Comments for Corduroy Books

Comment on Krivak’s Beautiful Book by Greg Button

Greg Button — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 19:55:00 +0000

I was fortunate to meet Mr. Krivak at Lake Garta Italy in September. I picked up his book a few months ago and thouroughly enjoyed it. I found it to be exceptionally well written. I strongly recommend this book to anyone.

Comment on Two New Ones by John Self

John Self — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 06:59:12 +0000

Kind of you to link to my review, wlcutter - though it’s clear from the comments people have made that I missed a good deal in Netherland too!

Comment on More Ambivalence (Plus Some Ranting) by Jackson

Jackson — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 04:34:57 +0000

I don’t know if I could disagree more with your longwinded rant. Your first point of contention is that Jennings’ thesis is too obvious. However, he does not claim to hold a metaphoric holy-grail of retrospection. Rather, he writes of what he knows: listening to country music, and living country music. Nothing more. He is not trying to prove some novel theory to you, he is just “telling it how it is.”
Second, Jennings’ tone is by no means forced. Instead, I would argue it is authentic. You yourself say that you “don’t know anywhere near enough about the white lower/working class from the 1950s-1970s” because you were “born at the end of the 1970s, and [your] parents listened to the Beach Boys, not Johnny Cash.” So then how can you possibly label Jennings a fraud? You can’t. He proves his writing prowess and his mastery of the english language over and over again in the book. So if he chooses to emphasize his hardscrabble upbringing by reverting to broken grammar every now and again, then that is his right. And you have no basis upon which to criticize him. Perhaps you interpreted this rhetorical technique entirely incorrectly. Maybe Jennings was NOT saying “I can only write about country music in this backwoods, Cedar Swamp, impoverished style.” Instead, maybe he was emphasizing the exact environment in which he grew up. Such a tone (which creeps into his prose very rarely) evokes a certain pathos that engages the reader (the reader who grew up in 1950s in rural America, and thus NOT you). I therefore applaud him.
Last, your review (or at least your final point) is entirely misleading. Jennings’ main argument is NOT that country music has changed. Listen to his interviews on NPR. He accepts the constantly shifting moods and sounds of country music (and music altogether). All he says is that he chooses to write about country music between the 50s and 70s because of how raw it is. And he is right. You are not going to get this same feeling in 2008. It is impossible. With cell phones and Wal-Marts and electricity running through even the most back-country sprawls, an identical or even similar feeling is just not plausible. You can’t really feel the way Jennings and his Pops did working at the Steel Drum factory when he was not even 12 years old. AND SO, Jennings is not making a judgement call at all. He is not saying one is better than the other. He simply makes an observation: classic country is more raw than current country. And since you claim to be a music snob, I assume you agree.
Finally, you critique Jennings for his distaste for contemporary/pop country; you write, “country music, like ‘alternative’/’indie’ music, like rap music, like classical music, like jazz music, like pop music, is a growing, vivid thing.” Thus the reader is to assume that because country is growing and dynamic, we must accept it as better…or at least equally as good. That seems, well, naive. You claim that we must “celebrate the fact that music grows,” but why does that mean replacing the past’s music with new-age tunes? Why can’t Jennings write about the music he loved and loves? And why do you think that changing music means better music? I am serious. This is a very dangerous view. As soon as we start accepting changes and developments without questioning them, arguing with them, and criticizing them we will be left with a plethora of shitty songs and shitty artists. You must understand that “new” does not mean better. And you must allow your elder and your superior (yes I am talking about Jennings) to use his critical eye and talk about…well…what he wants to fucking talk about. So until your book comes out about new-millenium country, I suggest you choose your words more carefully. Sure there are flaws in the book, sure you could find some places that need a tweak, but overall to claim to be BOTH a music-lover and ambivalent about this books seems counterintuitive. This book should be celebrated. This book is a step in the right direction for music-literature, creative nonfiction, and Jennings himself.
Cheers.

Comment on Insert Clever Joke on the Word “Bonk” Here by Unawakened

Unawakened — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 08:23:25 +0000

Somehow i missed the point. Probably lost in translation Anyway … nice blog to visit.

cheers, Unawakened.

Comment on Claire Lewis’ Exposed by wedding speeches

wedding speeches — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 16:20:58 +0000

wedding speeches…

Good websites are few and far between; yours is a pleasure to visit; bookmarking for future visits and I enthusiastically recommend the same!…

Comment on Tobias Wolff, new stories, Carver, etc. by In the Blogs: Look I remembered edition | Paul Westerberg.net, a blog

In the Blogs: Look I remembered edition | Paul Westerberg.net, a blog — Wed, 14 May 2008 14:20:16 +0000

[...] so this is a review of the new Tobias Wolff short story collection, and I link to it for two reasons: 1.) Tobias Wolff is brilliant and you should read him 2.) The [...]

Comment on Insert Clever Joke on the Word “Bonk” Here by Kelly

Kelly — Mon, 12 May 2008 17:15:30 +0000

Thanks for the review… I had been wondering about buying it; now I probably will.

Comment on Quick Take: new Stewart O’Nan by lisamm

lisamm — Mon, 05 May 2008 05:29:52 +0000

I just finished this book today and really really loved it. Thanks for a great review.

Comment on The Best Music Of 2007: Bon Iver’s For Emma, Forever Ago by kelsey B

kelsey B — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 04:34:39 +0000

very well said. the album definitely compares to “creek drank the cradle” in terms of emotional intensity and form… something i thought i would never say. really enjoy reading your comments.

Comment on A Guy Named Fink by Sumit Bothra

Sumit Bothra — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 17:22:45 +0000

wlcutter - that is an impressive write-up! The fact that you took the time to put your thoughts down means a lot.

Fink says ‘hello’ right back at you, btw.

Best,
Sumit Bothra
Fink’s manager