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The Red and Black • Wednesday, January 26. 1994 • 3
EXHIBIT PREVIEW
Legends in 'Black & White’
Images of the Harlem
Renaissance at the
Ga. Museum of Art
By JANELL HOBSON
Staff Writer
Clear in “black and white” are striking images of
celebrated blacks of the Harlem Renaissance in a
unique and remarkable exhibit at the Georgia
Museum of Art.
The exhibit, “Generations in Black and White:
Photographs by Carl Van Vechten from the James
Weldon Johnson Memorial Collection,” opens today
and displays through March 13.
It includes 44 black-and-white photographs of
such legendary figures as Billie Holliday, Bessie
Smith, W.E.B. DuBois, Dizzy Gillespie, Pearl Bailey,
Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, Ruby Dee,
James Baldwin, Lena Horne and James Earl Jones.
“You get to see (these celebrated figures) at your
age,” said Rudolph P. Byrd, curator of the exhibit,
referring to our twenty-something group. “This ex
hibit is dedicated to the students’ generation.”
Byrd edited the newly released book,
“Generations in Black and White,” based on Van
Vechten’s exhibit.
Byrd selected the photographs for the exhibit
from the James Weldon Johnson Memorial
Collection of Negro Arts and Letters, which Van
Vechten established at Yale University.
“It was in the major theaters in Chicago that (Van
Vechten) had his first exposure to African-American
culture,” Byrd said. “It was an enormous impact; he
was very impressed with the artistry.”
Byrd explained that Van Vechten, who grew up in
Ohio, left Chicago for New York in 1906 and re
viewed various black musicals. Later in 1924, he
met Harlem Renaissance poet James Weldon
Johnson.
“This was a very important meeting,” Byrd said.
“It was the beginning of a friendship that lasted for
15 years until Johnson’s death in 1939.
“It was also the beginning of Van Vechten’s role
as a patron of African-American culture,” he added.
“Through Johnson, he moved to the center of Afro-
American cultural news.”
Byrd said that Van Vechten was a journalist, nov
elist and eventually became a photographer in 1932.
“He put aside his work as a journalist and novel
ist and spent the rest of his life, almost thirty-two
years, as a photographer,” Byrd said.
Van Vechten is most remembered for the novel,
“Nigger Heaven,” published in 1926, which received
mostly mixed reviews from African-Americans, Byrd
said.
“I explored the controversy surrounding the cul-
BOOK REVIEW
Photographer Carl Van Vechten captured
many unique images of black performers,
including jazz great Billie Holliday.
tivation of that novel,” Byrd said. “The only reason
why it’s remembered is because of its title.
“It was the very first novel, (about black culture)
by a white author.”
Byrd also explained that Van Vechten spent
much of his time around African-Americans and ob
served their lifestyles.
“In fact, Van Vechten functioned as a tour guide
of Harlem for whites,” Byrd said. “There were some
blacks who were suspicious of his interest and
doubted his sincerity.
“After the publication of ‘Nigger Heaven,’ some
were insulted by the title. But James Weldon
Johnson praised the novel."
Byrd added that some African-American artists of
later generations, including Sidney Poitier, refused
to pose in Van Vechten’s photography because he
doubted Van Vechten’s motives.
“I love the images (in the exhibit) because they’re
beautiful,” Byrd said. “It was the first time that I
had seen the images of these people.
“It’s interesting to see them in their youth.”
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New Crichton book pushes norms
By SCOTT WILLIAMS
Staff Writer
Michael Crichton “Disclosure”
Alfred A. Knopf publishers.
“Look at the situation. She’s a
very sexy woman. It’s natural for
a man to lose control.”
With those words, Michael
Crichton, author of “Jurassic
Park,” “Rising Sun" and “The
Andromeda Strain," lays the
foundation for his generally excit
ing new novel, “Disclosure."
What would be some men’s
greatest sexual fantasy, being se
duced and bedded by an excep
tionally attractive female boss, is
not what protagonist Tom
Sanders finds appealing.
