Obituaries

February 25, 2011

Akilah Oliver (1961-2011)

Akilah Oliver (1961-2011) The ceremony of sorrow is performed with a measured, defiant acknowledgement that makes words charms, talismen of the fallen world. Poetry is a holding space, a folded grace, in which objects...

Obituaries / Theater

February 14, 2011

Oakley — a Grin on His Face

Very sad to hear this morning of the passing of Oakley Hall III. Below, the mail just sent out by his family. Oakley had a complex, difficult life as a man and artist —...

Obituaries

February 7, 2011

Andrée Chedid (1920-2011)

The Cairo-born francophone novelist & poet Andrée Chedid — whose origins are Lebanese but who has live din France since 1946 — passed away Sunday night in Paris. See Le Monde’s obituary here; some of her...

Obituaries / Poetics / Poetry

February 3, 2011

Edouard Glissant (1928-2011)

from: The Restless Earth “Promenade of Solitary Death” The sad boy has not moved On a lake of roses, strewn With pale bodies in the rosebushes Funereal bay it has remained The shore...

Obituaries / Poetry

December 24, 2010

Janine Pommy-Vega (1942-2010)

The poet, teacher & activist Janine Pommy-Vega passed away yesterday, 23 December. More information here and here. And below, the opening poem of her first book, Poems to Fernando (City Lights Books, 1968): The...

Ancient Languages / Cultural Studies / Education / European History / Intellectuals / Language / Obituaries

December 19, 2010

Jacqueline de Romilly (1913-2010)

(”Jacqueline de Romilly chez elle en 2004″, photos Olivier Roller) Jacqueline de Romilly who passed away yesterday at 97, was a magnificent Hellenist & Greek scholar, who collected firsts: the first woman accepted at...

Music / Obituaries

December 18, 2010

Don Van Vliet (1941-2010)

Freedom of Speech / Human rights / Obituaries

November 24, 2010

Morocco mourns Political Activist Abraham Serfaty

[Reuters/Jean Blondin] Abraham Serfaty spent decades campaigning for human rights in Morocco. Via MoroccoBoard.com, here is an article by NAOUFEL CHERKAOUI on the passing of a major Moroccan figure: Moroccan Jewish political activist Abraham...

Obituaries

November 1, 2010

Harry Mulisch (1927-2010)

“I never make things up, I just remember things that never happened.” I have always admired this sentence by the great Dutch writer — novels, journalism, poetry, essays — who died this past Saturday....

Music / Obituaries / Performance / Poetry

October 6, 2010

Sunflower, Weary of Time for Tuli Kupferberg

Ed Sanders, Stephen Taylor and Coby Batty, as a sort of Fugs Trio singing a song composed by Ed Sanders & based on William Blake‘s “Ah, Sunflower, Weary of Time” at the celebrations for...