Avant-Garde Women: Review of the novel “Branded” by founding Dadaist Emmy Hennings

Jim Richardson (aka Lake Superior Aquaman) Jan 21, 2023 No Comments

Contents
-Introduction
-The Key to Dada
-Hennings on Language
-Hennings and Expressionism
-Hennings as a Burroughsian Beat
-Technology in Branded
-The Branded Playlist

Introduction

Just last year I pointedly wondered why the books of founding Dadaist Emmy Hennings remain untranslated into English after more than 100 years. I threatened to translate them myself even though I don’t know German. Thankfully, I caught wind of a forthcoming English edition of Hennings’ autobiographical novel, Branded (edited and translated by Katharine Rout). Since I demanded translations and one appeared, now I demand this book become a film. It is Hennings’ origin story, the often hilarious tale of a proto-Dadaist navigating contradiction, absurdity, and lies.

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Art

Steve Solkela – “Up on da Range”

PDDTV Jan 20, 2023 No Comments

Steve Solkela keeps the hits coming. Here’s a prime cut from his recent album release Sauna Knight, available on Spotify, Apple Music, etc.

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Music

Superior FunLand is open at Mariner Business Center

PDD News Sieve Jan 20, 2023 No Comments

The Superior Telegram reports that a new indoor play space for kids has opened in the Mariner Business Center, 69 N. 28th St. Superior FunLand had its grand opening on Jan. 14. It’s owned by Paul Bothun and Desiree Hughes.


News and Current Affairs

Big Sky Woody – “#51” and “#53”

Dave Sorensen Jan 20, 2023 No Comments

Free on Bandcamp.


Music

Holiday Aurora: Lights of Summer

PDDTV Jan 19, 2023 No Comments

The latest video from Seth Trobec is new to the internet, but was shot last summer over Independence Day and Labor Day weekends — July 2 and Sept. 4 to be precise. The timelapse was created from Trobec’s photos of the northern lights.

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Outdoors, Videos ,

Duluth reconsidering mandated parking minimums

PDD News Sieve Jan 19, 2023 5 Comments

The Duluth News Tribune reports that proposed changes to city code would eliminate requirements for developers to provide a specific number of parking spots.


News and Current Affairs ,

The Slice / Almanac North: Gunflint Mail Run 2023

PDDTV Jan 18, 2023 No Comments

The Gunflint Mail Run, an annual sled dog race in Cook County, was held Jan. 7. PBS North Producer Megan McGarvey captured the scenes for the station’s feature The Slice (embedded above) and also for a segment on the weekly show Almanac North (embedded below).

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Outdoors, Videos , , ,

Low fights for rights to master recordings

accipiterbuteo Jan 17, 2023 1 Comment

I’m surprised I didn’t know about this yet, but the Star Trib just posted a story about the difficulties Low and other mostly indie bands are having with re-releasing and/or getting the rights back for their older recordings. What a goofy system to deal with art! Art belongs to the artist(s)!


Music, News and Current Affairs

Selective Focus: Having a PDD at the start of 2023

Paul Lundgren Jan 17, 2023 No Comments

Select photos from Instagram spanning the first days of 2023, all hashtagged with the name of a certain website.

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Photos ,

Mystery Photo: The Ritcheys

Paul Lundgren Jan 16, 2023 6 Comments

This cabinet card photo of the “Ritcheys” is listed for sale on eBay. Who were the Ritcheys? Well, that’s our primary mystery. The photo was presumably shot in Duluth, being marked with the logo of the Robinson Studio … although the “and New York” below the address is a little confusing. Anyway, it’s supremely likely the Ritcheys either lived in or near Duluth, or visited Duluth about 125 years ago, and that’s about all there is to go on.

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History

Seasonal Leif Erikson statue update

markryan Jan 15, 2023 No Comments


History, Sports ,

PDD Quiz: 2023 Coming Attractions

Alison Moffat Jan 15, 2023 No Comments

Peek into the future with this week’s quiz about 2023 Duluth area happenings.

The next PDD quiz will review this month’s headlines; it will be published on Jan. 29. Submit question suggestions to Alison Moffat at [email protected] by Jan. 26.

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News and Current Affairs

America’s Forests in Minnesota / Chuck Leavell in Duluth

PDDTV Jan 14, 2023 No Comments

Famed musician Chuck Leavell visited Duluth on March 29 to record a performance of the Bob Dylan song “Like a Rolling Stone” with the Duluth band Big Wave Dave and the Ripples at Sacred Heart Music Center. The collaboration was for the closing segment of the 10th episode of the television series America’s Forests with Chuck Leavell. Embedded above is the full episode, which recently aired on select PBS stations, but not in Duluth. Another video, isolating just the music performance, is embedded below.

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Music, Outdoors, Videos , ,

Note from a Fellow She-Traveler

Sara Livingston Floerke Jan 14, 2023 No Comments

Travel days scramble my perspective. Routines, habits, and thoughtless movements slide off my character while I grasp for rudimentary survival gestures in order to hold on to my mental acuity. Or, maybe in my case, find some mental acuity.

This fall my husband and I biked through the Driftless Zone of Wisconsin while small and large events mostly pleasantly surprised us. For example, on our second travel day I was surprised by the delectability of flathead catfish. But there were also unpleasant surprises, like the fact that (future) Secession President Jefferson Davis spent time in Prairie du Chien subduing Indigenous warriors. I was also rudely surprised by a Border Collie who spent his day sitting by the mailbox waiting for just one slow lady cycler to pedal by so he could give chase. I was not completely surprised by Google maps, which couldn’t properly inform the googler on conditions of rural Wisconsin roads.

But in the midst of that day, I received lovely encouragement in the form of a note. It was from a fellow traveler. This was someone on the journey of humanity — I assume simply trying to make it easier for the next person in line. It was forged in kindness. And I noticed.

I’m showing you so you can notice the kindnesses of fellow travelers. Here’s what I saw.

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Random

PDD Video Lab: Visit to Duluth, June 1967

PDDTV Jan 13, 2023 2 Comments

This edition of the PDD Video Lab features a panoply of Duluth film footage from the summer of 1967. The segments were made by taking scenes from an 18-minute silent film titled “Visit to Duluth,” breaking them up and adding music.

The first segment features scenes from Chester Bowl Park and Skyline Drive, with views of Peace Church, the Aerial Lift Bridge, Minnesota Point, Enger Tower and so on, set to Marvin Gaye’s mid-1960s hit song “Wonderful One.”

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History, Videos ,