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Books, Artists, Beats by Jim Burns
An anarchic but never chaotic trip through troubling times
PIC CAP Dark times: Richard Oelze’s 1936 painting The Expectation

THIS 10th compendium of essays and reviews, cleverly curated by poet Jim Burns, uses texts, art, music and film as springboards for discussion of different periods of cultural upheaval, reflecting change which has benefited writers and artists but at other times threatened their lives and livelihoods.

[[{"fid":"13327","view_mode":"inlineright","fields":{"format":"inlineright","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false},"link_text":null,"type":"media","field_deltas":{"1":{"format":"inlineright","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false}},"attributes":{"class":"media-element file-inlineright","data-delta":"1"}}]]The majority of the essays and reviews focus on periods of great upheaval  in the 20th century, from times of fear to periods of cultural reawakening. They highlight acts of bravery from those who’ve stood up against forces beyond their control, as well as others who have struggled to get their work and voices heard.

Burns’s speciality is bringing back to life such neglected, marginalised and suppressed writers, artists, poets, filmmakers and publications, an example being the original beat generation in the US. Usually Ginsberg, Burroughs and Kerouac spring to mind but where are the women?

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