The Brecht Forum including its projects: The New York Marxist School The Institute for Popular Education 122 West 27 Street, 10 floor New York, New York 10001-6281 (212) 242-4201 (212) 741-4563 (fax) [EMAIL PROTECTED] (e-mail) ***** JANUARY-FEBRUARY 1996 EVENTS LECTURES, PANELS AND SEMINARS An asterisk * preceding the title indicates a lecture that is part of the ongoing series, "U.S. History for Today's World." Revolutionary Art, Music and Culture Fred Ho Thursday, January 25, 8 pm; $6 What is revolutionary art and culture? What makes it revolutionary? How do we apply dialectical and historical materialism to understanding, analyzing, and creating music? How should we view cultural activism today in the United States? Fred Ho is a Chinese American baritone saxophonist, composer, leader of the Afro Asian Music Ensemble and the Monkey Orchestra, multicultural/matriarchical/revolutionary socialist, and co-editor of the new book _Sounding Off! Music as Subversion/ Resistance/Revolution_. ***** The UN at 50+: Crisis & Opportunity in the Era of Globalization A Book Party and Discussion Phyllis Bennis and Jim Paul Wednesday, January 31, 8 pm; $6 The United Nations at age fifty embodies much of the chaos of the "new world order." Wracked by financial crisis and contentious debates on its future role, the UN remains an important element of U.S foreign policy, as well as an arena of struggle for international movements for peace and justice. Hear Pacifica reporter Phyllis Bennis and Jim Paul, Executive Director of Global Policy Forum, and celebrate the publication of Bennis' new book, _Calling the Shots: How Washington Dominates Today's U.N._ ***** Defending Labor and Human Rights: The Gap Campaign Strategy Ellen Braune and Barbara Briggs Thursday, February 1, 8 pm; $6 In a landmark agreement with far-reaching implications, the Gap clothing store chain has submitted to independent monitoring of labor and human rights standards in its offshore contracting. The agreement is the result of a remarkable and innovative pressure campaign led by the National Labor Committee (NLC). Ellen Braune of New Channels Communications and Barbara Briggs of the NLC will explain how the campaign worked, why it succeeded and where they plan to go from here. ***** The Strike-Wave in France: A First-hand Analysis Jean-Pierre Page Tentatively Scheduled: Wednesday, February 7, 8 pm; $6 The wave of strikes that paralyzed France for almost three weeks in November and December 1995 was the most massive rejection of "structural adjustment" and the basic tenets of neo-liberalism yet seen. What were the gains for the French trade union movement? What are implications for France and European unity? What are possible international ramifications? As we go to press, Jean-Pierre Page, the Head of the International Department of the French General Confederation of Labor (CGT) is in the process of finalizing his schedule for a February trip to New York. PLEASE CALL 212 242-4201 TO FIND OUT IS HIS TALK IS CONFIRMED FOR THIS DATE OR ANOTHER DATE. ***** [NOTE: The New York Marxist School is pleased to announce a new discussion series called "Non-Western Marxism." The non-Western world has produced a vast body of theory whose contribution to Marxism is largely ignored by the western left. This series will focus on Marxist traditions and contributions from Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean. The following lecture inaugurates this new series.] Mariategui and the Origins of Latin American Marxism Gerardo Renique Session 1: Thursday, February 8, 8 pm; $6 Session 2: Wednesday, February 21, 8 pm; $6 Jose Carlos Mariategui, one of the most original and creative Marxists that Latin America has produced, was an active political organizer and cultural critic. His writings cover a vast array of topics from world politics to surrealism, Peruvian history and Qechua literature. The first session of this two-part discussion will focus on the works of Mariategui and his particular socialist vision. The second session will address his polemic and rupture with the Third International. Gerardo Renique teaches history at City College and is co-author of _Peru: Time of Fear_. ***** * Today's Challenges to the U.S. Constitution Arthur Kinoy A one-day seminar: Saturday, February 10, 11 am-4 pm; $10 The current right-wing strategy to build a mass base of support to undermine and even abandon important elements of the U.S. Constitution raises critical issues for progressives today. This seminar with noted Constitutional lawyer and long-time activist Arthur Kinoy will provide a basic overview of the history and main features of the Constitution and discuss what approaches the left can take to safeguard fundamental human and civil rights. ***** * Dwight Macdonald: American Rebel Michael Wreszin Thursday, February 