Blues For Our Light

These are lyrics that I wrote in my youth, in the 80's and 90's. I was part of the underground scene and travelled all over scandinavia. I wrote lyrics and played bass in Katarakt, The God, Nailgun Portrait and some psychadelic blues bands, but I have forgotten their names. This is, bascically, juvenilia. But some of these lyrics still work, I think. If you want to put music to my lyrics, please contact me. Contact information is on the backside of the book.

Best known for his "Legend of Duluoz" novels, including On the Road and The Dharma Bums, Jack Kerouac is also an important poet. In these eight extended poems, Kerouac writes from the heart of experience in the music of language, employing the same instrumental blues form that he used to fullest effect in Mexico City Blues, his largely unheralded classic of postmodern literature. Edited by Kerouac himself, Book of Blues is an exuberant foray into language and consciousness, rich with imagery, propelled by rythm, and based in a reverent attentiveness to the moment. "In my system, the form of blues choruses is limited by the small page of the breastpocket notebook in which they are written, like the form of a set number of bars in a jazz blues chorus, and so sometimes the word-meaning can carry from one chorus into another, or not, just like the phrase-meaning can carry harmonically from one chorus to the other, or not, in jazz, so that, in these blues as in jazz, the form is determined by time, and by the musicians spontaneous phrasing & harmonizing with the beat of time as it waves & waves on by in measured choruses." —Jack Kerouac

In this acclaimed memoir, one of our most revered writers reveals the true story behind his highly autobiographical fiction - accompanied by ten dark and hilarious interconnected tales set in Czechoslovakia's jazz-filled underground.

The Blues Brothers hit theatres on June 20, 1980. Their scripted mission was to save a local Chicago orphanage; but Aykroyd, who conceived and wrote much of the film, had a greater mission: to honour the then-seemingly forgotten tradition of rhythm and blues, some of whose greatest artists - Aretha Franklin, James Brown, John Lee Hooker, Cab Calloway, Ray Charles - made the film as unforgettable as its wild car chases. Much delayed and vastly over budget, beset by mercurial and oft drugged-out stars, The Blues Brothers opened to outraged reviews. However, in the 44 years since it has been acknowledged a classic: inducted into the National Film Registry for its cultural significance, even declared a 'Catholic classic' by the Church itself, and re-aired thousands of times on television to huge worldwide audiences. It is, undeniably, one of the most significant films of the 20th century. The saga behind The Blues Brothers, as Daniel de Visé reveals, is epic, encompassing the colourful childhoods of Belushi and Aykroyd; the comedic revolution sparked by Harvard's Lampoon and Chicago's Second City; the birth and anecdote-rich, drug-filled early years of Saturday Night Live, where the Blues Brothers were born as an act amidst turmoil and rivalry; and, of course, the indelible behind-the-scenes narrative of how the film was made, scene by memorable scene. Based on original research and dozens of interviews probing the memories of principals from director John Landis and producer Bob Weiss to Aykroyd himself, The Blues Brothers illuminates an American masterpiece while vividly portraying the creative geniuses behind modern comedy.

Focusing on fieldcraft techniques for macro and close-up photography, Thompson covers the vital but often overlooked skills necessary to achieve consistent professional results in the field. Case studies covering a broad and often challenging group of subjects from the seashore to your back garden form the core of the lavishly illustrated book. Biology, life history, subject behaviour and ethics along with best practice approaches are discussed in detail and underpinned with photographic tips. The book is divided into four sections—Digital Fundamentals, Fieldcraft & Methodology, Portfolio Case Studies, Digital Workflow & Presentation—covering the full photographic process from capture through to editing, captioning, development and storage are discussed. Moving beyond the surface-level approach to macro instruction, this book provides readers with techniques that work in the field. Illustrated with over 250 of the author's own inspiring images, this publication is a must for photographers, naturalists and anyone interested in improving their macro skills in the field.