Karen Hanson has a new book out called, Today's Chicago Blues. Blogcritic has an interview with her HERE. Hanson also has a blog that goes with the book. You can check it out here. I will also add her blog to the link page. I haven't had a chance to read the book, but the interview is very good, and she is certainly a fellow blues traveler, which for a journalist is saying a lot:-) Many journalists stay on script, or write what they think is true by conventional wisdom. One of those antidotes is the idea that the blues are dying. I have run across this idea a lot over the last few months, and it really makes sense from a journalistic stand point. Contemporary journalists are lazy and instead of doing a little research, they parrot the conventional wisdom about the topic. Of course this is far worse when they write about politics than our beloved blues music, but it really needs to stop. Journalist need to take some time to dig up information and do a little research. It is not hard. Journalists in the 60s and 70s did an outstanding job of digging for information. As a historian I have read countless newspaper articles written over the last 100 years as part of my research. The quality of reporting in the past is far more superior than anything written today.
Lucky for us, it looks like Karen Hanson has done her homework, just reading the interview with her I was impressed with her knowledge of the blues. Buy this book if you can find it.
2 comments:
Just found your blog - I agree 100% with what you say about journalists "following the script" and not getting the truth about the blues - which is that it's alive and kicking! Thanks for the mention - Karen Hanson
HI Karen
That was quick I think I posted that a little over an hour ago!! I just want to thank you for all your hard work. Having spent hours digging through books, journals, and newspapers, I appreciate the hard work people put into books.
Good luck with the book!
Tom Gary
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