disgruntledgoat wrote:Just started Trouble Boys last night. Not one to open a beer at the start of, is it?
I read the whole thing in one long sitting. I loved it.
Moderators: Jonicont, mark lynn, Maluca3, Tequila Cowboy, BigTom, CooleyGirl, olwiggum
disgruntledgoat wrote:Just started Trouble Boys last night. Not one to open a beer at the start of, is it?
Huh? Me? What did I say? I didn't even know there was an "American dance culture" until about 1976 or so and I sure wouldn't have thought of it in those terms until ... just now.dogstar wrote: Contrary to what BTB will have you believe the initial drug of choice was not Cocaine (there's a clue in the title of the book).
Beth turned me onto Larry Brown several years ago with this book. I haven't made my way through all of them yet but everything I've read so far is excellent including Joe, Father and Son and Fay. Billy Ray's Farm: Essays from a Place Called Tula is also excellent as it gives you insight into Brown's family and his beloved Tula. I have had the privilege of visiting Billy Ray's Brown Family Dairy several times and have gotten to know Larry's son Shane quite well. Shane was gracious enough to take a few of us on a private tour of Tula a few years back and it was an amazing experience. Shane has started writing his own stuff and has recently started working some with his father's former editor. He hasn't published anything yet, outside of social media, but he has the makings of a great writer a well.Kudzu Guillotine wrote:
I just started this, which is a collection of short stories by Larry Brown and am already close to halfway through the book. Pretty compelling reading so far. I'm looking forward to reading more of his work.
Thanks for the heads up.Tequila Cowboy wrote:Beth turned me onto Larry Brown several years ago with this book. I haven't made my way through all of them yet but everything I've read so far is excellent including Joe, Father and Son and Fay. Billy Ray's Farm: Essays from a Place Called Tula is also excellent as it gives you insight into Brown's family and his beloved Tula. I have had the privilege of visiting Billy Ray's Brown Family Dairy several times and have gotten to know Larry's son Shane quite well. Shane was gracious enough to take a few of us on a private tour of Tula a few years back and it was an amazing experience. Shane has started writing his own stuff and has recently started working some with his father's former editor. He hasn't published anything yet, outside of social media, but he has the makings of a great writer a well.Kudzu Guillotine wrote:
I just started this, which is a collection of short stories by Larry Brown and am already close to halfway through the book. Pretty compelling reading so far. I'm looking forward to reading more of his work.
Just finished Father and Son a few weeks ago. I've read it, Joe, and Dirty Work. I loved all three. Running across a Larry Brown book is always a great surprise. It's such a shame he sides so young and such a shame that he's not more well known. Then again, his not being g real well known sort of makes it better in its own way.Tequila Cowboy wrote:Beth turned me onto Larry Brown several years ago with this book. I haven't made my way through all of them yet but everything I've read so far is excellent including Joe, Father and Son and Fay. Billy Ray's Farm: Essays from a Place Called Tula is also excellent as it gives you insight into Brown's family and his beloved Tula. I have had the privilege of visiting Billy Ray's Brown Family Dairy several times and have gotten to know Larry's son Shane quite well. Shane was gracious enough to take a few of us on a private tour of Tula a few years back and it was an amazing experience. Shane has started writing his own stuff and has recently started working some with his father's former editor. He hasn't published anything yet, outside of social media, but he has the makings of a great writer a well.Kudzu Guillotine wrote:
I just started this, which is a collection of short stories by Larry Brown and am already close to halfway through the book. Pretty compelling reading so far. I'm looking forward to reading more of his work.
I guess you posted it 2x because you REALLY mean it I more or less agree w/ you on the lazy part in the sense that the book is mostly based on personal observations as opposed to serious research but I found it to be very thoughtful w/in those confines and thought that a noticeable portion of the book was about structural inequalities (though not in any formal way like using that term or anything like it). The main takeaway for me (which i think I wrote about above) was the connection it made, explicitly and implicitly between the hillbilly and black cultures, raising exactly the question of what's structural, what's individual, what's cultural about the entrenched problems both subcultures face.blueridgehiker wrote:I might in the minority for this opinion but I finished Hillbilly Elegy this week and thought it was awful. The personal story was fine, engaging and well told, but his social commentary on "hill people" was weak and lazy. I almost threw the book across the room when he talks about how lucky he was for the opportunities he had for social mobility but not two chapters before he was blaming those who haven't had those opportunities as lazy and without a work ethic. It's a book that gives everyone outside of Appalachia what they want to hear and keeps the focus on "bad" individuals and does nothing to point out structural inequalities, workforce exploitation, etc. I'm 31 now and grew up in Michigan - maybe I should write a book about the auto industry and strike it rich! /rant
The Robertson book may offer a bit more insight into that stuff. At least from around when he started writing songs for what was to become Music from Big Pink. Also, Robertson somehow manages to somewhat de-mystify Dylan more than I have heard/read elsewhere.beantownbubba wrote:Some recent reads:
Born to Run One obvious example in this book is how all of a sudden Springsteen says "I started writing songs." Period. Nothing about how he worked up to it, how hard it was, what his early struggles w/ writing may have been (or not), just "I started writing songs." That sounds more critical than i intend - my point is that i seem to be looking for things that artists (at least rock musicians) don't really write about. I'm gonna read the Robbie Robertson because it's sitting right here but I think that may be it for a while.
