Shameless self-promotion

I know it's been forever since I've posted in this space, but I had to share some exciting news with you all: my first article for Gilt Taste, a personal essay about growing up first-generation American - and vegetarian - in a Persian family, just went up! Check it out here.

Buff or Bluff?

Los Angeles' MoCA, under the direction of Jeffrey Deitch (the first and only art dealer/gallery owner at the helm of a major U.S. museum) is at work on the first major survey of the history of graffiti and street art in the United States. The retrospective, titled Art in the Streets, will take place in April 2011 and will span from the 1970s to the present. It will feature over 100 artists (including Basquiat, Space Invader, Banksy, and Mister Cartoon), 25 of whom will have installations and murals on the premises. Deitch commissioned Italian street artist Blu to paint one such mural on the wall of MOCA’s Geffen Contemporary. The work, which depicted a series of wooden caskets draped in dollar bills (a replacement for the American flags that cover the coffins of those soldiers killed in combat), was buffed and whitewashed by the museum yesterday morning - less than 24 hours after its completion.

Was Blu's anti-war/death statement simply too controversial for the museum? One hell of a boring street art exhibit that would make, and so atypical of J. Deitch - what of his work with Kehinde Wiley, Dash Snow, Ryan McGinness, Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Julian Schnabel? Or did the mural perhaps offend the museum's veteran neighbors? The wall faces a Veterans Administration building and is within sight of a war memorial, but a VA representative said that they had placed no complaint to MoCA.

Just speculatin', but the reason for the paint-and-strip seems fairly obvious to me - Blu must have another amazing stop-motion vid up his sleeve, one that will serve as a commentary on the ephemerality of graffiti as an aesthetic genre and political movement. Why else would the museum erase a work they themselves commissioned? Pretty fresh when considering the many incarnations of the Deitch-helmed Bowery mural project, one of the best modern examples of the interaction between street art and fine art, not to mention the recent Underbelly Project. And what could serve as a more thematically perfect piece for the retrospective? Heard it here first, folks! If I'm wrong, well ... shit. That sucks.

My boyfriend is on Twitter

http://twitter.com/davidchang

'Bout time. His first link - the"jailhouse Julia Child"'s recipe for Ghetto Tamales:

Literary dominoes

This is like a childhood fantasy come to life. And this is why real-live bookstores should never, ever go out of business - the staff of Bookman's Entertainment Exchange, an Arizona-based used-bookstore chain, put this together in 14 (off-work) hours. So rad.

via GalleyCat

Dynamic duo

During last night's Comedy Central telethon concert to benefit autism education, Tracy Morgan and Chris Rock dared cover Simon and Garfunkel. Paul Simon came onstage to school them, and the result? An autotuned version of "Scarborough Fair," Chris Rock in a turtleneck, a bewigged Morgan, and ... Paul Simon rapping? Just watch.

via ArtsBeat

Further Falliteration

Free Fela!
St. Ann's Warehouse presents the music of Fela Kuti, the originator of the Afrobeat genre, on Monday, October 4th on Pier 1 in Brooklyn Bridge Park. If you haven't seen the Broadway show, this is your chance to check out the incredible talent of Sahr Ngaujah and the band. If you snag a seat, you won't be able to stay in it.

Free Fall Fests

If you're in New York this weekend, here are a few ways to enjoy the start of the season, in especially glorious and unseasonable weather ... fo' free.

The Dumbo Arts Festival is a massive, all-weekend-long gathering of 150+ studios, 35+ galleries, arts organizations, music, performance art, dance, film, theater, etc.

On Saturday, experience Oktoberfest in Greenpoint, complete with free pretzels and sausages.

The bi-annual St. Mark's Church Block Party is Saturday as well - check out vendors offering vintage clothes, antiques, and snacks from neighborhood standbys like Veselka.

Sunday, head to Brooklyn Heights for the 36th annual Atlantic Antic Street Festival for ten blocks of food, festivities and fun ... you just might catch the Beastie Boys. Plus free admission to the Transit Museum and Brooklyn Historical Society.

Rather stick to the city on Sunday? Celebrate all things apple on Orchard St (ha) between Broome and Grand at NYC Apple Day.

Happy fall - fingers crossed for some foliage!

Wyclef for President

Despite criticism of his foundation, Yele Haiti, in the months following the earthquake that devastated his homeland, Wyclef Jean has announced his decision to run in the next Haitian presidential election. The question of how adequately prepared he is for this role is up for debate. In his favor, Wyclef was appointed Haiti's ambassador-at-large in 2007 and since then, has done his part to promote awareness of the dire situation plauging the country. He plans to promote dual citizenship and voting rights for Haitians that have left the country.
At worst, this election may give Haiti a much-needed push back into mainstream media, whose coverage of Haitian issues has slowed significantly following the natural disaster, and bridge the gap between the country's expatriates and its citizens. At best, Wyclef's popularity with Haiti's youth (who are utterly disillusioned by their politicians) will allow him to practice what he preaches.

Politician or musician, I'll always have love for Wyclef. Catch his live public announcement on Larry King this Thursday at 9pm.

