#1946-1968

[britneyshakespeare]

When vintage Barbie clothes have real sewn pockets those are for their doll-scale Virginia Slims

[harrelltut]

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[magauda]

I legami dell'ODEUM Roma con criminali di guerra

Come già detto, dopo il ’45 Roma era diventata una vera e propria “capitale di spie”. Dopo la fine della guerra molti ex rappresentanti delle armate naziste avevano cercato e trovato rifugio nella capitale italiana dove, non di rado, avrebbero finito per collaborare con i vari servizi segreti occidentali dell’epoca <335. L’Organisation Gehlen e la sua base estera sotto guida di Johannes non…

[botallo]

I legami dell'ODEUM Roma con criminali di guerra

Come già detto, dopo il ’45 Roma era diventata una vera e propria “capitale di spie”. Dopo la fine della guerra molti ex rappresentanti delle armate naziste avevano cercato e trovato rifugio nella capitale italiana dove, non di rado, avrebbero finito per collaborare con i vari servizi segreti occidentali dell’epoca <335. L’Organisation Gehlen e la sua base estera sotto guida di Johannes non…

[sapergo]

I legami dell'ODEUM Roma con criminali di guerra

Come già detto, dopo il ’45 Roma era diventata una vera e propria “capitale di spie”. Dopo la fine della guerra molti ex rappresentanti delle armate naziste avevano cercato e trovato rifugio nella capitale italiana dove, non di rado, avrebbero finito per collaborare con i vari servizi segreti occidentali dell’epoca <335. L’Organisation Gehlen e la sua base estera sotto guida di Johannes non…

[bagnabraghe]

I legami dell'ODEUM Roma con criminali di guerra

Come già detto, dopo il ’45 Roma era diventata una vera e propria “capitale di spie”. Dopo la fine della guerra molti ex rappresentanti delle armate naziste avevano cercato e trovato rifugio nella capitale italiana dove, non di rado, avrebbero finito per collaborare con i vari servizi segreti occidentali dell’epoca <335. L’Organisation Gehlen e la sua base estera sotto guida di Johannes non…

[bigarella]

I legami dell'ODEUM Roma con criminali di guerra

Come già detto, dopo il ’45 Roma era diventata una vera e propria “capitale di spie”. Dopo la fine della guerra molti ex rappresentanti delle armate naziste avevano cercato e trovato rifugio nella capitale italiana dove, non di rado, avrebbero finito per collaborare con i vari servizi segreti occidentali dell’epoca <335. L’Organisation Gehlen e la sua base estera sotto guida di Johannes non…

[elarea]

Viejos Pins (72)

1946/56.

Segunda entrega de pins de clubes catalanes que oficiaron ya como filiales del Barcelona gracias al estupendo material alojado en la web partidaria Pins Penyes.

En 1965 nace el Atlètic Catalunya, sucesor del Fabra i Coats, tras estrechar lazos con el Barcelona. El equipo cambió el uniforme por uno azul-grana, con las franjas más estrechas que las del Barça y pantalón azul. El Condal cambió también su uniforme, vistiendo de azul-grana entre 1968 y 1970.

Tras la Guerra Civil el FC Barcelona firmó un convenio de filiación con el equipo de la empresa textil L'Espanya Industrial, situada en el barrio barcelonés de Hostafrancs.

Gracias a ese acuerdo el equipo fabril pasó a nutrirse de los jugadores que no tenían cabida en la primera plantilla barcelonista, esencialmente sus jóvenes promesas.

En 1953 la Sección Deportiva La España Industrial logró el ascenso a Primera División, cambiando su nombre a Club Esportiu Comtal e interrumpiendo su filiación con el FC Barcelona. Después de un único año en la máxima categoría, el CD Condal (CD CONDAL) reanudó su filiación con el FC Barcelona, ​​jugando durante 15 años a caballo entre Segunda y Tercera División.

1956/68.

Atlètic Catalunya Club de Futbol (1965).

