Like everybody else, I'm fascinated by Tony Hendra's conversion buzz, but suspicious of Andrew Sullivan. While gay, and a semi-reformed neo-con (the gay marriage thing had him recanting Bush fever), Sullivan remains, after all, a Catholic. (One wonders what it might take for him to recant THAT fever.) Carolyn See was disdainful in the WashPost, but a bit overboard. With no time to read something like this, I'd love to hear some respectable opinions on it. Gary Wills? Michael O'Donaghue? Harry Shearer? After all, Hendra is the guy who roared … [Read more...]

From: Jonathan Dorfman Sent: Thursday, June 03, 2004 12:02 PM To: 'triley@artsjournal.com' Subject: A few words Tim:  Hope you/kids/Sara are well.  Love to get together soon.  Congratulations on the book: I’m sure that future comments will differ from those Grace Slick!  Screw Publisher’s Weekly!   I look forward to reading it, armed as I am with the recordings. This isn’t a formal letter to your website—just some advice from a friend and a great admirer of you and your work.  I think you’ve opened yourself up to a storm of … [Read more...]

Fever: How Rock & Roll Transformed Gender in America Riley, Tim ISBN: 0-31-228611-2 St. Martin's Press Hardcover $24.95 2004/06 When Elvis walked onstage and sang "Love Me Tender" or "Hound Dog," he changed and challenged more than just popular music. According to Riley, his gyrating hips and his invitations to nights of lusty love and rock and roll altered his audience's thinking about sexuality and gender relations, challenging their parents' more circumspect ideas and opening up new ways of freely experiencing their sexual selves. In this … [Read more...]