BLU my mind

My brother just introduced me to the work of the young Italian street artist who calls himself BLU, a man whose graffiti-driven animation calls to mind both Burton and Brazilian surrealism, while existing in a realm all his own. His latest work, "BIG BANG BOOM," is what he calls "an unscientific point of view on the beginning and evolution of life ... and how it could probably end." The piece is a collaboration between BLU and local artists in Argentina and Uruguay, where it was filmed. It is a breathtaking tour-de-force that truly blows his contemporaries out of the water. Guy is on his game - I can't wait to see what else is in store.

BIG BANG BIG BOOM - the new wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo.

Howlin' for you

The most popular poem of its time and defining voice of a generation, which sparked a widely-publicized obscenity trial ... sure sounds like the stuff of a feature film, doesn't it? With an all-star (albeit perhaps too good-looking) cast featuring James Franco as Ginsberg, Jon Hamm as his trial lawyer, Jeff Daniels, Mary-Louise Parker, and more, Howl (the movie) has all the ingredients for a hit biopic. First Harvey Milk, now Allen Ginsberg - looks like Franco's in on the fact that straight actors in gay roles are pretty much Oscar bait.

Is it possible to do cinematic justice to Ginsberg's immortal words? Let's just hope Hollywood doesn't screw this one up - and hey, at least the poster's pretty.

How Macgyver boozes

This is the coolest trick I've seen in a long time: how to open a wine bottle with your shoe. The demo is en francais (in honor of tomorrow's Bastille Day), but you don't really need to understand what monsieur is saying in order to get it. Watch, learn, then impress your friends over a bottle of Bordeaux while celebrating La Fête Nationale with cigarettes, Breton stripes, Brie and baguette.

Watch the tutorial here.

Pool parties at the Waterfront

The moment we have all been waiting for (or maybe it's just me?) is finally here. The Jelly NYC Pool Party lineup for Summer 2010, this year at the Williamsburg Waterfront thanks to Señor Schumer, is as follows:

July 11: Deerhoof + Xiu Xiu performing Joy Division's Unknown Pleasures; Why?; Fang Island; Pictureplane

July 18: Murder City Devils; Obits; Jeff the Brotherhood; Silverghost

July 25: Cap 'N Jazz (Only NYC Reunion Show); Lightning Bolt; No Age; The Death Set

August 1 (at Brooklyn Bowl): Pool Parties present FREE BLOCK PARTY, lineup TBA

August 8: Cut Copy; Memory Tapes, Restless People, Glasser

August 15: !!!; Lee Fields and the Expressions; The Strange Boys; Future Islands

August 22: Chromeo; SECRET SPECIAL GUEST!; The Suzan; Telephoned

August 29: SECRET SPECIAL GUESTS!; Delorean; Dominique Young Unique

Damn, August looks hot. Thanks to BrooklynVegan for staying on top of it.

Ain't over 'til it's Ober

We interrupt your regularly scheduled programming for the following important announcement:
Today is the last day of my first big-kid job. I will be leaving the land of typewriters, cigarette smoke, shouts of "Heavens to Betsy!," boozy midday birthday celebrations, printed emails, and other ancient oddities that have filled my past year with tall tales. I will also be leaving shelves of first-edition Fitzgeralds, scrawled Salinger contracts, a truly lovely boss, and one of the most unique existing relics of the literary world. I'm switching teams: from agency to publishing house, foreign rights to editorial, from tiny independent to massive corporation. I'm sad to go, but excited to begin. Why should you care? Because for the time being, it's going to put a fairly significant hindrance on my blog-tivity. I started this site in January of 2009; yesterday marked my 420th post. I have gotten wonderful feedback, kind words and the support of many friends, and it has been a truly enjoyable experience.
I don't believe that all good things must come to an end. This is a blog about the power of positive thinking (as much as it has become a place for me to share music, events, restaurant reviews and whatever the hell else I feel like), which is something that needs water to grow, and support to carry on. So this isn't the end of the Good Newspaper, but it is the close of a chapter - from a daily column to a guest editing spot, if you will. I'll still be posting, albeit much less regularly. I'm going to try my best to keep up-to-date on good news in the world and share it here, without the self-imposed pressure of the daily grind.
If I can ask something of you all, it's that you keep smiling, throw some salt over your shoulder, and go forth into the great unknown - there's lots of good stuff out there just waiting to be discovered.

Hot town, summer in the city

Considering a staycation this holiday weekend? Here's a rundown of reasons not to leave the city, so long as you can brave the heat.

FRIDAY, JULY 2
Pay-what-you-wish to see High Places & Toro y Moi, playing Whitney Live @ the Whitney Museum at 7pm. From there, dance the night away to a DJ set by Flashing Lights ft. The Martin Brothers at 88 Palace.

