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August 31, 2004
Cinema Sewer #15 out now: Revenge, farting and female ejaculation! Robin Bougie publishes his comic book-sized, handwritten, fully illustrated trash film zine CINEMA SEWER like clockwork twice a year. Issue #15 includes my 5 page interview with Bo Arne Vibenius, about his legendary cult flicks THRILLER - A CRUEL PICTURE and BREAKING POINT. "Thriller" is out on dvd from Synapse Sept. 28th. Other features are:
•The complete history of Rollerderby cinema, including the amazing KANSAS CITY BOMBER and UNHOLY ROLLERS! Are you paying attention Raquel Welch and Claudia Jennings fans? I'm talking to YOOOOU!
•Sick and twisted Comic books that we'd love to see as movies!
•Gigantor wades through another mound of disgusting category 3 Hong Kong crap!
•The history of underground video -- featuring Pastor Gas: The farting Robert Tilton!
•Shawn Johns vividly recounts scary memories of the Westdale 4, Phoenix's greatest grindhouse!
•The Bougieman tries to review the documentary HELLHOUSE but goes on a weird abusive rant about conservative radio host Doctor Laura instead!
•A profile and lesson from director and king of making girls ejaculate: Axel Braun!
•ZOW! A tribute to classic porn starlet SEKA!
•An exclusive interview with trash talking classic porn star turned prostitute; LEE CAROLL!
 •Fat, sticky, full-length reviews of SWEET SUGAR, THE WILD EYE (by Paolo Cavara of "Mondo Cane" fame), BEAUTIFUL TARGET, THE LOVE GOD?, THE ECSTASY GIRLS, THE INCREDIBLE MELTING MAN, and many more!
•An all new 2 page comic by former Fantagraphics and Aeon Press cartoonist Colin Upton!
•Tim Golub looks at sexy insane 80's teen movies! AGAIN!
•An exclusive interview/tandem essay with Kevin Sallows concerning extreme porn and the classic antiporn doco NOT A LOVE STORY! (This film actually played in cinemas in Norway in the early 80's and I remember enjoying it a lot. As with Robin and Kevin, this didn't mean I agreed with the film's message...)
All this wrapped around all new sizzling front and back color cover art by Danny (Legal Action Comics) Hellman, and Rebecca (RabbitHead) Dart! You caaaaaaan't miss!!
I'm importing copies of Cinema Sewer #15 to sell. Ask for prices and postage rates to your area. I also have issues 13 and 14 in stock.
18:16
August 25, 2004
50 Facts That Should Change the World"50 Facts That Should Change the World" by journalist Jessica Williams offers a series of snapshots of life in the 21st century. From the inequalities and absurdities of the so-called developed world to the vast scale of suffering wreaked by war, famine and AIDS in developing countries, 50 Facts That Should Change the World paints a picture of incredible contrasts. These are the facts YOU need to know!
* Black men born in the US today stand a one in three chance of going to jail.
* Americans discard 2.5 million plastic bottles every hour. That's enough bottles to reach all the way to the moon every three weeks.
* There are 27 million slaves in the world today.
* Every week, an average of 88 children are expelled from American schools for bringing a gun to class.
* American spends $10 billion on pornography every year -- the same amount it spends on foreign aid.
* There are 67,000 people employed in the lobbying industry in Washington DC -- 125 for each elected member of Congress.
* More people can identify the golden arches of McDonald's than the Christian cross.
* Every day, one in five of the world's population -- some 800 million people -- go hungry.
* Cars kill two people every minute.
These facts, and others spotlighted in 50 Facts That Should Change The World, offer a glimpse at a broad range of global issues. Each fact is followed by a short essay explaining the real story behind the fact, fleshing out the bigger problem lurking behind the numbers. Real-life stories, anecdotes and case studies help to humanize the figures and make clear the human impact of the bare statistics.