Club Deportivo Condal (1968/70).

[gacougnol]

Marianne Faithfull (RIP, 1946 - 2025)

In Girl on a Motorcycle by Jack Cardiff, 1968

[literaryvein-reblogs]

More Words for Sex Scenes

love (Old English–) - Sexual desire or lust, esp. as a physiological instinct; amorous sexual activity, sexual intercourse. To make love.

play (Old English–) - Sexual activity or dalliance; foreplay; amorous recreation.

touch (a1400–1922) - Sexual contact or activity, esp. viewed as sinful or corrupting; an instance of sexual touching; an act of physical intimacy. Obsolete.

chamber work (c1450–1694) - Sexual activity. Obsolete.

venery (1497–) - The practice or pursuit of sexual pleasure; indulgence of sexual desire.

bedroll (?1552–1696) - A roll of bedding; a list of deeds or things; spec. a list of one’s sexual partners. Obsolete…

bed-glee (1582) ⚜ bed-game (1596)

fiddling (1622–) - Fussy trifling; petty adjustment or alteration.

twatting (1893) - Sexual intercourse or activity. Obsolete. rare.

sexual relations (1897–) - Sexual contact or activity, esp. sexual intercourse.

fun time (1905–)

massage (1906–) - euphemistic (originally U.S.). Sexual services, esp. as advertised by prostitutes.

sex play (1922–) - a. A drama about sex, or having sexual content; b. play having a sexual nature, spec. sexual activity that does not involve intercourse.

action (c1930–) - colloquial (originally U.S.). Sexual activity.

hanky-panky (1939–) - Sexual activity or dalliance, esp. of a surreptitious nature.

making-out (1957–)

lumber (1966–) - a. Amorous or sexual play. b. A person regarded as a prospective sexual partner; a casual pick-up, a date.

how's your father (1968–) - euphemistic. Sexual activity; sexual intercourse.

mifky-pifky (1985–) - Sexual activity, flirting (esp. of an illicit nature).

hootchy-kootchy (1986–) - slang. Sexual intercourse; (occasionally) sexual activity. Sometimes euphemistic.

SEXUAL PARTNER

sleeping partner (?1456–)

screw (1725–) - coarse slang. A woman with whom a person has sexual intercourse; a sexual partner; esp. (in earlier use) a prostitute.

sexual partner (1847–) - A person who or animal which engages in sexual intercourse with another.

shack-job (1946–)

shack-up (1969–) - A partner in cohabitation or sexual intercourse.

CASUAL

companion (1684–) - A short-term sexual partner; (now) esp. a person hired to act as such; an escort.

trick (1925–) - A casual sexual partner; usually spec. a prostitute's client. slang (originally and chiefly U.S.).

rough trade (1927–) - A rough or working-class man sought, and sometimes paid, as a casual sexual partner by a more privileged or affluent man (or occasionally a woman).

fuck buddy (1973–) - coarse slang (originally U.S.). A friend or acquaintance with whom a person (regularly) engages in sexual intercourse without the expectation of a romantic relationship.

INVITATION

proposition (1937–) - Originally U.S. A proposal or invitation to engage in sexual activity, esp. of a casual or illicit nature; a sexual advance or ‘pass’.

booty call (1993–) - A visit made to a person for the (sole) purpose of having sexual intercourse; an invitation to have sexual intercourse.

POSITIONS

position (1883–) - A particular posture adopted during sexual intercourse.

knee-chest position (1935–)

missionary position (1948–) - A position for sexual intercourse in which a woman lies underneath a man, facing him.

doggy position (1975–) - A sexual position in which one partner (who is usually on hands and knees) is penetrated from behind by the other partner; cf. doggy style, adv.

cowgirl (1993–) - A position for sexual intercourse in which a woman sits astride a man, facing him. Cf. reverse cowgirl, n.

reverse cowgirl (1993–) - A position for sexual intercourse in which a woman sits astride a man, facing away from him.

