Independent, free-for-all coverage of New Jersey culture
The Power of Silence connects us to people, throughout history, harmed by slavery in NJ and provides some tools on how to address the lingering injustices. But perhaps its most elemental strength is that it’s willing to take a look at all.
‘Ma Bell: The Mother of Invention in New Jersey’ chronicles the advancements in research and communication that came out of Bell Labs in NJ in the 20th century.
“I thought it’d be interesting to trick the audience or play with the audience and make them think they’re about to see one type of film and take them in a completely different direction.”
“It’s been decades since ‘girls to the front’ started, and we still have to yell that. Why are we still screaming that? This should have already been solved. We want to create a space that is accessible to women, to nonbinary punks, LGBTQIA punks, and people of color.”
Heminghaus’ current projects include covering a new street drug in NJ, the infrastructure problems on the shore and groups helping refugees overseas.
“All of these students were beating up Barney, and ripping apart Barney dolls. At the end the newscaster was like, ‘That’s the future of our country right there,’ and I was like, we are living in that future now.”
Blakesberg, who grew up in Clark, shares his photography at the museum (opening Oct. 14) and in a new book, which features hundreds of shots of the culture and prominent artists over the decades, from Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell and Neil Young to Green Day, Fiona Apple and Pearl Jam, and tells the story of a lifetime.
“One thing about spending years writing about the most obnoxious, obscure, abrasive music possible was trying to convince a mainstream audience that this was worth their time. It was really good training to convince those who are apathetic about unions that unions should matter and they are pretty cool.’’
“[I’m also playing] a squirrel on a cartoon, so that’s, I guess, how I’ve been describing my life for the past year: living in this cabin, going into the city and recording squirrel stuff.”
“The whole idea behind Porchfest is about talking to your neighbor.”
“In this country we trust people to make up their own minds and I don’t want the state to dictate what I or my children can read because it offends some sensibilities of a few.” Banned Books Week is Sept. 18-24.
“I think people read too much into it, and whether kids feel gay, straight, trans, whatever, maybe they learn to be an ally that day at Pride, and that this is a positive day and will learn to include everybody.”