Page 30 - AT

A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Wednesday 4 december 2019
Paul Simon and Peter Singer

discuss 'The Life You Can Save.'

By HILLEL ITALIE such as Nelson Mandela great works that have been
AP National Writer and the Dalai Lama. He achieved. And I'm glad
NEW YORK (AP) — Paul Si- and Singer are both world that they're preserved,"
mon, world famous singer- citizens who might share Singer answers. "I also think
songwriter, isn't only in- stories about the Amazon that in a world has so such
spired by fellow musicians. forest or East Timor, or Sing- present human need, that
Simon is an admirer of the er's native Australia, where that should be the prior-
author-philosopher Peter he saw Simon perform de- ity. ... When the Met buys
This Nov. 8, 2019 photo shows singer-songwriter, Paul Simon, left, Singer, the longtime Princ- cades earlier. a painting, it's not as if that
and author-philosopher Peter Singer during an interview in New eton University professor They met in 2005, when painting would have been
York to promote the new edition of Singer's book “The Life You whose "The Life You Can Singer was among the hon- left out to rot had they not
Can Save." Save" has been a guide for orees at a Time magazine bought it."
Associated Press Simon and others looking gala for the world's "100 Simon stopped touring in
for ways to donate money. most influential people." 2018 and laments — with-
Singer has completed a "I went up to Peter," Simon out naming names — that
new edition of the book, recalls. "I was familiar with some of his wealthy con-
which comes out this week, Peter, with his work, and temporaries continue to
and Simon is helping with I introduced myself and make substantial amounts
the promotion. He read a then we said, 'Let's get to- of money from concerts
chapter for the audio edi- gether.'" instead of using it to help
tion and sat with Singer "You and (Simon's wife) others.
recently for an Associated Edie (Brickell) came to din- He still performs live, but
Press interview. "I'm very ner," Singer adds. "Then we donates profits to a vari-
comfortable with Peter's met when you were in Aus- ety of causes, whether for
way of thinking," Simon ex- tralia." treating fistula, a condition
plains. Simon and Singer have a afflicting millions of African
In "The Life You Can Save," warm, sometimes teasing women that Simon learned
first published in 2009, Sing- rapport ("I can't say it was about through Singer, or for
er is both high-minded and a real page turner," Simon the environment, which he
pragmatic. He considers says jokingly about "The considers the most urgent
the obligations we have Life You Can Save"), strong problem.
to each other and how to enough that they can dif- Simon had been giving,
expand our compassion for fer over what Simon calls and raising, money well
those we know to people Singer's "hierarchal priori- before he knew of Singer.
we've never met. ties." Singer believes that, In the early 1970s, he was
In the book and on www. with so many urgent prob- among the performers at
thelifeyoucansave.org, he lems in the world, grand a concert for Democratic
lists specific organizations, cultural projects such as art presidential candidate
from Oxfam to Village En- galleries and opera houses George McGovern. He
terprise, that have been in- should hold far lower stand- sang on the all-star "We
dependently audited and ing for would-be donors. Are the World" recording
recommended. He also "Once we had a long walk from 1985 and a few years
probes the morality of giv- along the beach in Mel- later helped found the Chil-
ing, how much is expected bourne," Simon explains, dren's Health Fund.
of each of us, and address- "and I said, 'So if we went But he is also wary of events
es criticism on whether phi- down the list of what you that fail to help the intend-
lanthropy is simply a way for would say is the most im- ed people. Simon found
the rich to improve their im- portant places to make that compassion wasn't
ages and maintain power. your contribution, in that enough; he had to investi-
"If you ask me, 'Should there way of thinking you would gate first hand where the
be an economic system in say that a donation to the money went. He remem-
which nobody becomes Metropolitan Museum of bers being in Biloxi, Missis-
a billionaire,' I would say Art would really be at the sippi, in 2005, after Hurri-
yes," Singer says. "But if you bottom of the list." cane Katrina. He was there
say, 'In the world as it is, is "Close to it, anyway," Singer with a mobile medical unit,
it immoral for people to be says. looking for community
a billionaire,' I would have "I said, 'I disagree with that,'" leaders who could help
to say no, because I know Simon recalls. "I think that connect them with people
people who are giving while we have an obliga- in need of help.
away — like Warren Buffett tion to raise the lowest up "You really have to know
— most (of their money). I to a point where they are what and to whom you're
think that's perfectly rea- being treated humanely, giving this money," he says.
sonable." we also have an obliga- "All these years I had been
Simon, 78, and Singer, 73, tion to honor the creativity doing these benefit con-
spoke at Simon's midtown of what humans do at the certs with all my friends and
Manhattan office suite, in highest level. That's also an musicians. We'd come.
a room that showcases Si- expression of humanity." We'd play. We pack up our
mon's successes and pas- "It's not that I don't value, guitars. We leave. And no-
sions, including shots of Si- of course, the creativity of body ever says, 'Where'd
mon with historical figures humanity, and some of the that money go?'"q