Month: November 2005

TK

TK is a placeholder. It’s the abbreviation meaning “to come.” I (and many) use this when writing a book or article and don’t yet have the exact information but know that’s where it will go in the manuscript — for example, “they moved from their hotel apartment in the [TK] to a doorman building on the Upper West Side [address TK] .” Same goes for quotes often needed for articles and press releases — for example here’s the before and after of one paragraph in a press release I was writing. Before:

Free Association is Hall’s second ArtistShare project available only from jimhallmusic.com. The physical CD is slated to include seven selections: two on-the-spot improvisations (with Hall playing acoustic guitar on one), a beautiful Japanese ballad discovered by Keezer when he was living in Japan, and four Hall originals, one of which he performs solo. Throughout the creative process, from early preparation onward, ArtistShare “participants” repeated logged in to jimhallmusic.com to see what was new. [quote +/or details TK] Upcoming postings at jimhallmusic.com will include downloadable musical sketches tunes, pictures, and interviews, as well as additional recorded selections.

After:

Free Association is Hall’s second ArtistShare project available only from jimhallmusic.com. The physical CD is slated to include seven selections: two on-the-spot improvisations (with Hall playing acoustic guitar on one), a beautiful Japanese ballad discovered by Keezer when he was living in Japan, and four Hall originals, one of which he performs solo. Throughout the creative process, from early preparation onward, ArtistShare “participants” repeated logged in to jimhallmusic.com to see what was new. Not only did they pre-order the new (limited in number) CD, they listened clips from the duo’s Japan tour. “The beauty of these projects is that they never have to end,” explains Camelio. “Participants can sign up long after the recording was completed, and still have access to the process. In fact, most ArtistShare artists continue to add content after the main work is done – it keeps their fans actively involved. Jim is no exception.” Upcoming postings at jimhallmusic.com will include downloadable musical sketches tunes, pictures, and interviews, as well as additional recorded selections.

Sopmeone is bound to ask me why it’s TK and not TC — I don’t know. If you do, please send me an email (there’s an email link in the peach colored box on the left, second from the top).

Anyway, I tell you this just so I can say that I am swamped today with no time for real blogging — and, of course, because it gives me an opportunity to plug dad’s newest recording. I have a list of things about which I’d like to write — Roger Kellaway Trio heard last night, adventures in health insurance, and much more TK. Soon, I promise.

Money, Fame, and Honor

Last week Forbes ran their annual list of the Ten Top Earning Dead Celebrities — Elvis is still in the lead followed again by Charles Schultz (thank you “Peanuts”). I haven’t read the article yet, but I heard they pointed out that Elvis still had a long way to go if compared to Shakespeare who is still bringing in the bucks (or would be if his work wasn’t PD) some 400 years after his death. Another point made was the huge impact a Hollywood movie release has on royalties, citing a growth in Ray Charles’ record sales following he biopic. We can all read it online, here.

Speaking of magazines, I’ve heard there’s a picture of my husband and Freddie Hubbard along with a story about their upcoming NEA Jazz Masters Award in Jet, so I just might stop at a newstand. You can read about that here.

Busy day today, will try to post more later.

Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Did you read Charles R. Cross’ review of Peter Guralnick’s new book in last Sunday’s Los Angeles Times? It sounds like Guralnick was between the proverbial rock and a hard place.

“Dream Boogie: The Triumph of Sam Cooke” must be considered the authoritative rendering of the singer’s short life. Ten years in the making, filled with both minutiae and a sweeping backstory, “Dream Boogie” is a testament to Guralnick’s skill as a researcher, even if at times that very strength diminishes the story’s narrative arc.

Narrative arc is a crucial structural element in good storytelling, and it requires a sharp editorial knife to excise all that is not relevant to THE story, whatever that is defined to be. It seems that the best memoirs and biographies — best meaning most readable and engaging for the average person — are those that focus on a theme or particular revelation/transformation. Those weighty soup-to-nuts tomes, even when well-written, are likely to be lauded only by academicians and aficionados; they’re a hard ad heavy read for John and Joanne Doe.

