Of course, the expectations of artists who book and promote their own shows are nothing if not realistic. Then again, maniacs who spend years composing pieces that nobody may want to play or hear, refining techniques that seem more suited to a carnival than a concert stage, and striving for a perfection that must alienate in order to succeed are so idealistic as to make monks seem like venal hedonists. Instead of CD reviews and celebrity profiles for fans, there were CD release notifications and interviews and articles for fellow artists. These are the lines of investigation John Hartl and The Tentacle have pursued in their various ways. I know these people and have written for these publications, but my stake in all this is personal only insofar as it is intellectual.
People retire, magazines sink out of sight, and newspapers wrap fish.
More things we're losing. A last lingering look inside the OK Hotel. The terrible beauty of the freeways. The end of our little makeover parable. PBS discovers marketing to kids.