ERECTION

elevation (1543) - spec. = erection, n. Obsolete.

erection (1594–) - Physiology. The action of making rigid any bodily organ containing erectile tissue.

standing (1598–1654) - coarse slang. An erection of the penis. Obsolete.

tentigo (a1603–) - An attack of priapism, an erection; lecherousness, lust.

Jack (1604–) - slang. Also (and in earliest use) in plural. The penis, especially when erect; an erection. Now rare.

stand (1608–) - coarse slang. An erection of the penis.

fratration (1666) - Inflation of seminary vessels

surgation (1688) - Erection.

tent pole (1889–) - figurative and in figurative contexts. slang. An erection of the penis beneath clothing, sheets, etc., humorous.

cockstand (c1890–) - coarse slang (now somewhat archaic). An erection of the penis.

hard-on (1898–) - An erection of the penis.

hard (1927–) - slang (originally and chiefly U.S.). = hard-on, n.

boner (1936–) - slang (originally U.S.). An erection of the penis. Hence figurative: a strong attraction to or state of excitement about something specified.

hard up (1937–) - slang. = hard-on. Now rare.

half-mast (1963–) - colloquial. With reference to the penis: the state of being partially erect. Chiefly in at half mast.

bone-on (1969–) - An erection of the penis; = hard-on, n.

stiffy (1983–) - slang. An erection. Cf. hard-on, n.

morning-glory (1985–) - British slang. An erection on awakening, esp. one resulting from a full bladder. Cf. piss-proud, adj.

ORGASM

happy ending (1748–) - a. An ending in a novel, play, etc., in which the plot achieves a happy resolution (esp. by marriage, continued good health, etc.).

orgasm (1754–) - Originally: a surge of sexual excitement; the rut; oestrus. In later use: sexual climax; the highest point of sexual excitement.

spending (1856–79) - Obsolete slang. An orgasm; an ejaculation.

climax (1873–) - The highest point of sexual excitement, characterized by intense sensation.

Big O (1931–) - a. U.S. Railways a railroad conductor (now rare); b. originally U.S. an orgasm (usually with the).

EJACULATION

emission (1646–) - Physiology. = Latin emissio seminis.

spending (1856–79) - Obsolete slang. An orgasm; an ejaculation.

ejaculation (1888–) - The sudden ejection or emission (of seed, fluids, etc.) from the animal or vegetable system. spec. the discharging of the male sperm.

coming (1966–) - slang. The action or an act of ejaculating or achieving orgasm. Also (and in earliest use) in plural: ejaculated semen.

SEXUAL GRATIFICATION

fleshlihood (c1440–49) - Fleshly state or condition, fleshliness, gratification of the flesh.

pleasure (?a1450–) - The indulgence of physical, esp. sexual, desires or appetites; sensual or sexual gratification; to take one's pleasure: to have sexual intercourse.

pleasure of the flesh (?a1475–) - Pleasure or pleasures derived from physical, esp. sexual, indulgence.

ass (a1916–) - Sexual intercourse or satisfaction. Also (offensive): a woman or women considered as a source of this.

afterglow (1928–) - spec. A warm or pleasant feeling experienced after sexual intercourse.

Source ⚜ More: Word Lists ⚜ References ⚜ Historical Thesaurus ⚜ Part 1 Writing Tips: Sex Scenes (pt. 1) (pt. 2) ⚜ Types of Kissing ⚜ Physiology of Love

[henk-heijmans]

The vegetable peddler, New York City, 1946 - by Weegee (1899 - 1968), American

[necosuke]

SUBARU Rabbit (1946-1968) X/ bsky/ insta/ threads comms on ! VGen/ Skeb

[queer-ragnelle]

Seeking a book to read this winter break?

Brand "New" List of Additions to the Arthurian Preservation Project Archive

In time, all books will be added to my Retellings List or Medieval Literature List respectively, and possibly a third page for handbooks/informational resources. Retellings may be under construction for a bit as I reformat to accommodate the influx in links. There are some duplicates—Alan Lupack's and Mike Ashley's anthologies occasionally contain a one-off story I've otherwise included in an individual volume of collected works by the author.