15, 8 pm; $6 "Every man has a right to be stupid on occasion, but comrade Macdonald abuses it." So spoke Trotsky after one of Macdonald's attacks on "the old man" for his role in Kronstadt. Writer, editor, publisher, intellectual street fighter, and intermittent political activist, Macdonald was a quintessential American rebel, a native-born dissident individualist, but at various times a socialist, a Trotskyist, a pacifist, and an anarchist. Michael Wreszin, professor of History at Queens College, CUNY, and the CUNY Graduate Center, is the author of _Dwight Macdonald: A Rebel in Defense of Tradition_. ***** Racism and the Criminal Justice System Bruce McM. Wright Wednesday, February 14, 8 pm; $6 Recent "celebrity" trials have focused public attention on the pervasive and systemic racism and class bias in the criminal justice system. Prison construction has become a major growth industry and the death penalty looms as a "final solution." What can we do to fight for real justice? Bruce Wright is a judge, scholar, poet and activist for social justice. ***** Objectivity, Causality, and Mysticism in Modern Physics Derek Lovejoy Tuesday, February 20, 8 pm; $6 Physicist Derek Lovejoy will discuss recent challenges to the ideas of objectivity and causality, and the role of ideology in shaping interpretations of current theories of physics and cosmology. Derek Lovejoy served as a technical advisor on solar energy with the United Nations. He is on the editorial board of _Science & Society_. ***** Inflation and Unemployment Anwar Shaikh Thursday, February 22, 8 pm; $6 The view of inflation that dominates academic theory and economic policy in all of the advanced capitalist countries is that inflation arises when the unemployment rate gets "too low" (below 6.5 percent these days). This talk will explore an alternate view of inflation which is linked to bank credit, profitability, and the rate of accumulation. Anwar Shaikh, who has taught for twenty years at the Graduate Faculty of the New School for Social Research, is currently completing a new book, _The Welfare State and the Social Wage: An International Study_. ***** Marx, Engels, Lenin, and Trotsky on Literature Annette T. Rubinstein Wednesday, February 28, 8 pm; $6 Unlike many would-be disciples, the great Marxists were all most jealous and perceptive guardians of our cultural heritage. Bertolt Brecht said: "When I read Marx, I first understood my plays." W.H. Auden said, "There to instruct me was Brecht." Annette T. Rubinstein is the author of _The Great Tradition in English Literature: From Shakespeare to Shaw_ and _American Literature: Root and Flower_. ***** The Zapatistas and Radical Democracy June Nash Thursday, February 29, 8 pm; $6 The Zapatistas have gained concessions from the Mexican government that are reframing the concept of democracy to include cultural autonomy in indigenous communities, restructuring of electoral procedures, and full participation in government trade agreements and development programs affecting their lives. June Nash, who is traveling to Chiapas in January, will report on the implementation of these agreements and discuss their far-reaching implications. Nash, a professor of anthropology at the CUNY Graduate Center, has worked for many years with peasants in Chiapas. ***** CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS An asterisk * preceding the title indicates a class that is part of the ongoing series, "U.S. History for Today's World." Political Poetry: Shakespeare, Shelley, Auden, Brecht, Neruda, Hughes, and others Annette T. Rubinstein Thursdays, 7-9 pm; 5 sessions beginning February 1; $35 Everyone has enjoyed picket line verse, but many know little of the significant work by great poets "whose strict and adult pens make action urgent and its nature clear." We will reclaim some of this heritage, reading and discussing many of its treasures together. Classes will be held at the home of Dr. Annette T. Rubinstein, a long-time political activist and literary critic. Her two major books are _American Literature: Root and Flower_ and _The Great Tradition in English Literature: From Shakespeare to Shaw_. NOTE: Pre-registration for this class is recommended. ***** Adorno, Aesthetics Michael Brinitzer Thursdays, 6-8 pm; 5 sessions beginning February 1; $35 In the age of an all-pervasive culture industry, the only philosophical role left for critical theory is to clarify the truth of radical esoteric art with an emancipatory agenda. Based on a broad interdisciplinary search into societal modernity, Adorno endorses the utopian negativity of the modernist avant-garde (Beckett, Proust, Kafka, Berg, and Mahler) as an aesthetics of redemption in the face of totalizing delusion. Michael Brinitzer, a practicing architect, teaches "Ideologies of Space" at Pratt Institute. ***** * Democratic