Frank Prattle with Zefrey Throwell

Listen along to the full interview:

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Morris Dickstein, author and professor

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Morris Dickstein, distinguished author and professor, is one of the most understated and humble people that I have had the pleasure of speaking to. While his books are world renowned, his demeanor is down to earth and straight forward. I chatted with him over the phone this evening about his new book, Dancing In the Dark: A Cultural History of the Great Depression as well as what he plans on presenting at the Creative Time Summit: Revolutions in Public Practice.

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One of the primary issues that Dickstein touched upon was the depth with which the Great Depression relates to the current state of affairs. Chronicling the lives of artists who survived and produced during the 1930’s, Dickstein shows the lessons that we can learn from those who came before us. Following such greats at the Gershwin brothers, Walker Evans, Fred Astaire, Duke Ellington, Cole Porter, and Dorothea Lange, Dickstein offers a glimpse at the coping skills of these artists amidst the storm of poverty and misery.

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