Links connect to corresponding PDFs on my Google drive where they can be read and downloaded for free. But if you like what I do, consider supporting me on Ko-Fi. I haven't yet read these listings in full; I cannot attest to their content or quality. A big thank you to @wandrenowle for the help collecting!

Modern Retellings

Merlin in Love by Aaron Hill (1790) — Opera about Merlin & his love interest Columbine.

The Fortunate Island by Max Adeler (1882) — A family shipwrecks on an island only to discover its populated with Arthurian knights, including Dinadan, Bleoberis, & Agravaine.

Sir Marrok by Allen French (1902) — Werewolf knight.

The Story of Sir Galahad by Mary Blackwell Stirling (1908) — Illustrated retelling of Malory's Grail Quest.

The Story of Parzival by Mary Blackwell Stirling (1911) — Illustrated retelling of Eschenbach's Parzival.

Stories From King Arthur and His Round Table by Beatrice Clay (1913) — Illustrated retelling of Malory.

Cloud Castle and Other Papers by Edward Thomas (1922) — Contains two Arthurian entries: the story Bronwen The Welsh Idyll about Agravaine & his lady Bronwen, & the essay Isoud about the Prose Tristan.

Collected Poems by Rolfe Humphries (1924-1966) — Contains Dream of Rhonabwy about Owain & Arthur's chess game, A Brecon Version about Essylt/Trystan, Under Craig y Ddynas about Arthur's "sleeping" warriors, & The Return of Peredwr about the Grail Hero's arrival to court.

Peronnik the Fool by George Moore (1926) — The quest for the Holy Grail based on Breton folklore.

The Merriest Knight by Theodore Goodridge Roberts (1946-2001) — Anthology of short stories all about Dinadan.

The Eagles Have Flown by Henry Treece (1954) — A third Arthurian novel from Treece detailing the rivalry between Artos & Medrawt, with illustrations this time.

Launcelot, my Brother by Dorothy James Roberts (1954) — The fall of Camelot from Bors perspective, as a brother of Launcelot.

To the Chapel Perilous by Naomi Mitchison (1955) — Two rival journalists report about the goings on in Camelot.

The Pagan King by Edison Marshall (1959) — Historical fiction from the perspective of Pagan King Arthur.

Kinsmen of the Grail by Dorothy James Roberts (1963) — The Grail Quest but Gawain is Perceval's step dad.

Stories of King Arthur by Blanche Winder (1968) — Illustrated retelling of Malory.

Drustan the Wanderer by Anna Taylor (1971) — Retelling of Essylt/Drustan.

Merlin's Ring by H. Warner Munn (1974) Gwalchmai is a godson of Merlin's that uses his ring to travel through the magical & real worlds.

Lionors, Arthur's Uncrowned Queen by Barbara Ferry Johnson (1975) — Story of Arthur's sweetheart & mother of his son, Loholt.

Gawain and The Green Knight by Y. R. Ponsor (1979) — Illustrated prose retelling of SGATGK poem.

Firelord (#1), Beloved Exile (#2), The Lovers: Trystan and Yseult (#3) by Parke Godwin (pseudonym Kate Hawks) (1980-1999) — Book 1 Arthur, book 2 Guinevere, book 3 Trystan/Yseult.

Bride of the Spear by Kathleen Herbert (1982) — "Historical" romance retelling of Teneu/Owain.

Invitation to Camelot edited by Parke Godwin (1988) — Anthology of assorted Arthurian stories from authors like Phyllis Ann Karr & Sharan Newman.

Arthur, The Greatest King - An Anthology of Modern Arthurian Poems by Alan Lupack (1988) — Anthology of modern Arthurian poetry by various authors including E. A. Robinson, William Morris, C. S. Lewis, & Ralph Waldo Emerson.

