Isabel Crook, 107, Dies; Her Life in China Spanned a Century of Change A noted educator and anthropologist, she spent almost her entire life in China, where she was a committed friend of the Communist government. NY Times 08/24/23 Isabel Crook, a China-born daughter of Canadian missionaries who became one of her adopted country’s most … [Read more…]
Behind All the Talk, This Is What Big Oil Is Actually Doing Aug. 7, 2023 New York Times In reading a few arguments about the pace of the transition from fossil fuels to clean energy, some are saying that “we can’t afford this” and, as in the article above, people won’t buy it. I’m getting … [Read more…]
SunRay Kelley, Master Builder of the Counterculture, Dies at 71 The go-to guru for those seeking their dream yurt, spiritual retreat or treehouse, he brought forth his handmade structures like a wizard with a chain saw. By Penelope Green Published July 30, 2023 Updated July 31, 2023, 7:00 a.m. ET SunRay Kelley, the barefoot maverick … [Read more…]
World’s oldest national newspaper prints final edition after 320 years – Austria’s Wiener Zeitung to publish online only after recent law change makes it unprofitable as print product The newspaper, which is owned by the Austrian government but is editorially independent, began publishing in August 1703 and has seen out 12 presidents, 10 kaisers … [Read more…]
In The Guardian is an obituary of artist Hamad Butt and a review of his work. Fascinating and dangerous, Butt was one of the Young Brits who, having died in 1994 of AIDS, didn’t receive as much exposure as his peers. So why haven’t we heard of Butt before? His lack of visibility is … [Read more…]
Ryuichi Sakamoto, Oscar-Winning Japanese Composer, Dies at 71 in the New York Times. The Guardian carries a tribute here.
Keith Reid, Who Brought Poetry to Procol Harum, Dies at 76 He did not perform with the group, but his impressionistic words made it one of the leading acts of the progressive-rock era.
Fuzzy Haskins, Who Helped Turn Doo-Wop Into P-Funk, Dies at 81 [NY Times requires a subscription] As a teenager, he joined forces with George Clinton. Their vocal group, the Parliaments, morphed into Parliament-Funkadelic, one of the wildest acts of the 1970s.
Casey Hayden, a Force for Civil Rights and Feminism, Dies at 85 New York Times By Neil Genzlinger Published Jan. 13, 2023 While working for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in the early 1960s, she helped write two memos that spurred the modern women’s movement. Casey Hayden with Dorie Ladner, a fellow member of the … [Read more…]
Charles Simic, Pulitzer-Winning Poet and U.S. Laureate, Dies at 84 A Serbian-born American, he left the impression in his verse that he had “poked a hole into everyday life to reveal a glimpse of something endless.”