James Calemine Insured Beyond the Grave: Published Essays, Interviews and Dispatches: Volume Two (Snake Nation) Last year’s Volume
One was one of Kudzoo’s favorite books of the year, so it only stands to reason
that Volume Two would continue that tradition. It does not disappoint. Having been a fan of Calemine’s writing
style for many moons, including several crossings of paths in the world of publications, I can truth- fully say that both of these books belong on the shelves of any person who claims to be a fan of the great southern authors, playwrights, musi- cians, actors, and folks who color(ed) outside the lines. People like Hunter S. Thompson, Col. Bruce Hampton and Jim Dickinson come to mind.
James has many influences, but the true
feather in his cap is that he is own man. He would never presume to compare himself to Sam rf Bob Dylan, although there are obvious influ- ences buried within his texts, along with a taste of Larry Brown and a dash of Stanley Booth. Believe it or not, constant reader, there are many would- be authors and musicians inhabiting this great land of ours who actually openly compare them- selves to the greats named above. Ever notice how much my own writing mirrors the best of Lester Bangs? Just kidding, or course, or as we say in Spartanburg, SC, “I was just funnin’ with ya.”
Calemine opens with a thought-provoking
essay on Bob Dylan’s filmRenaldo & Clara, the misunderstood piece of genius written and di- rected by Dylan. Incorporating footage from the Rolling Thunder Review Tour on 1975, the film was released to theaters in ’78, but quickly pulled amid poor reviews from people who obviously didn’t “get it.” Calemine tells the entire story here
of how the film ended up being an enigmatic mystery, consigned to a life lived in a vault some- where, and existing only in poor bootleg copies. James makes a prime case for the eventual re- lease of the artsy film. There’s a great interview with the amazing
Chuck Leavell, former Allman Brother, current tree farmer and musical director for the Rolling Stones. Chuck is a dandy. A true artist, and as earth-friendly as one human being can be. Equally compelling pieces abound. The
subjects range from harp wizard Charlie Mussel- white to Black Crowes co-founder Chris Robinson and in a totally different story, his brother Rich. I loved the Drive By Truckers article a lot,
because I have been a fan since day one, plus James gets to the bottom of what makes this Athens/Muscle Shoals band tick. There are writ- ings on Sam Peckinpah, Sam Shepard, Willie Nel- son and the great Don Nix, to name just a few, along with an outstanding piece on the one and only Sly Stone, his ups and downs and his musi- cal genius. Calemine gets “down in the groove” with
Widespread Panic’s Todd Nance, and delves into the music of blues legend Blind Willie McTell. And the hits just keep on coming- Neil Young, Rev. Pearly Brown, Johnny Neel, and Marc Ford are spotlighted, and James turns in a review of the late Larry Brown’s Big Bad Love short story collection. There’s a touching remembrance of musician Chris Whitley as well as a very well written review of the Alan Lomax recordings of Bessie Jones & The Sea Island Singers. Volume Two is packed just as full of prime
reading matter as Volume One was. I highly rec- ommend you check it out. And if you haven’t read Volume One yet, I recommend the set. This is the good stuff. •
-Michael Buffalo Smith
BOOKS
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