Things are relatively active on the book writing front. The research continues as some matters need more coverage (ie, straight edge and the Seattle music scene), so editing is still a ways away. I'm currently digging through all my stuff for the Hot Water Music chapter. With their recent break-up, this definitely changes some things. I don't mean this in a bad way, but the past tense will be used more than the present.
A handful of interviews still need to be done. Sometimes tracking people down and getting them on the phone is a major task in itself. People forget to call you back, go on tour, etc. This is par for the course, but I gotta remember, when the interview happens, the result usually quashes all headaches leading up to it.
Is there a release date for Post? Nope. I'd love to have this done by the end of the year and that may very well happen. How this will translate into print form is a bit foggy for the time being. Nick and I aren't squarely focused on printing this up by ourselves, but if it comes to this, we'll do that. We wouldn't object to working with a legit publisher, but neither he nor I are interested in diluting the book's topic/writing for the lowest common denominator. Telling a fleshed-out story of hardcore's evolution from Minor Threat to Rites of Spring to Jawbox to the Promise Ring to Jimmy Eat World is not very simple at all. However, whenever you finish the book, you'll have a better idea even if you don't care for the music itself.
Still a big stumbling block in my life is how much I want to devote to writing and devote to other matters. The current job situation is still frustrating and the search to find a new job is even more frustrating. As I said last week, the more resistance I get from a number of sources, the more I question why I'm seeking to change the current situation in the first place. As idyllic as it would sound to just write Post full-time, I'm not sure that's the best route either.
I will say this, a quote from Bill Barbot has been going through my mind quite a bit recently. This one comes from when Jawbox decided to sign with major Atlantic Records:
Now I'm not implying that some publisher is asking me to sign on the bottom line (no publishers have contacted me or Nick). Rather, the tone of Barbot's quote to do your art full-time is what I relate to. I'm not about to live like a starving artist, but given how much I believe in this material, I'd like to have less distractions keeping me from completion.
As frustrating as writing a book can be, I know that I'm doing something better for my mental health than just sitting at home and watching television. The idea that writing is an option has long since passed and I can't think of my life without writing. I won't lie, I'll feel better when the book is done and is ready to be shared with whoever is interested.
A handful of interviews still need to be done. Sometimes tracking people down and getting them on the phone is a major task in itself. People forget to call you back, go on tour, etc. This is par for the course, but I gotta remember, when the interview happens, the result usually quashes all headaches leading up to it.
Is there a release date for Post? Nope. I'd love to have this done by the end of the year and that may very well happen. How this will translate into print form is a bit foggy for the time being. Nick and I aren't squarely focused on printing this up by ourselves, but if it comes to this, we'll do that. We wouldn't object to working with a legit publisher, but neither he nor I are interested in diluting the book's topic/writing for the lowest common denominator. Telling a fleshed-out story of hardcore's evolution from Minor Threat to Rites of Spring to Jawbox to the Promise Ring to Jimmy Eat World is not very simple at all. However, whenever you finish the book, you'll have a better idea even if you don't care for the music itself.
Still a big stumbling block in my life is how much I want to devote to writing and devote to other matters. The current job situation is still frustrating and the search to find a new job is even more frustrating. As I said last week, the more resistance I get from a number of sources, the more I question why I'm seeking to change the current situation in the first place. As idyllic as it would sound to just write Post full-time, I'm not sure that's the best route either.
I will say this, a quote from Bill Barbot has been going through my mind quite a bit recently. This one comes from when Jawbox decided to sign with major Atlantic Records:
“Our motivations were many. We had a gift of a band, the right people in the right place at the right time, writing good songs and having some fun doing it. What we lacked was the ability to make a reasonable living doing it, and our music suffered for it. It’s not easy to stick to a rigorous rehearsal, writing, recording, and touring schedule when to pay the rent you need to spend forty hours of your week doing something completely unrelated. We saw an opportunity to give it a go, not with riches or stardom in mind, but with an earnest desire to pay the rent doing what we love –instead of paying the rent working retail while what we love suffered.”
Now I'm not implying that some publisher is asking me to sign on the bottom line (no publishers have contacted me or Nick). Rather, the tone of Barbot's quote to do your art full-time is what I relate to. I'm not about to live like a starving artist, but given how much I believe in this material, I'd like to have less distractions keeping me from completion.
As frustrating as writing a book can be, I know that I'm doing something better for my mental health than just sitting at home and watching television. The idea that writing is an option has long since passed and I can't think of my life without writing. I won't lie, I'll feel better when the book is done and is ready to be shared with whoever is interested.
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