Creative Life

Bob Ostertag--composer, performer, historian, instrument builder, journalist, and activist--is a professor of technocultural studies and music at the University of California at Davis and the author of People's Movements, People's Press: The Journalism of Social Justice Movements.

"The most lucid philosophical work on music, culture and politics since Steve Reich's Writings on Music."--The Wire "A humble yet powerful reminder of the importance of being true to your ethics and clear about your motivations."--Fundamentally Sound"This unusual memoir, which takes the reader on an amazing odyssey that begins with Ostertag's life as a musician in 1978 New York and ends 30 years later in San Francisco with his writing a book to explain the creative life. . . . Recommended."--Choice

• ACKNOWLEDGMENTS   xiINTRODUCTION   1Art and Politics after September 11   2Early Years   151. CENTRAL AMERICA   25El Salvador, 1988: Absolute Diabolical Terror   25Sooner or Later   38Nicaragua 1990: Power Outage   40Creative Politics   542. THE BALKANS   69The Balkans 2000: Tour Journal   69Program Notes for Yugoslavia Suite   1013. QUEERS   105Desert Boy on a Stick   105All the Rage, Spiral, and PantyChrist   115Why I work with Drag Queens   1304. MUSIC AND MACHINES   134Between Science and Garbage   134Living Cinema Manifesto   147Human Bodies, Computer Music   149Why Computer Music Is So Awful   159CONCLUSION   163The Professional Suicide of a Recording Musician   163NOTES   173BIOGRAPHY   177SOURCES   187CREDITS   190INDEX   191