SATURDAY, JULY 3
Head to Long Island City for the P.S. 1 Warm Up season opener with Delorean, Janka Nabay and more.
The Hester Street Fair and Santos Party House team up for an Independence Day cookout, with ribs from Malbon Bros., grilled corn on the cob, kimchee dogs, lobster rolls, and more from the fair's regular vendors.
The Brooklyn Museum's Target First Saturday event celebrates their new exhibit, "Andy Warhol: The Last Decade," and screens Mary Harron's I Shot Andy Warhol. What's more American than free art, live music, a dance party and a cash bar?

SUNDAY, JULY 4
If you don't have a rooftop BBQ, watch other people stuff face at the famous Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island. If you'd rather not witness mass vomiting, spend the day on a different island: head to Water Taxi Beach at Governor's Island and sway in the sun to the tunes of She & Him (get there early to catch Roseanne Cash's set at 2pm).
Sunday night, TimeOutNY tells you where to watch the fireworks and what to do after. If you just want to rage 'til 3am on a Monday morning, hit up the outdoor TeknoColor Dream party, featuring a crazy lineup of techno DJs in a secret location to be revealed upon RSVPing. If you're straight-up crazy, head back to Governor's Island and get your head pounded by Benny Benassi's beats on Monday.

Happy Independence Day - don't forget the sunscreen!

Aural report

Wacky Wednesday is here, and with it a mishmash of music to get you through those last few days before the blissfully long weekend. The best part? It don't cost a thing.

Music festivals are part of the glory of summer, and missing out, whether due to low funds, being cooped up in office buildings or sheer lack of proximity to Scotland, hardly feels festive. Just because you weren't there doesn't mean you can't still experience the magic: NME provided a free album of the acts they were most excited to catch at Glastonbury, and Flavorwire dedicated their latest mixtape to last week's Northside Festival, featuring ten bands to watch.

For its Revival Recordings project, Levi's Pioneer Sessions called in modern artists to cover timeless tracks, resulting in 13 incredible collaborations. Personal favorites include Passion Pit's Billy Corgan-approved cover of the Smashing Pumpkins' "Tonight, Tonight" and The Shins taking on the 1979 Squeeze hit, "Goodbye Girl."

The Roots' 9th studio album, How I Got Over, is one of their most cohesive yet genre-bending efforts. With guest appearances from Joanna Newsom, John Legend, Monsters of Folk and more, their fusion of funk, soul, jazz and hip-hop is daring, insightful and forward-thinking.

Turn on, tune in, drop out.

Warm up, cool down

At temperatures heat up (The National Weather Service declared a heat advisory for NYC after temps reached the 90s on Monday) city officials have deemed it necessary to open New York's cooling centers. Find the nearest one to you here, or do the old-school thing and jump into one of the 54 Parks outdoor pools, open today until Labor Day.

The only thing hotter than this week's highs is the P.S.1 Warm Up lineup. The Warm Up kicks off with the sounds of Delorean, and continues through August with acts such as Air France, Ratatat, DJ/rupture, Animal Collective, James Murphy, ?uestlove, Treasure Fingers, and more. Starting July 3, on Saturdays from noon to 9pm, visitors can rock out within the confines of an architectural installation created by the winner of the annual Young Architects Program, and check out the stunning experimental exhibition space.

Your ex-boyfriend's mug shot

Everyone knows you don't forget your first love, that the initial rush is tattooed in your memory for better or worse. What if the general public could see your first boyfriend or girlfriend the way you see them, colored by heartbreak or softened with nostalgia?
As part of her mid-career survey, A Day Like Any Other, Brazilian conceptual artist Rivane Neuenschwander has hired a forensic sketch artist on the third floor of the New Museum. Visitors can sit with the artist, who will listen to descriptions of their first love and create portraits that will hang on the walls of the gallery. You can sign up with the sketch artist by emailing firstlove@newmuseum.org. A word of advice: might be better to fly solo on this one.

Eat that up, it's good for you

It is a crazy end to a crazy week, one in which I've had to remind myself more than a few times to breathe, to close my eyes, and do things that are beneficial to my own sanity.

Planning vacations (even ones you don't end up taking) is good for you.
Blogging is good for you.
Laughing is good for you.
Single-servings of wine are good for you.
Hugging is good for you.
Music is good for you:


Don't forget to smile, my friends.

Breakfast of champions

Five minutes at my computer today, just for you guys, so my half-ass post comes courtesy of the folks at UrbanDaddy. Their e-lert just informed me that tequila den-of-sin-and-wonders, Los Feliz, will now be serving brunch, which will include a black truffle-pico de gallo omelet and a beautiful disaster: spiked Frozen Mexican coffee (also known as a tequila milkshake). See you on the floor.

A sea of CDs

Artist Bruce Munro collected 600,000 unwanted CDs from the public for his temporary CDSea installation in Warminster's Long Knoll Field. The scaly rainbow of discs, bisected by a public footpath, was inspired by Munro's meditation on light and water during his days living in Sydney, Australia. People from all over the UK and abroad donated to the cause, the first of a number of self-funded art installations using recycled materials planned for Long Knoll Field. This stunning exercise in collaboration is the gift that gives back to the community: for the next two months, anyone who visits the space can experience what it's like to walk on water.