Milestones
I delivered the first chapter of Israel vs. Utopia on Tuesday, and received the first feedback about the book today. Everything was absolutely right on, and extremely helpful. I can't over-emphasize what a different experience it is being edited again after the last three years of being the so-called editor. Very cool. Instructions are all systems go: continue writing and sending in the chapters.
A big shoutout to my longtime publisher and friend, Johnny Temple. We first met by email in the Fall of '99, over an article in Punk Planet about indie labels and health care which, as a member of Girls Against Boys, he'd been interviewed for. I'm not sure what occasioned this first exchange. Here's to banging out more dissenting product together. I can't think of a better editor to be working with - as always.
Memories
In 1996-1997, I formed incredible friendships with two extremely gifted and inspiring individuals: Dan Sinker, the publisher of Chicago's Punk Planet magazine (and now, Punk Planet Books, which Dan runs in collaboration with Johnny), and Rich Jensen, who was then the COO of Sub Pop records in Seattle, and the co-owner of Up Records, which put out the first Modest Mouse and Quasi albums.
For nearly seven years, I served as Dan's second, in the capacity of PP's Associate Editor, in addition to producing copious amounts of copy as a contributor. For a little over three years, I put out Christal Methodists records with Rich on our own little stealth imprint, Kolazhnikov after the band was dropped from a manufacturing and distribution deal by Sub Pop over sample clearance concerns.
Over the course of the past two weeks, I managed to spend two of the best days in recent memory with both gentlemen. Dan came over last week, together with his two year-old son, Roosevelt. Visiting the Bay Area for personal reasons, it was the first time we'd seen each other since the spring of 2002, when I spent a week in Chicago giving book readings and worked out of the Punk Planet office.
Yesterday morning, I met Rich at the 24th street BART station, and spent the day walking around San Francisco together. Stopping over here for a few hours en route to a business event in LA, it was the first time we'd seen each other since November 2003, when Rich curated a series of readings and events in the Bay Area on behalf of his publishing house, Clear Cut Press.
Very special to have had the opportunity to hang out with both Dan and Rich after all this time. Things are changing so much in our cultural end of the world. Its beyond poetic to spend time with these two specific folks at such a significant juncture. Even better, given what a tremendous sense of community connecting with all three of these guys continues to provide.
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