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18 Sep 11 - 09:25 AM (#3225115) Subject: A Folk Music Novel From: Elmore I just read and enjoyed "Revival" A Folk Music Novel, by Scott Alarik, and would be interested to know what other mudcatters thought about it. Elmore |
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18 Sep 11 - 01:57 PM (#3225207) Subject: RE: A Folk Music Novel From: Kit Griffiths Just downloaded the ebook from Waterstone's. Got to finish the new Robert Rankin first, but I'll read it next and get back to you. Many thanks for pointing me in its direction! (Have you read the Songkiller trilogy by Elizabeth Ann Scarborough? Now available again as an ebook, if you're interested.) |
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18 Sep 11 - 02:17 PM (#3225222) Subject: RE: A Folk Music Novel From: MGM·Lion Just ordered from Amazon. Thanks for the heads-up. Watch this space! ~Michael~ |
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18 Sep 11 - 02:26 PM (#3225226) Subject: RE: A Folk Music Novel From: Elmore Attn: kit Griffiths -Thanks for the tip. I'll check it out, Elmore |
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18 Sep 11 - 04:30 PM (#3225259) Subject: RE: A Folk Music Novel From: katlaughing If I had ten thumbs, they would ALL be UP for Scarborough's trilogy! Thanks for the tip re' the new novel. |
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18 Sep 11 - 10:41 PM (#3225378) Subject: RE: A Folk Music Novel From: ChanteyLass I haven't read Scott Alarik's book yet, but he read some excerpts from it on WGBH, Boston, a few weeks ago, and it sounded good. He will be doing a book talk on October 15 at 7 PM at Stone Soup in RI prior to Christine Lavin's 8 PM concert there. Here's a link to the coffeehouse website. http://www.stonesoupcoffeehouse.com/ As I always tell people, Stone Soup is is just off Rt. 95, north of Providence and just south of the Massachusetts state line. |
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19 Sep 11 - 11:27 AM (#3225579) Subject: RE: A Folk Music Novel From: Tug the Cox Colin Andrews, Editor of Devon Folk's 'Whats Afoot' has had a folky novel published. No mobile phones, no internet, no mixed sex accommodation and definitely no alcohol on Sundays ... A Matter of Degree is set in the early 1970s and follows the comical and dramatic exploits of Robert Kiddecott, a farmer's son from Devon, and Jacob Moses, his folksinging friend, through the three years to graduation at a fictional teacher training college in mid-Wales. Rob's relationships with the fairer sex and Jake's penchant for involving Rob in well-meaning projects lead to bizarre yet utterly believable and amusing scenarios. Will unexpected turns of fate always thwart Rob's amorous inclinations? Why is Jake obsessed with an abandoned observatory? Whatever inspires Jake to get Rob and their fellow students involved in the folk traditions of Mumming and Morris Dancing? In what other directions does Jake's persuasive enthusiasm lead his his friends? And what key part does Jessica play in their lives? A Matter of Degree is an entertaining snapshot of a time now passed, but it also touches on controversial issues such as racial prejudice, sexual temptation facing young teachers, religious fanaticism and political correctness in a thought-provoking yet sensitive way. |
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19 Sep 11 - 06:21 PM (#3225796) Subject: RE: A Folk Music Novel From: Tradsinger I am reading "A Matter of Degree" at present and am finding it very entertaining and well written. I must confess to some inside knowledge, as I have known Colin Andrews for 45 (sic) years, including 3 years together at Cardiff University. I was rather dreading finding myself in the novel but my fears are unfounded. There are 'bits' of me in the novel and I recognise most of the scenarios but it is skillfully written, to protect the innocent! Tradsinger |
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19 Sep 11 - 07:57 PM (#3225830) Subject: RE: A Folk Music Novel From: GUEST,Susie These both sound rather jolly. As it is my birthday on Oct 2nd, I might treat myslef. Publishers, chaps? ISBNs? And if anyone out there is going to SEE Scott Alarik, PLEASE tell him that Susie Stockton from Cheshire never forgot meeting him at Philly Fester in ? '82/'83? - "Many moons ago, when buffalo roamed the plains". I still chuckle at the thought! |
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20 Sep 11 - 03:52 AM (#3225955) Subject: RE: A Folk Music Novel From: GUEST,Suibhne Astray For the best Folk Novels around - check out Phil Rickman's Merrily Watkins series, currently in a new paperback imprint... |
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20 Sep 11 - 07:51 AM (#3226019) Subject: RE: A Folk Music Novel From: Charley Noble Elmore- Thanks as well from me for pointing out Scott Alarik's book; I'll download it next and give it a try. Cheerily, Charley Noble |
