Ep.53 Black 47, Paradise Square, and Green Suede Shoes: A Conversation with Larry Kirwan

Larry Kirwan, the creative force behind Black 47, the Irish American political rock band, which for 25 years brought its energetic, joyous hybrid of rock and roll and Irish traditional music to the world, joins co-hosts Desire Wandan and Dan Friedman for an expansive conversation about his life, his creative evolution and the politic that informs them both.  In addition to leading Black 47, Kirwan is the author of 21 plays, 3 novels and a memoir.  One of his musicals, Paradise Square, was nominated for 10 Tony Awards during its Broadway run.  Kirwan is also a columnist for the Irish Echo, host of the “Celtic Crush” show on SiriusXM Radio, the President of Irish American Writers and Artists, and the winner of the 2022 Eugene O’Neill Lifetime Achievement Award.  Don’t miss the chance to hear from this great storyteller and one of the most prolific artivists in the U.S.A. www.black47.com Facebook Larry Kirwan For Books:  Amazon Author's Page Larry Kirwan https://www.amazon.com/stores/Larry-Kirwan/author/B001K8NX96?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true ----more---- Welcome to All Power to the Developing, a podcast of the East Side Institute. The Institute is a center for social change efforts that reinitiate human and community development. We support, connect, and partner with committed and creative activists, scholars, artists, helpers, and healers all over the world. In 2003, Institute co-founders Lois Holzman and the late Fred Newman had a paper published with the title “All Power to the Developing.” This phrase captures how vital it is for all people—no matter their age, circumstance, status, race, ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation—to grow, develop and transform emotionally, socially and intellectually if we are to have a shot at creating something positive out of the intense crises we’re all experiencing. We hope that this podcast series will show you that, far more than a slogan, “all power to the developing” is a loving activity, a pulsing heart in an all too cruel world. ----more---- The East Side Institute is a hub for a diverse and emergent community of social activists, thought leaders, and practitioners who are reigniting our human abilities to imagine, create and perform beyond ourselves—to develop.  Each episode will introduce you to another performance activist or play revolutionary from around the world.   To learn more about the East Side Institute you can go to https://eastsideinstitute.org/   Made possible in part by Growing Social Therapeutics: The Baylah Wolfe Fund. ----more----