Episode 16: Robert Duncan
In this episode of Rock is Lit, Robert Duncan joins me to talk about his rock novel ‘Loudmouth’, what it was like working as an editor for ‘CREEM’ magazine in the ‘70s, and his wild days with Lester Bangs, Patti Smith, Ron Wood and Keith Richards, Iggy Pop, KISS, Bruce Springsteen, and so many other rock icons!
Episode 15: Peter McDade
In this episode of Rock is Lit, Peter McDade joins me to talk about his rock novel from Wampus Multimedia ‘The Weight of Sound’, what it was like to be a drummer in an up-and-coming indie band (Uncle Green) in the 1990s, the precarious nature of the music biz, and lovin’ Led Zeppelin’s John Bonham and The Beatles’ Ringo Starr.
Episode 14: Michael Amos Cody with Frye Gaillard and Peter Cooper
In this episode of Rock is Lit we’re venturing inside the complicated world of the Nashville music biz. Michael Amos Cody joins me to talk about his novel ‘Gabriel’s Songbook’, which follows starry-eyed Gabriel Tanner on his quest to strike it big as a singer-songwriter in the Music City in the 1980s.
In the final segment, Frye Gaillard and Peter Cooper drop by to talk about the real Nashville music scene in the 1980s. Frye is an historian and author of such books as ‘A Hard Rain: America in the 1960s’, ‘The Southernization of America’, which he co-wrote with Pulitzer Prize-winner Cynthia Tucker, and ‘Watermelon Wine: The Spirit of Country Music’. Peter is the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s senior director, producer, and writer.
Episode 13: Richard Fulco with Elliott Landy
In this episode of Rock is Lit, Richard Fulco, author of the new novel ‘We Are All Together’, is here to take us on a rockin’ jaunt through the late 1960s, where we’ll encounter several iconic players on the music and literature scene from that era. If you’re a fan of the Summer of Love and all the trimmings that go with it, you’ll love his novel and this episode.
Later, Elliott Landy drops by to talk even more about the 1960s music scene, a period he should know a lot about since he’s been photographing rock stars since the mid-60s. He was also the official photographer of the 1969 Woodstock Festival.
Episode 12: Michael Gaspeny with Ray Koob
Michael Gaspeny talks about his new novel, ‘A Postcard From the Delta’, about a white small-town Arkansas high school football star, whose obsession with the likes of Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, John Lee Hooker, and Robert Johnson takes him on a wild road trip to Clarksdale, Mississippi, to visit the home of the Delta Blues. Later, Ray Koob, co-host of Imbalanced HIstory of Rock and Roll podcast, does a deep dive into Delta Blues to add real-world context to Michael’s novel.
Episode 11: Michael Parker with Jeff Place
This episode of Rock is Lit features my fellow North Carolina-native author and music lover Michael Parker’s new novel, ‘I Am the Light of This World’, a gripping story that follows protagonist, Earl, who serves over 40 years in a Texas prison for a heinous crime he didn’t commit, then, upon his release, has to navigate a world that he can barely comprehend. If you love radio favorites of the 1970s and the music and lore of Lead Belly, you’re going to love ‘I Am the Light of This World’ and this episode.
In the last segment of the show, Jeff Place, Grammy-award winning Archivist and Curator at the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, joins the podcast to talk about Lead Belly to add real-world context to the music legend’s role in ‘I Am the Light of This World’.
Episode 10: Jennifer Haupt with Charles R. Cross and Nabil Ayers
If you love Nirvana, especially Kurt Cobain, you’re in for a treat, because we’re getting down in the grit and grunge in this episode. Jennifer Haupt talks about her novel ‘Come As You Are’, which spotlights the early 1990s Seattle grunge scene, especially the music of Nirvana. Later, to add real-world context to the novel, Charles R. Cross and Nabil Ayers drop in to share their insight into Kurt Cobain—the musical genius and the human being—and their experiences as part of the music scene in Seattle during the ‘90s.
