106 Celebrate wildly OB/GYN test 107 Cause of temporary weight loss? Set off 108 101 course Into shenanigans 109 1:1, for one “The Gift of the Magi” gift 110 NASCAR’s Yarborough Support wear 111 Elvis’ middle name Comic-Con attendee 113 Moon goddess Sampling from Quaid’s vineyard? 115 Coup target Dig deeply 117 Power eponym Sleeping bag site 118 “The Grapes of Wrath” character Lab __ 119 Rents Ax to grind 121 Defib settings Verdi opera based on a Shakespeare 123 Big name in ATMs tragedy 124 Radiation source 70 TripAdvisor rival 71 Einstein 73 Photoshop fodder Answer to December’s puzzle, IN OTHER WORDS 74 Outspoken 75 Carpet made from corn husks? 76 Beach in a classic bossa nova hit 78 If all else fails 79 Ends 80 Misjudgment 81 Smartphone options 84 Pollen-packing petal pusher 86 Surreal ending? 89 Dentist’s directive 91 Mumbai wrap 93 Designer Klein 96 It’s played secretly under the table 98 Secretly 102 More than irk

AGENDA ART

THRU 1/6 The James A. Michener Art Museum Presents, 30 Years: Art at the Michener, 1988-2018. 138 S. Pine St., Doylestown, PA. 215-340-9800. Michenerartmuseum.org THRU 1/6 Lace, not Lace: Contemporary Fiber Art from Lacemaking Techniques. Hunterdon Art Museum, 7 Lower Center St., Clinton, NJ. 908-735-8415. Hunterdonartmuseum.org THRU 1/12 2018 Holiday Show, Bethlehem House Contemporary Art Gallery. Closing reception 1/12/2019, 6-9pm. 459 Main St., Bethlehem, PA. 610-419-6262. Bethlehemhousegallery.com THRU 1/27 Juried Craft Exhibition. A rich array of woodwork, ceramics, furniture, jewelry, textiles, metalwork, glass, enamel, and leather selected by Haystack Mountain School of Crafts Director and juror Paul Sacaridiz. Delaware Art Museum, 2301 Kentmere Parkway, Wilmington, DE. 302-571-9590 delart.org THRU 2/2 Filters and Dolphin Sounds, an exhibition by Claudia Bitran. Baker Center for the Arts, Martin Art Gallery, Muhlenberg College, 2400 Chew St., Allentown, PA. Muhlenberg.edu/gallery THRU 2/3 Politics and Paint: Barbara Bodichon and the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. Painter and women’s rights campaigner Barbara Leigh Smith Bodichon (1827–1891) was an early female participant in the PreRaphaelite movement. Delaware Art Museum, 2301 Kentmere Parkway, Wilmington, DE. 302-571-9590 delart.org 1/2-1/31 Works on Paper Exhibition. The Philadelphia Sketch Club, 235 South Camac Street, Philadelphia, PA. 215-545-9298 sketchclub.org

1/2-1/31 Dori Spector Solo Show. The Philadelphia Sketch Club, 235 South Camac Street, Philadelphia, PA. 215-545-9298 sketchclub.org 1/19-1/27 De J’ai Vue Saigon, new paintings by Sandy Hanna & short film of the 60’s in Saigon. New Hope Arts Center, 2A Stockton Ave., New Hope, PA. Gallery hours 1/19, 6-8 PM, 1/20, 1/26 & 27, 12–5 PM. For more information visit newhopearts.org. 1/10-2/7 Simply Still. The Baum School of Art, 510 Linden St., Allentown, PA. 610-433-0032. Baumschool.org DANCE

2/7-2/9 Master Choreographers, an evening of dance by acclaimed guest artists & faculty. Muhlenberg College Theatre & Dance, 2400 Chew St., Allentown, PA. 484-664-3333. Muhlenberg.edu/dance THEATER

1/20 Diavolo, America’s Got Talent Finalist. 5PM, State Theatre, 453 Northampton St., Easton, PA. 610-252-3132. Statetheatre.org 1/30 Chicago The Musical. 7PM, State Theatre, 453 Northampton St., Easton, PA. 610-252-3132. Statetheatre.org 1/31 American Girl Live, An All New Musical. 5PM, State Theatre, 453 Northampton St., Easton, PA. 610-252-3132. Statetheatre.org 2/13 The Lightning Thief, The Percy Jackson Musical. 7PM, Zoellner Arts Center, 420 E. Packer Ave., Bethlehem, PA. Free event parking attached to center. 610-758-2787. Zoellnerartscenter.org

