A Conversation with John Kruth  (continued)

PM: So are you doing or planning any book tours, readings and such?

JK: Oh, I did a whole bunch of them already. But I want to come to Nashville, and I want to go to Austin. But I've been teaching at the University, yesterday was my last day. I took off two weeks, and I did a simultaneous gig and book tour around the Midwest. But that didn't help out in Nashville, and it doesn't help out in Austin.

PM: And Nashville would be a good market for your book.

JK: Oh, I'm sure it is a good market. I really want to do it, I'm just trying to figure out when. I just got off now, and then I have a two-week summer school class that I'm teaching, and I can't leave that. And then I'm going back to the Midwest to play some more gigs and to mix the new record. And then I'm going to Croatia and playing in Croatia. So I don't get back until August. And maybe the very beginning of September or something I could come down there, which I'd love to. I want to go down the eastern coast and do Philly, Baltimore, DC, and then cut over to Nashville. And I've had phone calls, people asking me to come to Atlanta and do something there.

PM: Well, what about the next book, do you have something in your sights?

JK: Yeah, I have two different things that I'm working on, actually. But again, my agent doesn't want me to discuss them.

PM: Well, John, it's always fascinating to talk to you.

JK: When I interviewed Yusef Lateef, he would leave these incredible silences. And I was like--after a minute I would go, "Dr. Lateef?" And he would say, "Yes. I'm just formulating how this is going to look in print, because sometimes things look a little different in print than how you feel them when you're saying them, so I'm thinking about how this is going to look." I said, "Okay, fine." He formulated everything perfectly, it was amazing.

PM: Wow.

JK: And one of the things that he said was, "It's a small world. And I would hate to have said anything that could possibly hurt anybody-- we're all just trying to pay our rent. We're all just trying to make our own expression of our music and the way that we see things. And I wouldn't want anything to be misconstrued."

So I really look at this and I try to be as fair in dealing with the garbage as I can, and dealing with what I think people should know versus what makes a good story, and what furthers Townes. Does this story further Townes' legend? Does this story further his music? Is there a point to this? This is the balance that you walk. This is the line that you walk as a writer. Writers have a big responsibility. This is what I always tell my students. Did I fulfill that responsibility? Did I abuse that responsibility? Is this going to help further Townes, get him a half an inch ahead of where he was? Well, I hope so. I think so. That's my dedication, that's my purpose. I take this stuff pretty seriously.

PM: And well you might. I do too.

JK: The other day I was on public radio in New York. And it goes to five states or something. And the guy hadn't done his homework. They had somebody interview me first, and I thought he was just going to give him all the information, and maybe he did. But somehow he didn't do his homework well enough. And at one point he said to me, "Well, why doesn't somebody like Townes have a best-of album, that you can just go out and get a greatest hits album of Townes Van Zandt?" And I said, "Well, he does. I wrote the liner notes to it." And he said, "Oh." And my point is that he didn't really know who Townes was. And certainly didn't know who I am.

PM: Right.

JK: He didn't know that I have eight albums out, and that I've toured and I've played with the Violent Femmes, or the Meat Puppets, or the Master Musicians of Jajouka and Allen Ginsberg. And that's fine, okay. He knew Townes a little bit. But the mindset is: "How come you don't have a greatest hits album, and you're not playing in a sports arena?" Is Frye the only boot company? Are Nike sneakers the only sneakers in the world? Do you have to smoke Marlboros? I guess my point here is that some of the best stuff is below the radar and that being serious about noticing as much of it as interests you matters, that it's important.

PM: It's great to talk to you, John.

JK: Thanks, Frank--I appreciate the opportunity. Puremusic is a Cadillac in the field, and it's growing. I'm glad to be in there.

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