Biographies

[Jockice]

Make up about 90% of my reading but unless I'm mistaken (which I am sometimes) there doesn't seem to be a thread about them on here, or at least one that's been posted in recently.

I'm not a big fiction fan (I may read about three or four in an average year) but find real life (or in the case of autobiographies, the particular person's version of it) fascinating.

A lot of these are of/by famous people to varying degrees (I've recently done Stuart Braithwaite from Mogwai's and I think the next one I'll be reading is Neil Warnock's) but I also like ones from 'ordinary' people. The one I've just finished is by a guy called Emmett de Monterey, whose book I bought after reading this article in the Guardian.  https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/jun/28/a-moment-that-changed-me-gay-disabled-alienated-pride-life-began

I thought I'd heard his name before somewhere (after all it's a great name) and it turns out he got quite a bit of publicity as a child for going to America and undergoing an operation to 'cure' his CP. Which of course it didn't.

Maybe it's just because I've been disabled most of my life too but it's the best book I've read for yonks. There are differences between us (he's gay, I'm not, he went to 'special' school, I had a mainstream education - although that certainly wasn't a bundle of fun - and although I've had my own experiences of people suggesting miracle cures that weren't, I've certainly never been on television disproving the miracle) there are still bits where I think: "Yes! That's happened to me!"

It ends near the end of his teens, although there is a postscript proving that some of the shitty attitudes we encountered then still exist to this day, and is superbly written. I recommend it highly.

That's all really. Anyone else prefer (auto)biographies to fiction and if so do you have any recommendations?

[Gulftastic]

I don't read many but of those I have Michael J Fox's first one 'Lucky Man' is probably my favourite.

I enjoyed Simon Pegg's book but it does seem that 'if you had told that 13 year old kid...' is his 'needless to say I had the last laugh.'

[Jockice]

I'll look that Fox one up. I used to love him in Family Ties. Pegg I can take or leave but I'll keep it in mind.

[Magnum Valentino]

Pegg's book is peppered with writing about movies that read like first year film studies coursework, which is surprising as I think he's a very accomplished screenwriter.

[Garam]

Mezz Mezzrow - Really the Blues
Steve Hanley - The Big Midweek
Julian Cope - Head On/Possessed
Bill Drummond - 45

All stellar music autobios

[turnstyle]

Steve Hanley - The Big Midweek

I'd also massively recommend The Fallen by Dave Simpson.

I'm a fairweather Fall fan (if you can be), but the writer's quest to track down and speak to everyone who's been in The Fall is fascinating. I think it might be my favourite music biography.

[Jockice]

I'd also massively recommend The Fallen by Dave Simpson.

I'm a fairweather Fall fan (if you can be), but the writer's quest to track down and speak to everyone who's been in The Fall is fascinating. I think it might be my favourite music biography.

I can see that from where I'm sitting. I think I have every book on The Fall ever published.

Julian Cope's Head On and Boy George's Take It Like A Man are probably my two favourite music ones though.

[Phoenix Lazarus]

Jimmy Savile's autobiography, Love is an Uphill Thing, which I own, is fascinating in the light of what is now known.

[Jockice]

Jimmy Savile's autobiography, Love is an Uphill Thing, which I own, is fascinating in the light of what is now known.

I remember reading one of his (can't remember the title though) on a plane trip to Poland in the 90s. It should have been called Now Then Now Then Now Then of course.

[Phoenix Lazarus]

Jimmy Savile's autobiography, Love is an Uphill Thing, which I own, is fascinating in the light of what is now known.

There's this page for instance.  Does anyone else think this could be a veiled boast about causing an  explosion to loot stuff for the black market?

[badaids]

Chris Donald of Viz is a good one.

So are Brian Clough's.

I'm currently reading one about Shackelton which is excellent and surprisingly funny - mainly because, in spite of all his qualities, he was hopelessly incompetent and ill prepared as a polar explorer.

[jamiefairlie]

Chris Donald of Viz is a good one.

So are Brian Clough's.

I'm currently reading one about Shackelton which is excellent and surprisingly funny - mainly because, in spite of all his qualities, he was hopelessly incompetent and ill prepared as a polar explorer.

He was the Clown Prince of explorers

[Ham Bap]

Love biographies too, but my reading of books in recent years is terrible unless I'm on holiday.

Always looking for biography recommendations.
Some good ones from the past:

Back from the Brink - Paul McGrath
Slash - The Autobiography
Born Standing Up - Steve Martin

[Astronaut Omens]

Pegg's book is peppered with writing about movies that read like first year film studies coursework, which is surprising as I think he's a very accomplished screenwriter.

I suppose academic film criticism really is an art unto itself, and there's no real reason why someone who's actually good at making movies should be good at that. I agree with you that it is sort of counter-intuitive, but maybe we could say that academic film writing requires openly defensible arguments that can be expressed coherently, whereas the genesis of good films might be a bit less clear, maybe sometimes impossible to express as a thesis.