PUPPET SHOWS FOR ADULTS & KIDS

1/19 The Woman in White: A Mystery by Wilkie Collins. Plus: Dream Puppet Theater A Puppet Show for grownups, featuring improvisational comedy with live music. 8 PM, Book & Puppet Co. 466 Northampton St., Easton, PA. 484-541-5379. Facebook/bookandpuppet 1/19 & 1/20 Fractured Fables Puppet Show for the Whole Family: engaging improvisational theater with live music. FREE, 1PM. Book & Puppet Co., 466 Northampton St., Easton, PA. 484-541-5379. Facebook/bookandpuppet 1/26 The Woman in White: A Mystery by Wilkie Collins. Plus: Dream Puppet Theater, A Puppet Show for grownups, featuring improvisational comedy with live music. 8 PM. Book & Puppet Co., 466 Northampton St., Easton, PA. 484-541-5379. Facebook/bookandpuppet 1/26 & 1/27 Fractured Fables Puppet Show for the Whole Family: engaging improvisational theater with live music. FREE. 1 PM. Book & Puppet Co., 466 Northampton St., Easton. 484-541-5379. Facebook/bookandpuppet COMEDY

1/26 Comedy Cabaret. Mark Riccadona, Marc Kaye, and Adrian Colon. 8 pm. 1867 Sanctuary Arts and Culture Center, 101 Scotch Road, Ewing, NJ. 609-392-6409. 1867sanctuary.org CONCERTS

1/6 My One and Only, and Deva Troy with Elena Marino. Americana. 7:30 pm. 1867 Sanctuary Arts and Culture Center, 101 Scotch Road, Ewing, NJ. 609-392-6409. 1867sanctuary.org

1/13 Spin Radio Frost Fest 2019, Sublime with Rome/lovelytheband. State Theatre, 453 Northampton St., Easton, PA. 610-252-3132. Statetheatre.org 1/19 Fiona Tyndall. “Shamrock and Thistle.” Songs of Robert Burns and other Celtic Sounds. 8 pm. 1867 Sanctuary Arts and Culture Center, 101 Scotch Road, Ewing, NJ. 609-392-6409. 1867sanctuary.org 1/20 The Organ Birthday Concerts, celebrating the twentieth birthday of its pipe organ, Austin Op. 2776 (1998) with a series of recitals. 4:00 PM with Robert McCormick. Cathedral Arts, Cathedral Church of the Nativity, 321 Wyandotte St., Bethlehem, PA. 610-865-0727. Nativitycathedral.org 1/27 Pennsylvania Sinfonia Orchestra, “Winter Vivaldi.” Chamber ensemble with soloist, Father Sean Duggan, piano. Works by Vivaldi, Bach, Telemann, Sammartini. 3:00 PM. Wesley Church, 2540 Center St., Bethlehem, PA. Tickets-$20-$35 in advance/at door. 610-434-7811. PASinfonia.org 2/2 Renée Elise Goldsberry, Tony Award Winner for Hamilton. 8PM, Zoellner Arts Center, 420 E. Packer Ave., Bethlehem, PA. Free event parking attached to center. 610-758-2787. Zoellnerartscenter.org 2/2 Stage on Stage: A night of Indie/Jam Rock. Hosted by Dustin School, featuring the Happy Fits, ITO, Summer Scouts. 7:30PM. State Theatre, 453 Northampton St., Easton. 610-252-3132. Statetheatre.org 2/10 Shanghai Opera Symphony Orchestra, Butterfly Lovers & Berlioz. 4PM. Zoellner Arts Center, 420 E. Packer Ave., Bethlehem, PA. Free event parking attached to center. 610-7582787. Zoellnerartscenter.org

MUSIKFEST CAFÉ 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem 610-332-1300 Artsquest.org

JANUARY 5 EagleMania. The World’s Greatest Eagles Tribute Band 10 WXPN Welcomes Aaron Neville Duo 12: Kashmir. The Live Led Zeppelin Show 18 The Verve Pipe 19 Splintered Sunlight 25 Mr. Speed. KISS Tribute FEBRUARY 6 Ana Popovic 14 Top of the World. A Carpenters Tribute DINO’S BACKSTAGE 287 N. Keswick Ave., Glenside. 215-884-2000 Dinosbackstage.com

JANUARY 12 Dibbs Preston & The Detonators 18 Dierdre Finnegan 25 The Big Night: The Music of Louis Prima 26 The Big Night: The Music of Louis Prima 27 Aunt Mary Pat DINNER & MUSIC

Every Thurs.-Sat., Dinner and a Show at SteelStacks, Bethlehem, PA. 5-10, table service and valet parking. For more information, menus and upcoming events visit SteelStacks.org EVENTS

1/13 The 4th Annual Wedding Expo. 1PM-4PM. State Theatre, 453 Northampton St., Easton, PA. 610-252-3132. Statetheatre.org BOOK SIGNING

1/19 The Ignorance of Bliss: An American Kid in Saigon,” author Sandy Hanna. 6–8 PM, New Hope Arts Center, 2A Stockton Ave., New Hope, PA. In cooperation with Farley’s Bookshop. Newhopearts.org. n

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