He’s a moderately happily
married man who suddenly finds
himself enveloped in a whirlwind
of controversy, sexual politics and
the world of corporate backstab-
bing.
When the company Sanders
works for, DigiCom, an advanced
electronics firm, becomes em
broiled in a merger, he finds out
just what it means not to be a
team player.
It isn’t that he doesn’t care
about his company, he’s very good
and efficient at his job, it’s just
that he doesn’t play the game.
Being good isn’t good enough any
more; one also has to learn to
suck up.
As events would have it,
Sanders new boss is also an ex-
lover. And what an ex-lover she
is!
Meredith Johnson is the epito
me of beauty and sexual allure,
only behind all the arousing fea
tures is an insidious viper whose
sole interests are to get ahead at
any cost.
Now, before all the feminist’s
ire comes raining down on the pa
per here complaining of Ms.
Johnson’s description, take a mo
ment. This is exactly Crichton’s
point - there is nothing wrong
with a female using any and all of
her abilities to get ahead in the
world of business, as long as it’s
legal.
Crichton shows no overt dis
like of his character, he simply
uses her, as others would use
men, to show an example and to
make a point.
It’s no mystery to anyone who’s
read Crichton’s earlier work that
his characters have little depth;
due to the nature of his novels
they simply don’t need that deep
of a look.
Crichton is and always has
been, more interested in the sub
ject of his novels rather than the
characters who propel the books.
As to every rule, there is an ex
ception, Crichton’s “The Great
Train Robbery”; however,
Crichton’s point in “Disclosure”
isn’t the motives behind his char
acter’s actions as much as the re
sults perpetuated by said actions.
When Meredith seduces Tom,
and thus sets up the reverse sex
ual discrimination case which is
the heart of the novel, there are
good reasons for both her actions
and those of Tom.
After a very hard first quarter
of the book, Crichton switches
from a tepid first gear into a mes
merizing fifth gear for the last
300 or so pages.
For a 403 page book, there is
little to no fat or extraneous side
tracking. Every clue laid down
has a purpose, some more obvious
than others (remember, Crichton
is no Agatha Christie).
While the cry of feminist bash
ing may arise, it shouldn’t. Just
as the cry of Japan bashing rose
over “Rising Sun,” “Disclosure”
walks the tightrope of sensitive
subjects being addressed in a pop
ular medium. If anyone takes the
time to understand as well as
read what’s written, then a pan
icked and concerned outcry can be
avoided.
“Disclosure” is what
“Disclosure” was meant to be,
food for thought in a hungry,
empty and unfortunately brain-
starved society too touchy to talk
sensibly without getting its feel
ings hurt.
KINNEY: Drivin’ n’ Cryin front man goes solo
From page 1
“There’s been a really strong un
derground folk thing. For some
people it’s getting old, and for some
people it’s getting new.”
Among the tracks on “Down Out
Law” are “Tell Him Something For
Me,” “Down And Out Law,” and the
projected first single, “Midwestern
Blues,” a wanderer song about
Kinney’s departure from
Milwaukee.
Like his work with Drivin’ n’
Cryin,’ the album is solid and con
sistent throughout. However, the
songwriting itself has been altered
somewhat.
“The songs are a little bit more
of an outline stage,” Kinney said.
“They’re more rough around the
edges, a little more honest. They
rely mainly on the words as op
posed to the music.”
“Outlaw” also marks a depar
ture from the riff-powered sound
Kinney coined on such classics as
“Honeysuckle Blue” and “Fly Me
Courageous.”
Once Kinney finishes his solo
tour, he said he will cut another
Drivin’ n’ Cryin’ CD this summer to
be released early next year. Then,
the band will do a folk tour of the
Southeastern states.
“(It will be] a Drivin’ n’ Cryin’
unplugged kind of tour,” Kinney
said.
Until then, Kinney will continue
to prove that Neil Young and Eric
Clapton aren’t the only rock heroes
who can unplug their amps and
jam.
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