[Kankurette]

I've not read any football biographies except that last Neville Southall book, and that wasn't a biography so much as Big Nev venting about stuff. I kind of want to read Carlton Palmer's but am hesitant for the same reasons as why I don't read the Catatonia books anymore (see below). It's mainly music biographies I'm into, or memoirs. Usually by female artists, with the exception of Passion is a Fashion, a Clash biography. I kind of want to start threads on some music memoirs but I'm not sure if they go in here or Oscillations, @Barry Admin?

The ones I've read and enjoyed are:
 - Paradoxical Undressing aka Rat Girl by Kristin Hersh
 - Girl in a Band by Kim Gordon
 - Clothes, Clothes, Clothes. Music, Music, Music. Boys, Boys, Boys. by Viv Albertine (Slits guitarist)
 - Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl by Carrie Brownstein from Sleater-Kinney
 - Piece by Piece and Resistance by Tori Amos
 - Fingers Crossed by Miki Berenyi, which is one of the most fascinating ones and really got me into Lush, though it's pretty horrifying at times

I also have Bit of a Blur by Alex James, which was awful and made me hate him, and a couple of Catatonia biographies, one by David Owens which is more sort of general, and one by Brian Wright which is very personal. He's an alcoholic (from Sheffield, incidentally) and Catatonia basically saved his life. The sad thing is that I can't read them anymore because there's an awful lot of 'Cerys did [insert crazy thing here] while drunk off her tits, what a legend', especially in Owens' book, and it's not triggering per se but it is uncomfortable reading because of my mum's drink problem. I should buy Cerys' Hook Line & Singer but I had a read of my stepsister's copy and I wasn't that interested in it.

Btw if you're interested in the history of Liverpool music, I can recommend Wondrous Place by Paul du Noyer. I didn't just buy it because of you know who, but because I'm interested in the musical history of the city. There's a lot of social history there too.

[Barry Admin]

I kind of want to start threads on some music memoirs but I'm not sure if they go in here or Oscillations, @Barry Admin?

Wherever you prefer really, they are applicable to both subforums.

[Kankurette]

Thanks.

[Jockice]

I've not read any football biographies except that last Neville Southall book, and that wasn't a biography so much as Big Nev venting about stuff. I kind of want to read Carlton Palmer's but am hesitant for the same reasons as why I don't read the Catatonia books anymore (see below). It's mainly music biographies I'm into, or memoirs. Usually by female artists, with the exception of Passion is a Fashion, a Clash biography. I kind of want to start threads on some music memoirs but I'm not sure if they go in here or Oscillations, @Barry Admin?

The ones I've read and enjoyed are:
 - Paradoxical Undressing aka Rat Girl by Kristin Hersh
 - Girl in a Band by Kim Gordon
 - Clothes, Clothes, Clothes. Music, Music, Music. Boys, Boys, Boys. by Viv Albertine (Slits guitarist)
 - Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl by Carrie Brownstein from Sleater-Kinney
 - Piece by Piece and Resistance by Tori Amos
 - Fingers Crossed by Miki Berenyi, which is one of the most fascinating ones and really got me into Lush, though it's pretty horrifying at times

I also have Bit of a Blur by Alex James, which was awful and made me hate him, and a couple of Catatonia biographies, one by David Owens which is more sort of general, and one by Brian Wright which is very personal. He's an alcoholic (from Sheffield, incidentally) and Catatonia basically saved his life. The sad thing is that I can't read them anymore because there's an awful lot of 'Cerys did [insert crazy thing here] while drunk off her tits, what a legend', especially in Owens' book, and it's not triggering per se but it is uncomfortable reading because of my mum's drink problem. I should buy Cerys' Hook Line & Singer but I had a read of my stepsister's copy and I wasn't that interested in it.

Btw if you're interested in the history of Liverpool music, I can recommend Wondrous Place by Paul du Noyer. I didn't just buy it because of you know who, but because I'm interested in the musical history of the city. There's a lot of social history there too.

Cheers. I've read Viv's (like The Slits in general I think the idea is brilliant but the execution of it didn't do much for me) and Miki's (very well-written and as you say often harrowing). And Alex James's. But I'll certainly look up the others. Thanks.

[crispybacon]

@Kankurette Not books, so a little off thread, sorry, but have you come acroos the Woman of Rock Oral History Project channel on YT? I mention it because there's a lot of long interviews with women who haven't done a book yet.

[Jockice]

Here's another 'civilian' one I read yesterday, The Stirrings: A Memoir In Northern Time by Catherine Taylor. I found it fascinating not least because we seemed to have led parallel younger lives, living in the same area of the same city at the same time, hanging around in the same parks and later on going to the same clubs and concerts. We even seem to have used the same shops. Yet I've never knowingly met her.

I think I'd have enjoyed it even if it hadn't been for that though. So if Barry doesn't mind me posting it, here's an article about her and the book.

https://www.sheffieldtribune.co.uk/p/my-time-in-threads-catherine-taylor?fbclid=IwAR04fj3iQseE9_N7ggf3MTf70s7X6AkDQ03DRlQVBeEmRlbdyMTEbbqvnSs

[Kankurette]

@Kankurette Not books, so a little off thread, sorry, but have you come acroos the Woman of Rock Oral History Project channel on YT? I mention it because there's a lot of long interviews with women who haven't done a book yet.

