[Who is in "Who is Lun*na Menoh" ] vol.5 - Kristine McKenna

Hello friends, “Who is Lun*na Menoh?” will be virtually screened at Ashland Indie Film Festival on April 20 and 21, 2021. Tickets are on sale now. You can watch Jeff Mizushima, Lun*na Menoh and Tosh Berman's Q&A after the screening. Don't miss it! https://watch.eventive.org/.../play/6...​

Meanwhile, here is our tribute to Kristine McKenna who is in the film "Who Is Lun*na Menoh?"

"Tosh: Growing Up in Wallace Berman's World" / Promo 2

Promotional video No. 2 - edited by Kimley Maretzo.  For "Tosh: Growing Up in Wallace Berman's World' (City Lights)

Semina Culture Wallace Berman & His Circle ARTBOOK | D.A.P. 2015 Catalog Books Exhibition Catalogues 9781938922725

Semina Culture: Wallace Berman & His Circle

Published by D.A.P./Santa Monica Museum of Art
Edited with text by Michael Duncan, Kristine McKenna. Text by Stephen Fredman.

This reprint of the now classic and much sought-after 2005 volume celebrates the circle of the quintessential visual artist of the Beat era, Wallace Berman (1926–76), who remains one of the best-kept secrets of the postwar era. A crucial figure in California's underground culture, Berman was a catalyst who traversed many different worlds, transferring ideas and dreams from one circle to the next. His larger community is the subject of Semina Culture, which includes previously unseen works by 52 artists. Anchoring this publication is Semina, a loose-leaf art and poetry journal that Berman published in nine issues between 1955 and 1964. Although printed in extremely short runs and distributed to only a handful of friends and sympathizers, Semina is a brilliant and beautifully made compendium of the most interesting artists and poets of its time, and is today a very rare collector's item. Showcasing the individuals that defined a still-potent strand of postwar counterculture, Semina Culture outlines the energies and values of this fascinating circle. Also reproduced here are works by those who appear in Berman's own photographs, approximately 100 of which were recently developed from vintage negatives, and which are seen here for the first time. These artists, actors, poets, curators, musicians and filmmakers include Robert Alexander, John Altoon, Toni Basil, Wallace Berman, Ray Bremser, Bonnie Bremser, Charles Britten, Joan Brown, Cameron, Bruce Conner, Jean Conner, Jay DeFeo, Diane DiPrima, Kirby Doyle, Bobby Driscoll, Robert Duncan, Joe Dunn, Llyn Foulkes, Ralph Gibson, Allen Ginsberg, George Herms, Jack Hirschman, Walter Hopps, Dennis Hopper, Billy Jahrmarkt, Jess, Lawrence Jordan, Patricia Jordan, Bob Kaufman, Philip Lamantia, William Margolis, Michael McClure, David Meltzer, Taylor Mead, Henry Miller, Stuart Perkoff, Jack Smith, Dean Stockwell, Ben Talbert, Russ Tamblyn, Aya (Tarlow), Alexander Trocchi, Edmund Teske, Zack Walsh, Lew Welch and John Wieners.

Featured image, Wallace Berman's "Untitled" verifax collage, 1961–62, is reproduced from Semina Culture.

Semina Culture Wallace Berman & His Circle ARTBOOK | D.A.P. 2015 Catalog Books Exhibition Catalogues 9781938922725

TOSH BERMAN reads and discusses his book of poetry THE PLUM IN MR BLUM'S PUDDING, with special guest RUTH BERNSTEIN

The Plum in Mr Blum's Pudding (Penny Ante Editions)

“My hours of leisure I spent in reading the best authors, ancient and modern, being always provided with a good number of books; and when I was ashore, in observing the manners and dispositions of the people, as well as learning their language; wherein I had a great facility, by the strength of my memory.”

- Jonathan Swift, Gulliver’s Travels


The Plum in Mr. Blum’s Pudding is Los Angeles native Tosh Berman’s first printed collection of poetry. In 1989, Berman left the United States behind, moving to Japan after learning his wife's (artist Lun*na Menoh) mother was ill in Kitakyushu. The Plum in Mr. Blum’s Pudding was penned while both rapt and lost by this transition. Gracefully toiling between the quirky and earnest, these poems describe the liminal space of the foreigner caught between the strange and the familiar. The result is surreal and unclassifiable, a book of love poems overshadowed by isolation and underscored with curiosity and lust.

Originally published in 1990 by “Cole Swift & Sons” (Japan) as a small hardcover edition of two hundred copies, this new edition acts to preserve this work and features an introduction by art critic and curator Kristine McKenna and an afterword by Ruth Bernstein.