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11 Oct 11 - 11:40 PM (#3237587) Subject: Scott Alarik, Revival, RI, Oct. 15, 2011 From: ChanteyLass Scott Alarik will be at Stone Soup Coffeehouse In Pawtucket, RI, on Oct. 15, 2011. At 7 PM he will begin the evening with an author talk about his recent novel Revival. At 8 PM, Christine Lavin will perform, and the admission covers both. Stone Soup is in the hall of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Pawtucket. It is a few blocks off Rt. 95 just north of Providence and just south of the Massachusetts state line. See the website http://www.stonesoupcoffeehouse.com/ for ticket information and directions, because there is road construction in the area. I have also started a twin thread with Christine's name in the subject line. |
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07 May 12 - 11:46 AM (#3347811) Subject: RE: A Folk Music Novel From: Desert Dancer I must have missed this last fall... but I just saw that Scott Alarik will be doing a reading from "Revival: a Folk Music Novel" at the Brooklyn Folk Festival, May 18-20, 2012. Here's his page for the book. Paperback: 328 pages Publisher: Peter E. Randall Publisher (September 16, 2011) ISBN-10: 1931807914 ISBN-13: 978-1931807913 ~ Becky in Tucson |
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07 May 12 - 08:59 PM (#3348007) Subject: RE: A Folk Music Novel From: Elmore The Brooklyn Folk Festival. Just read the lineup. Only recognized a couple of names. Must be out of it. Oh well. I've "discovered" opera. |
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07 May 12 - 10:18 PM (#3348019) Subject: RE: A Folk Music Novel From: Charley Noble I did find the book a good read, rich with detail, and interesting characters. Why I even remember them. Cheerily, Charley Noble |
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08 May 12 - 05:36 PM (#3348402) Subject: RE: A Folk Music Novel From: CupOfTea I'm waiting for the publication of the book Garnet Rogers is writing about his adventures as part of the Stan Rogers band. At a concert last fall, he read part of a chapter about carousing at a folk festival with some legendary partying musicians (Silly Wizard & the Tannahill Weavers). Garnet has a wonderful storytelling streak and puts his tales together with as much care as his lyrics - that ought to be a treat of a book when it's done. Joanne (who also loved the Elizabeth Scarborough trilogy) |
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08 May 12 - 08:14 PM (#3348449) Subject: RE: A Folk Music Novel From: Charley Noble Joanne- That too could be a great read. Charley Noble |
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08 May 12 - 10:52 PM (#3348497) Subject: RE: A Folk Music Novel From: Big Al Whittle I always like Jack in the Green by Clo Chapman. |
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09 May 12 - 02:37 PM (#3348785) Subject: RE: A Folk Music Novel From: Elmore As long as we're mentioning other books I found "Edson" by the late Bill Morrissey a good read. It's available used, for next to nothing at Amazon, or Barnes and Noble. I understnd that Bill was working on a new novel when he passed away. |
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09 May 12 - 06:10 PM (#3348871) Subject: RE: A Folk Music Novel From: Paul Davenport Some of you could also try Jo Hiestand's 'MacLaren' series. Her folkie detective solves murders in deepest Derbyshire, England. (Jo herself hails from St Louis and the books are really only to be found in the States) Try 'Swan Song', Liz and I did the title song and Jo might even let you have the CD too) |
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09 May 12 - 06:15 PM (#3348872) Subject: RE: A Folk Music Novel From: GUEST,Paul Slade Do blues and country novels count? If so, I'd recommend Charles Shaar Murray's The Hellhound Sample in the first category and Steve Earle's I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive in the second. I read them both earlier this year, and enjoyed them both immensely. More details here (CSM) and here (Earle). |
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09 May 12 - 06:16 PM (#3348873) Subject: RE: A Folk Music Novel From: GUEST,David E. I second the recommendation of Bill Morrissey's "Edson." And a little extra internet time spent asking around in the right circles might land you a copy of Bill's second novel, "Imaginary Runner", which was published posthumously, as well. |
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09 May 12 - 07:11 PM (#3348898) Subject: RE: A Folk Music Novel From: McGrath of Harlow "no alcohol on Sundays" That's not how I remember the 70s... |
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09 May 12 - 07:35 PM (#3348912) Subject: RE: A Folk Music Novel From: Nicholas Waller "no alcohol on Sundays" That's not how I remember the 70s... Seems like the last bit of Wales (and the novel in question is set in Wales) to allow alcohol on Sundays did so in 1996, according to "130 years since Sunday drinking was banned in Wales" by Neil Prior, BBC News, Wales. "the Sunday Closing (Wales) Act 1881 banned the sale of alcohol in Welsh pubs on the Sabbath. It would not be repealed until 1961, when each county was charged with holding a referendum on Sunday opening, to gauge support in their particular area. "While urban districts such as Swansea, Cardiff and Merthyr ditched the ban at the earliest possible opportunity, many rural and Welsh-speaking counties held on to "dry" Sundays. Dwyfor - now part of Gwynedd - was the last district to drop the ban in 1996." |
