The best art has the uncanny ability not only to give pleasure to those who view it but also to inspire a desire to respond. The best artists are a force for all art; and renowned Gullah artist Jonathan Greens work has inspired a wide range of responses from artists around the world. In Seeking we see how Greens art prompts works of poetry; prose; and memoir. Seekings evocative power lies in the intimacy of this dialogue; which speaks to the shared sense of landscape and culture that Green stirs in these writers; ranging from close friends and fellow artists from his home state of South Carolina to nationally established authors who regard Greens work as an important cultural institution. The contributors have allowed themselves to be challenged by Greens brilliance; his honesty; his intense spirituality; and his deep love of people. Inspired by a personal quest toward induction into a spiritual community; Greens painting Seeking is rich with history; myth; and truth. The writers in this collection have found fertile ground for their own responses to Greens work; and the result is an engaging and enlivening chorus of celebratory voices.Edited by Kwame Dawes and Marjory Wentworth; this collection features eleven color paintings by Green in addition to a preface on the history of the project; information on the painting Seeking; and an artists statement.
#1726966 in eBooks 2012-11-20 2012-12-07File Name: B00AMXTHCM
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A Must Read Book!By M. J. KeyesBluegrass music; in its ldquo;official formrdquo;; has only been with us since 1946 when Earl Scruggs joined Bill Monroes band and helped to create the sound as we know it today. I point this out because bluegrass in all of its forms is not an amorphous folk art whose origins are lost in the fog of history; rather it is a primarily stage music that escaped from its owners early on and has continued to evolve today. It is much more popular than one would expect considering its string band origins Because many of the early practitioners are still around and because much of it was recorded right from the beginning; Murphy Henry was able to write this wonderful history of the music using detailed and verifiable sources to tell the story.Ms. Henry; whose masters thesis was on Sally Ann Forrester ndash; the first woman in a bluegrass band; must have distilled down years worth of gathering information in order to write this book. It is clearly a work of the heart for her judging by her warm folksy writing style and the insight into the subjects that the reader gathers when you read what she has to say. But it is also the work of a professional historian with detailed cites; a balanced presentation; and what I consider an objective approach to the subject of women in bluegrass.This book is not a screed but you cant help but think that Ms. Henry; who is an accomplished banjo teacher and musician; cant have a dog in the fight. Yet this obvious approach is not evident. What is striking is that you learn how important the role of women musicians is and was to the music starting with accordion playing Sally Ann Forrester (Bill Monroe would probably not have satisfied the absolute purists in his own music what with the accordion; new age bird sounds; etc.) to these days where arguably the most popular bluegrass bands are fronted by great woman musicians.I was born in 1944 which makes me two years older than bluegrass. I was raised in Nashville which allowed me to see the Flatt and Scruggs show on TV from its inception and drew me to the music the moment I heard Earl Scruggs play the banjo. Not much later I learned from friends of my fathers (the Williams brothers who owned Martha White Mills) that it was Louise Scruggs; Earls wife; who negotiated the deal that made FS famous throughout the South and eventually the world via TV deals; Carnegie Hall; etc.. Because of the Martha White deal; Flatt and Scruggs could travel all over the South and eventually to the Newport Folk Festival in 1959; thirteen years after the first bluegrass music was played. One remarkable woman put bluegrass on the map and the rest; as they say; is history.Louise Scruggs did not get this recognition for many years and the women in ldquo;Pretty Good...rdquo; didnt either; especially the early contributors. ldquo;Pretty Good For A Girl: Women In Bluegrassrdquo; tells their story and in the process fills in the blanks for me and others.If you are a bluegrass fan and especially if you are a musician; this is a must read book.4 of 5 people found the following review helpful. A Valuable Addition to the History of Bluegrass MusicBy OldGrayDogThis book justifiably stands with Neil Rosenbergs Bluegrass: A History and Robert Cantwells Bluegrass Breakdown: The Making of the Old Southern Sound in the University of Illinois Music in American Life series. Anyone attempting to write about any aspect of the history of Bluegrass music is immediately confronted with the problem of definition; which in turn sets the efforts historical boundaries. Henry takes this head on at the start