Struggles in the U.S. 1900-1920 Marvin Gettleman Tuesdays, 6-8 pm; 8 sessions beginning February 6; $35 This course examines the relevance of struggles of "The Progressive Era" to those of our time. The period between the presidencies of Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson saw the birth of U.S. imperialism; the consolidation of monopoly capitalism; the transformation of U.S. Constitutional Law into the open servant of this capitalism; the triumph of Jim Crow; and the elaboration of class-collaborationist trade unionism. Yet this was also the time of the birth of modern African American militancy; the Wobblies; U.S. socialism and communism; modern feminism; and other democratic trends in culture, education, and politics. Gettleman is an editor of the Marxist quarterly, _Science and Society_. In 1965 he published the best-selling _Vietnam: History, Documents and Opinions_. He has written and edited books on U.S. radicalism, working class history and cultural-intellectual developments, as well as on Central America and the Middle East. ***** * Black Involvement in the U.S. Left: Ideological Conflicts and Resolutions Yusef Nuruddin Wednesdays, 6-8 pm; 4 sessions beginning February 7; $25 This course will examine African American involvement in, and contribution to, the socialist project from the perspective of both historical and contemporary movements. Particular attention will be focused on conflicts and tensions between socialist ideology and black nationalist ideology, and the synthesis which has been variously described as left nationalist, progressive nationalist or revolutionary nationalist ideology. Yusef Nuruddin, a sociologist/social psychologist, has taught at Medgar Evers College and the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. ***** Organizing with Video and Public Access Television Manhattan Neighborhood Network Friday, February 16, 7 pm; $6 This seminar will present the idea of using public access television for outreach, education, and grassroots organizing. Manhattan Neighborhood Network provides non-commercial, uncensored channels as well as video production equipment and training free of charge to individuals and non-profit groups in Manhattan. Representatives from the outreach and education staff of MNN will screen a variety of videos produced through MNN. ***** Navigating the Internet Louis Proyect A one-day workshop: Saturday, February 17, 11 am-3 pm; $35 This workshop will combine a demonstration of the Internet system with a discussion of the political and cultural implications of the "Information Highway." Students will observe key Internet features including : user lists, electronic publications, and Internet Tool Kit. Louis Proyect, a systems integrator at Columbia University, is a former president of TECNICA, which sent technicians to work with the Sandinistas and the ANC. ***** Introduction to Forum Theater The Theater of the Oppressed Laboratory Friday, February 23, 6-9 pm, and Saturday, February 24, 10 am-4 pm; $50 Exercises, games and improvised scene work developed by Brazilian director, popular educator and Worker's Party (PT) activist Augusto Boal. Boal's innovative approach to public forums emphasizes physical dialogues, non-verbal imagery, consensus building and problem-solving processes. Preparatory games explore relations of power and group solutions to concrete problems raised by participants, transforming spectators into "spect-actors"--protagonists of the theatrical action. The aim of the forum is not to find an ideal solution, but to invent new ways of confronting oppression. Workshops are limited to twenty- five people. Pre-registration is required. ***** SPANISH CLASSES Beginning Spanish Werner Stadler Mondays and Wednesdays, 5:30-7:30 pm; 8 weeks beginning February 5; tuition $320 Intermediate Spanish Angela Betelu Tuesdays, 5:30-7:30 pm; 8 weeks beginning February 6; tuition $160 Advanced Spanish Angela Betelu Mondays, 5:30-7:30 pm; 8 weeks beginning February 5; tuition $160 Angela Betelu and Werner Stadler are native speakers with extensive teaching experience. Small classes emphasize participation and conversation, without neglecting grammar. Pre- registration is advised. ***** OTHER EVENTS Portents: Multiple Visions, Warnings, and Comments an art exhibition opening Wednesday, January 24, 5:30 pm; free Artists include Constant, Engels, Troy Jean Jacque, Bruce James Ludens, Patty Lee Parmalee, Stephanie Sakellaris, Deborah Simpkins, Werner Stadler, and Jeremy Taylor ***** Movie/Discussion Night "Walker" Tuesday, February 13, 8 pm; $5 co-sponsored with the Chelsea-El Jicaral Sister City Project We will view and discuss "Walker," Alex Cox's disastrous? fascinating? 