All of the facts remind us that whether we like to think of it or not, the world is interconnected and that civilization is a fragile concept. 50 Facts That Should Change The World will make us think about some of the hard facts about our civilization and what we can do about them. Jessica Williams provides an unashamedly popular but serious, original and angry survey of life on planet Earth--and a powerful antidote to the idea that individuals can do nothing to change it.
"A fearless and compelling work. You need to know what's in this book." -- Monica Ali, author Brick Lane
"Lucidly written, excellently researched…the world won't look so rosy when you've put it down." -- The Ecologist Magazine
Jessica Williams is a journalist and television producer. Born in New Zealand, she now lives in London and currently works as a producer on the BBC's flagship international interview program, HardTalk with Tim Sebastian, where she has researched and produced interviews with such disparate figures as the political philosopher Noam Chomsky, President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, Sir David Attenborough, Northern Ireland First Minister David Trimble, and the American academic Edward Said.
50 Facts That Should Change the World // 352 pages, 0-9729529-6-9, $14.95, paperback original // The Disinformation Company // Publication date: September 2004.
18:33
August 17, 2004
The Bush JuntaNews from Adam Gorightly: Coming in September from Fantagraphics:
Twenty-five international cartoonists have researched, written, drawn and laid bare the truth on George W. Bush, his family's dynasty, their sordid business connections and various wars, and the Bush regime itself--in 24 humorous, witty, acerbic, and factual chapters.
A primer to Bushian corruption and malfeasance, The Bush Junta includes chapters on Gulf wars I and II, the S&L scandal, the 2000 presidential coup, the Bush record on the environment and civil liberties, September 11, the Guantanamo camp, and profiles of such sinister figures as Donald Rumsfeld, Condoleezza Rice, John Ashcroft, and Karl Rove. Plus a series of bumper-sticker sized flyers that you can reproduce and surreptitiously attach to the backs of stalwarts attending GOP rallies.
Edited by Mack White and Gary Groth // Introduction by Alex Jones // Foreword by Uri Dowbenko // Afterword by Adam Gorightly
Contributing Cartoonists: Alejandro Alvarez, Steve Brodner, Jaime Crespo, Lloyd Dangle, Jem Eaton, Scott Gilbert, Albo Helm, Jasun Huerta, Ted Jouflas, Peter Kuper, Mark Landman, Scott Marshall, David Paleo, Ethan Persoff, Ted Rall, Larry Rodman, Spain Rodriguez, Marcel Ruijters, Kenneth Smith, Ralph Steadman, Carol Swain, Seth Tobocman, Penny Van Horn, Mack White, Aleksander Zograf.
www.mackwhite.com/BushJunta.html
16:09
August 15, 2004
NON: Best of Ambient(!)From Mute Records: Boyd Rice / NON 'Terra Incognita: Ambient Works, 1975-Present' album (Mute) CD - CDSTUMM219 Released 23/8/04
'Terra Incognita: Ambient Works, 1975-Present' is a retrospective compilation containing a selection of strangely serene minimalist and ambient works culled from Boyd's miscellaneous and mischievous output from 1975 to the present. For Mr. Rice, whose real and alleged offences read like a litany of the woes of the 20th century, an album of new agey "mood music" seems oddly way out of whack with the notorious image he has cultivated. But time and again, Boyd has defied and redefined expectations, confounding even the legions of misanthropes that adore him.
Taking its starting point in 1975 with material recorded under Rice's name (the remainder of the album is recorded under Non), the most shocking aspect of Terra Incognita is how deliciously listenable and enchanting it is.
Whether the chiming harmonies of 'Solitude' (from 1999's Receive the Flame) the sumptuous desolation of 'Arka' and unearthly ululations of 'The Fountain of Fortune' (off 2002's Children Of The Black Sun), or the lush romanticism of 'Cruenta Voluptas' (1987's Blood & Flame), the un-easy listening aspect of Boyd Rice's music, which tends to be overlooked in the range of his works, is herein quite palatably and comprehensively presented.
