Carved in Rock: Short Stories by Musicians

Rock legends trade their electric guitars for pen and paper in this story collection assembled by musician, deejay and novelist Kihn (Horror Show). The collection features new and previously published literary morsels in a variety of genres from luminaries like Pete Townsend, Robyn Hitchcock and Steve Wynn. An excerpt from Irish-American rocker Larry Kirwan's comic novel, Liverpool Fantasy, stars the Beatles themselves, at the pivotal moment when they fire manager Brian Epstein. Punk pioneer Richard Hell delivers another excerpt, a sexy, gothic yarn about a closeted poet from A Novel in Progress, and Kinks founder Ray Davies details an afternoon shared by a painter and his battered model in the troubling "A Little Bit of Abuse." The shorter entries are just as entertaining. "Vampires make lousy lovers. They got no soul," begins the hypnotic story by Joan Jett, "They Love Rock and Roll," which gives Buffy the Vampire Slayer a run for her money. Michael Gira contributes his tale of cannibalistic obsession with "Why I Ate My Wife." The Doors' keyboardist Ray Manzarek's lush, atmospheric tale of a Napa Valley migrant worker closes out the anthology on an inspirational note. There are riffs to satisfy a wide array of literary tastes in this groovy, idiosyncratic anthology.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Erstwhile rocker Kihn assembles a Hall of Fame's worth of his former comrades-in-axes--er, arms--for a collection of largely well-written riffs--er, stories. Many feature the expected sex, drugs, and rock and roll, but Exene Cervenka's contribution is a little gem on the magical appearance and evaporation of love, and Pamela Des Barres' "The James Dean Diaries" is a fascinating glimpse into the lonely life of an icon. Other highlights are Joan Jett's story of the long-suspected power of rock over the undead, Suzzy Roche's look at the heartbreaking return of a fallen pop heroine to her former high school and estranged mother, and John Shirley and Marc Laidlaw's exceptional creepshow about homeless city kids and their only defense against a child murderer. Kihn himself delivers a polished, atmospheric portrayal of Brian Jones' last days as he visits a transcendental group of musicians in hashish-infused North Africa. Appealing in their breadth and brevity, the stories show another aspect of the talent of some of rock's most famous lyricists. Roberta Johnson
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