No, but thanks for heads up.

[markburgle]

There's this page for instance.  Does anyone else think this could be a veiled boast about causing an  explosion to loot stuff for the black market?

Even without the noncings he was such an odiously boastful arse wasn't he? Utterly full of shit. His "Who The Hell?" interview was full of stuff like this, Mick Jagger asking him what his secret was and that kind of thing

[Jockice]

Here's another 'civilian' one I read yesterday, The Stirrings: A Memoir In Northern Time by Catherine Taylor. I found it fascinating not least because we seemed to have led parallel younger lives, living in the same area of the same city at the same time, hanging around in the same parks and later on going to the same clubs and concerts. We even seem to have used the same shops. Yet I've never knowingly met her.

I think I'd have enjoyed it even if it hadn't been for that though. So if Barry doesn't mind me posting it, here's an article about her and the book.

https://www.sheffieldtribune.co.uk/p/my-time-in-threads-catherine-taylor?fbclid=IwAR04fj3iQseE9_N7ggf3MTf70s7X6AkDQ03DRlQVBeEmRlbdyMTEbbqvnSs

I've booked a ticket to see her at a local book festival next month. As a wheelie nowadays I'll probably be in the front row, so I'm hoping she doesn't recognise me and think: "What's that wanker doing here? I spent the entirety of my teens avoiding him."

[iamcoop]

Hellfire : The Jerry Lee Lewis Story by Nick Tosches

John Healy - The Grass Arena

Sebastian Horsely - Dandy in the Underworld

Somebody's Husband, Somebody's Son by Gordon Burn or Killing for Comfort by Brian Masters (the two best biographies on serial killers for my money)

O Brother - John Niven (Haven't read this yet but it's supposed to be excellent. John Niven's memoir centred around the suicide of his brother. I've read many articles by him on the subject and they've always been excellent so I'd wager this is as well).

Just a few off the top of my head. I've read thousands of music biogs so I'm assuming you've read most of them as well, but out of that lot The Grass Arena is a fucking astonishing piece of work. Huge recommend

[Deskbound Cunt]

The Grass Arena is a fucking astonishing piece of work. Huge recommend

On this recommendation I read 'The Grass Arena' over the last couple of days. Wow.

I've read many alchy books in my time (Bukowski, Wake in Fright, Under the Volcano etc) but this was brutal.

Spoiler alert

I woke up in a skipper with Ernie and George, a box full of surgical spirits and bottles of lemonade. When the mind halts, all memories go. It took us a week between drinking and sleeping to get through that jake. No need to leave the skipper for water – we had the lemonade.

Pure desolation hell.

More shocking than the booze was the relentless violence. Random and terrifying. Beatings, stabbings and deaths (a bunch of them 'mysteriously' in the nick)

In this vagrant society you cannot live on past achievements, you could not simply close your eyes to it. Violence is an obligation of this way of life. Each day you have to prove yourself anew in toughness or lack of it, stealing, fighting, begging and drinking. There is little sympathy for the cripple, every muscle has to function. Of course there are one or two soft souls here but they are not repaid in fear and respect. It is hard for ordinary people to understand this, insulated by their lifestyles from our primitive concerns.

[close]

The most outstanding book I've read in a good while. Not for the feint hearted.

[lauraxsynthesis]

On this recommendation I read 'The Grass Arena' over the last couple of days. Wow.


The most outstanding book I've read in a good while. Not for the feint hearted.

Don't know if I can bring myself to read the book but I have seen Mark Rylance play Healy in the very good, very harrowing film

[Deskbound Cunt]

Don't know if I can bring myself to read the book but I have seen Mark Rylance play Healy in the very good, very harrowing film

Bah. I can't find it available for sale anywhere or the- ahem- tRntZ sites. I see there's a doc about him on Netflix so that'll do for now.

[iamcoop]

Bah. I can't find it available for sale anywhere or the- ahem- tRntZ sites. I see there's a doc about him on Netflix so that'll do for now.

Really glad you read it and got something from it.

It's an amazing book and despite being published as a modern classic, seems to have slipped under the radar really.

I've never been interested in the adaptation, although perhaps I should check it out.

Good article about John Healy here.

Although that was 15 years ago now, I'm not sure what he's been doing lately or if he's even alive anymore.

[Oosp]

Happy Like Murderers by Gordon Burn.
Don't ever read it. But you must.

[Deskbound Cunt]

Really glad you read it and got something from it.

It's an amazing book and despite being published as a modern classic, seems to have slipped under the radar really.

I've never been interested in the adaptation, although perhaps I should check it out.

Good article about John Healy here.

Although that was 15 years ago now, I'm not sure what he's been doing lately or if he's even alive anymore.

I've just watched the doc about him on Netflix.

Amazing scenes.

Spoiler alert

The book went out of print for years. Because... he thought he was getting ripped off he turned up at the foyer at his publisher Faber books. Threatened to chop the head of the woman at the foyer with an axe.

Yikes. Yea, this didn't go down well so that was the end of that. The book was dropped.

Took years before it got republished.

[close]