The White Raven by Diana L Paxson (1988) — "Historical" romance retelling of Drustan/Esseilte.

Merlin Dreams by Peter Dickinson (1988) — Illustrated by Alan Lee.

The Pendragon Chronicles edited by Mike Ashley (1990) — An anthology of Arthurian stories, including some translations such as the Lady of the Fountain, and retellings by John Steinbeck & Phyllis Ann Karr.

Grails: Quest of the Dawn edited by Richard Gilliam (1992-1994) — Anthology of Grail Quest stories.

The Merlin Chronicles edited by Mike Ashley (1995) — Anthology about Merlin from authors like Theodore Goodridge Roberts & Phyllis Ann Karr.

The Chronicles of the Holy Grail edited by Mike Ashley (1996) — Anthology about the Holy Grail from authors like Cherith Baldry & Phyllis Ann Karr.

The Chronicles of the Round Table edited by Mike Ashley (1997) — Anthology of assorted Arthurian stories from authors like Cherith Baldry & Phyllis Ann Karr.

Sleepless Knights by Mark H Williams (2013) — 1,500 years have passed but Lucan the Butler’s still on the clock.

Medieval Literature

Three Arthurian Romances (Caradoc, The Knight with The Sword, The Perilous Graveyard) [This is on the Internet Archive & cannot be downloaded. If someone could help with that, lmk!] translated by Ross G. Arthur

Le Bel Inconnu (The Fair Unknown) translated by Colleen P. Donagher

Segurant The Knight of the Dragon (Portuguese) edited by Emanuele Arioli

An Anglo-Norman Reader by Jane Bliss

Stanzaic Morte Arthur / Alliterative Morte Arthure edited by Larry D. Benson

Sir Perceval de Galles / Ywain and Gawain edited by Mary Flowers Braswell

Sir Gawain: Eleven Romances and Tales edited by Thomas Hahn

Prose Merlin edited by John Conlee

The Middle English Breton Lays edited by Eve Sailsbury & Anne Laskaya

Il Ciclo Di Guiron Le Courtois Volumes 1-7 (Italian)

Wace's Roman de Brut / Layamon's Brut by Robert Wace & Eugene Mason

Arthurian Literature by Women edited by Alan Lupack & Barbara Tepa Lupack

Handbooks

Studies in the Fairy Mythology of Arthurian Romance by Lucy Allen Paton (1960)

A Companion to the Gawain-Poet edited by Derek Brewer (1990)

The Mammoth Book of King Arthur edited by Mike Ashley (2005)

A Bibliography of Modern Arthuriana 1500-2000 by Ann F. Howey & Stephen R. Reimer (2006)

[mesetacadre]

Sorry if this is a bit weird question but would artistic freedom be restricted in a socialist state? If it would be, how? Wouldn't restrictions/censorships be a bad thing since it's important for people to be able to learn critical thinking skills and criticize in a constructive way a government or other aspects of society or for them to just depict with reality and imagination in a way that leads to diverse conversations?

The degree of restriction always depends on the context of the state, it's not a set answer. Like most other questions regarding the running of a state by communists, it will change depending on necessities and as it evolves. But regardless, art will always be free of the pressures imposed by salary work, and across the history of socialism, there is a good precedent for ample subsidies of the arts, even those not directly related to socialism itself.

Look at this passage about the GDR, for instance. Take into account the historical context, of a country that has just been divided and liberated from the Nazi Party, with the mass support they garnered. The FRG wasn't exactly unwelcoming to former nazis, even important members of the party, and the GDR was the frontline for the cold war, during its entire existence it faced infiltration, sabotage, and a myriad of attacks against it. [Because of indented quotes being awkward for longer texts, I'm not going to format it differently. The quote will end with the link to the book it's from]

During the forty years of its existence, a unique GDR culture developed in the country and it differed substantially from that in the West. It was characterised by a very fruitful, even if at time bruising and sometimes painful, battle between artistic freedom and creativity on the one hand and the demands the Party and state attempted to impose.

