There's a full article about Barney Rosset in the December 8, 2008 issue of Newsweek.
Why do so many champions of free speech come from the sleaze sector? Rosset, Larry Flynt, Lenny Bruce and more... They have done more for our freedoms than all of the evangelical Bible-thumpers combined.
'Cuz the bible thumpers, PC types are living in a Victorian stage of unenlightenment: a Freudian field day. The ridiculous, narrow, puritan mores extant in the US is, unfortunately, nothing new and it takes the "sleaze factor" to show us that: if things don't change under the new rule maybe by the next millennium we'll be where Europe is now!
I could spend an entire day just listening to Gore Vidal.
It was Rosset who introduced Jean Genet and the Marquis De Sade to the American public.
There was an attempt here to ban Malcolm X from the high school library. I read the book and it brilliantly imparts an understanding. I threatened, with the backing of the ACLU, to sue the school board. It caved in.
Last Exit to Brooklyn went all the way to the English and Italian supreme courts. Kudos to B.R.
The "imfamous" Grove Press no longer exists, for it died of its own intrepidness. Thanx to Grove, other publishers no longer feared dealing with such materials, in the same way Lenny Bruce paved the way for Howard Stern and comics with genuine merit.
Looking at my shelves right now and I see a Grove Press book, City of Night by John Rechy. This is a very well written, gritty novel about teenage runaways who sell themselves on the streets. Movie potential here but never attempted.
I was once browsing out of curiosity in a "spy shop" and they had a book section that contained books with titles like "How to Dispose of a Body" and "How To Kill Someone and Get Away With it" etc. I recall there being some legal case with a murderer who used one of those books that was made into a movie but I don't recall if the press got shut down (I'm all for free speech but there are some maniacs out there and I think you could draw the line with stuff like that...
That's hard to deal with. Charles Manson was inspired by The Book of Revelation and Jeffrey Dahmer was an avid Bible reader. When I was in San Francisco, there was a furor in the local news over a lecturer giving lessons on how to kill people you don't like.
Have you seen Larry Clark's movie "Kids"? I haven't but have it in queue. Just wondering how it compares to "City of Night"?....
He did "Bully" based on a true case that I read the book of and it was an excellent interpretation of the book, to the point of using dialogue from it verbatim. It's rare that a film is as good as the book, typing of which I have another thread to find you on....;)
Yes, a riveting movie and critically acclaimed. It takes place in more recent times than City of Night, which takes place in the early 60s. It goes to show how much the problem of runaways has exacerbated over the years, and the kids today are dealing in far more dangerous traffic. The 60s didn't have so many potentially lethal drugs and AIDS to deal with. What hasn't changed is that a lot of runaways are gay; they can't deal with their particular home situations; too much tension.
Barney Rosset is a hero for battling against our insipid, puritanical American culture.
lark23 1 year ago 3
Question Gerald Ford's judgment. He is the philistine of philistines.
BeatBuddy 3 years ago 3
There's a full article about Barney Rosset in the December 8, 2008 issue of Newsweek.
Why do so many champions of free speech come from the sleaze sector? Rosset, Larry Flynt, Lenny Bruce and more... They have done more for our freedoms than all of the evangelical Bible-thumpers combined.
BeatBuddy 3 years ago 7
'Cuz the bible thumpers, PC types are living in a Victorian stage of unenlightenment: a Freudian field day. The ridiculous, narrow, puritan mores extant in the US is, unfortunately, nothing new and it takes the "sleaze factor" to show us that: if things don't change under the new rule maybe by the next millennium we'll be where Europe is now!
danceofthegoblins 3 years ago
Just a few random points:
I could spend an entire day just listening to Gore Vidal.
It was Rosset who introduced Jean Genet and the Marquis De Sade to the American public.
There was an attempt here to ban Malcolm X from the high school library. I read the book and it brilliantly imparts an understanding. I threatened, with the backing of the ACLU, to sue the school board. It caved in.
Last Exit to Brooklyn went all the way to the English and Italian supreme courts. Kudos to B.R.
BeatBuddy 3 years ago
Yeah I get your points and props for your fight for your Malcolm X battle!
I could mention Salinger and "Catcher..." too.
Still the controversies these works and people created is a sad commentary on the majority status.
danceofthegoblins 3 years ago
The "imfamous" Grove Press no longer exists, for it died of its own intrepidness. Thanx to Grove, other publishers no longer feared dealing with such materials, in the same way Lenny Bruce paved the way for Howard Stern and comics with genuine merit.
Looking at my shelves right now and I see a Grove Press book, City of Night by John Rechy. This is a very well written, gritty novel about teenage runaways who sell themselves on the streets. Movie potential here but never attempted.
BeatBuddy 3 years ago
I was once browsing out of curiosity in a "spy shop" and they had a book section that contained books with titles like "How to Dispose of a Body" and "How To Kill Someone and Get Away With it" etc. I recall there being some legal case with a murderer who used one of those books that was made into a movie but I don't recall if the press got shut down (I'm all for free speech but there are some maniacs out there and I think you could draw the line with stuff like that...
danceofthegoblins 3 years ago
I literally got the creeps standing there loooking at those books: curiosity well sated LOL.
danceofthegoblins 3 years ago
Then again re: "the book made me do it": I guess one could say the movie or the news story or whatever made them do whatever and that's bunk.
I'm talking more about outright instructing someone on how to do such odious acts.
danceofthegoblins 3 years ago
That's hard to deal with. Charles Manson was inspired by The Book of Revelation and Jeffrey Dahmer was an avid Bible reader. When I was in San Francisco, there was a furor in the local news over a lecturer giving lessons on how to kill people you don't like.
BeatBuddy 3 years ago
Have you seen Larry Clark's movie "Kids"? I haven't but have it in queue. Just wondering how it compares to "City of Night"?....
He did "Bully" based on a true case that I read the book of and it was an excellent interpretation of the book, to the point of using dialogue from it verbatim. It's rare that a film is as good as the book, typing of which I have another thread to find you on....;)
danceofthegoblins 3 years ago
Yes, a riveting movie and critically acclaimed. It takes place in more recent times than City of Night, which takes place in the early 60s. It goes to show how much the problem of runaways has exacerbated over the years, and the kids today are dealing in far more dangerous traffic. The 60s didn't have so many potentially lethal drugs and AIDS to deal with. What hasn't changed is that a lot of runaways are gay; they can't deal with their particular home situations; too much tension.
BeatBuddy 3 years ago
What did you think of "My Own Private Idaho" if you saw it?
danceofthegoblins 3 years ago
Didn't like it, even though it's an innovative adaptation of Shakespeare. The best part was the theme song, Slim Whitman's big hit, Cattle Call.
BeatBuddy 3 years ago