1987 movie about William Walker, the soldier of fortune who took over Nicaragua in the 1850, starring Ed Harris and Marlee Matlin. Discussion leaders: Patty Lee Parmalee and Danny Luce. Popcorn and beer available! ***** Please note that the fees listed only partially cover our expenses. We need your donations to keep our doors open. And, no one is ever turned away for inability to pay. Become a Brecht Forum Subscriber! With a minimum pledge of $15 a month, you will become a Brecht Forum Subscriber and receive a Subscriber Card entitling you to free admission to all lectures and panels, workshops, and classes (excluding language classes), and a 50 percent discount on special events. ***** Pre-registration is not required except as noted. You can register at the door for most events. But your pre-registration helps our preparations and we appreciate it. To pre-register, order tapes, or make a contribution please fill in the coupon below and mail it to: The Brecht Forum 122 West 27 Street, 10 floor New York, New York 10001-6281 or e-mail to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] You can pay by check or money order (for orders outside the U.S., please send an international money order or bank check payable in U.S. funds) or Visa or MasterCard. _____ I would like to pre-register for the events listed below. _____ I would like to order cassette tapes (lectures are $8 and seminars are $20). See below for cassette information. _____ I would like to make a contribution to The Brecht Forum. _____ I would like to become a Brecht Forum Subscriber. I will pledge $ __________ a month. Please _____ bill me monthly; or _____ automatically deduct my pledge from my credit card. Name: Address: City: State or Province/Zip or Postal Code: Organization: How did you hear about The Brecht Forum? Method of payment: _____ check or money order _____ Visa _____ MasterCard Credit Card Number: Expiration Date: I am pre-registering for the following events: I would like to order the following cassette tapes: ***** All Brecht Forum lectures are available on audiotape. The price is $8 for lecture tapes, and $20 for seminar tapes (usually three or more tapes). Checks, money orders, Visa, and MasterCard accepted. For non-credit card orders outside the U.S., please send an international money order or bank check payable in U.S. funds. For all orders outside the U.S., please enclose an additional US$5 to cover the cost of air postage. For a description of all available Brecht Forum tapes, write to The Brecht Forum at 122 West 27 Street, 10 floor, New York, New York 10001 or call (212) 242-4201 or e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] ***** On whom does it depend whether oppression remains? On us. On whom does it depend whether it is crushed? Likewise on us. --Bertolt Brecht, _In Praise of Dialectics_ The Brecht Forum is a place for people who are working for fundamental social change and a new culture that puts human needs first. Our offerings range from classes, forum, and panel discussions, to language instruction, art exhibits, bi-lingual poetry readings, and participatory theater workshops. The Brecht Forum, now in its twentieth year, is an independent institution of the left and is not affiliated with any other organization or political party. We receive no funding from universities, corporations, or government agencies. Fees and tuition cover only part of our costs; the bulk of our funding comes from donations from a widespread community of dedicated supporters. The Brecht Forum's work is organized through projects that include: ***The New York Marxist School Attempts to resolve the problems that plague everyday life and even threaten survival on this planet--from poverty, discrimination, disease, and alienation to war, economic crisis, and ecological devastation--bring people face to face with difficult questions: Can society really be changed for the better? What kind of changes would be needed? Who could bring about such changes? The New York Marxist School uses Marx's uniquely valuable contributions, along with others within and outside Marxist tradition, to study conditions today and possibilities for building an emancipatory society--beyond capitalism. ***The Institute for Popular Education The Institute for Popular Education was founded in 1992 to build on popular education traditions developed in Latin America-- particularly the work or Paulo Freire and Augusto Boal. The Institute's programs address critical pedagogy: a critique of domination and a commitment to challenge inequality and injustice. ***Arts at The Brecht The Brecht Forum invites proposals for visual arts exhibits pertaining to topics of political and cultural interest. We have limited resources and curators or exhibitors should be prepared to "produce" the show themselves. Please send documentation (slides, photographs, photocopies, etc., along with a SASE) and other supporting materials. //30