Laurie Anderson + Editors: The Art of the Straight Line by Lou Reed

Strand Book Storewas born in 1927 on Fourth Avenue on what was then called “Book Row,” an area that covered six city blocks and housed forty-eight bookstores. Our founder Benjamin Bass was all of twenty-five years old when he began his modest used bookstore and sought to create a place where books would be loved, and book lovers could congregate. Ninety years and a move over to Broadway, the Strand is still run by the Bass Family and is home to four floors of over 2.5 million used, new, and rare books, a wide array of bookish gifts, and fun literary events held almost every night of the week. From the dollar carts outside to the Rare Book Room on the third floor, and cheeky graffiti-ing throughout the store courtesy of Steve “EPSO” Powers, the iconic store now stands testament a place for book lovers to explore.

Strand Bookstore

Join us for an in-person event with multi-award-winning artist Laurie Anderson, for a launch of the new book The Art of the Straight Line.

Strand Book Store

Join us for an in-person panel event with multi-award-winning artist, director and writer Laurie Anderson, for a launch of the new book The Art of the Straight Line: My Tai Chi by Lou Reed. Joining Laurie in a panel discussion are fellow editors of The Art of the Straight Line: martial arts instructor, performer, and researcher Stephan Berwick; artist Bob Currie; and Producer Scott Richman. This discussion will also feature special guests A.M. Homes - a Guggenheim Fellow - and Master Ren Guangyi, one of the foremost practitioners of traditional Tai Chi Chuan. This event will be hosted in the Strand Book Store&#x27;s 3rd floor Rare Book Room at 828 Broadway on 12th Street. Can’t make the event? <a href="https://www.strandbooks.com/product/9780063093539?title=the_art_of_the_straight_line_my_tai_chi" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Purchase a signed copy of The Art of the Straight Line here. </a> STRAND IN-PERSON EVENT COVID-19 POLICY:Masks and vaccination checks are not required for entry.Attendees are welcome to wear a mask if they choose. If you do not have a mask and would like one, The Strand will provide masks at the door.Please note this is subject to change any time before or during the event per the author’s request. --------------------------------------------------------------------The Art of the Straight Line captures the energy of Lou Reed’s worlds of Tai Chi, music, and meditation. It was edited by his wife, the artist Laurie Anderson, with Stephan Berwick, Bob Currie, and Scott Richman.Lou Reed was a musician, singer, songwriter, poet, and founding member of the legendary rock band the Velvet Underground. He collaborated with many artists, from Andy Warhol and John Cale to Robert Wilson and Metallica. Reed had a groundbreaking solo career that spanned five decades until his death in 2013.Reed was also an accomplished martial artist whose practice began in the 1980s. He studied with Chen Tai Chi pioneer Master Ren GuangYi. This book is a comprehensive collection of Reed’s writings on Tai Chi. It includes conversations with Reed’s fellow musicians, artists, friends, and Tai Chi practitioners, including Julian Schnabel, A. M. Homes, Hal Willner, Mingyur Rinpoche, Eddie Stern, Tony Visconti, and Iggy Pop.The Art of the Straight Line features Reed’s unpublished writings on the technique, practice, and purpose of martial arts, as well as essays, observations, and riffs on meditation and life.

Laurie Anderson is a highly acclaimed musician, visual artist, composer, poet, filmmaker, and vocalist. She lives in New York City.Photo credit: Julian Schnabel+Ebru Yildiz

Stephan Berwick is a martial arts instructor, performer, and researcher, specializing in Chen Tai Chi and Chinese swordsmanship. As an original student of Master Ren, Berwick conducted primary research at Tai Chi’s birthplace in Henan, China over two decades ago. From that research, Berwick published the first English language profiles of the emerging Chen village masters, and other works on traditional martial arts. Before devoting himself to Chen Tai Chi, Stephan was one of the two first Americans - with Asia’s top action star, Donnie Yen - to train in Xian, China under its national martial arts champion, Zhao Changjun and his coach, Bai Wenxiang. With Yen, Berwick went on to perform in Hong Kong action films under the tutelage of the director, Yuen Woping, as one of the few Western martial artists to star in Chinese action films. Years later, he met and befriended Lou Reed in 2003 at a national martial arts event with Master Ren.Photo credit: Stephan Berwick

Bob Currie is an artist living and working in the U.S. and Iceland.Photo credit: Bob Currie

Scott Richman worked closely with Lou Reed during the last 11 years of his life on various music, touring and tai chi related projects. Scott has worked in the music, entertainment and sports industries for the past 35 years. He has also served as a Producer for several award winning documentaries for HBO. He is currently a General Manager for Townsquare Media in Missoula Montana, where he lives with his wife, three sons and five pets. Photo credit: Lou Reed

A.M. Homes is the author of 13 books, most recently the novel, The Unfolding, and the Women&#x27;s Prize Winning novel, May We Be Forgiven, and the memoir, The Mistress&#x27;s Daughter.Photo credit: Marie Sanford

Master Ren Guangyi is a Tai Chi champion in China and the U.S., who represents the most ancient line of Tai Chi that goes back nearly 500 years. With his friend and long-time student, Lou Reed, Master Ren was the first to exhibit Tai Chi in venues that never before exhibited the art. He performed and led large sessions at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, the Sydney Opera House, and the winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, as well as venues across Europe and Japan. He appeared with Lou on Britain’s Top of the Pops, the Jools Holland Show, and the Late Night Show with David Letterman. His creation of the “21 Form” was Lou’s favorite routine and was featured in Darren Aronofsky’s ‘The Fountain’, performed in the film by Hugh Jackman. Master Ren was inducted into the Inside Kung Fu Hall of Fame, as Tai Chi Instructor of the Year. His dedication to spreading Tai Chi in the West was profiled on a national China television documentary seen by millions.  He has recently embarked on a project to broaden the understanding of how Tai Chi can benefit people at all levels of health and fitness through his web project Chiforce.com.

Laurie Anderson + Editors: The Art of the Straight Line by Lou Reed

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Laurie Anderson + Editors: The Art of the Straight Line by Lou Reed

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