Exclusive Mute Bank Special Offers: Available to order one week ahead of release at just 8.00 GBP until 23rd August 2004. In addition back catalogue CD's are avaliable at only 5.00 GBP during this period.
Blood & Flame / Easy Listening For Iron Youth (The Best Of Non) / In The Shadow Of The Sword / Might! / God And Beast / Receive The Flame / Children Of The Black Sun (CD/DVD package) / Easy Listening For The Hard Of Hearing (Boyd Rice & Frank Tovey)
Also, on NER, there's an upcoming collaborative Death In June + Boyd Rice album titled "Alarm Agents". www.livejournal.com/community/hatesville.
NON at Mute // NON at HWEB. // www.boydrice.com // www.thevesselofgod.com // www.unpopart.org // www.hatesville.com (incl. a recent radiointerview with Doug & Boyd.)
13:36
August 13, 2004
Kerry Thornley, JFK & DiscordianismHere's a review of Adam Gorightly's book "The Prankster and the Conspiracy" from www.angelfire.com/falcon/horatiosbookclub/gorightly.htm. For more info, go to www.paraview.com/gorightly/index.htm.
Reviewed by Horatio
For months now, I've been waiting for just the right book to inspire me to bring Horatio's Book Club back from its decadent slumber: Something impressive. Something obscure. Something relevant both to my own philosophical musings and those of my favorite dubious secret organizations. Above all, I've been waiting for the book that was cool enough to convince me to sit the fuck down long enough to write a coherent review. Then recently I noticed an announcement on a Discordian message board regarding a new Kerry Thornley biography that had just been published. Thornley died in 1998, and, due in large part to his connection to the assassination of John F. Kennedy, he's been a likelier candidate for post-mortem bios than, say, Greg Hill or Camden Benares. I soon ordered the book, and was delighted to find that Adam Gorightly is an offbeat, chipper sort, immensely friendly to Discordianism and lucky enough to make it work.
The aforementioned Kennedy assassination accusation seems ill-fit for a devotee of the Goddess of Groovy Chaos, and as such, became the bane of Thornley's existence, eventually driving him to paranoia and madness. So the story goes, Thornley met Lee Harvey Oswald while enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps, and was privy to Oswald's rants on defection and Communism. After Oswald left for the Soviet Union, Thornley fell in with a pack of shady types in New Orleans who often joked about killing President Kennedy ? all fun and games, until someone actually did it and Thornley found himself pursued as a prime suspect by Jim Garrison's investigation.
Kerry Thornley, for those who don't already know, was also Lord Omar Khayyam Ravenhurst, cofounder of Discordianism (with Malaclypse the Younger) as well as Ho Chi Zen (during his "Zenarchy" phase), the Bull Goose of Limbo, and Rev. Jesse Sump (the name he used while working with the Church of the SubGenius). More on why I don't list more pseudonyms in a moment. He inspired ? and conspired ? with a multitude of people prominent throughout the counterculture movements of the '60s and '70s. The biography is divided roughly into halves: half Kennedy assassination conspiracy accusations and madness, and half early history of the greatest moments of the contercultural movement. Lord Omar's descent into madness and Malaclypse's descent into depression and alcoholism are provided with enlightening firsthand accounts.
Now, due in part to Discordianism's (and the rest of the counterculture's) penchant for playing hoaxes and using bizarre pseudonyms, there has been a great deal of wonder and debate amongst current Erisian scholars of the present as to just who the hell everyone was back then. I would never want to suggest that any document be so bold as to hold claim to absolute truth, but Gorightly's book goes a very long way towards clearing matters up. In the early stages of his work, he was mysteriously contacted by the Rev. Hypocrates Magoun (Bob Newport) and was soon granted access to his vast archives, as well as the archives of Lady L., F.A.B. (Louise Lacy) ? both of them early Discordian conspirators.
