RARWRITER PUBLISHING GROUP PRESENTS

CREATIVE CULTURE JOURNAL

at www.RARWRITER.com      

--------------------"The best source on the web for what's real in arts and entertainment" ---------------------------

Volume 1-2016

MUSIC    BOOKS    FINE ARTS   FILM   THE WORLD

ARTIST NEWS    THIS EDITION   ABOUT   MUSIC   MUSIC REVIEWS  BOOKS  CINEMA   FASHION   FINE ARTS  FEATURES   SERIES  MEDIA  ESSAY  RESOURCES  WRITTEN ARTS POETRY  CONTACT  ARCHIVES  MUSIC LINKS

                                 

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Use this link to add your email address to the RARWRITER Publishing Group mailing list for updates on activities associated with the Creative Culture and Revolution Culture journals, and other RARWRITER Publishing Group interests.

 

ABOUT RAR: For those of you new to this site, "RAR" is Rick Alan Rice, the publisher of the RARWRITER Publishing Group websites. Use this link to visit the RAR music page, which features original music compositions and other.

Use this link to visit Rick Alan Rice's publications page, which features excerpts from novels and other.

RARADIO

(Click here)

Currently on RARadio:

"On to the Next One" by Jacqueline Van Bierk

"I See You Tiger" by Via Tania

"Lost the Plot" by Amoureux"

Bright Eyes, Black Soul" by The Lovers Key

"Cool Thing" by Sassparilla

"These Halls I Dwell" by Michael Butler

"St. Francis"by Tom Russell & Gretchen Peters, performance by Gretchen Peters and Barry Walsh; 

"Who Do You Love?"by Elizabeth Kay; 

"Rebirth"by Caterpillars; 

"Monica's Frock" by Signel-Z; 

"Natural Disasters" by Corey Landis; 

"1,000 Leather Tassels" by The Blank Tapes; 

"We Are All Stone" and "Those Machines" by Outer Minds; 

"Another Dream" by MMOSS; "Susannah" by Woolen Kits; 

Jim Morrison, Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson and other dead celebrities / news by A SECRET PARTY;

"I Miss the Day" by My Secret Island,  

"Carriers of Light" by Brendan James;

"The Last Time" by Model Stranger;

"Last Call" by Jay;

"Darkness" by Leonard Cohen; 

"Sweetbread" by Simian Mobile Disco and "Keep You" fromActress off the Chronicle movie soundtrack; 

"Goodbye to Love" from October Dawn; 

Trouble in Mind 2011 label sampler; 

Black Box Revelation Live on Minnesota Public Radio;

Apteka "Striking Violet"; 

Mikal Cronin's "Apathy" and "Get Along";

Dana deChaby's progressive rock

 

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Rick Alan Rice (RAR) Literature Page

ATWOOD - "A Toiler's Weird Odyssey of Deliverance" -AVAILABLE NOW FOR KINDLE (INCLUDING KINDLE COMPUTER APPS) FROM AMAZON.COM. Use this link.

CCJ Publisher Rick Alan Rice dissects the building of America in a trilogy of novels collectively calledATWOOD. Book One explores the development of the American West through the lens of public policy, land planning, municipal development, and governance as it played out in one of the new counties of Kansas in the latter half of the 19th Century. The novel focuses on the religious and cultural traditions that imbued the American Midwest with a special character that continues to have a profound effect on American politics to this day. Book One creates an understanding about America's cultural foundations that is further explored in books two and three that further trace the historical-cultural-spiritual development of one isolated county on the Great Plains that stands as an icon in the development of a certain brand of American character. That's the serious stuff viewed from high altitude. The story itself gets down and dirty with the supernatural, which in ATWOOD - A Toiler's Weird Odyssey of Deliveranceis the outfall of misfires in human interactions, from the monumental to the sublime. The book features the epic poem "The Toiler" as well as artwork by New Mexico artist Richard Padilla.

Elmore Leonard Meets Larry McMurtry

Western Crime Novel

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am offering another novel through Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing service. Cooksin is the story of a criminal syndicate that sets its sights on a ranching/farming community in Weld County, Colorado, 1950. The perpetrators of the criminal enterprise steal farm equipment, slaughter cattle, and rob the personal property of individuals whose assets have been inventoried in advance and distributed through a vast system of illegal commerce.