Since the early days of the Soviet Union, the Bolsheviks and later communist parties everywhere placed a great emphasis on culture and on the contribution cultural workers could make to the building of socialism. One of the first things the Soviet Army of occupation did at the end of the war, was attempt to resuscitate cultural activity in a war-ravaged and demoralised Germany. The one thing the Russians could never get their head around was how a country with such a high level of culture, a nation that had produced a Bach and a Beethoven, a Goethe and a Schiller could have carried out such barbaric crimes in other countries. The Soviet army had cultural officers attached to each battalion and the war had hardly ended before they began seeking out cultural workers and encouraging them to take up their batons, musical instruments, pens and paintbrushes again. Temporary cinemas were established, orchestras formed, theatres opened and publishing houses set up.

In contrast to West Germany, in the Soviet Zone and later in the GDR, there was also an early emphasis on making films about the Nazi period as a means of educating and informing a nation ignorant of or in denial about what had happened.

The first anti-Nazi and anti-war film to be made in the whole of Germany was Die Morder sind unter uns (Murderers among us - 1946) directed by the West Berlin-based Wolfgang Staudte with full Soviet support. Among later anti-Nazi films made in the GDR were: Rat der Gotter (Council of the Gods - 1950) about the production of poison gas by IG Farben for the concentration camps, Nackt unter Wolfen (Naked amongst Wolves - 1963), based on a true story about a small Jewish boy who was hidden in a concentration camp and thus saved. Werner Holt (1965) - about the life of young men in Hitler’s army, Gefrorene Blitze (Frozen Flashes -1967) about the development of the V2 rocket by the Nazis; Ich war Neunzehn (I was Nineteen - 1968) - the true story of a young German who returns to Germany in the uniform of a Red Army soldier with the victorious Russian troops. Almost two decades passed before West Germany attempted to confront the war and its Nazi past. And the film Das Boot (1981) is more about the heroics of German U-boat crews than about understanding Nazi ideology. Das schreckliche Maedchen (Nasty Girl -1990) was a rare exception, as was Downfall (2004), a film about Hitler.

The GDR had more theatres per capita than any other country in the world and in no other country were there more orchestras in relation to population size or territory. With 90 professional orchestras, GDR citizens had three times more opportunity of accessing live music, than those in the FRG, 7.5 times more than in the USA and 30 times more than in the UK. It also had one of the world’s highest book publishing figures. This small country with its very limited economic resources, even in the fifties was spending double the amount on cultural activities as the FRG.

Every town of 30,000 or more inhabitants in the GDR had its theatre and cinema as well as other cultural venues. It had roughly half as many theatres as the Federal Republic, despite having less than a third of the population (178 compared with 346 in the FRG). Subsidised tickets to the theatre and concerts were always priced so that everyone could afford to go. Many factories and institutions had regular block-bookings for their workers which were avidly taken up. School pupils from the age of 14 were also encouraged to go to the theatre once a month and schools were able to obtain subsidised tickets. All the theatres had permanent ensembles of actors who received a regular salary. Plays and operas were performed on a repertory basis, providing everyone in the ensemble with a variety of roles.

All towns and even many villages had their own ‘Houses of Culture’, owned by the local communities and open for all to use. These were places that offered performance venues, workshop space and facilities for celebratory gatherings, discos, drama groups etc. There was a lively culture of local music and folk-song groups, as well as classical musical performance.

Very different to the situation in West Germany, was the widespread establishment in the GDR of workers’ cultural groups - from literary circles, artists groups to ceramic and photography workshops. These were actively encouraged and financially supported by the state, local authorities or the workplace. Discussions of books and literature, often together with authors, were a regular occurrence, even in the remotest of villages.

The ‘Kulturbund’ (Cultural Association) was a national organisation of over one million members that organised a wide range of cultural events around the country, from concerts, lectures on a wide variety of subjects, to art appreciation classes.