All this data makes it clear that Kerry Thornley, Greg Hill, Robert Anton Wilson, Camden Benares, Bob Shea, and Lee Harvey Oswald were indeed all separate individuals. If you're giving the screen a blank stare at this point, it probably means that you're not as obsessed with Discordianism as I am. Nobody's perfect. Rare insights into such sidebars as Operation Mindfuck and the John Dillinger Died For You Society are an added bonus. What's really impressive is that Gorightly really seems to get it. He patiently explains how the Erisian Movement began, how its humorousness is a built-in safeguard against anyone involved ever getting trapped into taking themselves too seriously, how silly pranks can lead to enlightenment, and how Discordianism's decentralized non-structure was a pure application of Advanced Game Theory, specifically, the principle that the only strategy an opponent cannot adapt to is a random strategy. As the heirs of Discord begin their work on the psyches of the subculture (present Beaks included) it's good to take a look back at where it all began.
Meanwhile, The Prankster and the Conspiracy is just a damned entertaining biography. Gorightly's prose is clever, fast and clear, and Thornley lived an interesting life by any standard. I've said before that if anyone was going to be able to write a good biography of Discordianism, it would have to be a Discordian. Thank Eris it didn't have to be me. You can address Adam Gorightly as The Wrong Reverend Houdini Kundalini, of the Church of the Unwavering Indifference, and he'll hail Goddess all you want.
Things are looking up.
(Details on Gorightly's first book "The Shadow over Santa Susana", on The Manson Family, at www.mansonmythos.com.)
16:33
August 12, 2004
Be prepared for National Preparedness MonthTom Tomorrow reports:
Using the threat of terrorism to scare voters: all of September will be "National Preparedness Month"
I haven't seen any news stories about it, but I just got tipped by a guy who works in Washington, and this GSA page confirms: September is about to become "National Preparedness Month."
Heck, this Red Cross page flatly states that Tom Ridge will make the official announcement on September 9th.
Whoa.
(Why September 9th? That's awfully late, if it's supposed to be the entire month. My guess, thinking like Karl Rove: this year's 9/11 anniversary falls on a Saturday, so an announcement on the date or even Friday would only get a burst of free media on a weekend. But by timing it for the 6 pm news on Thursday, it'll reach the Friday papers, and thus be fully-injected into all of the emotion-laden anniversary coverage, plus the Sunday morning talk shows.)
The idea, obviously, is to throw a large amount of focus, possibly for weeks on end, on the only issue on which Bush outpolls Kerry. And of course this will come on the heels of the GOP convention. So where the Democrats' post-convention media got blitzed with terror warnings based on years-old intelligence, the Republicans' afterglow might well be favorably extended, implied message being:
"Why, with George Bush and enough shovels, we'll all be just fine."
Let's see... searching further... can't find anything about it on the Dept. of Homeland Security site. (No surprise; you want to maximize media impact, not piss it away with a bunch of pre-announcements. Hint to readers: letters to the editor, now, won't diminish any actual security value, but they will defuse the propaganda effect.)
Other September Surprises: a whole "educate the family" campaign, with kits available at various retailers; an in-school "Ready Deputy" duck-and-cover training program; and a website called Readykids.gov (not yet online), all launched in the first week.
Brilliance. Tie the concept of Bush's only winning issue to family and children. Unspoken, deniable implication: "vote for Bush if you want your kids to live." Nice.
Read more at www.thismodernworld.com
JR comments: I bet Bush & Co. will drag binLaden outta some rat-infested hole in october, a cheap shot to win the election. I hope people will see thru it. I just read the "50 Reasons Not To Vote For Bush" book put out by Feral House , just one of 75 anti-Bush books published this year, and probably the quickest read if you want a summary of his boundless corruption and misguided, ill-informed armchair ideology.
Granted, no US president will ever NOT be in the pockets of big biz and finance, but this is ridiculous. Bush jr. is about as corrupt as the african emperor Bokassa who took all of Ethiopias wealth and melted it into a gold throne for himself.