Tosh Berman is a publisher and writer. His press, TamTam Books, has published works by Boris Vian, Guy Debord, Serge Gainsbourg, Jacques Mesrine, artist Lun*na Menoh, and Ron Mael & Russell Mael (Sparks). He is the author of Sparks-tastic: 21 Nights with Sparks in London. As the son of artist Wallace Berman, Tosh has delivered talks and various essays toward furthering his late father’s artistic legacy including his influential folio series, Semina (1955–1964). He resides in Los Angeles.

Ruth Bernstein lives in Highland Park where she writes postcards and collects books.

Event date: 

Friday, November 21, 2014 - 7:30pm

Event address: 

1818 N Vermont Ave

Los Angeles, CA 90027

"The Plum in Mr. Blum's Pudding" Poems by Tosh Berman (Penny-Ante Editions) Out in November

"The Plum in Mr. Blum's Pudding" Poems by Tosh Berman.  Introduction by Kristine McKenna.  Afterword by Ruth Bernstein.  Published by Penny-ante Editions.  November 2014.

"The Plum in Mr. Blum's Pudding" Poems by Tosh Berman (Published by Penny Ante Editions) out in November

Cover image by Alex Chaves

Penny-Ante

2 hours ago

Proud to be re-publishing a poetry collection by our dear friend — TamTam Books publisher and writer — Tosh Berman. Originally published in 1990 by “Cole Swift & Sons” (Japan) as a small hardcover edition of two hundred copies, this new edition of The Plum in Mr. Blum's Pudding acts to preserve this work and features an introduction by art critic and curator Kristine McKenna and an afterword by Ruth Bernstein.

Out in November

Ordering available now: http://bit.ly/1pYHuot

 — with Tosh Berman.

The Plum in Mr. Blum’s Pudding is Los Angeles native Tosh Berman’s first printed collection of poetry. In 1989, Berman left the United States behind, moving to Japan after learning his wife's (artist Lun*na Menoh) mother was ill in Kitakyushu. The Plum in Mr. Blum’s Pudding was penned while both rapt and lost by this transition. Gracefully toiling between the quirky and earnest, these poems describe the liminal space of the foreigner caught between the strange and the familiar. The result is surreal and unclassifiable, a book of love poems overshadowed by isolation and underscored with curiosity and lust. Originally published in 1990 by “Cole Swift & Sons” (Japan) as a small hardcover edition of two hundred copies, this new edition acts to preserve this work and features an introduction by art critic and curator Kristine McKenna and an afterword by Ruth Bernstein.

Review copies are available from Penny-Ante (info@penny-ante.net)

Details about Tonight's event at The Velaslavasay Panorama at 1122 W. 24th St. Los Angeles 90007

http://panoramaonview.org/xyz/section-II-Investigation/

Vinyl Listening Party With Tosh Berman and Joey Altruda, Anna Biller, Lawrence Gjurgevich, Kristine McKenna, & Lun*na Menoh

Joey Altruda, Musician & Disc Jockey 
Anna Biller, Filmmaker & Composer, Director of VIVA
Lawrence Gjurgevich, Founder, Promoter, & Disc Jockey at Club Underground Events
Kristine McKenna, Curator, Music & Art Journalist, Publisher
Lunna Menoh, Artist, Singer of performance band, Les Sewing Sisters, and previous Host of The XYZ
&
Tosh Berman, host of the XYZ Zenith, Publisher & Editor of TamTam Books & Writer of the recently released Sparks-Tastic

All are congregating with Members & Non-members of The XYZ to play a piece off of an LP that is of vital importance and telling the story behind what made it so.

This will be the concluding assembly of TheXyz Club until further notice.

Reservations Recommended:
http://xyz6.brownpapertickets.com/

SHE: Images of Women by Wallace Berman & Richard Prince

This is the catalogue to the exhibition that is up at the Michael Kohn Gallery in Los Angeles. You can get the book in any bookstore that carries cool art books.

Kristine McKenna's talk on Wallace Berman from the Camden Arts Centre Exhibition, London

SHE: Wallace Berman and Richard Prince exhibition

Photograph by Wallace Berman

There is going to be a great show opening up in Los Angeles starting January 15th to March 7th with my Dad Wallace Berman and Richard Prince in an exhibition curated by Kristine McKenna called "SHE: Images of Women by Wallace Berman and Richard Prince." Also a catalogue is coming out, edited and written by McKenna very shortly.


Richard Prince

There will be new pieces by Prince as well as never-seen works by Wallace Berman. The show is at the Michael Kohn Gallery located at 8071 Beverly Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90048.