It is a ripping good yarn, filled with suspense and intrigue. This was designed intentionally to pay homage to the type of creative works being produced in 1950, when the story is set. Richard Padilla has done his usually brilliant work in capturing the look and feel of a certain type of crime fiction being produced in that era. The whole thing has the feel of those black & white films you see on Turner Movie Classics, and the writing will remind you a little of Elmore Leonard, whose earliest works were westerns. Use this link.

 

EXPLORE THE KINDLE BOOK LIBRARY

If you have not explored the books available from Amazon.com's Kindle Publishing division you would do yourself a favor to do so. You will find classic literature there, as well as tons of privately published books of every kind. A lot of it is awful, like a lot of traditionally published books are awful, but some are truly classics. You can get the entire collection of Shakespeare's works for two bucks.

You do not need to buy a Kindle to take advantage of this low-cost library. Use this link to go to an Amazon.com page from which you can download for free a Kindle App for your computer, tablet, or phone.

Amazon is the largest, but far from the only digital publisher. You can find similar treasure troves atNOOK Press (the Barnes & Noble site), Lulu, and others.


 

 

 

Written Arts

 

Probably more than anything else, RARWRITER.com is a writer's site, and on this page we house examples of the work of RARWRITER readers with similar interest in the "written arts". - - RAR

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THE SKUNK LIST

Publisher's Weekly's current list of Top 25 Hard Cover Fiction may not be their fault - or maybe it is, I'm not even sure what Publisher's Weekly does other than advertise the products of publishing houses - but fiction in 2013 sucks every bit as bad as does popular music. There is a nexus there someplace, probably having something to do with the downward spiral of humanity that refuses to

RANK LAST WEEK WEEKS ON LIST BIBLIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
(Click title for review)
PUB DATE UNITS
 
2013 YTD
1 2 7
Robert Galbraith, Author
Mulholland Books, $26.00 (464) 
978-0-316-20684-6
Apr
2013
17,929
 
215,720
2 - 1
Louise Penny, Author
Minotaur Books, $25.99 (416) 
978-0-312-65547-1
Aug
2013
16,717
 
17,136
3 1 5
Mistress
James Patterson, Author, David Ellis, Author
Little Brown and Company, $28.00 (410) 
978-0-316-21107-9
Aug
2013
16,661
 
106,994
4 3 16
Dan Brown, Author
Doubleday Books, $29.95 (480) 
978-0-385-53785-8
May
2013
14,515
 
1,226,620
5 5 15
Khaled Hosseini, Author
Riverhead Books, $28.95 (416) 
978-1-59463-176-4
May
2013
9,140
 
450,502
6 4 3
Rose Harbor in Bloom
Debbie Macomber, Author
Ballantine Books, $26.00 (322) 
978-0-345-52893-3
Aug
2013
8,336
 
37,622
7 - 1
Kathy Reichs, Author
Scribner Book Company, $26.99 (336) 
978-1-4391-0245-9
Aug
2013
8,072
 
8,151
8 - 1
Diane Mott Davidson, Author
William Morrow & Company, $26.99 (384) 
978-0-06-134817-4
Aug
2013
7,503
 
7,610
9 8 2
Frederick Forsyth, Author
Putnam Adult, $27.95 (352) 
978-0-399-16527-6
Aug
2013
6,101
 
14,053
10 9 2
Samantha Shannon, Author
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC, $24.00 (480) 
978-1-62040-139-2
Aug
2013
5,720
 
12,937
11 7 2
Marisha Pessl, Author
Random House, $28.00 (624) 
978-1-4000-6788-6
Aug
2013
5,607
 
14,985
12 - 1
Kenobi: Star Wars
John Jackson Miller, Author
Lucas Books, $27.00 (380) 
978-0-345-54683-8
Aug
2013
5,530
 
5,654
13 10 7
Danielle Steel, Author
Delacorte Press, $28.00 (384) 
978-0-385-33830-1
Jul
2013
5,512
 
110,645
14 12 5
Liane Moriarty, Author
Amy Einhorn Books, $25.95 (416) 
978-0-399-15934-3
Jul
2013
5,055
 
25,512
15 11 7
The English Girl
Daniel Silva, Author
Harper, $27.99 (496) 
978-0-06-207316-7
Jul
2013
4,801
 
108,521
16 6 2
The Third Kingdom
Terry Goodkind, Author
Tor Books, $29.99 (527) 
978-0-7653-3599-9
Aug
2013
4,643
 
14,470
17 15 8
William Shakespeare's Star Wars
Ian Doescher, Author
Quirk Books, $14.95 (174) 
978-1-59474-637-6
Jul
2013
4,563
 
