Human Creativity
We are are a curated forum for artists, writers, poets, musicians, photographers, short filmmakers and others. The only rule is NO AI.
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A Portrait of Abdus Salam
Photograph by James Warden. Copyright 1989 by the Chicago Maroon. Provided at no cost for educational purposes. (View Full Image) Abdus Salam was a Nobel Prize laureate physicist who had a special interest in what physicists call the Grand Unified Theory.
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dovecote – yi lin video remix
A short film copyright 2026 by The Odd Willow. Original imagery by Yi Lin. Music by Avocet. Visit The Odd Willow’s YouTube channel.
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A Portrait of Larry Kramer
Photograph copyright 1992 by James Warden. (View Full Image) Larry Kramer was an author, playwright, and strong voice for medical science and social awareness. Larry Kramer was featured in The New Yorker in connection with the play Kramer/Fauci, conceived and directed by Daniel Fish at St. Ann’s Warehouse in Brooklyn. The play is a one…
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William Jason Raynovich – An Appreciation
William Jason Raynovich epitomizes the best in contemporary experimental music as an active composer, performer and educator in Chicago. His work embraces indeterminate and semi-indeterminate music. He currently works with interactive notational systems that would be impossible in a previous generation. The Critic would argue the ability of William Jason Raynovich to construct new instruments…
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mizzle – pigeon remix
A short film copyright 2026 by The Odd Willow. Music by Avocet. Visit The Odd Willow’s YouTube channel.
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Suicide Commandos – The Band – An Appreciation
Featured image copyright Michael Markos. To be perfectly frank, The Critic does not remember the Suicide Commandos from back in the day even though they are storied progenitors of the Minnesota punk rock scene. Steve Almaas recently passed and through a confluence of circumstance, The Critic was suddenly made aware of this inspirational band. Who…
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DragKing – The Band – An Appreciation
Featured image copyright James Warden. DragKing were pioneers in jazz/noise/punk/nowave/chicago/wicker park/90s music. There were many other, less remembered, bands active from 1990-2001. The Critic always found the band name “DragKing” mysterious. Is it the semi-opposite of “Drag Queen” with a gender reverse? The band line up does not obviously fit this interpretation. Is it social…
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Looking for Mr. Riff Raff Man
scribble scribble scribe bribe taunt flaunt jaunt want man can boom bam looking for Mr. Riff Raff Man wall fall have a ball lie die stick in eye sit shit wack it smack it looking for Mr. Riff Raff Man peer dear fear near law claw my papa hit miss hiss bliss don’t you want to be like this looking for Mr. Riff Raff Man
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DKDTDJ – Thomas
The South Loop in late 90’s Chicago was not entirely gentrified. Many high-rise buildings were still under construction. The mayor lived around the corner in a modest home and heavy police presence. DKDTDJ made modern music using electronics and a subtractive approach to composition aided by non-deterministic computation. From the chaos of any algorithmically generated…
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Experimental Film Pioneer Playlist – Part 2
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By popular demand, (and by popular, I mean one person and The Critic knows who you are), here is a follow up to the original Experimental Film Pioneer Playlist. Some of these films are better known than the films on the original playlist, but only in a relative sense. Let’s just dive in: Savlador Dali…
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Chicago Hip Hop – The Legends Continue
Everyone knows Hip Hop was born in New York. But is the best of the best from New York? Chicago and Los Angeles and Atlanta and many other cities have challengers to the throne. In Chicago today, the legends continue, enjoy this sampler. earthsignchels – Daddy Died Heartbreak. Young Roddo – No Bad Grades The…
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The Kids Will Be Alright – New Music You Should Hear Today
It is a cliche every generation looks back at earlier generations and thinks WTF about their music. Part of it is romanticism and selective memories as most pop songs was certainly terrible when you were young. Here is a small sample of cool songs the new kids on the block are doing right here and…
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Legend of a Nobel Prize Winner’s Computer Caught Smoking in the Office
As a wee lad fresh out of university in America, my first job in IT included supporting vintage (then cutting edge) early 1990’s computers for Very Important Professors (VIPs) at a graduate school for my esteemed alma mater. Some, but not all, of these VIPs would go on to win Nobel Prizes. However, to be…
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Experimental Film Pioneer Playlist
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Before the digital revolution, creating artistic short films was a different process. Time intensive, laborious and requiring a high level of technical skill in both physical and chemical processes. Maybe today it is similarly difficult, just not the same process? Certainly, distribution was harder without current digital technology. Digital tools have their own challenges so…
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Seven Pound Fury – Everything – True Lust Bonus Track!
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Because we love our fans! Music and lyrics copyright 20210 by Seven Pound fury. Everything Provided at no cost for educational purposes.