Not that I’m agreeing with Cross — I haven’t read the book yet.

Cross also wrote:

The biggest problem with “Dream Boogie” is not one of Guralnick’s making: The more we learn about Sam Cooke, the less we like him and, correspondingly, the less we care about his music.”

If that’s true, it is sad, because Guralnick cared enough to spend ten years writing the book and, as Cross points out, “Cooke was a truly groundbreaking artist…” But nobody wants to hear a story about someone they don’t care about — audiences need to identify with, love and cheer for, or love to hate the main character — indifference is fatal.

There’s another fine line to be walked; it’s the line between straight reporting and explaining, the latter of which may include value judgments. In Cross’ opinion, Guralnick may have cared too much. Cross writes:

Much as he did when writing about Elvis, Guralnick relies on a straightforward style of narration that leaves no room for judgment or explanation of Cooke’s life. But whereas Guralnick had enough distance from Elvis to give readers a fly-on-the-wall feel, here he seems at times affected by a biographical Stockholm syndrome — so in love with his subject that he can excuse any character flaw. Guralnick is clearly enthralled with Cooke…

So what’s a writer to do? Should we stick to the facts and let readers draw their own impressions? What if the guy/gal is not so likeable, but is important and interesting if the story can be told — should we then offer more explanation? If we do, will readers and critics say “who made you judge and jury, or protector?” And going back to the beginning dilemma, if we sift through a life to bring you THE story as we see it, will we not be pilloried for insufficient research and leaving out facts?

Delicious dilemmas or hellacious headaches for the narrative biographer.

‘The Average American’

By way of Just Muttering, I found that the ‘The Average American’ has been identified by Kevin O’Keefe. If you’d like to know the characteristics of the Average Joe or Jill or determine whether you are among the numbers of John and Jane Q Public, you’ll have to read The Average American: The Extraordinary Search for the Nation’s Most Ordinary Citizen by Kevin O’Keefe, a former magazine reporter who now runs marketing and consulting firm, or listen to his interview on NPR’s Talk of the Nation (October 25, 2005).

I found the following American Snapshot on the NPR site and have noted where I stand, or fall, so to speak:

According to the book, a majority of Americans:

• Eats peanut butter at least once a week [yup]
• Prefers smooth peanut butter over chunky [absolutely]
• Can name all Three Stooges [sure can, but don’t ask me to name episodes or movies]
• Lives within a 20-minute drive of a Wal-Mart [I think so, but wouldn’t shop there]
• Eats at McDonald’s at least once a year [not a chance — Burger King, maybe]
• Takes a shower for approximately 10.4 minutes a day [I’m faster than that]
• Never sings in the shower [only if I’m alone…in the house, that is]
• Lives in a house, not an apartment or condominium [yes]
• Has a home valued between $100,000 and $300,000 [values have risen since 2003, this number must be higher by now]
• Has fired a gun [never]
• Is between 5 feet and 6 feet tall [5’6″]
• Weighs 135 to 205 pounds [yes, happily on the lower side of that scale]
• Is between the ages of 18 and 53 [for the next three years]
• Believes gambling is an acceptable entertainment option [may be acceptable, compared to dog or cock fights, but not entertaining to my way of thinking]
• Grew up within 50 miles of current home [no, I live clear across the country from the home of my youth]

The Book Description on Amazon says:

To be the perfectly average American is harder than it might seem: You must live within three miles of a McDonald’s [I do], and two miles of a public park [yes]; you must be better off financially than your parents [don’t think so], but earn no more than $75,000 a year [wish I did]; you must believe in God and the literal truth of the Bible [literal truth?], yet hold some views that traditional churches have deemed sacrilegious [absolutely].

So where do you fit in?