Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/732294
'K eef' defi es the role of the wastrel-minstrel that the media thrust upon him for over fi ve decades, even as he gleefully affi rms all the bad-boy behavior with surprising intelligence and perspective. One would expect nothing less from rock's true Prince of Darkness, as the famous skull ring and occasional busted tooth persist—unabashed, unrepaired. A consistent theme emerges early regarding what Keith casually phrases as "across the tracks" phenomena, in which he and the boys, cast as misfi ts, outsiders, or renegades, transform that image to causes celebre. Incidents include his early success as a choirboy harshly aborted as his sweet youthful voice succumbed to the ravages of adolescence; fascination with the raw elegance of the Blues, the art of the downtrodden, elevated to unheralded pop-heights and interracial artistry; re-framing a "dirty" image rather than accepting second fi ddle to the squeaky-clean Beatles; voicing the rage of an anti-war American generation with what critics came to call Anarchy Rock; expatriation and banishment from nation after nation, usually for tax problems or drug busts, leading to new and deeper forays into ethnic musical infl uence; lubricating the emergent popularity of reggae and world conquest of the mystical, egalitarian and very high credo of the Rastafari—the list goes on and on. Freeing our minds and bodies from stale social conventions, raising the bar, with music, like "a jailbreak from the meticulous (musical staff) bars, (where) notes are crammed in, like prisoners," he offers a testimonial to the creative process, as one of the most prolifi c songwriters of the last half century. Old habits die hard, and tours and antics continue more slowly the last 25 years or so, as Keith quietly and peacefully cooks, reads and makes music in his Connecticut Camelot. A steady family man, husband, father and grandfather, true "survivor of fame and fortune," he lives the Life, and "believe it or not, (hasn't) forgotten any of it." (Back Bay Books; Little, Brown & CO) — By Mac Graham LIFE BOOKS art & soul I nez Milholland ~ Forward into Light's protagonist held the vi- sion of an equal pacifi st world, her fi ght for the vote for all American women, and her illuminated ideas about justice for women. Her disruption of the male-dominated Democratic par- ty for the benefi t of a mass of invisible women, and her defi ance of the president of the United States for his silent acceptance of women's condition is an exhilarating and powerful reminder of our own present state as a divided America at war against women. The fi lm is an inspiring call to action. Inez Milholland is a free thinker, a passionate member of the National Woman's Party (NWP), and a labor lawyer. She stands as a modern emblem of women's fi ght to have the same rights as men. Exactly 100 years after Inez's last speech in L.A., where she shouted: "Mr. President, how long must women wait for lib- erty?" women in America are still shouting for equality: "How long must women wait for the Equal Rights Amendment to be ratifi ed?" This fi lm, which traces the life of an indefatigable fi ghter for women's rights, couldn't be more timely. Milholland's trailblaz- ing feminist battle is a model for us all, especially in this year's election when we're still fi ght- ing for women to occupy their rightful place in this country. This year the U.S. is on the verge of electing its fi rst woman president and making the dream of Inez and thousands and thousands of other suffragists worth their suffering and their sacrifi ces. Exhausted and ill, Inez Milholland collapsed onto the fl oor of Blanchard Hall in Los Angeles, after screaming that question to the president. She died 30 days later. She paid for her beliefs with her life. The echo of her words resonates throughout the fi lm. Thank you to the writer, producer, director of the fi lm Mar- tha Wheelock and to producer Zoe Nicholson for introducing us to Inez. (Wild West Women, Inc.) To obtain a free DVD of Inez Milholland ~Forward into Light visit http://inezmilholland.org/order/ —Ivana Massetti Women Occupy Hollywood Founder Directed by Martha Wheelock Inez Milholland Forward into Light FILM By Keith Richards 34 wholelifetimes.com