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11 May 12 - 07:08 PM (#3349737) Subject: RE: A Folk Music Novel From: McGrath of Harlow They only drank in pubs? |
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19 Feb 13 - 02:16 AM (#3481303) Subject: RE: A Folk Music Novel From: Desert Dancer Just read "Revival: A Folk Music Novel", by Scott Alarik (see the OP!), and really enjoyed it. Alarik's love song to the Boston/Cambridge folk scene. ~ Becky in Long Beach |
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25 Feb 13 - 11:54 PM (#3483757) Subject: RE: A Folk Music Novel From: ChanteyLass Scott Alarik will do an author's talk on March 9 in Rhode Island before a Martyn Joseph concert. Information is at the bottom of this linked page.http://www.soup.org/page1/AboutThePerformer.html I will get around to making a thread about this event soon, but not tonight! |
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26 Feb 13 - 07:22 AM (#3483862) Subject: RE: A Folk Music Novel From: GUEST,Barnacle at Work I quite enjoyed Brian McNeill's - The Busker |
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26 Feb 13 - 10:37 AM (#3483907) Subject: RE: A Folk Music Novel From: GUEST Mike Regenstreif reviews "Revival" by Scott Alarik. |
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26 Feb 13 - 05:44 PM (#3484026) Subject: RE: A Folk Music Novel From: Elmore Thanks, Guest. Glad to see Scott getting the credit he deserves. |
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24 Mar 13 - 07:19 PM (#3494377) Subject: RE: A Folk Music Novel From: Bat Goddess Of course the problem with reading "Edson" and having known Bill when he was living in Newmarket, NH ("small town on a river") is trying to figure out what all the places really are -- The Stone Church, Marelli's Fruit & Real Estate, the Polish Club, etc. I had trouble getting into "Revival" but can't say why. About 90 pages in Scott really got my attention. I think he had some very useful things to say about performing, especially for a singer-songwriter. And what he had to say about the contemporary Cambridge folk scene and the "business" of folk, in the guise of a novel (even a love story). The book isn't compelling reading, but, all in all, I enjoyed it and enjoyed his insights. What I'd really like is a novel about the '60s (rather than contemporary) folk scene in Boston (rather than Cambridge -- the two crowds didn't mix much) but I guess I'll have to continue to coax Tom into writing "The Charles Street Chronicles". By the way, some books work as read aloud books and others don't. This one doesn't, so Tom hasn't "read" it. (Maybe if I get VoiceOver set up...) I DO intend to read him some exerpts. Linn |
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24 Mar 13 - 07:23 PM (#3494379) Subject: RE: A Folk Music Novel From: Bat Goddess The review by Mike Regenstreif is spot on. Linn |
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24 Mar 13 - 08:14 PM (#3494397) Subject: RE: A Folk Music Novel From: Elmore Wish I could find Bill Morrissey's second novel somehow, somewhere. |
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25 Mar 13 - 08:17 AM (#3494571) Subject: RE: A Folk Music Novel From: Bat Goddess Sorry, Elmore. I don't have a copy of it. Did you know that Bill Morrissey's first recording, a 45 of "Live Free Or Die" (NOT the re-recording that appeared on a CD years later) was recorded by Chris Biggi in Curmudgeon's (Tom Hall's) living room in Epping, NH? Also on the recording was Bill Madison of Them Fargo Brothers who was staying with Tom and his first wife at the time. Linn |
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25 Mar 13 - 02:13 PM (#3494726) Subject: RE: A Folk Music Novel From: Elmore I really enjoyed Bill in his early years as a performer. A great talent. |
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25 Mar 13 - 03:46 PM (#3494759) Subject: RE: A Folk Music Novel From: Bat Goddess Especially those Sunday hoots (often with Tom as hootmeister) at The Stone Church in Newmarket with Cormac McCarthy, Ed Gehrhard, Doug Clegg, Sammy Haynes, Susie Burke...the list goes on. What a time we had! Elmore, do you live around here now? Then? Linn |
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25 Mar 13 - 05:35 PM (#3494801) Subject: RE: A Folk Music Novel From: GUEST,Arkie Have more time for reading these days and glad to see the suggestions here. Though these books have been mentioned elsewhere on Mudcat, they might be appropriate here as well; Sharyn McCrumb's novels about Frankie Silver and Tom Dooley. Her other books in the "ballad novel" series take names from folk songs or other songs from antiquity but though interesting, to me at least, because of the setting as well as gift of tale telling, are not necessarily about folk music. |
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25 Mar 13 - 07:23 PM (#3494835) Subject: RE: A Folk Music Novel From: GUEST,THE PHANTOM BANJO by Elizabeth Ann Scarboro THE PHANTOM BANJO by Elizabeth Ann Scarborough Mark Ross |
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25 Mar 13 - 07:51 PM (#3494849) Subject: RE: A Folk Music Novel From: Jeri The Phantom Banjo is one of a trilogy, called "The Songkiller Saga".
