Lesa Griffith at the Honolulu Academy of Art passed along this information about this week’s Friends of Film Friday pick: Obscene: A Portrait of Barney Rosset and Grove Press.
Lesa says, “If you know anything about the New York publishing world, you know Barney Rosset and his small but prestigious Grove Press are legends. Back in 1954 Rosset had the cojones to publish Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, which had been unanimously rejected by the big houses. Rosset challenged the obscenity laws banning controversial—and now modern classic—works such as Lady Chatterly’s Lover, Tropic of Cancer and Naked Lunch. The documentary includes footage of John Waters, Ray Manzarek of The Doors, William S. Burroughs, Gore Vidal, John Sayles, Erica Jong, Jim Carroll and Amiri Baraka.”
Award-winning, Hawai`i-bred writer Kathleen Norris (author of The Virgin of Bennington) will also be here to introduce the film and lead a post-screening Q+A session.
When: Friday, May 9 at 7:30 p.m. / pre-screening reception at 6.30 p.m.
Why: It’ll be ‘obscenely’ interesting
You’ll be out: $15 non-members; $14 members; $8 students
More info: Film web site, and the Friends of Film Friday site
Literary Lotus 