Carla Blank

Powwow, Charting the Fault Lines in the American Experience--Short Fiction from Then to Now
"Reed and Blank have selected 63 stories spanning more than 200 years of American life, the great majority of which are concerned with contemporary issues and ideas. The authors featured--including John A. Williams, Grace Paley, Paule Marshall, John O. Killens, Zora Neale Hurston, James T. Farrell, Robert Coover, Paul Lawrence Dunbar, and Ntozake Shange--use many different styles, voices, and settings in their works. The writings of Ty Pak, Bharati Mukherjee, Russell Charles Leong, Wanda Colemen, E. Donald Two-Rivers, and Jimmy Santiago Baca are especially noteworthy. The nature of 'passing,' acceptance, and becoming an individual are constant themes in the various cultures described. The selections are arranged alphabetically, and biographical information is provided. . . .this is highly recommended." Gene Shaw in "Library Journal"

Benjamin "Frankin may be the most unlikely contributor to this collection, but his presence is entirely appropriate, a metaphor for the entire book. 'Pow Wow' is big, diverse, messy, all over the place--just like American literature itself." David L. Ulin in the "Los Angeles Times"


"With help from writers such as Benjamin Franklin, Grace Paley and Wanda Coleman, novelist/poet/essayist Reed puts together a captivating, multifarious look at the American experience through its short fiction (a 'cousin' to his lauded poetry anthology, 'From Totems to Hip-Hop'). From the ins and outs of a young Latino's strugle in an Anglo-dominated Catholic school (Nash Candelaria's 'The Day the Cisco Kid Shot John Wayne') to Haight Street during the Summer of Love ('Wormwood' by Conyus), Reed's selections will draw readers into American cities, suburbs, prairies and mountains with vivid, precise, at times documentary description and bold, personal questions of American identity and purpose. At the same time, the overwhelming role of love,loss, and growth can render them almost allegorical; a perfect example is Wajahat Ali's 'Ramadan Blues,' in which a young boy is first introduced to the traditional holiday fast. The boy's fear and self-deprecation over his meager battle with hunger balance the personal detail and honesty of the autobiographical with the sweep of America's religious legacy. A 'gathering of voices from the different American tribes,' this high varied collection doesn't neglect imporant works from the likes of Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, George S. Schuyler, Gertrude Stein and Mark Twain." Publishers Weekly, 3/30/2009

Rediscovering America: The Making of Multicultural America, 1900-2000
NY: Three Rivers Press, 2003
Reclaiming the true history of modern America

REDISCOVERING AMERICA revises what we commonly call history by highlighting and integrating the amazing cultural, political, and artistic contributions of women, African-and-Native Americans, immigrants, radicals, and others normally cast to the margins of history books.

Based on a popular course taught by Carla Blank at U.C. Berkeley, and sponsored by the prestigious Before Columbus Foundation, this multidisciplinary timeline features sidebars, quotes, mini-essays, and more than 100 photos that shed light on fascinating chapters in our nation’s history.

From "Library Journal" (9/15/2003):
"The Before Columbus Foundation, whose 50-plus members include Marie Anderson, Herbert Kohl, and Ishmael Reed, was founded 20 years ago to promote multicultural literature. Here it joins with the writer, artist, and Berkeley professor Blank, on whose course this book is based, to give evidence that American history, life, and culture have always been multicultural. Having published both a poetry and a fiction anthology, the foundation wanted to issue a factual account that addressed 'the need to give evenhanded recognition to the many differences in American experiences and viewpoints from year to year across time.' The text thus showcases Americans of color, women, immigrants, and others who shaped our country's history but have often been marginalized. Organized into chapters by decade, the various data are then arranged year by year in six major categories: arts and literature, politics and government, science and technology, business and industry, culture, and world events (focusing on only those events with significant impact upon the United States). Innovation is the main criterion for selecting entries. Was this a 'first'? Did it mark a significnt change in direction for the country? The contributors' essays are insightful views of the multicultural dynamics of each decade. Also included are at least 100 photogrpahs, a selected bibliography, and, most important, an index that makes the book an effective, valuable historical reference work. A worthwhile acquisition for academic, public, and high school libraries." Charles L. Lumpkins, Pennsylvania State Univ., State College

KOOL, Dancing In My Mind
KOOL, a multi-media performance portrait of legendary Japanese choreographer and dancer Suzushi Hanayagi, premiered at NYC's Guggenheim Museum, Works & Process Series, April 17 & 18, 2009, was further developed at East Hampton's Guild Hall,in August, 2009, and in 2010 enjoyed its international debut at Berlin's Akademie der Künste and a showing at the Baryshnikov Arts Center. A review on the Huffington Post described the August performance as "sublime." Carla Blank has served as dramaturge and choreographer in this collaboration with director Robert Wilson and filmmaker Richard Rutkowski. KOOL combines live dance with archival and newly filmed material. The work reflects Suzushi Hanayagi's current state of dementia and serves as a poetic monument to a working friendship. In 2010, "SUZUSHI HANAYAGI: A Moving Life," a short film by Richard Rutkowski including KOOL research and performance materials, premiered on French television and had U.S. showings on Sundance Channel. In January 2012, "The Space in Back of You," a 65 minute film by Richard Rutkowski will premiere at Lincoln Center's annual film festival, Dance on Camera. It collages many interviews with artists who collaborated with Ms. Hanayagi, including Carla Blank, with archival photographs, videos, and clips from the Guggenehim rehearsals and performance.

Live On Stage!Dale Seymour Publications, a Pearson education imprint, 1997, 2000.
Ecumenical in its approach, "Live on Stage!" mixes performing arts traditions from around the world, making cross disciplinary connections and generally expanding concepts of theater training to include traditional and experimental techniques.

Based on over thirty years of experiences teaching and directing young artists in public and private schools and after school programs, "Live On Stage! fulfills the guidelines of the National Standards for Arts Education. Statewide adoptions for middle-school use, by North Carolina, Tennessee, Mississippi and Idaho have occurred to date.