1) The Phantom Banjo |
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25 Mar 13 - 08:46 PM (#3494865) Subject: RE: A Folk Music Novel From: Elmore Attn: Bat Goddess Lived most of my life on Boston's North Shore. More recently near Manchester, NH. Now, the middle of Nowhere, Ga. Saw Bill Morrissey many times in Cambridge and Marblehead. Regards, Elmore. |
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26 Mar 13 - 06:16 AM (#3495008) Subject: RE: A Folk Music Novel From: GUEST,Mike Yates Two blues novels that I liked are "Leavin' Trunk Blues" and "Crossroad Blues", both by Ace Atkins. Many years ago I read an English murder novel that was set in a village with a mummer's team. The murder victim was the same person who was ritually "killed" in the mummer's play (if my memory serves me right!)To be honest, it wasn't the best novel that I have ever read. I think that it was written by a female writer, though I cannot recall the name. |
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26 Mar 13 - 06:58 AM (#3495015) Subject: RE: A Folk Music Novel From: Jim Carroll Slightly off tack: Has anybody come across the novel 'Lambkin' - saw a reference to it in a book catalogue, but it was going for an astronomical price? A novel entitled 'Sovay The Female Highwayman' appeared in our local bookshop - was in too much of a hurry to stop. Jim Carroll |
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26 Mar 13 - 08:28 AM (#3495033) Subject: RE: A Folk Music Novel From: GUEST,Brewgyrl In response to Mike Yates - the book is "Off With His Head" by Ngaio Marsh who wrote the Inspector Alleyn books. I read it in my teens (***** years ago)and thought it rather exciting. I had a sheltered upbringing!! |
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26 Mar 13 - 10:18 AM (#3495066) Subject: RE: A Folk Music Novel From: GUEST,Mike Yates Thanks Brewgyrl. Yes, that is the one. |
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03 Apr 13 - 01:38 PM (#3498364) Subject: Scott Alarik Discovering Folk Music wksh From: Desert Dancer Scott Alarik, author of "Revival: A Folk Music Novel" (see the Mudcat thread) and long-time Boston-based writer/critic and performer says, Since Revival was released, I've started hosting musical workshops much like the ones Nathan Warren does in the novel. On Thursday, April 11tth, 8 PM, I'll present Discovering Folk Music at Cambridge Center for Adult Education, 42 Brattle St., in Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA. (http://www.ccae.org/catalog/detail.php?id=565427 , 617-547-6789). "Using live, recorded, and archival music, sprinkled with a lifetime of colorful tales about folk music, the instructor takes us on a vibrant journey down the tributaries of tradition, to see how they shape the modern musical landscape. " Sounds fun, if you're in the area and don't already know it all. ;-) ~ Becky in Tucson |
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15 May 21 - 05:52 PM (#4106182) Subject: RE: Revival - A Folk Music Novel by Scott Alarik From: Joe Offer Scott Alarik has a weekly program called Folk Tales on WUMB, the public radio station at the University of Massachusetts Boston. Here's the station's bio of Scott:
Folk Tales will seek out the answers as to why artists like Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie and more are still relevant. |
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16 May 21 - 08:03 PM (#4106312) Subject: RE: Revival - A Folk Music Novel by Scott Alarik From: GUEST,Jerome Clark Coincidentally, within the last hour I finished reading Paulette Jiles's novel "Simon the Fiddler" (2020). Set in Texas in the immediate aftermath of the Civil War, it claims a title character with a repertoire of authentic old-time tunes and ballads. Jiles wrote the novel "News of the World," recently a film starring Tom Hanks (well worth seeing if you haven't). Besides being a well-regarded novelist and poet, she's a member of a San Antonio-based folk band. |