And what's up about the 50 000 or 60 000 voters that are still kept from voting in Florida, in spite of Greg Palast documenting that they were never in prison?
13:51
August 11, 2004
Hans Bellmer / Sangre CavallumThis just in from Dominion/M. Moynihan:
Now available and in stock, the second book from Dominion Press:
"Little Anatomy of the Physical Unconscious, or The Anatomy of the Image" by Hans Bellmer. Translated and introduced by Jon Graham; Foreword by Joe Coleman. 88 pages with 10 illustrations by Bellmer.
Deluxe hardbound edition printed on heavy vellum paper with sewn signatures, textured endpapers, gold-stamped textured cover with cloth spine, and two-color dustjacket. Limited numbered edition of 1,000 copies.
From the dustjacket:
"With his Little Anatomy, Hans Bellmer has given us the instruction manual for the first seismograph of desire." -- Annie LeBrun, author of "Sade: A Sudden Abyss"
The drawings, paintings, photographs, and sculptures of Hans Bellmer (1902-1975) stand as some of the most important erotic artwork from the last century. An expert draftsman with a razor-sharp capacity for detail and an obsessive, unfettered imagination, Bellmer was able to powerfully render the imagery he saw in his mind's eye.
Bellmer first gained recognition in the mid-1930s -- coming to the attention of André Breton and the Surrealists -- with his seductive and disturbing photographs of the articulated female dolls he had constructed and modified in his private studio in Berlin. Some of these photographs were collected in Bellmer's small volume Die Puppe (The Doll, 1934), which was reissued in French as La Poupée (1936) and expanded with poetic contributions from Paul Eluard. Bellmer formed long-term friendships with a number of key Dadaists and Surrealists, and occasionally took part in Surrealist exhibitions, but the nature of his intensely personal activity, as well as his long sojourns outside of Paris, often kept him on the peripheries of group activities.
In the 1950s Hans Bellmer composed a small book in which he elucidated upon the psychosexual forces that provided the impetus for his artistic works. He described the project as "a kind of little anatomy of the (physical) unconscious with text and drawings. But it will also be a rather 'dry' work, by which I mean something tending to be exceedingly objective and avoiding, in the interests of clarity, whims of a verbal nature. It is the natural sequel to the experiments with the Doll, but should therefore encompass everything that Surrealism has brought to light. But there is also a certain necessity in setting down this story, a
necessity that is even quite enthralling.
In 1957 the original French edition appeared of Bellmer's "Little Anatomy of the Physical Unconscious, or The Anatomy of the Image," with ten original illustrations by the artist. The book met with a positive reception from poets and literary figures such as André Breton and Jöe Bousquet, as well as a number of psychologists. Particularly impressed by the selection of poetic anagrams in the book, Man Ray telegrammed Bellmer the following anagram in response: "IMAGE = MAGIE" (Image = Magic). Although Bellmer may have striven to take an almost clinical "scientific" approach to his analysis of the physical unconscious, the work is nevertheless informed by a hyperdriven sensual awareness and a distinctly "magical" view of life.
This is the first translation of Bellmer's text to appear in English. After nearly half a century, a new audience of readers can experience his illumination of the "purely subjective" subconscious realm of our bodies which "finds nourishment in feverish, often psycho-pathological states, including that of sexual desire."
Ordering information:
Bellmer's "Little Anatomy" is available for $26 postpaid in the U.S.A., or $34 airmail postpaid to anywhere else in the world. Checks, money orders, cash (well-hidden and at your own risk) may be sent to:
Dominion, PO Box 129, Waterbury Center, VT 05677, USA
Payments via Paypal may also be made to our email address: dominion@pshift.com
At present the Bellmer book is only available direct from Dominion. There will also be a very small limited edition of leatherbound copies available in early 2005.
