Tuli’s Archives
Gothamist has a pretty incredible story about some newly discovered Bob Dylan lyrics, to a song-never-recorded about Robert Moses. It’s easy to assume that the lyrics sheet is a hoax. But, because, it was discovered in the Tuli Kupferberg files, I’m inclined to regard it as legit.
Tuli was a true American character. He was a member of the musical avant garde jug-band the Fugs, an early progenitor of the Village underground, a leftist and a proto-zinester. I first learned of him when, accompanied by a (paid!) intern, I poured through David McReynolds’ archives to find suitable material for the Socialist Party’s 100th anniversary conference journal.
McReynolds was a long time leader of the SP, a pacifist and student of Bayard Rustin and A.J. Muste, a two-time candidate for President (I managed his second campaign in 2000; his first, in 1980, is purportedly the first time that an openly gay man ran for the office) and a long-time bohemian and Village resident. Before David complains about this post, I use the past tense because I am describing an event from 2001, not because he is dead. He is very much still alive (and blogging!).
David’s archives included many incredible photographic negatives of Socialist Party and War Resisters League events from the prior 40 years, including some of the last “new” pictures of Martin Luther King – from a WRL (or possibly Fellowship of Reconciliation?) – awards dinner in the early 1960’s.
It also included a shot from that same dinner night that I has developed into a 11″ x 14″ print that has adorned the walls of every home I have since called my own, of A.J. Must and Norman Thomas locked in an intense yet casual conversation at that same awards dinner, (I think) with the glass reflection of MLK’s back behind them.
So, what convinces me of the authenticity of these new Dylan lyrics because they were found in Tuli’s archives? Well, many of Tuli’s archives wound up in McReynolds’ archives – most notably a zine called “FUCK GOD!” When we came across that one, McReynolds chuckled and said, “That was pretty controversial back in its day. I don’t know how Tuli got away with that one!”
A few minutes later, I came across Tuli’s sequel to that particular opus, a mimeographed volume entitled, “FUCK GOD IN THE ASS!,” its cover adorned by a crude line drawing of a be-robed man with long grey hair, from behind, spreading his butt cheeks. “Yeah,” I said, “I think this would still be pretty controversial today.”
So, do I think it’s possible that young Bob Dylan threw a lyrics sheet of a song taking the piss out of “master builder” Robert Moses Tuli Kupferberg’s way? Yeah, you betcha.
Get Your Ticket to the NYAAF 10th Anniversary Celebration
Charter School Board Conundrum
A conundrum that charter schools face when recruiting prestigious one percenty-types (celebrities, politicians, stockbrokers and lawyers) to serve on their governing boards is that, yes, this may open the school up to more charitable giving. But, people with outrageous fortunes sometimes came to them through outrageous means. When a school board member is hoisted on his own petard, to what extent should that reflect on the school? Old-fashioned school district school boards – however incompetent, corrupt or amateurish – have the benefit of being democratically elected by the people, and therefore, NOT OUR SCHOOL’S FAULT when they go to jail for their own idiocy.
In the era of charter schools, where governing boards are corporations appointed through insular networks of money and influence, things get tricker. Take the scary situation of Bronx Charter School for the Arts, an otherwise lovely and totally rare arts-centric (in this day of standardized math and English testing!) charter school, which had the relatively good fortune of securing “record producer, DJ, rapper and painter”, as well as Alicia Keys’ husband, Swizz Beatz, as a member of its school board.
Today, Swizz Beatz is facing federal scrutiny for his role as CEO of MegaUpload, the sacrificial lamb of Hollywood’s failed attempt to upend anti-piracy law through the “SOPA” and “Protect IP” bills that were so overwhelmingly rejected by popular opinion earlier this week. While this may be welcome news to Bob Dylan, at Bronx Arts where board-member Swizz Beatz accepted the CEO position at that now-controversial company as quickly as he accepted a seat on their governing board, everyone involved in the operation must be worried about guilt by association.
I don’t mean to damn MegaUpload. It seems like a fairly innocent pawn in the war between Hollywood and moviegoers who are tired of paying more for less. I don’t mean to damn Swizz Beatz, who seems like a relatively decent guy who was only supporting a decent charter school that tries to keep the arts front and center while most laws and funding streams emphasize student test results in math and English. I’m just saying that when you treat each individual charter school as a district unto itself, you’re going to embroil otherwise-decent schools into controversies in which they play no role. Take this fact, as a parting shot: in New Jersey, where 187 school board members have failed to complete criminal background checks, that statistic equates to only .2% of public school district members failing to live up their their obligations under the law. Charter schools? Nearly one in six charter school corporate school board members failed to follow the law. Quite the conundrum for anyone trying to support otherwise decent charter schools as they attempt to carry out their missions.
NYAAF’s 10th Anniversary Celebration
Since it seems my main venue of non-labor activism is charitable giving, I have signed on as a Co-Chair of the New York Abortion Access Fund‘s 10th Anniversary Celebration.
This is a wonderful organization that directly addresses what may be the greatest threat to reproductive freedom today: the high cost of, and limited access to, abortion procedures. This is an entirely-volunteer grassroots organization that puts money directly in the service of women in need. They do intake and connect women to the best health-provider for their situation, negotiate lower rates and leverage what matching funds they can raise from donors like you and help women get the medical help they need.
This may be the first time that the NYAAF has held any kind of event like this; y’know, a seemingly bourgey cocktail party. I’m glad they are doing it. Firstly, nothing is too good for the working class. Secondly, the organizational space that is hosting the event is, itself, a worthy charity. Thirdly, the women who have kept NYAAF as a going concern (on top of all the other demands of their lives) for over a decade deserve a little party. And, finally, because it’s an opportunity for people like me to invite you to check them out and either donate your money, or better, still, your time to one of New York’s best causes.