I dig things that are cool.
UPDATE on 2.4.13: The link to the Rag Radio podcast has been fixed:
Click <strong><a href=”http://theragblog.blogspot.com/2013/02/rag-radio-thorne-dreyer-austin-noir_7.html” title=”Jesse Sublett on Rag Radio”>here</a></strong> to hear it.
RAG RADIO GOES NOIR: At 2 PM Friday, Feb. 1, 2013, a strange vermillion-tinged dark shadow enveloped Austin just east of I-35, a roiling cloak of noir and blues which I unpacked out of my guitar case and a couple of olive green army field bags inherited from my father-in-law, each of which was packed with wire cutters, brass and glass tubes, strings, notes, pens, etc. — no, not the tools of an assassin or saboteur, but a blues singer and crime fiction writer. I was there at the odd corner strip center studio of KOOP-FM radio to meet Thorne Dreyer, long-time Austin radical dude, for an hour of interview, music and live reading (with music) of samples from my latest work. Thorne read three parts (including a bad cop and two girls) in the story STARS IN HER HAIR, and I played three songs, including Death Letter, Levee Camp Moan and Stones in the Coffin. A persistent ear infection has reduced my hearing by about 50 %, so, even with headphones cranked, my singing ain’t what it ought to be, but if you’d like to hear the whole interview, click this link.
SXSW 2013 UPDATE: Our E-Book MeetUp, hosted by NETTIE REYNOLDS and myself, will be Tuesday, March 12, 1:30-2:30 at Proof Annex. The event is open to SXSW Interactive and Platinum badge holders only. If you’ll be attending SXSW make your plans to attend now. We’d love to see you, and stay tuned for more updates on our SXSW 2013 presence.
More blurbs about Grave Digger Blues:
You are onto something with this, Jesse, I do believe. Probably you are several years ahead of the curve, but that day is coming and what you’ve put together shows how it’s gonna work. I like the video intro (“Johnny Heartbreak Blues”), by the way, have watched it several times and like the laid back groove on it. Listened to the soundcloud music, too, and the spoken word stuff. I can sorta experience how you want it to happen as I flip through the pdf of the text while listening to the cuts (though I’ve never been very good at reading while listening to music/lyrics). Hope you get the opportunity to try a live show presentation at some point, see how that flies. Thanks for sending this along so I could taste what you are up to. A labor of love, I suppose, until the world catches up. Which it will. But you were there first, amigo. All best luck and wishes! — Christopher Cook, author of ROBBERS and SCREEN DOOR JESUS
Christopher Cook is a Texas author who lives in Prague most of the time, also a friend of mine. You should check out his blog.
We also rec’d our first negative review of the book, from Candy Beauchamp, on Amazon, here. This may sound strange but I was kinda looking forward to a review of this sort. And I appreciate her reviewing the book; she even said she really wanted to like it, but…. didn’t. From the beginning, I knew that many readers out there would not get the style, would not fall into the druggy surrealistic stew of narrative, where some events may or may not be hallucinations, where a headless supermodel, a super celebrity, is spoken of like Paris Hilton or Bob Dylan, her rumored appearances dotting the story like sightings of Big Foot or Elvis. I intentionally wrote Grave Digger Blues to separate the men from the boys, the women from the sorority girls, etc. So if you don’t like it, that’s fine, because although I have a heart as big as Antarctica, my skin is made of Teflon. Feel free to make your own comments on Amazon, but please be kind to Candy. You may want her to review your book someday.
The Headless Supermodel has recently been spotted in Austin. Which makes sense, she’s always jetting around to the hip, happening places around the world.