SANGRE CAVALLUM
Recent acclaim for SANGRE CAVALLUM's "BARBARA CARMINA" CD from Germany and Australia. Below are three reviews of this new release on the Storm Records label:
In the heated discussion concerning Neofolk music over the last few years it has often been stressed that this music is reactionary and ethnocentric, or at least unoriginal. And that is doubtlessly valid for some of the exponents of the genre. Recently, however, a hitherto largely overlooked aspect has taken shape: neofolkloristic Music does not always have to embrace nordic-martial heathenism, nor does it have to cultivate a quasi-Christian air of apocalypse. In fact there is meanwhile a whole range of southern and eastern European bands who in a wholly unique way concern themselves with their cultural roots and traditions. The CD Barbara Carmina now presents the multifaceted folk music of a Portuguese band who, utilizing texts in their mother tongue, embrace the pre-Christian past of their land. Resounding along with this are sometimes filigreed or sometimes sweeping guitar chords, medieval wind instruments, flutes, male and female voices, and the shrieks of children. Occasionally an atmospheric sample fades into the acoustically dominated sound imagery. A southern temperament stirs melancholy and tragedy, and the touching clarity of this CD will not elude even those for whom the texts are inaccessible. Neofolk is becoming more and more "folkloristic," and more and more deeply reflects upon the historical roots of the music. In this respect, this sonically and graphically outstanding CD is recommend to all devotees of the acoustic musical realm. -- Ikonen magazine, Germany
When this CD reached me and I listened to it, it became immediately clear that this release is and will become something special. The project is from northern Portugal and sets to music old, traditional music from a territory which will once more be called Gallaecia.
The musicians strive to retain the music and oral/literary traditions of this area, as various customs and traditions were not able to be destroyed by the invasion of Christianity. Now comes the question: how is that transposed into music? Using many instruments (bagpipes, Iberian flute, tin whistle, mandolin, lyre, acoustic guitar, accordion, but also electric bass and electronic effects, etc.) a impressive, dense sound is created that carries us to ancient times, but which also is directly aware of the future. The sound does not remain stuck in folk music, but instead integrates new, raw methods of a grandiose type as well.
Toss new folkloristic, traditional, and avant-garde sounds together into a pot, and this is the result. As is evident, describing this is difficult for me, but I hope the most varied sorts of people will take the opportunity to listen to it, since in every respect (graphics, photos, atmosphere) this release corresponds to all that can be termed "conservative avant-garde". -- Lichttaufe.com, Germany
Released on Michael Moynihan's (of Blood Axis) label, Sangre Cavallum are a dark folk collective from Portugal who have produced an album of their own compositions and versions of traditional songs. Being "inspired by the ethnological heritage of the traditional world", a range of instrumentation has been utilised, including: bagpipes, flute, mandolin, lute, acoustic guitars, drums, piano, accordion etc. With the album's theme steeped in pre-Christian heathenism and pagan mysticism, such inspiration permeates all aspects of the music. Although some music of this ilk can come across as quite cheesy, there is a level of sincerity that has allowed Sangre Cavallum to steer clear of this pitfall. The rustic and somewhat under-produced recording quality adds to the overall charm, constituting a worthwhile listen if you have a penchant for traditionally inspired dark folk music. -- Fiend magazine, issue 4, Australia
Sangre Cavallum's "Barbara Carmina" CD is available for $16 postpaid in the USA from: TESCO DISTRIBUTION USA,PO BOX 523, EASTON, PA 18044-0523, USA
Or order online in the "new arrivals" section at: www.tesco-distro.com/store/new.html
In Europe order from: Tesco c/o Klaus Hilger, P.O.Box 410118, 68275 Mannheim, Germany. www.tesco-germany.com // email: Tesco-Organisation@t-online.de
16:21
August 10, 2004
The passing of Gretchen WordenI just got the sad news today from James Taylor (of the book series Shocked & Amazed) that the director of the Mütter Museum in Philadelphia, Gretchen Worden, just died. Two years ago, I went by the museum and interviewed her. She set aside a big chunk of time in her office, was very nice and forthcoming with information about the museum and herself, and at the end she let me into the museum for free. I'm very saddened by the death of her. Below are words from others who knew her better than me. Incidentally my interview is just being published this fall in Headpress out of Manchester, in their 26th issue.
