Paperback Riders returns

Paperbacks Ride Again, or what is American(a) literature?

Rick Bayles, Books Editor, writes: When Gordon Sharpe passed away earlier this year we lost a good friend and colleague, but we also lost a talented writer who made a big contribution to the literary side of Americana UK. In recent years, the book review side of the site has grown considerably and we’ve been able to feature a lot of reviews for some really outstanding books relating to Americana. Unfortunately, unlike the music reviews here, there’s not a steady stream of new material coming forward for review and we get some very fallow periods. When Gordon first launched his ‘Paperback Riders’ series it was a godsend because it meant that, even in the quietest periods for new books on Americana related topics, we could keep that side of the site ticking over with Gordon’s views on an eclectic selection of writings that loosely connected to our favourite musical genre. Losing Gordon meant we lost ‘Paperback Riders’ and you never really know what you’ve got ’til its gone (to paraphrase another Americana writer!).
Consequently, I’m really pleased to announce that ‘Paperback Riders’ will be returning to the website under the curatorship of Tim Martin. We’re really pleased that Tim has agreed to take this on and he comes with a lot of fresh ideas that, while they give a strong nod to the identity that Gordon Sharpe created for his original series, will give these articles a new lease of life and a new identity for the future.
Here, Tim lays out his thoughts on what we might expect from the column in the coming months and you’ll be able to see Tim’s first Paperback Riders article at the end of August.

When our learned Books Editor asked me to step into Gordon Sharpe’s unfillable shoes, I started wondering what American literature actually was, how it connected with the music we feature at AUK and what does it, in fact, all mean? Especially given that everything we do at AUK can at times feel like a search for a definition of Americana, whether that relates to the music or a wider cultural definition. So, I looked it up, in Merriam Webster naturally, where it says: “materials concerning or characteristic of America, its civilization, or its culture, broadly: things typical of America.”

So that gives us a starting point. What books help us understand and appreciate America? Both for us in the “old world,” we are after all based in the People’s Republic of Liverpool, and for those resident on the left side of the pond. I have, by the way, taken “America” to mean the USA at least for the purposes of distinguishing the wood from the trees. As with every other country, America seeks to explain itself in words and pictures. There isn’t room in this column to look at films and TV as well as books and magazines, but the two areas do cross over, with so much of the best American writing being very cinematic in its use of places to spotlight aspects of American life. Having been listening to and writing about the band The Delines recently, their songwriter Willy Vlautin is a good example of how keenly observed and illustrated worlds can be built into a four-minute song or a short story through focusing on their setting. The influences on his writing include John Steinbeck, and Raymond Carver. Carver especially made huge contributions to short story writing in the US, and Vlautin’s books and songs continue the thread he started.

But it’s not all going to be fiction. There are some great thought-provoking books on music. Greil Marcus with Mystery Train, which examines key artists from popular music and according to a reviewer starts from “the “democratic assumption” that Presley and Herman Melville are already cultural and political equals, and are, therefore, “in conversation with one another – having a dialogue about freedom and limits, innovation and tradition, American dreams and American obsessions.” And that may be the key to what makes American culture unique and so dominant in our world. There is no separating music, from books, or films and art. They are all feeding off each other in an attempt to understand the diverse people, cultures and landscapes that make up America. So, in the words of another American cultural icon. “Let’s see what’s out there”.

About Tim Martin 236 Articles
Sat in my shed listening to music, and writing about some of it. Occasionally allowed out to attend gigs.
Subscribe
Notify of
guest

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

3 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Clint West

Well done for taking this on Tim. I’m really looking forward to the revamped feature.

Hannah Sharpe

Dad/Gordon would be delighted to know that Paperback Riders is returning Tim, thank you for taking it on! Look forward to seeing what’s to come.