Books Bill Likes.

Some books that Bill likes. 

I’ve read and loved many of Toni Morrison’s books. At the beginning of this “lockdown” period I read “Sula” for the first time. I’ve often said in the past how words can’t come close to expressing the things that music can. Maybe that’s true sometimes, but depends. It’s true for me. But, man, Toni Morrison. Her words lift off up into some whole other realm. 

I also read “Positively 4th Street”  by David Hajdu and “A Freewheelin Time” by Suze Rotolo. I’m endlessly fascinated by that late 50’s early 60’s time in New York. The Village. Bob Dylan gets to town, Monk at the 5 Spot, Ornette, Allen Ginsberg, Philip Guston, Morton Feldman, musicians, beatniks, painters, poets, writers and everyone all hangin out.  David Hajdu also wrote the fantastic Billy Strayhorn biography “Lush Life”. 
I loved reading Robin D. G. Kelley’s  book “Thelonious Monk: the life and times of an American original”. Recently finished “The Ways of White Folks”, stories by Langston Hughes. 

My good friend Tucker Martine has been the recording engineer on many of my albums. His father Layng wrote a very inspiring memoir called “Permission to Fly”. Layng is a songwriter living in Nashville and a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame. 

I’m in the midst of reading my first Haruki Murakami book, “A Wild Sheep Chase”.
Also “Absolutely on Music: Conversations with Seiji Ozawa”. These guys sure know their stuff. 

I’ve read little bits of “Give my Regards to Eighth Street: Collected writings of Morton Feldman”. I love his music.

 
I honestly don’t read that much. I should read more. I have yet to read ”Moby Dick”. 
I guess this might be the time. 
Maybe I’ll read “East of Eden” again. I love that book. 
I love Truman Capote’s books and stories too. 

Also. 

“Letter from a Region in my Mind”

The New Yorker November 17, 1962:

“Whatever white people do not know about Negroes reveals, precisely and inexorably, what they do not know about themselves.”

James Baldwin. 

Essential.