Sasha Frere-Jones

During his residency, Sasha Frere-Jones will continue writing for The New Yorker, conduct research for several book-length projects, and develop BATAN, a nomadic music and art collective.

On November 12, he will present an intimate evening with the performance company Sister Sylvester. They will present The Fall: A Performative Screening, a work-in-progress based on, but not limited to, Peter Whitehead’s 1969 cult film, The Fall, which documents the social and political turmoil of Vietnam-era USA. The piece uses live performance and audio recordings of those involved in — and affected by — the film. This interpretation of The Fall explores the power of art to change society, the ways in which radical politics are transformed through memory, documentation, and the exigencies of history.

Sasha Frere-Jones joined The New Yorker as a staff writer and pop-music critic in 2004. Prior to that, he was the music critic for Slate. Since 1995, he has written for the Village Voice, Spin, The New York Times, the New York Post, The Wire, and Pretty Decorating. His work has been anthologized in the Da Capo “Best Music Writing” series six times. In 1991, Mr. Frere-Jones formed the band Ui, which toured America and Europe and released five albums.