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John Updike- Novelist Whose Second Love Was Painting- Dies at 76

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Alex Katz Portrait of John Updike Oil on canvas, 1982 Time cover, October 18, 1982 National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution Gift of Time magazine John Updike has died at the age of 76. Updike's richly imagined novels chronicle the loves and losses of a post-Depression generation growing up during and away from the horrors of World War II into the uncertainty and the promise of the late 20th Century. Updike's second love was painting. Hillel Italie writes for AP that after graduating from Harvard, John Updike accepted "a one-year fellowship to study painting at the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Arts at Oxford University. During his stay in England, a literary idol, E.B. White, offered him a position at The New Yorker, where he served briefly as foreign books reviewer. Many of Updike's reviews and short stories were published in The New Yorker, often edited by White's stepson, Roger Angell." Updike did not pursue the visual arts as a profession but...

An August Dream

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Gregg Chadwick An August Dream 18"x36" oil on linen 2009 (in process) I am working on a new painting in my ongoing body of work which deals with the hopes and dreams of 21st century American society as viewed through our post World War II history. I was a young boy when Martin Luther King Jr, was killed in April 1968 and so I missed the power and beauty of his oratory and the hope embodied in his presence. In this new painting, inspired by photos of MLK at the Lincoln Memorial in August 1963 while giving his "I Have A Dream" speech, I continue my series of portraits of figures of great honor. In this group of paintings, the power of memory is evoked to provide clues to the future.

Arcade Fire at the Obama Staff Ball -1/20/09

Arcade Fire plays an appropriate cover song at the Obama Staff Ball on January 20, 2009. Note to the videographer - try not to sing along on the chorus next time. Though I have been guilty of this myself on more than one occasion. "Born in the USA" indeed. Arcade Fire also played their song I ntervention , originally from Neon Bible , at the Obama Staff Ball

Barack Obama's Inaugural Address (Full Text & Video)

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News , World News , and News about the Economy Barack Obama's inaugural address in full: My fellow citizens: I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and co-operation he has shown throughout this transition. Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because we, the people, have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbears, and true to our founding documents. So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans. Serious challenges That we are in the midst of crisis i...

John Williams' "Air and Simple Gifts" for Obama

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News , World News , and News about the Economy Video of the performance of John Williams' latest work, Air and Simple Gifts , from the Inaugural Ceremony of President Barack Obama. Yo-Yo Ma on cello, Itzhak Perlman on violin, Gabriela Montero on piano, and Anthony McGill on clarinet. More at: Yo Yo Ma's Website

"Good Morning Mr. President" - January 20, 2009

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"Good Morning Mr. President" - January 20, 2009 Gregg Chadwick 12"x12" oil on linen 2008 May Freedom Ring!

Dr King's Prediction

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BBC World News America has unearthed a fascinating clip of Dr Martin Luther King speaking to the BBC's Bob McKenzie in 1964 in which Dr King predicts an African-American president "in less than 40 years." Video at: Martin Luther King Jr. Predicts a Black US President