of Chapter 1. "I have defined a bluegrass band as one that features the five-string banjo played in the three-finger Scruggs style." With this entirely reasonable definition for her purpose; Ms. Henry sets her starting point at 1945. What this means; of course; is that some women who made seminal contributions to what became Bluegrass such as Maybelle and Sara Carter and Molly ODay are not included. The stories of the many artists who are included provide the wellspring for comprehensive coverage of a neglected element of the development of Bluegrass music. Although she does it through short biographies of the women; Ms. Henry clearly is writing about the culture in which these women worked and how it shaped their ability; or lack of ability; to impact the evolution of the Bluegrass sound. And; as she makes clear; this lack of ability to shape the emerging genre was not due to lack of musicianship. Each section of the book represents a decade and begins with a short synthesis of the lives and musical contributions of those included followed by a brief biography of each. Sally Ann Forrester kicks off the decade of the 1940s. Here Ms. Henry opens several recurring themes: early in the history of Bluegrass women seldom; if ever; played-out professionally unless a male family member was an important member of the band; a woman in a Bluegrass band felt that she was the only woman doing the music and experienced the emotional isolation that came with that feeling; the ability of women to play instruments was unfairly disparaged; marriage and children challenged the careers of women Bluegrass players in significant ways; they did not; with a few notable exceptions; lead groups until the most recent decades; and they seldom changed groups as side performers. This is not just the musings of an admitted feminist; but the "Cold Hard Facts". All of this; particularly the lack of woman group leaders and the ability to move from group to group; kept a vial pool of talent from having the positive impact it could have had on the development of Bluegrass. However; Henry may be making a bit more than is necessary out of the relationship between these facts and the mountain and southern culture from which Bluegrass grew. With the possible exception of the folk music of the 1950s and 1960s; women were in the same position in every genre of American roots music be it jazz; blues; R B; or rock and roll.Throughout the book Ms. Henry includes the names that many recognize (Rose Maddox; Bessie Lee Mauldin; Donna and Roni Stoneman; Hazel Dicksens; Alice Gerrard; Ginger Boatright; Allison Krauss and Rhonda Vincent; but she also discusses many less well-known talents; some of whom were prominent only regionally; and in so doing paints a picture of Bluegrass music that would be far less vivid without these inclusions. In each biography she also provides the context within which the woman worked and this enriches our understanding of some of the unique influences they and their generation had on Bluegrass. This is a book that I read through in just three or four sittings. I must admit that as I read the first fifty or so pages I was beginning to feel like I was back reading the masters theses I had to review during a brief tenure as associate dean for graduate studies at East Tennessee State University; but beginning with the chapter about Hazel Dickens and Alice Gerrard; Ms. Henrys personal involvement in Bluegrass and her relationships with many of the women featured in the book infuse a passion and eloquence I found compelling. The book ends in the 1990s and while there may not be numerical parity between men and women in Bluegrass the advent of strong; talented band leaders and sidewomen leaves little doubt that the womens voice and hand will be heard strongly in Bluegrasses future. I know this to be true from personal experience with the many find musicians in the Bluegrass and Old Time Music Program at East Tennessee State. Women such as Becky Buller; Beth Lawrence; Megan McCormick and Angela Oudean stand at least beside the male graduates of that program. Also; cast against the early history of women in Bluegrass; I have to facetiously remark that another alum of that program; the great fiddler Hunter Berry; is working for a girl and married her daughter.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Great read!By Deb D.I knew for sure Murphy Henry is an outstanding banjo player and teacher; but I had no idea she is just as excellent a writer. This book is well researched and beautifully; articulately written. Murphy has recounted the roles women played in the development of bluegrass music since the genesis of the genre. Her retelling of their stories is full of detail and wonderful anecdotes; yet succinct. Im reading the Kindle version; but will most certainly buy a paper version as I know I will refer to it frequently.The downside? The wish list of music I wish to purchase - albums cut by the artists profiled in the book - is very long and getting longer!Thanks to Murphy for giving these women credit and recognition long overdue.