What's Happening? Allan Kaprow and Claes Oldenburg Argue About Art And Life

In 1961 Allan Kaprow (1927–2006) and Claes Oldenburg (b. 1929) exchanged a number of letters in which they argued about the definition of their avant-garde practices as Happenings. Kaprow, who first introduced this "root-metaphor," as he would later call it, describes with it the necessity of the respective activity to be as far removed as possible from all motives, materials, and formats conventionally connected to art. Oldenburg, who at the time of this exchange was just as active in the New York performance scene as Kaprow, disagrees with his colleague's removal of their practice from the artistic sphere. Oldenburg is also dissatisfied with the fact that Kaprow, through his writings, launches a critical discourse that follows his own definition of the Happening. The two artists thus argue just as much about the positioning of their practices with respect to art as over the authority to establish such a position. This essay traces their argument through their written conversation and in doing so exposes the immense influence Kaprow's rhetoric had on the subsequent art-historical canonization of their respective practices: Oldenburg's more ambivalent position is today amalgamated with Kaprow's theoretical stance.

Lizard hunts on the north coast of Peru / Allan R. Holmberg, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Cornell University.

v.36:no.9(1957)

Letters from Timothy Pickering to his brother and father, 1797-1798

These two handwritten letters by Timothy Pickering were written on February 14, 1797 and June 14, 1798 to his brother John Pickering and his father Timothy Pickering, respectively. The letter to his brother, John, discusses mutual friends, classmate Thomas Lee, and John’s recent attendance at a sermon by Dr. Joseph Priestley. The letter from Timothy to his father includes a discussion of Timothy’s expenses and the amount of money needed to pay his debts, a request for new shoes for commencement, the news of Timothy’s invitation to join honor society Phi Beta Kappa, and a few comments on his forensics course at Harvard.

The trumpet-major, John Loveday : a soldier in the war with Buonaparte, and Robert his brother, first mate in the merchant service : a tale /

Mode of access: Internet.

The trumpet-major, John Loveday, a soldier in the war with Buonaparte and Robert his brother, first mate in the merchant service; a tale,

Mode of access: Internet.

Letters to a younger brother : on various subjects relating to the virtues and vices, duties and dangers of youth /

Mode of access: Internet.

The trumpet-major, John Loveday, a soldier in the war with Buonaparte, and Robert his brother, first mate in the merchant service; a tale,

Mode of access: Internet.

Life and letters of Edgar Allan Poe,

"Bibliography of the writings of Edgar A. Poe": v. 1, p. [431]-455.

The works of Edgar Allan Poe; newly collected and edited, with a memoir, critical introductions, and notes, by Edmund Clarence Stedman and George Edward Woodberry; the illustrations by Albert Edward Sterner ...

Bibliography: v.10, p. 267-281.

A defense of Edgar Allan Poe. Life, character and dying declarations of the poet. An official account of his death,

Mode of access: Internet.

A brother to dragons, and other old-time tales,

The first tale appeared in the Atlantic monthly for March, 1886, the second in Lippincott's magazine for July, 1887, the third in Harper's magazine for September, 1887.

Poems by a brother and sister.

Mode of access: Internet.

The poetical works of Allan Ramsay : to which is prefixed memoirs of the author, a collection of Soctish proverbs, and an improved glossary, containing words not explained in any former edition.

Mode of access: Internet.

Birds around New York city, where and when to find them, by Allan D. Cruickshank, with the cooperation of the Department of ornithology of the American museum of natural history, and the Linnaean society of New York, with photographs by the author.

Maps on lining-papers.