Prine on Prine: Interviews and Encounters with John Prine

(Hardback)

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Curated by a critic who knew him across five decades,Prine on Prine distills the essence of an iconic American writer: unguarded, unfiltered and real. In his own words, in his own timeon the road, in the kitchen, the Library of Congress, radio shows, movie scripts, and beyond.

John Prine hated giving interviews, but he said much when he talked. Embarrassed by fame, delighted by the smallest things, the first songwriter to read at the Library of Congress, and winner of the Pen Award for Literary Excellence, Prine saw the world unlike anyone else.

The songs from 1971s John Prine remain spot-on takes of the human condition today, and his writing only got richer, funnier, and more incisive. The interviews in Prine on Prine trace his career evolution, his singular mind, his enduring awareness of social issues, and his acute love of life, from Studs Terkels radio interviews from the early 70s to Mike Leonards Today Show packages from the 80s, Cameron Crowe's early encounter to Ronni Lundy'sShuck Beans, Stack Cakecookbook, andHot Rodmagazineto No Depressions cover story, through today.

Editor Holly Gleason enjoyed a longstanding relationship with Prine and his longtime co-manager, and she often traveled with him on tours in the late 1980s and represented him in the 2000s.

Reviews

"I worked at Atlantic when John was signed and I was so blown away by the power of his lyrics that I played the album non-stop. At a young age I realized what true songwriting was all about and the master was named John Prine! Prine's songs speak to your heart, your mind and your soul. The brilliant genius of John Prine was not only the magic he had in writing about everyday life for everyday people, but just as important that his lyrics provoked you into thinking about everyday things that you may never have given much thought to and after he woke up those feelings, you realized you couldn't have said it any better. The respect, admiration and love for Prine and his songs that Holly Gleason has is obvious not only in her eloquent introduction, but in the interviews she selected to pay proper homage to him." --Linda Moran, President & CEO, Songwriters Hall of Fame

"Listening to John Prine instantly jolts me to a higher vibration and feels like I'm walking on holy ground, free, fearless and naked as the eyes of a clown. He shakes me, wakes me, conjuring up emotions I didn't know I had, reminding me that tenderness is a virtue. His words make me want to be a better person, to recognize myself in everyone's eyes, to hold all of humanity in high esteem--because we're all in it together. Praise be to Holly Gleason for this oh so important, exquisitely curated collection. John Prine improved the world by being alive. Let's do our best keep that big, beautiful ball rolling." --Pamela Des Barres, author of I'm With the Band and Let's Spend The Night Together

"Nobody wrote songs like John Prine, filled with humor, humanity, and perfectly cock-eyed detail. But what this elegantly curated collection--culled from interviews, TV and radio appearances, and even recipes--reveals is that...well, that's just who the guy was. Whether he's at the Library of Congress or in the pages of Hot Rod magazine, Prine's wit and fierce independence constantly shine through." --Alan Light, author of The Holy or the Broken: Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley, and the Unlikely Ascent of "Hallelujah"

"This book is a stunner! Only the glorious Holly Gleason could assemble such a magnificent collection to celebrate the life and world-changing artistry of her friend John Prine. Perhaps the most joyful history book you'll ever read. His music explodes from the pages." --Tom DeSavia, author of Under the Big Black Sun: A Personal History of LA Punk and More Fun In The New World: The Unmaking and Legacy of LA Punk

"As close to an autobiography as we're going to get from John Prine, Prine on Prine captures the inimitable, whimsical voice of one of our greatest songwriters, from the beginning of his career to his final days, evolving from the shy, self-effacing, uncertain youngster film critic Roger Ebert discovered to the wise, cunning veteran who left a body of work probably second only to Dylan. Nashville legend Holly Gleason knew the man and assembled this brilliant collection with a knowing eye and loving heart." --Joel Selvin, author of Fare Thee Well: The Final Chapter of the Grateful Dead's Long, Strange Trip and other books
"This carefully curated set of interviews shines a light on why this man and these songs are deeply, deeply embedded in our collective memory. It's the magic of how a USPS mail carrier became the first songwriter to read at the Library of Congress at the behest of America's poet laureate--and the way we've all spent decades marking life's moments with John Prine records. In reading these pieces, it becomes clear: the interviews are the man--and the insight that Holly, who knew Prine well, brings to them shows John Prine truly was that man. His songs are powerful and spot-on, and seem to come from a very regular guy, albeit one with great compassion and wisdom. In reading Prine on Prine, he comes across that way, and more." --Greg Harris, president and CEO, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
"Holly Gleason has always been one of our greatest music journalists, but this book solidifies the fact that she's much more than that: she's one of the great preservers of the stories that make up American music. Here the esteemed writer has meticulously gathered the best interviews, features, and reviews in which Prine offered insights into his process as one of the all-time best songwriters. She's found the work of writers such as Studs Terkel, Roger Ebert, Ronni Lundy, Cameron Crowe, and many others who deftly show us the man behind the music. In doing so Gleason provides the fullest picture of Prine we've ever had before, and it's one that enriches our understanding of him as an artist and as a person. Prine on Prine is a must-read for anyone who loves John Prine or anyone who loves great music." --Silas House, author of Lark Ascending, Clay's Quilt, The Coal Tattoo, and Southernmost
"With a deep understanding and knowledge of John Prine--the man and his music--Holly Gleason has searched every nook and cranny to curate a thoughtful biography of one of our greatest singer-songwriters. Her insightful text sets the scene as we experience Prine, the unfiltered raconteur, via five decades of media coverage, from major magazines to niche publications, television scripts to a recipe book, talk show appearances, movie roles, and his PEN Award presentation. Prine on Prine is both revelatory and entertaining." --Holly George-Warren, author of Janis: Her Life & Music and A Man Called Destruction: The Life & Music of Alex Chilton

Author Bio

Holly Gleason is a music critic, academic, and artist development consultant. Gleason enjoyed a longstanding relationship with Prine and his longtime co-manager. She often traveled with him on tours in the late 1980s and represented him in the 2000s. Her work has appeared in Rolling Stone, the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Miami Herald, Musician, CREEM, Oxford American, and NPR Music. The 2019 Country Music Association Media Achievement Award recipient and a SOURCE Hall of Fame inductee, she created and contributed to Woman Walk The Line: How The Women of Country Music Changed Our Lives, the 2018 Belmont Book Award winner. She is also the coauthor of Miranda Lambert's Y'all Eat Yet She lives in Nashville, Tennessee.