LoaferLetters
Iillustrations by John Schilling
(scanned from original Loafer's)
I think I've hit on an idea for a column for Loafers,
one that ties to my second great passion in life
(music: I've been a music lover since I was a
little boy, and my grandmother defied my father's
edict that "those things would not get ONE
INCH through HIS door!" by buying me "The
Beatles'
Second Album"):
I want to do a column called "Singles
Going Steady" (the name belonged to a late
1970s album collecting the British singles of
the punk group the Buzzcocks). Inspired by Dave
Marsh's splendid book, "Rock and Soul Music:
The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made," I want
to do a regular column discussing what I think
are the best singles ever made--rock, soul, jazz,blues,
you name it (though I can't for the life of me
think of any New Age or electronica/avant garde
single beyond Brian Eno's "Seven Deadly Finns";
though that song was pretty much twisted rock
and roll, the flip was anything but: it was an
edit of Eno's trance-like collaboration with King
Crimson guitarist Robert Fripp, "No Pussyfooting")--and
what they meant to me, both in a personal sense
as well as how I see them in the terms of the
broader music picture. I agree with Marsh that
a single in the jukebox or on the radio was, at
its best, an irreplaceable part of our musical
patrimony, but I probably would pick quite a few
different entries into such a book as his than
he did, even if I might have picked plenty of
his choices for my own reasons.
I would not do them in any particular
order of preference; indeed, I might well solicit
suggestions for readers (all three of them ;)
) for possible subjects, but I think this could
be an engaging column for music-loving Loafers,
so long as I approach them with the same, shall
we say, serious breeziness with which I approach
baseball.
Let me know what you think. By 15
June, I could probably launch it with a good essay
covering at least two and maybe three singles,
and I could tell you right off the proverbial
bat that the first column would include at least
the Beatles' "She Loves You" and Gladys
Knight and the Pips' "I
Heard It Through The Grapevine." (Jerry Wexler,
the Atlantic producer, asked by a Columbia representative
what he'd do for Aretha Franklin that Columbia
couldn't, said, "We're gonna put her back
in church." If "I Heard It Through The
Grapevine" was any indication, Gladys Knight
never LEFT church.)
What say ye?
J the K
Once again, I have to commend you on another
fabulous issue. It is magazines such as yours
that help to inspire and drive to distraction
our citizens, and our soldiers. Please keep up
the good work, or please get me my medication.
Best,
Billy J. Bennett
Hello. I grew up in NYC with a friend
named Tom(my) Loretto, who lived on/around 105th
st, and had 2 sisters (Elaine & Jackie, if
memory serves). I've got a bunch of 35 yr old
recordings on which he plays drums and various
percussion, and was hoping to send him some copies.
One of the few Google results I've
come up with was a Tom Loretto who has contributed
to Loafer's Mag. Can someone assist me in determining
whether these Tom Lorettos are one and the same?
Thanks,
Bob F.
Editor's response: No.
I started flipping through Loafers
and noticed a similarity in titles between "Betelnut
in Varanasi: Excerpt from a Novel-in-Progress"
and this one: "Betel
Nut in Papua New Guinea".
Strange...
Brett
It would be extremely cool if I could buy a cheap,
low quality t-shirt with the "Eat Me!"
jam pot on the front.
Maybe something could be arranged with CafePress.com?
Andy "Sacrifice"
Dugas
Editor's response: No.
Loved the Loafer! Well designed.
I like how the "classic covers" were
feathered in at the bottom of the different pages.
And of course, the sheer quality of the content
really shines (ahem).
I would love to continue as a contributer
and will send along something for your discriminating
consideration. I've already emailed everyone I
know about it.
Hey, here's an idea: how about a
benefit poker tournament to raise funds for the
Loaf? Fifty percent of the buyins go to costs.
It could become de rigueur among the jet set!
Andy Dugas
I am *very* impressed at how you've
captured the personality of Loafers on the site.
This is just flat-out fantastic, and worth every
penny.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Brett
Oh for crying out loud, you namby pamby editor
type. If you're a man, chances are you have a
penis. So, I'll say or write penis in my stories
as I see fit. Penis, penis, penis!
How about, "Growing up in Los
Angeles, Part One." Or, "A
moderately revolting moment in my childhood, and
a mini-profile of a friend I used to have."
Not catchy enough? Too many words? How about,
"An Unpublished Excerpt From the Memoirs
of My Fabulous Life."
That's about the best I can come
up with.
Paul
Congrats on getting Loafers out!
Looks great! Am looking forward to reading your
article and Janice's on truffels (Oh boy!) I only
had time right now to just click on the magazine
and review my own article - and I was so embarassed
to discover a real bilingual gaff!. That is the
"ouch". Namely when I titled the picture
of my nephew, I wrote The
Boy in the Flannel Hemd. I meant to write
The Boy in the Flannel Shirt. "Hemd"
is the German word for shirt. Sometimes my brain
just overrides like that and I don't realize that
I have combined the languages. I can't believe
that I reread the article before I sent it off
to you, but I still didn't notice this. (I also
repeated a word in one sentece, but that isn't
such a surprise.) Oh well, I guess this is why
it is always good to have an independent proofreader
before sending something in.
I'll write back with feedback on
the articles as soon as I have read them.
Pam
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