41,833
18 13 4
Hotshot
Julie Garwood, Author
Dutton Books, $26.95 (356) 
978-0-525-95301-2
Aug
2013
3,952
 
31,361
19 16 4
W. E. B. Griffin, Author, William E. Butterworth, IV, Author
Putnam Adult, $27.95 (352) 
978-0-399-16257-2
Aug
2013
3,757
 
24,805
20 - 1
The Family Business 2
Carl Weber, Author, Treasure Hernandez, With
Urban Books, $23.95 (324) 
978-1-60162-559-5
Aug
2013
3,504
 
3,676
21 14 11
Neil Gaiman, Author
William Morrow & Company, $25.99 (192) 
978-0-06-225565-5
Jun
2013
3,407
 
124,982
22 - 1
Jason Mott, Author
Mira Books, $24.95 (400) 
978-0-7783-1533-9
Aug
2013
3,272
 
3,326
23 17 11
Second Honeymoon
James Patterson, Author, Howard Roughan, Author
Little Brown and Company, $28.00 (432) 
978-0-316-21122-2
Jun
2013
3,251
 
161,507
24 18 6
Philippa Gregory, Author
Touchstone Books, $27.99 (544) 
978-1-4516-2609-4
Jul
2013
3,154
 
31,360
25 - 1
Anne Perry, Author
Ballantine Books, $26.00 (352) 
978-0-345-53670-9
Aug
2013
2,616
 
2,653

 

Phillip Rauls' Photo Archive

Photo-documenting Rock History

Former Atlantic A&R pro Phillip Rauls will probably eventually want to donate his extraordinary personal collection of photographs of golden era rock luminaries to a rock museum someplace. It is probably paralleled by few other such collections. For now, however, he has put some of it online, in documentary form, and you can watch it by going to his Photolog site. Just click on the image at right or on the link provided here. Happy trails.

 

 

 

 

 

For more information on Baron Wolman, and to view his work, visit:

www.baronwolman.com

www.omnibuspress.com

 

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Proper Records presents ...
Beefheart: Through The Eyes Of Magic - John ‘Drumbo’ French

Written by the man who spent more time than anyone else with Don Van Vliet and The Magic Band this book serves as the definitive story about the group.

This book clocks in at nearly 900 pages with 16 pages of very rare and often previously unpublished photos. Tracing the history of the group it includes reminiscences from key members of The Magic Band and The Mothers Of Invention. There are amazing stories about the recording process, particularly Trout Mask Replica, and life on the road with the Captain.
Few names carry such formidable mystique and rabid cult status as Captain Beefheart, who led various line-ups of his Magic Band to make some of the most startling, ground-breaking albums of the last century. In 1982, he retired to concentrate on painting, leaving the mythology he’d stoked himself to grow untamed over the years.

John French is better qualified than anyone to talk about Beefheart, joining the Magic Band in 1966 at the age of 17 just before recording their Safe As Milk debut album, finding himself plunged into a tyrannical regime which would dominate his life for the next 14 years as he played a major role in eight subsequent albums, including translating the mind-blowing avant-blues assault of 1969’s Trout Mask Replica into readable music for the Magic Band from the Captain’s piano poundings under torturous conditions he likens to a cult.

French’s remarkable memoir starts with a vivid description of the rarely-documented early 60s Lancaster garage-rock scene which also spawned names like Ry Cooder and Beefheart’s childhood friend and later nemesis Frank Zappa, whose appearances in the book will enthral his own legion of fans. As his spellbinding, often shocking tale unwinds, he encounters names including jazz giant Ornette Coleman, Jim Morrison and Paul McCartney, writing with dry, sometimes surreal humour and disarming honesty about his old boss and even himself, occasionally bringing in his old Magic Band comrades to jog his memory. The book is packed with new revelations, many previously-unseen photos and enough anecdotes to keep the Beefheart faithful ruminating for years, French finally crystallising and bringing to life over 40 years of legend and speculation in what has to be the ultimate book on the mercurial genius of Captain Beefheart.

"One of the most incredible stories to emerge out of 20th century music ... the definitive account of life with the Captain from the inside." Kris Needs - Mojo.

 

 

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Trower Drummer Bill Lordan's Rock Life

 

 

 

Bill Lordan, pictured left, has been in the high ether of the rock, funk and soul universe for 40 years. Coming from humble beginnings in Minnesota, Lordan caught on with soul groups The Amazers and The Esquires, perfecting his chops at Harlem's Apollo Theatre, the only white guy in otherwise Black ensembles. Success in that company led to the big time with Gypsy, The Mystics, Sly and the Family Stone and the Robin Trower Band.

