News from Nowhere brings together William Morris’s socialism, medievalism and philosophy of art. Through a dream journey into a transformed England, the novel asks how work, beauty, freedom and community might coexist after capitalism.
William Morris is often remembered for floral wallpapers, richly decorated books and the Arts and Crafts movement. However, he was also a poet, conservationist and revolutionary socialist who wanted to transform far more than Victorian interior decoration.
News from Nowhere unites these different parts of his life. The novel imagines an England without private property, wage labour, money, central government or industrial mass production. Its inhabitants organise their lives through cooperation and find pleasure in useful, creative work.
The result is neither a conventional novel nor a detailed political programme. Morris called it “some chapters from a utopian romance”. That subtitle matters. The book combines political argument, dream vision, pastoral journey and medieval romance.
A literary utopia describes an imaginary society organised differently from the author’s world and presented as better in significant ways. It does not merely depict perfection. Instead, it tests ideas about power, property, work, freedom and happiness.
The word utopia now describes almost any ideal place, project or future. We speak of technological utopias, ecological utopias and even utopian business plans. However, the term began as the name of an imaginary island in a book published by Thomas More in 1516.
Since then, utopia has become a literary genre, a method of political criticism and a way of imagining alternatives to the present.
A utopian text does not need to offer a flawless world. In fact, its most interesting features often emerge from tension, contradiction and uncertainty. The apparently ideal society may conceal coercion. Meanwhile, customs that initially seem absurd may expose injustices that readers normally accept.
« August And Everything After — Live At Town Hall » from Counting Crows.
Counting Crows’ debut album « August And Everything After » was released in late 1993 and went on to sell over 7 million copies in America. In the UK it charted at No.16 and has sold over 400,000 copies. On 18 September 2007, the band performed the complete album live at Town Hall in New York City.
The lineup for this stellar evening captured on « August And Everything After — Live From Town Hall » was: Jim Bogios (drums, vocals, percussion); David Bryson (electric & acoustic guitars, vocals); Adam Duritz (vocals); Charles Gillingham (piano, Hammond B-3 organ, accordion, harmonica, vocals); David Immergluck (electric & acoustic guitars, mandolin, pedal steel, vocals), Millard Powers (bass, vocals, piano); Dan Vickrey (electric & acoustic guitars, banjo, vocals). This live performance of their complete debut album proves what truly great performing artists they are.
Step out the front door like a ghost Into the fog where no one notices The contrast of white on white. And in between the moon and you The angels get a better view Of the crumbling difference between wrong and right. I walk in the air between the rain Through myself and back again Where? Maria says she’s dying Through the door I hear her crying Why?
Round here we always stand up straight Round here something radiates
Maria came from Nashville with a suitcase in her hand She said she’d like to meet a boy who looks like Elvis And she walks along the edge of where the ocean meets the land Just like she’s walking on a wire In the circus She parks her car outside of my house And Takes her clothes off Says she’s close to understanding Jesus She knows she’s more than just a little misunderstood She has trouble acting normal Well I have trouble acting normal
But Round here we’re carving out our names Round here we all look the same Round here we talk just like lions But we sacrifice just like lambs Round here Look she’s she’s slipping through my hands
Sleeping children better run like the wind Out out out out Out of the lightning dream Mama’s little baby better get herself in Out of the lightning
She says « it’s only in my head » She says « Shhhhh I know, I know it’s only in my head » But the girl on the car in the parking lot Says « Man you should try to take a shot Can’t you see my walls are crumbling? » Then she looks up at the building Says « I’m thinking of jumping » She says « I’m sick and tired of life » Everybody’s tired of something
Round here she’s always on my mind Round here hey man I got a lot of time Round here we’re never sent to bed early And nobody makes us wait Round here we stay up very, very, very, very late I can’t see nothing… nothing round here
Would you catch if I was falling Would you kiss me if I was leaving Would you hold me cause I’m lonely, without you I said I’m under the gun around here I’m lonely, lonely, lonely without you And I can’t see nothing Nothing round here