To begin with it was set up in set up in 1945 as a movement to bring together interested intellectuals and artists, on the basis of an anti-fascist and humanist outlook, with the aim of promoting a ‘national re-birth’ and ‘of regaining the trust and respect of the world’. From 1949 onwards many smaller cultural groups joined the national Cultural Association. Soon, ‘commissions’ and ‘working groups’ for specific areas were established: educational, musical, architectural and craft groups, followed by photographic, press, philatelic, fine arts groups and others. The Association also had its own monthly journal and weekly newspaper.

The art form ‘Socialist Realism’ has always been decried and ridiculed in the West, caricatured in the constantly circulated images of monumental statues of muscle-bound male workers and buxom, peasant women in heroic poses. However, such a view ignores those many realist artists who were not necessarily ‘court-appointed’ or monumentalists but who chose a realist mode of expression freely.

We now know that the CIA was, at the height of the Cold War, instrumental in promoting abstract art in the West as a counterweight to ‘communist’ realism. The CIA was able to capitalise on the fact that abstract art was frowned upon by party leaderships throughout the communist-led world where realist art was seen as better able to represent socialist values. This led to an often artificial polarisation between realist and abstract art, the former characterised in the West as old fashioned and conservative, the latter as progressive and representing individual freedom. Not surprisingly, it meant a marginalisation of realist art in the West and a dominance of the abstract. The fact that much of the so-called ‘socialist realist’ art to which those in the West had access was state-commissioned and often second rate should not lead us to ignore the fact that there were excellent realist artists working in the Eastern bloc.

Many artists in the communist countries simply preferred to place human beings and social reality at the centre of their art, as did most muralists and many painters in the West. It should not condescendingly be dismissed out of hand. Many continued the strong realist tradition, taking it forward into new realms. It also connected with ordinary people who saw themselves, their lives and their questions and criticisms taken up by artists. While some conformed and became state-sponsored artists, churning out often mediocre art, many others ploughed their own furrow and their work aroused avid interest among the people. This could be seen not only in painting and sculpture but graphics, the theatre, music, literature and, though less so, also in the cinema.

A number of artists did reject the unnecessary ideological fetters as well as banal socialist realist platitudes, and in exhibitions of their work often shocked the party functionaries. Such artists often promoted a progressive and expressively advanced form of critical realism and an aesthetics of their own making. The national contemporary art exhibitions, which took place every five years in Dresden, drew huge numbers of visitors from all over the country and provoked heated discussions. The country could also boast a number of artists, writers and scientists of international renown: the physicist, Manfred von Ardenne, the social scientist, Jurgen Kuczynski; visual artists like Fritz Kuhn, John Heartfield, Willi Sitte, Werner Tiibke and Wolfgang Mattheuer; writers like Christa Wolf, Stefan Hermlin, Stefan Heym,

Christoph Hein, Erik Neutsch and Erwin Strittmatter were all much admired beyond the GDR’s borders.

In the theatre, Bertolt Brecht was, of course, the most famous. His influence on theatre practice was extensive in the GDR but also worldwide. The country, certainly in the early years, could also count on the expertise of actors and directors from the pre-Nazi period: Wolfgang Langhof, Wolf Kaiser, Wolfgang Heinz, Fritz Bennewitz and the brilliant Austrian opera director, Walther Felsenstein - people would come from all over the world to see his exciting productions at the Komische Oper in East Berlin. Among those who matured post-war, Heiner Muller was widely recognised as one of Germany’s most innovative and radical playwrights. There were rock and pop bands like Silly and the Puhdys and jazz groups who were certainly not ‘mouthpieces’ of state-sanctioned culture. There was also a whole range of individual classical musicians of world class, like the conductor Kurt Masur, tenor Peter Schreier and baritone Olaf Bar, the chanteuse Gisela May as well as outstanding orchestras.

The GDR provided facilities and funding for artistic and creative theory and practice. There were lay art circles in most communities and these received state support to carry out their work. Many writers, musicians and visual artists enjoyed a quite privileged existence if they belonged to the officially recognised artists’ or writers’ associations. They would be offered regular well-paid commissions by state and local authorities which provided them, as creative artists, with an income to live on.

