Camden Joy?

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No, I'm not talking about seedy couplings in the back room of the Monarch. I picked up a novel by this fellow Camden Joy a couple of years ago: 'The Last Rock Star Book, or: Liz Phair, a Rant', and it's pretty intriguing. About a guy commissioned to write a Liz Phair-sploitation photo book, who turns the thing round, a la Lester Bangs' 'Blondie', into a meditation on the beauty of pop 'moments', the psychopathology of stalkerhood and small town terrorism.

I've since found out that Joy used to produce weird poster manifestoes he would paste up round Manhattan during CMJ. And that he wrote a *very* weird book about Al Green. Andybody know anything more?

― stevie t, Friday, 29 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

His writing appears in Puncture Magazine. He really liked Frank Black's _Teenager of the Year_, I guess.

Other than that, I can't say. Haven't read the Phair book, but his other writings aren't too distinguishable from others, in my eyes. (But these other writings were only record reviews, so keep that in mind.)

― David Raposa, Friday, 29 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I like him because he writes evangelical-style tracts about a secular subject. It's highly personal and obsessive, and I can deal with that better than I can with any sort of music criticism.

See the Rag and Bone site for further information about Camden Joy, including some of his work for sale.

The posters were about a Chicago experimental sorta druggy country band called Souled American. I found out about CJ because I had thought I was the only person in the world who loved them. I loved the idea of making 50 posters about a totally obscure band. It was so close to the way I felt about some obscure bands. I think all of the posters are available for online viewing through the Rag and Bone site.

― Kerry Keane, Friday, 29 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

You're not alone about Souled American. Those recent reissues were so damn long overdue.

― Ned Raggett, Friday, 29 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Thanks Kerry, will investigate forthwith!

― stevie t, Friday, 29 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

six months pass...

He's recently published a set of three novellas, of which I just read "Pan," most of which is set at and immediately before a gig I attended (the infamous Fall show at Brownies in 1998). It's very weird to read fiction about events I witnessed.

― Douglas, Friday, 18 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

The posters about Souled American were also collected in a book called "Make Me Laugh, Make Me Cry: 50 Posters About Souled American." SA is my favorite band; "Frozen," which I don't think ever got a US release, is wonderful, wonderful. I have all but given up trying to write about them. Outside of highly subjective anecdotal writing, it's nearly impossible to explain what makes them so great.

― John Darnielle, Friday, 18 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

It's just the goodness, that's all. I tried to make a stab at explaining why they were great on the AMG.

― Ned Raggett, Friday, 18 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

two years pass...

he writes staler fiction?

http://www.miaminewtimes.com/issues/2000-06-01/stuff.html

― shookout (shookout), Thursday, 19 August 2004 02:36 (twenty-one years ago)

that should be stalker....I think it's funny he pissed off Lowery, who is a creep.

― shookout (shookout), Thursday, 19 August 2004 12:02 (twenty-one years ago)

two years pass...

He's featured in a <I>This American Life</I> episode from 1997 or so, the theme of which is about "Name Changes." I think this must have been before he was a novelist-- they described him as a bizarre music reviewer who posted his diatribes, rants and raves all over NYC. I found the story somewhat interesting, but haven't read anything by him.

― Richard Wood Johnson, Tuesday, 7 August 2007 16:28 (eighteen years ago)

gawd, that html thing is killing me.

― Richard Wood Johnson, Tuesday, 7 August 2007 16:28 (eighteen years ago)

http://www.villagevoice.com/music/0013,joy,13442,22.html

― xhuxk, Tuesday, 7 August 2007 17:01 (eighteen years ago)

http://www.villagevoice.com/music/0003,joy,11850,22.html

― xhuxk, Tuesday, 7 August 2007 17:05 (eighteen years ago)

i read Lost Joy a few year ago, but i don't really remember anything about it.

― poortheatre, Tuesday, 7 August 2007 19:04 (eighteen years ago)

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