Episode 7: Celebration of the First Book Birthday of Christy Alexander Hallberg’s Rock Novel ‘Searching for Jimmy Page’
Episode 7 Promo
Margaret Bauer
Margaret Bauer has been editor of the ‘North Carolina Literary Review’ for 25 years. I’ve had the honor of working with her as part of the editorial staff of the journal for a good bit of those years. Margaret’s service to North Carolina as ‘NCLR’ Editor has been recognized with the NC Award for Literature, given by the Governor, and the Caldwell Award for the Humanities, which is the highest honor bestowed by NC Humanities. She is also a Distinguished Professor and Rives Chair of Southern Literature at East Carolina University. Margaret read and critiqued every chapter of ‘Searching for Jimmy Page’ in draft stage—from its memoir incarnation to the novel it finally became.
Randall Martoccia
Randall Martoccia lives in my hometown of Greenville, NC, and teaches writing, literature, and film studies at East Carolina University. He writes fiction and poetry and makes short films, which can be found on YouTube. Randall and I have known each other from elementary school through high school. We were reunited as office mates in 2000, when I was hired to teach writing and literature in the English Department at ECU, and we’ve been good friends ever since. He’s been well aware of my Jimmy Page fixation for longer than he cares to remember, I’m quite sure.
Liza Wieland
Liza Wieland, whom I’ve known since she began teaching at ECU in 2007, recently retired from the university but still lives in eastern North Carolina. She has published 8 works of fiction. Her most recent novel is titled ‘PARIS, 7 A.M.’, and was named one of The Best Books by Women of Summer 2019 by ‘O, the Oprah Magazine’. She’s also published a collection of poems. Once I finished a full draft of ‘Searching for Jimmy Page’, Liza slugged through the manuscript, offering invaluable advice for revision, then she gave me my first blurb, for which I am truly grateful.
Danny Goldberg
Danny Goldberg is President of Gold Village Entertainment, a New York based artist management company. He is also the former President of Atlantic Records, Chairman of Mercury Record Group, former Chairman of Warner Records, and Chairman of Artemis Records.
Danny has worked in the music business as a personal manager, record company president, public relations man, and journalist since the late 1960s. He began his career as a journalist for ‘Billboard’ magazine, for which he covered the Woodstock festival in 1969. He is the author of several books, including his most recent, ‘Bloody Crossroads 2020: Art Entertainment and Resistance to Trump’.
From 1973 through 1976, Danny was a PR man for Led Zeppelin, then Vice President of Led Zeppelin’s Swan Song Records.
There’s so much more I could add, including the fact that Danny managed Nirvana in the 1990s, but we’ll end on that Zeppelin high note.
About This Episode
Christy Alexander Hallberg
HIGHLIGHTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS:
In this episode of Rock is Lit, some special guests and I celebrate the first book birthday of my rock novel, ‘Searching for Jimmy Page’.
First, my close friends and colleagues Margaret Bauer, Randall Martoccia, and Liza Wieland interview me about my novel.
Later, former President of Atlantic Records, manager of Nirvana, PR man for Led Zeppelin then Vice President of Swan Song records, Danny Goldberg, joins the podcast to talk about his experiences working with Led Zeppelin in the 1970s.
Be on the lookout for the audiobook version of ‘Searching for Jimmy Page’, coming out very soon.
Finally, check out the Rock is Lit Vault for bonus material from this episode, including my responses to readers’ questions about ‘Searching for Jimmy Page’ that folks messaged me, AND an outtake from my interview with Danny Goldberg in which he shares his thoughts about such Led Zeppelin nonfiction books as ‘Hammer of the Gods’ by Stephen Davis, plus a few anecdotes involving a young Cameron Crowe.
SONGS AND MEDIA PLAYED IN EPISODE IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE:
“Most High” by Page and Plant
“Good Times, Bad Times” by Led Zeppelin
“Four Sticks” by Led Zeppelin
“Ramble On” by Led Zeppelin
“The Song Remains the Same” by Led Zeppelin
“Thank You” by Led Zeppelin/from Page and Plant Unledded
“Whole Lotta Love” by Led Zeppelin
“Over the Hills and Far Away” by Led Zeppelin
May 5, 1973 news clip of Led Zeppelin’s Tampa concert
“Moby Dick” by Led Zeppelin
“In the Mood” by Robert Plant
“Rock and Roll” by Led Zeppelin
LINKS:
Margaret Bauer Twitter, @QueenBofNC
Margaret Bauer Facebook, @Margaret Bauer
Margaret Bauer Instagram, @queenbofnc
North Carolina Literary Review, https://nclr.ecu.edu/
Randall Martoccia Facebook, @RandallMartoccia
Randall Martoccia YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/user/rmartoc
Liza Wieland Twitter, @LizaWieland
Liza Wieland’s website, https://www.lizawieland.com/
Danny Goldberg’s website: https://www.dannygoldberg.com/
Danny Goldberg Twitter: @DannyGoldberg67
Margaret Bauer, Christy Alexander Hallberg, Randall Martoccia
Amanda Campbell, Christy Alexander Hallberg, Liza Wieland
Christy Alexander Hallberg in her study
Wyatt, the Rock is Lit mascot
