My music writer friends of a certain age are all starving (and that somewhat includes me, or would if I still tried to do this as a, ha ha, living). Do you think you have to know a lot technically about the guitar (I'm asking for a friend who doesn't play -- although you know, a writer can damn well write about anything if he/she's good. You just have a lot of curiousity and ask a lot of questions!)

(a little aside. Free-lancers, like country and rock singers, seem to become invisible after the age of 50 (well, not counting the rock dinosaurs). Did I say 50? Maybe 40, but because you don't have to meet your editors, you can hide it a little longer. I don't take it there's any ageism in folk singing, although I know Pete Anderson -- Dwight Yoakam's producer/guitarist, took up producing a long time ago, knowing that time would come when he couldn't get out there and play the blues (from what I saw in his performance a few weeks ago, a good decision. Not that he's not a good -- reallly good -- guitarist. The band just doesn't go over).

How do you like the way I change subjects? Just got to get a ramblin,' you know (whatever it was Tom Rush said)!