ROCK 'N' PROSE---ANOTHER LIST!

Searching around the internet for a list on the subject, I found this old story of mine, which appeared in the Oakland Tribune (reprinted).

Put on your thinking caps--add more.

ROCK, POP AND PROSE COMBINATION IS NOTHNG NEW
Oakland Tribune, May 30, 2004 by Gina Vivinetto - ST. PETERSBURG TIMES

Tell me, do you notice a trend with these recent news items? British rocker Elvis Costello announced in March he's penning not one but two books for Simon & Schuster: (1) a story collection inspired by his songs due in late 2005 and (2) a "comic philosophy" tome on how to play the guitar. R&B singer-pianist Alicia Keys has let folks know she's in talks to create a series of children's mystery books called "Alicia Keys' Street Mysteries," with each novel named after one of her tunes. Esquire introduces pop singer- guitarist and Grammy-winner John Mayer as the writer behind the new monthly column, "The Resident Rock Star," beginning in June. Is it me or are a whole lot of pop stars picking up pens and laptops?

Nothing to cringe about

Alas, this phenomenon isn't so new. It called to mind rockers in the past with published prose. It also reminded me that some of it wasn't half bad.

Including:

* RICHARD HELL, punk-rock guitarist and leader of Richard Hell and the Voidoids, in 1996 published the critically acclaimed novel "Go Now," which dazzled, among others, cyberpunk author William Gibson. (Hell has published other works, too.)

* KINKY FRIEDMAN, once the leader of Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys, a beloved quirky country band, is now better known as a mystery author.

* HENRY ROLLINS, former Black Flag and Rollins Band leader, is so in love with the printed word he created 2:13:61, a grass roots publishing company to release his and other maverick authors' books.

POP POETS

When it comes to poetry, look out. Seems every rock and pop lyricist under the sun considers himself well-versed enough to be published. The bards include:

* JIM MORRISON of the Doors, because he was the Lizard King, and as such, he could do anything, including writing "Lords and New Creatures."

* The voice of his generation, BOB DYLAN, whose song lyrics have been printed as poetry in many collections. As has:

* LOU REED, former leader of the Velvet Underground and disciple of poet Delmore Schwartz, Reed's professor at Syracuse University. Several of Reed's songs are dedicated to Schwartz.

* LYDIA LUNCH (once the frontperson for the 1970s act Teenage Jesus and the Jerks), who has had many journals and books of poetry published.

* PATTI SMITH the Godmother of Punk, acolyte of Dylan, the Stones and Rimbaud, who has been published in many forms.

* JEWEL, the little folkie who penned the god-awful "A Night Without Armor."

* ED SANDERS and TULI KUPFERBERG of the Fugs, both published poets.

* TUPAC SHAKUR, whose lyrics have been published as poetry.

And let's not forget JOSEPH SIMMONS, better known as RUN of pioneer rap group Run-DMC. In April, Simmons entered himself as a candidate for poet laureate of Queens, N.Y. (He didn't win.)

CRITICS OR STARS?

A special category features folks who pulled off both tasks. These are the music writers and pop-music critics who wrote about other performers and played music in bands of their own:

* CHRISSIE HYNDE of the Pretenders

* NEIL TENNANT of the Pet Shop Boys

* IRA KAPLAN of Yo La Tengo

* PATTI SMITH

* LENNY KAYE of the Patti Smith Group

* And of course, famed Creem critic LESTER BANGS, who led Lester Bangs and the Delinquents.

NOVEL ROCKERS:

In a very special domain, we place noted fiction writers and aspiring rockers STEPHEN KING, AMY TAN, DAVE BARRY, KATHI KAMEN GOLDMARK and BARBARA KINGSOLVER, who together call themselves the Rock Bottom Remainders and perform occasionally.

The band, which features King and Barry on guitar and Tan on lead vocal, got started back in 1992. The Remainders even embarked on a tour, dubbed the "Three Chords and an Attitude" tour, and released a "Stranger Than Fiction" CD.

How good are the Rock Bottom Remainders? On the band's Web site, Barry says, "The band plays music as well as Metallica writes novels."