That in itself would be quite an achievement. Springsteen, like most, is certainly in awe of Dylan. Which reminds me, Springsteen describes his late-in-Sinatra's-life friendship w/ Frank, which i did not know about. It was very cool to read about and also just a very cool thing, new jersey mythology wise.RolanK wrote: Also, Robertson somehow manages to somewhat de-mystify Dylan more than I have heard/read elsewhere.
I think the "key" to this is probably the fact that (as described in the book) the guys in The Band were not very aware of the folk scene and Dylan at the time they got introduced to him and started collaborating, then embarked on the "electric tour" where they got booed at every single gig and maybe almost felt that they did this poor guy a favor. On the other hand, it may also say something about Robbies ego.beantownbubba wrote:That in itself would be quite an achievement. Springsteen, like most, is certainly in awe of Dylan. Which reminds me, Springsteen describes his late-in-Sinatra's-life friendship w/ Frank, which i did not know about. It was very cool to read about and also just a very cool thing, new jersey mythology wise.RolanK wrote: Also, Robertson somehow manages to somewhat de-mystify Dylan more than I have heard/read elsewhere.
always a safe betRolanK wrote: On the other hand, it may also say something about Robbies ego.
Did you notice how Robbie kinda, sorta took the high road when talking about Levon and his issues ? I can't decide if Robbie took the high road to avoid stirring the pot or if maybe Levon had some legitimate arguments.RolanK wrote:The Robertson book may offer a bit more insight into that stuff. At least from around when he started writing songs for what was to become Music from Big Pink. Also, Robertson somehow manages to somewhat de-mystify Dylan more than I have heard/read elsewhere.beantownbubba wrote:Some recent reads:
Born to Run One obvious example in this book is how all of a sudden Springsteen says "I started writing songs." Period. Nothing about how he worked up to it, how hard it was, what his early struggles w/ writing may have been (or not), just "I started writing songs." That sounds more critical than i intend - my point is that i seem to be looking for things that artists (at least rock musicians) don't really write about. I'm gonna read the Robbie Robertson because it's sitting right here but I think that may be it for a while.
The book certainly showcases some of that.whatwouldcooleydo? wrote:always a safe betRolanK wrote: On the other hand, it may also say something about Robbies ego.
By choosing to let the curtain fall where it does, I guess he cunningly avoids having to go into all the details of what he has been accused of by Levon and others. I couldn't help but thinking every time there is mentioning of his relationship with Levon, as you say, choosing the high road, as part of a strategy to "build his case". There are passages where he touches upon the other guys contribution in the songwriting, how the publishing/royalties where split, and the business side of things, but never in such detail that you get the full picture. With Levon no longer able to speak for himself, my take is that he doesn't want it to be completely about telling "the other side of the story" of Levon's book.jr29 wrote:Did you notice how Robbie kinda, sorta took the high road when talking about Levon and his issues ? I can't decide if Robbie took the high road to avoid stirring the pot or if maybe Levon had some legitimate arguments.RolanK wrote:The Robertson book may offer a bit more insight into that stuff. At least from around when he started writing songs for what was to become Music from Big Pink. Also, Robertson somehow manages to somewhat de-mystify Dylan more than I have heard/read elsewhere.beantownbubba wrote:Some recent reads:
Born to Run One obvious example in this book is how all of a sudden Springsteen says "I started writing songs." Period. Nothing about how he worked up to it, how hard it was, what his early struggles w/ writing may have been (or not), just "I started writing songs." That sounds more critical than i intend - my point is that i seem to be looking for things that artists (at least rock musicians) don't really write about. I'm gonna read the Robbie Robertson because it's sitting right here but I think that may be it for a while.
Robbie certainly like to kiss and tell too.