03-01-2023, 01:54 AM
I thought for my birthday that I would do nothing for work whatsoever. I did have to answer one email but that took less than a minute. I read this for fun, but then halfway through I realized it kinda still was work. Dammit.
Nevertheless is was a fun read. A lot about music and martial arts and their confluence - my two favorite subjects. It’s a collation of Reed’s interviews and some writings, plus a ton of essays from his circle recalling Tai chi anecdotes about Lou.
There’s a goodly excerpt of my interview with him on p168 and my essay on p243. Upon reflection, I’m not satisfied with what I wrote - maybe it was edited or adapted with stuff from my interview, although it might have been closer to my original than I remember. It might have just been an off writing day, or I just didn’t invest enough into it. I think I wrote it about 4 years ago. Nevertheless I’m honored to be included because many of the other contributors are illustrious.
Many of us make the same mistake - we put too much of our own personal story into our essays. It’s like we all have an agenda to stand out despite all being in Lou’s shadow here. In all fairness, I wish I had been more of a fan of Lou’s music. I utterly respect him but couldn’t name half his albums if asked.
The book reads well nonetheless. Many of the anecdotes are amusing and several of the other contributors are eloquent. I was entertained.
I wish I had spent more time with Lou. He invited me to hang out in sf with him the day after we had lunch but I was right up against deadline and my car was wonky and need of repair so I wasn’t confident it’d make it up and back. In hindsight, that was such a missed opportunity. It was fucking Lou Reed - deadline and car troubles be damned. It stand among my collection of road-not-taken regrets.
Nevertheless is was a fun read. A lot about music and martial arts and their confluence - my two favorite subjects. It’s a collation of Reed’s interviews and some writings, plus a ton of essays from his circle recalling Tai chi anecdotes about Lou.
There’s a goodly excerpt of my interview with him on p168 and my essay on p243. Upon reflection, I’m not satisfied with what I wrote - maybe it was edited or adapted with stuff from my interview, although it might have been closer to my original than I remember. It might have just been an off writing day, or I just didn’t invest enough into it. I think I wrote it about 4 years ago. Nevertheless I’m honored to be included because many of the other contributors are illustrious.
Many of us make the same mistake - we put too much of our own personal story into our essays. It’s like we all have an agenda to stand out despite all being in Lou’s shadow here. In all fairness, I wish I had been more of a fan of Lou’s music. I utterly respect him but couldn’t name half his albums if asked.
The book reads well nonetheless. Many of the anecdotes are amusing and several of the other contributors are eloquent. I was entertained.
I wish I had spent more time with Lou. He invited me to hang out in sf with him the day after we had lunch but I was right up against deadline and my car was wonky and need of repair so I wasn’t confident it’d make it up and back. In hindsight, that was such a missed opportunity. It was fucking Lou Reed - deadline and car troubles be damned. It stand among my collection of road-not-taken regrets.
Shadow boxing the apocalypse