The Downtown Pop Underground: New York City and the literary punks, renegade artists, DIY filmmakers, mad playwrights, and rock 'n' roll glitter queens ... glitter queens who revolutionized culture

The 1960s to early '70s was a pivotal time for American culture, and New York City was ground zero for seismic shifts in music, theater, art, and filmmaking. __The Downtown Pop Underground__ takes a kaleidoscopic tour of Manhattan during this era and shows how deeply interconnected all the alternative worlds and personalities were that flourished in the basement theaters, dive bars, concert halls, and dingy tenements within one square mile of each other. Author Kembrew McLeod links the artists, writers, and performers who created change, and while some of them didn't become everyday names, others, like Patti Smith, Andy Warhol, and Debbie Harry, did become icons. Ambitious in scope and scale, the book is fueled by the actual voices of many of the key characters who broke down the entrenched divisions between high and low, gay and straight, and art and commerce—and changed the cultural landscape of not just the city but the world. The 1960s To Early 1970s Was A Pivotal Time For American Culture, And New York City Was Ground Zero For Seismic Shifts In Music, Theater, Art, And Filmmaking. 'the Downtown Pop Underground' Takes A Kaleidoscopic Tour Of Manhattan During This Era And Shows How Deeply Interconnected All The Alternative Worlds And Personalities Were That Flourished In The Basement Theaters, Dive Bars, Concert Halls, And Dingy Tenements Within One Square Mile Of Each Other. Author Kembrew Mcleod Links The Artists, Writers, And Performers Who Created Change, And While Some Of Them Didn't Become Everyday Names, Others, Like Patti Smith, Andy Warhol, And Debbie Harry, Did Become Icons. Ambitious In Scope And Scale, The Book Is Fueled By The Actual Voices Of Many Of The Key Characters Who Broke Down The Entrenched Divisions Between High And Low, Gay And Straight, And Art And Commerce--and Changed The Cultural Landscape Of Not Just The City But The World. Introduction -- Harry Koutoukas Arrives In The Village -- Shirley Clarke's Downtown Connections -- Andy Warhol Goes Pop -- Debbie Harry, Patti Smith, And The Pop Generation -- Ed Sanders Incites An Indie Media Revolution -- Ellen Stewart Is La Mama -- Hibiscus And Family Grow Underground Roots -- Preserving The Downtown Landscape For Artists -- Off-off-broadway Oddities -- Underground Film's Bizarre Cast Of Characters -- Multimedia Experiments At The Factory -- Chaos At The Cino -- Camping In Church And At Sea -- Migrating East -- Lower East Side Rock And Radicalism -- La Mama Gets Ridiculous -- Jackie Curtis Takes Center Stage -- Madness At Max's And The Factory -- Darkness Descends On The East Village -- From The Margins To The Mainstream And Back Again -- Femmes Fatales -- Underground Video Ushers In A New Media Age -- An American Family Bends Reality -- Pork, Glam, And Audiotape -- Literary Rockers -- Hibiscus Heads Home -- Mercer's Mixes It Up -- Diy Tv -- The Lights Dim On Off-off-broadway -- Punk Rock's Freaky Roots -- New York Rock Explodes -- Suburban Subversives -- Inventing Punk -- Coda. Kembrew Mcleod. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. "McLeod's deft and generous book tells of a constellation of avant-garde squatters, divas, and dissidents who reinvented the world." —Jonathan Lethem, New York Times -bestselling author of Motherless Brooklyn The 1960s to early '70s was a pivotal time for American culture, and New York City was ground zero for seismic shifts in music, theater, art, and filmmaking. The Downtown Pop Underground takes a kaleidoscopic tour of Manhattan during this era and shows how deeply interconnected all the alternative worlds and personalities were that flourished in the basement theaters, dive bars, concert halls, and dingy tenements within one square mile of each other. Author Kembrew McLeod links the artists, writers, and performers who created change, and while some of them didn't become everyday names, others, like Patti Smith, Andy Warhol, and Debbie Harry, did become icons. Ambitious in scope and scale, the book is fueled by the actual voices of many of the key characters who broke down the entrenched divisions between high and low, gay and straight, and art and commerce—and changed the cultural landscape of not just the city but the world. "The story of underground artists of the 1960s and '70s, an amalgam of bustling radical creativity and fearless groundbreaking work in art, music, and theater." —Tim Robbins "Breathes new fire into a familiar history and is a must-read for anyone who wants to know how American bohemia really happened." —Ann Powers, critic, NPR Music "Honors those who were at the forefront of a movement that transformed our understandings of sexuality and artistic freedom." —Lily Tomlin The 1960s to early 1970s was a pivotal time for American culture, and New York City was ground zero for seismic shifts in music, theater, art, and film making. 'The Downtown Pop Underground' takes a kaleidoscopic tour of Manhattan during this era and shows how deeply interconnected all the alternative worlds and personalities were that flourished in the basement theaters, dive bars, concert halls, and dingy tenements within one square mile of each other. Author Kembrew McLeod links the artists, writers, and performers who created change, and while some of them didn't become everyday names, others, like Patti Smith, Andy Warhol, and Debbie Harry, did become icons. Ambitious in scope and scale, the book is fueled by the actual voices of many of the key characters who broke down the entrenched divisions between high and low, gay and straight, and art and commerce--and changed the cultural landscape of not just the city but the world