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Seven Pound Fury – True Lust
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Music and lyrics copyright 2010 by Seven Pound Fury. Hijacked True Lust Thirsty Flesh Wet Dirty (All the Time) Strange Daze Enough We Don’t Talk to Each Other Anymore Provided at no charge for educational purposes.
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The Legend of Seven Pound Fury
Seven Pound Fury was dirty in Chicago. There were pretenders to the throne of dirty but no others had the same dirtiness. The band name came from the drummer who owned a dog grooming business to pay bills. Apparently, there was a little white dog that would take on any dog and was Seven Pounds…
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Sidewalk Treasures and Urban Romantics
There was an etiquette book not surprisingly relegated to the free box outside a book store that was magic. Authored by the Fenwick that was Millicent. The block of discovery was in the wilds of Chicago’s South Side known for much magic. Cool guys in ponchos and cute girls on bicycles. Above the bookstore was…
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Tonka – Live at the Gallery
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Words and Lyrics copyright 1995 by Nina Marks. Music copyright 1995 by Tonka. summer no strings/squeak/yr slodi good bye Provided at no charge for educational purposes.
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Static
noise in my ears noise in my head tuning in static like screams of dread sad sounds fill the air brings thoughts of things unfair tragic road traveled, so turn around slippery slope tears the skin as you slide feel your heart beat, it reminds you see your skin wrinkle, it reminds you smell your…
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Tonka – pop.
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Words and Lyrics copyright 1995 by Nina Marks. Music copyright 1995 by Tonka except Temperance copyright 1995 by Lavon Washington. The Boy Loved the Devil Temperance Discursion/Wilma and Me Freely Evol Lived Provided at no charge for educational purposes.
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The Door
Part I: The Discovery On one afternoon when Mr. Herrington was not at home, Dameon went into his father’s den in search of whatever might interest him. He did not believe his father would be truly upset with him for merely poking around the study. Mr. Herrington was a good father and mild-tempered, too. The…
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The Legend of Tonka
Tonka didn’t try to be ignored. It just sort of happened. In the mid 90’s, in the Wicker Park neighborhood, in Chicago, Illinois, the streets smelled of damp concrete, unbridled ambition. and a hint of urine. North Avenue was a border, Ashland Avenue was the challenge and the neighborhood signage warned “No Prostitution”. Tonka rehearsed in…
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Drowsy
Drowsy… I wake in pieces. My body returns before my mind consents. The drone of the plane inside, remembered already. I turn my head and see you. Not a surprise. Recognition. Not a beginning. No origin. Trace the source. Have we have always been seated together in this narrow row? Suspended. Moving. I am a…
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signs. – An Abridgement – Act V
the beginning (The curtain opens to the new MESSIAH nee ARMADILLO, nee ONE, positioned or more properly strewn in the end position of act three, still unmoved and unmoving. The JANITOR enters whistling, dragging a mop and bucket to dispose of the big brown mess made by the previous act tragic bus accident. Exactly 60…
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signs. – An Abridgement – Act IV
visions of stew (Please put on your 3-D glasses now.) Water, water, everywhere, Nor any drop to drink. as and and end the overture fades through memory as when the ambience is heard the curtain already opened and opening the latest MESSIAH has as expect aspect adopted and is brussel a sprout positioned so shore say strewn sprawled bus strewn…
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signs. – An Abridgement – Act III
love (The “city” is still in place, looking about as happy as a city can look with OUTRAGEOUS FORTUNE lurking in the shadows. ARM sits in a folding chare situated in the exact spiritual center of the stage. Exactly sixty seconds after the curtain is opened, ARM rises momentously.) ARM: How do I love thee?…
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signs. – An Abridgement – Act II
signstwo – An Error (The curtain rises. ARMADILLO nee ONE is sleeping next to a building in the “city” now sitting looking bored. The city looks about as happy as a city an look with OUTRAGEOUS FORTUNE lurking in the shadows. The #1 DIER sits in a folding chare situated in the exact spiritual center…
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signs. – An Abridgement – Act I
prologue There is an essential question which every mortal paradigm must face. Ill-considered the question is subject to ridicule by cruel cruel fate. The desire to act will follow regardless. Greatness almost seems to be a function of publicity. Only the postulation of a divine element could negate these shortcomings. And one must never forget…
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The Legend of signs. – Nihilator Rising
Once upon a time, there was a post-post-post-modern play produced on the south side of Chicago in 1989. Exactly how it got produced remains unclear to this day. All credit goes to the legend that was Nihilator. There was much talent for acting, technical excellence, and then there were the authors who tried their best.…
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The Legend of Nihilator
Photograph by James Warden. Copyright 1990 by The Chicago Maroon. It is difficult to remember the greatness that was Nihilator. The namesake dominant harness racing horse has their own page on Wikipedia. Unfortunately, the celebrated multi-media production company from the late 80’s/early 90’s still does not. Let us hope some brave soul (or agent) uses this legend…
