From KCRW Santa Monica and KCRW.com, it's The Treatment.

Welcome to The Treatment. I'm Elvis Mitchell. I haven't been sitting across from a man who's

clearly, although he might not think of himself as being this,

but an incredible cultural historian whose book on Zidico was actually one of my favorite books on American musical history

and won the Deems Taylor Award, the Asked Dean Taylor Award.

His new book on another kind of cultural history is crazy, George Harriman, A Life in Black and White is Michael

Tissarman. Thanks so much for being here. That's fantastic to be here. Thank you, Elvis.

And what's so much fun about the book, I should say, is the story of George Harriman, who,

if you know Crazy Cat, I mean, the sphere of influence from Charles Schultz to, well, to

waiting for Godot to Picasso.

Although I guess it's actually not been any proof that Picasso has really influenced by my

right.

I tracked down that Picasso's story and could only find definitively the Picasso loved the

cast and jammer kids.

Is that true?

That's it.

Okay.

But you have to think that Picasso turned the page and enjoyed Crazy Cat as well, but I couldn't find the proof of that.

But the great thing about the book is, and I knew a little bit about this before I read the book, is that George Herman passed for White.

He would have to be French or Greek or very artfully elated having to explain himself to people.

And the book starts off with an incredible social history of both his life and the history of people of color in New Orleans.

Yeah, I knew going in because his birth certificate was located in the early 1970s, that he was of mixed race.

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