J. Hoberman's new book, *Everything Is Now: The 1960s New York Avant-Garde—Primal Happenings, Underground Movies, Radical Pop*, offers a sweeping cultural history of the downtown New York scene in the 1960s. The book centers on figures like Jonas Mekas, Andy Warhol, Yoko Ono, and Jack Smith, weaving together experimental films, happenings, music, and the chaotic energy of the era. Hoberman, a longtime critic and curator, draws on his personal connections to the scene, including his mentorship under Mekas, and will present a selection of shorts from the book at Anthology Film Archives in June.
The book matters because it reframes the 1960s avant-garde as a vital, interconnected moment that continues to influence contemporary art and culture. By highlighting the proximity and cross-pollination among artists, filmmakers, and musicians in Manhattan, Hoberman underscores how this dense creative ecosystem generated alternative visions for the future. The review also reflects on the resonance of the title's "Everything Is Now" with the present moment, suggesting that the era's experimental spirit and radical ideas remain relevant today.