Episode 9: Dana Spiotta with Lucas Hare
In this episode of Rock is Lit, Dana Spiotta joins me to talk about her National Book Award-nominated novel ‘Eat the Document’. Later, Lucas Hare, co-host of the Is It Rolling, Bob? Talking Dylan Podcast, joins me to share his thoughts about Bob Dylan’s unreleased documentary called ‘Eat the Document’, which is where Dana’s novel gets its title.
Episode 8: Tony DuShane
In this episode, Drinks With Tony podcast host Tony DuShane and I talk about his novel ‘Confessions of a Teenage Jesus Jerk’, what it was like for him growing up a Jehovah’s Witness, his worst experience going door to door as a Jehovah’s Witness, how/why Tony left the religion, how music and literature saved his life and the role both play in his novel, Tony’s experience working on the film adaptation (directed by Eric Stoltz), some of the most well-known Jehovah’s Witness musicians (think Michael Jackson and Prince).
Episode 7: Celebration of the First Book Birthday of Christy Alexander Hallberg’s Rock Novel ‘Searching for Jimmy Page’
In this special 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.
Episode 6: Zachary Lazar With Tony Sokol and Zeena Schreck
In this episode, Zachary Lazar and I talk about his rock novel, ‘Sway, the connection between early Rolling Stones, the avant-garde filmmaker and occultist Kenneth Anger, and Charles Manson and the Manson Family. Later, Tony Sokol drops by to talk about the Stones’ actual involvement in the occult, then very special guest Zeena Schreck shares her memories of her godfather Kenneth Anger and gives her insight into some of his work.
Episode 5: Mac B. and Action Jackson from The Ugly American Werewolf in London Rock Podcast Talk Rock Movie Soundtracks
In this episode, Mac B. (The Wolf) and Action Jackson, from The Ugly American Werewolf in London Rock Podcast, and I count down our top five rock movie soundtracks and do a deep dive into our shared number one pick, exploring how the music and story and characters work together to create an unforgettable movie experience for the viewer.
Episode 4: Janet Fitch With Pleasant Gehman and Nicole Panter
In this episode of Rock is Lit, I'm joined by Janet Fitch, author of the rock novel 'Paint it Black', which is set in 1980 in the L.A. punk scene, with the music of The Germs, The Weirdos, The Cramps, and other legendary bands of that era looming large in the story. Then I'm joined by two giants of the real L.A. punk world of that period: writer, punk rocker, and rock ‘n roll witch Pleasant Gehman, and Nicole Panter, former manager of The Germs.
Episode 3: Chris Charlesworth With Stephanie Myers
In this episode, it's all about Elvis Presley. Famed music journalist, editor, and producer for The Who, Chris Charlesworth joins me to talk about his novel 'Caught in a Trap: The Kidnapping of Elvis'. Later, Stephanie Myers, co-host of the podcast Stephanie & Stephanie Talk Tunes, another proud member of the Pantheon Podcast family, drops by to relay some actual kidnap plots against Elvis Presley.
Episode 2: Suzi Quatro With Katherine Turman
I'm thrilled to welcome the great Suzi Quatro to talk about her rock novel 'The Hurricane', her favorite 'Happy Days' episode, what Suzi thinks made her the first successful female musician, her paranormal experiences, and how Suzi and I are soul sisters. Later, journalist and producer of Alice Cooper’s syndicated radio show, 'Nights With Alice Cooper', Katherine Turman joins me to talk about Suzi’s place in rock ‘n roll history.
Episode 1: Jeff Jackson With Nathan D. Duvall
In this episode of Rock is Lit, I’m thrilled to welcome novelist, playwright, visual artist, and songwriter Jeff Jackson, author of the novel 'Destroy All Monsters: The Last Rock Novel', which centers around the killing of bands as they perform on stage by members of their own audience. Later, Nathan D. Duvall, host of the Lucid show on 103.3 Asheville FM, joins the podcast to talk about real-world examples when this kind of violence has erupted at live shows.