This announcement, this bit of sad news, will be brief; frankly, it’s news I never thought I’d be delivering: Gretchen Worden – director of the “best museum in the world,” long-time fan and invaluable friend to the sideshow business, and great friend to me and many, many others – passed away on Monday. Much of the standard obit type stuff you can read below, generously supplied by artist James Mundie. For my part – the guy whom Gretchen once called “her best girlfriend” (a joke I understood for the huge compliment it was) – I’ll just tell a quick story. In one of our many, many discussions over way too many drinks, we drifted into religion. She was a Swedenborgian and I’m an atheist, so, of course, the discussion ended up about where one would expect. When I told her, of course, that in spite of her belief in things outside this life, I was going into the ground when my day was done, and that that would be it, she looked at me and cut that huge grin of hers. “Well,” she said, “you won’t really have anything to say about that.” So, deary, if you were right, I suppose I’ll see you around; regardless, I’ll see you everywhere, every day, on this planet you changed so much for the better.
James Taylor
From James Mundie:
Gretchen Worden, who devoted her entire professional career to revitalizing the Mütter Museum of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia (www.collphyphil.org/muttpg1.shtml), died August 2nd after a brief illness. Ms. Worden relied on an encyclopedic knowledge of medical history, a tart sense of humor and a compelling television presence to forge an international reputation as a museum educator and spokeswoman for the Mütter. Her recent book about the museum became a best seller. She was a frequent guest on "The Late Show With David Letterman" and appeared in numerous science documentaries produced by the BBC. Ms. Worden, who was 57, continued to work until a few days before her death.
Ms. Worden, the daughter of a Standard Oil geologist, was born in Shanghai, China in 1947. She graduated from Temple University with a degree in Anthropology in 1970. She joined the staff of the College's Mütter Museum as a curatorial assistant in 1975. Ms. Worden became the museum's curator in 1982 and its director in 1988. As the leader of the museum, she presided over a facility with unique historical and pathological collections that was little known to the public. Knowing that its long-term future depended on the museum's acquiring a higher public profile, Ms. Worden worked tirelessly to promote it. Her efforts included numerous appearances on television and radio, offering lectures about the museum from Philadelphia to Paris and launching a popular series of museum calendars. When Ms. Worden became curator in 1982, the museum attracted several hundred visitors each year. At the time of her death, museum visitation had grown to more than 60,000 tourists annually. Ms. Worden's ultimate goal was to have the Mütter Museum accredited by the American Association of Museums.
Commenting on Ms. Worden's contributions to the College of Physicians, College President Arthur Asbury, M.D. noted that "The College of Physicians is deeply saddened by the loss of Gretchen Worden. She embodied the Mutter Museum both locally and nationally for three decades. She is irreplaceable." Recalling his own experience working with Ms. Worden, the College's Chief Executive Officer Mark S. Hochberg, M.D. said "Gretchen was an incandescent personality. She represented a unique combination of curatorial brilliance, superb communication skills and irresistible charm. The College of Physicians family has lost a treasured colleague and friend."
Gretchen Worden was known for her wide-ranging intellectual interests. She was a past president of the Medical Museums Association, Museum Council of Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley and the Walt Whitman Association. She was a long serving member of the Board of the Friends of Independence National Historical Park.
A Memorial Service to celebrate Gretchen's life will be held at the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, 19 South 22nd Street, Philadelphia, on Sunday, September 12, 2004, at 2:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution to the Mutter Museum in Gretchen Worden's memory.
Check out Blast Books for a pic of Gretchen and info on the huge, heavily illustrated Mütter Museum book.
21:32
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