A number of leading writers were seen in many ways as ‘people’s tribunes’, articulating grievances, criticisms and ideas that people felt had no proper airing in the public sphere. People engaged actively with these writers and vice versa. Public readings by, and discussions with, authors were a regular feature of GDR life.

Another myth constantly perpetuated is that because the GDR restricted the import of and access to literature from the West, its citizens were entirely cut off from it. A range of works from many contemporary writers from the West were published in the GDR; in fact more British authors were published there than authors from both Germanies combined were published in Britain. GDR readers could find books by British writers like Graham Greene and Alan Sillitoe to US writers like Saul Bellow, Norman Mailer and Ernest Hemingway. By 1981, the GDR was publishing 6,000 books a year, almost 17 per cent of which were translations from around 40 foreign languages. There was a wide selection of international literature available and a number of foreign films were shown in cinemas. David Childs, in his book on East Germany, exposes the myth that the GDR populace was totally ignorant and ill-informed about life in the West; most of them, after all were also able to tune in daily to West German radio and television.

Stasi State or Socialist Paradise?: The German Democratic Republic and What Became of It, by John Green and Bruni De La Motte (2015)

The GDR's relationship to art censorship wasn't as black and white as allowing and disallowing. Certain types of art were discouraged, but they also let regular exhibitions happen which contained "shocking" art, shocking for the party members. They were justifiably weary of any art coming from the west because they knew the CIA used it as a weapon, but "more British authors were published there than authors from both Germanies combined were published in Britain". The social conditioners of art also show themselves in socialist states. Just like liberal art in capitalist countries doesn't really need to be actively encouraged to exist, some artists in the GDR "simply preferred to place human beings and social reality at the centre of their art". It's a complex question which, like I said, almost entirely depends on the historical moment.

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Movie Musical Divas Tournament: FINALE

It all comes down to this. The final round of our Movie Musical Divas tournament includes singer-songwriter, philanthropist, country music queen Dolly Parton, and actress, author, movie musical legend Dame Julie Andrews.

Primarily known for her music career, Dolly Parton nevertheless starred in a select few movie musicals, most notably the fine upstanding brothel owner Miss Mona in the film adaptation of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. Conversely, Julie Andrews began her illustrious film career with her Oscar-winning performance as Mary Poppins, the titular character in the film adaptation of P.L. Travers's popular book, and continued starring in well-known musicals like The Sound of Music, Thoroughly Modern Millie, and Victor/Victoria throughout her career.

After weeks of impassioned voting, it's time to crown the Queen of Movie Musicals once and for all. And once again, reminder: this is a movie musical-specific tournament. Thank you.

Julie Andrews (1935- ): Mary Poppins in Mary Poppins (1964) | Maria in The Sound of Music (1965) | Victoria Grant in Victor/Victoria (1982) | Millie Dillmount in Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967) Additional musical/singing roles include: Cinderella (1957), Star! (1968), Darling Lili (1970),

"The QUEEN of the movie musical. Started in so many long lasting favorites. Dressed in drag in Victor/Victoria, thanked the casting director of My Fair Lady in her Oscar Acceptance speech for snubbing her for the role so that she could win an Oscar instead. The voice of so many people’s childhoods and genuinely such an amazing person. Look up the story about her Tony nomination!" - @kingscatt

Dolly Parton (1946- ): The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982) Miss Mona | The Best Little Special in Texas (1982) | Rhinestone (1984) Jake Farris Additional musical/singing roles include: n/a

"Just look at her." - anonymous

This is Round 7 (finals) of the Movie Musical Divas tournament. Add your propaganda and support by reblogging this post.

ALL NEW PROPAGANDA AND MEDIA UNDER CUT

Julie Andrews:

Dolly Parton:

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Jane Birkin (1946-2023), British and French actress and singer, in 1968.