Bill Lordan, working with RARWRITER.com contributor Diana Olson, has written his autobiography, From the Basement to the Coliseum, charting his long and successful career. They are currently in negotiations with publishers. Lordan remains an active player, winning an L.A. Music Award as recently as 2004 for his compilation album "The Best of BLX" (i.e., the Bill Lordan Experience).

Click here to read a brief excerpt from the book and listen to MP3 from his "Best of..." LP.

 

 

 

 

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"Valhalla of Decadence"

L.A. Rocker Tony Gamble (left) has been through quite a lot over the past six years, including album releases, rock tours, and shows at the annual NAMM conference, where he represents ESP Guitars.

And...oh yeah, there was that murder, that body found in a trash bag in a dumpster wearing Tony's watch...

Oh-oh...

Tony Gamble is a RARWRITER Featured Artist in this edition, where he discusses the book he is writing on his experiences surrounding a highly publicized murder case in L.A., his childhood in Malibu, growing up with the Z-Boys of Dogtown and the children of famous rockers, and his plans for the future.

Click here to read the Tony Gamble exclusive.

 

 

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RARWRITER.com Offers Serial Novels

NOTE FROM RAR: Beginning with this May 2009 edition, RARWRITER.com will begin the practice of serializing novels, offering long works in installments. I intend to do this with my own completed work as well as a few things that I currently have in development. I invite the participation of other writers of short and long fiction, should they have work they feel would find an audience through this site. Contact me by email at Rick@RARWRITER.com to make inquiries.

The first offering is my "western novel" Cowboy Town, which is a story of love and redemption set against temptation, lust and violence. If that sounds like promotional text from another era, it is meant to. Modeled on 1930s-40s era cinema - read the forward provided with the novel - Cowboy Town aims at the unapologetically romantic and sentimental, and serves it up sautéed in testosterone, just like how I knew it growing up out there on the Great Plains and in Rocky Mountain country.

This first installment includes the first 11 chapters of 50 total. Next month will include additional until the book is full.

Click here to go to Cowboy Town. The serialized novel will open chapter-by-chapter in separate HTML files.

 

Click here to go to the RARWRITER Literature page for additional information.

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INSIDE STORY: James Warner, Ransom Stephens and Yanina Gotsulsky launched InsideStoryTime, which SF Weekly selected "Best New Reading Series" of 2006. It is described at Jame's site as "A fun, cozy event where you can booze and schmooze with the San Francisco literati." Ransom Stephens is a PhD., a Physicists, and a public speaker in the fields of electrodynamics and signal analysis. He is also a novelist, a memoirist, a technical writer, and a consultant in problem solving. Yanina Gotsulsky is a novelist, poet, and a translator of Akhmatova and Pasternak. She holds a degree in Russian Literature from York University in Toronto, travels frequently, and splits her home time between Canada and Northern California. She is represented by Markus Hoffmann of Regal Literary. James Warner is profiled briefly in the following story.

James Warner: Identity Theory

San Francisco, California - Our friend James Warner has carved out something of a niche for himself in San Francisco's literary circles, publishing in various on-line publications (McSweeney's Internet Tendency, Eclectica, Monkey Bicycle), reading at the City's LITQUAKE festival, and producing the club-hosted InsideStoryTime reading series. British-born James, whose credentials include a degree in philosophy from Oxford and a Java programming certificate, tends toward the "pataphysical" in his own writing - and he will appreciate that reference, along with Paul McCartney, Eugene Ionesco, Autolux, and other readers of obscure French journals - or at least he used to. These days he is hosting a literary blog (click here to read and leave comment) in which he is downright sober, like a 7:30 a.m. survey class on 19th and 20th Century British and American novelists.

James' recent entries have included musings on Nabokav, Joseph Conrad, Thomas Hardy, Henry James, Rudyard Kipling, Jack London, and a bevy of other historical heavies, plus the very alive Louis de Bernieres. For those who enjoy deep analysis of what it may mean to be brilliant, all tied up in neat Gordian bows, you might find James' musings highly entertaining. You might even learn something! Or become inspired to write.

James is a musician, classically trained on piano, and he has written some wonderfully entertaining tunes over the years, though this avocation seems to have taken a backseat to his literary explorations into what it all must mean. Check out James blog at www.identitytheory.com

 

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