Back
Toronto Sun
Tuesday, April 28, 1998
Aging
process is on Greenberger's mind
By KIERAN GRANT
1001
REAL STORIES: The Rolling Stones may be pushing the chronological
envelope that surrounds pop stardom, but they're whippersnappers in
David
Greenberger's books.
A
"stand-up sociologist," artist and former activities director
at a Boston
nursing home called the Duplex, Greenberger has parlayed nearly two
decades
of rap sessions with the aged into pure pop culture gold.
There
are his uber-hip U.S. fanzine, Duplex Planet; a series of records
featuring Fred Frith, XTC, NRBQ and Yo La Tengo; a book, which received
accolades from the likes R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe, and The Simpsons'
creator
Matt Groening; and, finally, a live-performance piece, which Greenberger
brings to Bar Code (549 College) Thursday.
1001
Real Apes -Duplex Planet Stories features Greenberger reading segments
from his 1993 book, Everybody's Asking Who I Was, with musical backing
from
U.S. band Birdsongs Of The Mesozoic.
His
monologues cover everything from the Titanic to firecrackers to broken
hearts to beer. All are based on the author's sometimes nonsensical,
sometimes profound interviews with Duplex residents.
"In
our culture, outside of seeing it occur in family members, we're given
scant opportunity to witness the process of aging until we're already
in
the midst of it ourselves," writes Greenberger in the intro to
the piece.
"I've wanted examples of aging for myself, and I have made it
my job to find ways in which to communicate those examples to others.
"It
has been my aim to offer a range of characters who are already old.
This allows one to get to know them as they are now, without constantly
celebrating or mourning who they were before."
|
