Prog Rock is as unhip as it’s possible to be, yet the musicians invariably are the most skilled, incredibly technical, and the most critical of bad playing.

Here we are discussing the technical aspects of a memoir, it’s Laurie’s story in her own words.. you can’t ask for more than that, I could argue the better the writing the further we get away from the experience and the closer to showing off just how clever the writer is.. but that’s what happened with prog rock, the players got so good the songs disappeared.

How many great stories do we not know because the writing wasn’t good enough? Too many probably.

I also like shallow pools, shallow indentations, shallow creeks and the thickness of rice paper.

1.) believability
2.) characterization
3.) the scale of memorable passages (will I remember this shit later or is it just total shit that’s not worth keeping in the brain)
4.) writing style

A good story written with bad writing…that’s like eating a chocolate bar you found at the bottom of your backpack 3 months later. You have to pick off the fuzz, the bits of paper that you can’t recall the origin of and you eat it…you wouldn’t admit it to anyone, but you eat it and you kind of even like it…afterall it’s chocolate. But damn it would have been so so much better to have found a brand new untouched undamaged bar of chocolate instead.

A good story and bad writing can be separated. Bad writing is distracting to the very core of a truly professional reader. (you are one…don’t question it now..)

I would recommend a book to a friend if the writing had bugged me…and I would offer up that disclaimer. Hey this book is interesting but let me know what you thought of the writing later…okay? And I would probably buy the book for the person so I had no remorse about the recommendation.

I always notice bad writing. I don’t try to…I just do it. For example I really hate people who use ellipses….constantly…..I mean how totally fucking distracting…is that?

Oh and do you honestly think ANY woman is or was or will ever be good enough for Mr. Westerberg? I mean really, he did have to settle for someone, I understand that.

p.s. this would have been A worthy without all the damned aggravating …. ….. …. ……