STRANGE CHOICE OF WORDS
I found the March cover to be in questionable taste considering the origin and references of the Billie Holiday song. A bunch of white guys yukking it up is definitely not my association to “Strange Fruit.”
—Karl Holzmuller, Anacortes, WA
OffBeat, one of my favorite magazines, I got my copy in the mail yesterday, and when I saw your cover, I felt like I had been kicked in the stomach. Strange Fruit? Maybe it is just me, but that phrase brings to mind immediately a despicable image, brought to the forefront by Billie Holiday. Some words are so powerful, and for me, there is no making light of that phrase.
—Maureen Rice, Brooklyn, NY
The March cover is just lame and weird. Why? It’s not exactly a play on words, but you’re mucking around with one of the most sacred songs ever written, “Strange Fruit” and you have a bunch of white kids hanging and smiling—the image just makes my stomach hurt. I know it’s not a racist statement or anything like that, but, I’m wondering, what were you thinking?
—Bernard Pearce, New Orleans, LA
Never in a million years would I have thought anything other than “a bunch of crazy guys messing around on playground equipment.” “Lynching” didn’t even occur to me, much less anything racial. Your pain, sincerity and bewilderment expressed in your apology are extremely obvious. I’m embarrassed and ashamed that you’ve been made to feel that an apology was necessary. I’m sorry—not for the cover—but for the people who saw evil in it and who can only look back, not forward.
—Sandra Dartus, Jackson Hole, WY
We’ve heard from many of you about our cover text for the March issue, and if we had the chance to do it again, we’d go in a different direction. This was an error in judgment for which we apologize.
—Ed.
ARTS COUNCIL GRANTS
As the city’s official arts agency, the Arts Council has a 35-year history of supporting the multidisciplinary arts community, that includes artists in all genres- dance, theatre, culinary, literature, visual, music and much more. However, we appreciate the opportunity to share more information on how Arts Council specifically supports local music. Here are a few highlights from last year alone: Our Entertainment Law Legal Assistance Project offered pro-bono legal assistance to 100 low-income musicians in 2009. The Community Arts Awards, our annual celebration honoring organizations and individuals for their dedication and outstanding contributions to the arts and culture of our community, honored six recipients in 2009— four were music-focused, including Deacon John and Luther Gray. Last year’s Arts Council grants funded 25 music organizations and individual musicians to the tune of $148,000. Our grant deadline is approaching on April 21st. We hold community workshops each year to help applicants better understand our grants process and would love to see more musicians and music organizations apply for funding. Workshops begin on March 4th and details about this and other programs are available on our website: www.artscouncilofneworleans.org.
—Mary Len Costa, President/CEO, Arts Council, New Orleans, LA
BEST OF THE BEAT
I’d like to express my gratefulness to you and the staff of OffBeat for nominating me for the 2009 Best of the Beat Best Saxophone Player Award. I know that music is the great blessing of my life and I approach it that way. It’s always about touching the soul of anyone listening to what I play. It’s about reaching for creative ways to approach all music. The audience is always a part of the process, through their spirits as well as mine, and ultimately God’s.
—Tim Green, New Orleans, LA
