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Book of Changes
A collection of 39 interviews with such cultural luminaries as James Brown, William Burroughs, R. Crumb, Pete Townshend, Gena Rowlans, Nick Cave, Nina Simone, David Lynch, Wim Wenders, Bo Diddley, Neil Young, Artie Shaw, Tom Waits, and more. Each interview is accompanied by a portrait of the interview subject by artists such as R. Crumb, Chris Ware, Charles Burns, Arnold Roth, and more.
- GenresNonfictionFilmMusic
264 pages, Paperback
First published December 23, 2000
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
October 18, 2015
Kristine McKenna is a remarkable, sensitive interviewer with a gift for 1) getting access to geniuses, and 2) exploring unusual and fascinating topics with them in a way that sheds light on their philosophy, biography, and artistic process. I've returned to this book again and again over the years, and every time I pick it up, I am stunned by the list of filmmakers, musicians, and artists represented in this volume, which comes close to my daydream wishlist, including: Tom Waits, David Lynch, Leonard Cohen, Brian Eno, James Brown, R. Crumb, Louis Malle, Iggy Pop, Willam Burroughs, Pauline Kael, Nick Cave, Werner Herzog, and many more. If those are names that interest you, I would encourage you to purchase this book without delay.
She has a companion volume, Talk to Her, which is also good, but not quite the bases-loaded home run that this book is. That book is memorable to me largely for her interviews with John "Johnny Rotten" Lydon and Jacques Derrida. The mere fact that she would approach those two figures tells you much of what you need to know about her.
She has a companion volume, Talk to Her, which is also good, but not quite the bases-loaded home run that this book is. That book is memorable to me largely for her interviews with John "Johnny Rotten" Lydon and Jacques Derrida. The mere fact that she would approach those two figures tells you much of what you need to know about her.
August 22, 2018
I'm not usually a big fan of interviews but I couldn't resist picking up this collection of talks with some 45 major figures of mostly American culture - James Brown, Pauline Kael, Merle Haggard, Nina Simone, Gena Rowlands, Bo Diddley, David Lynch, Mel Torme, Don Van Vliet, etc., etc. McKenna doesn't ask boring questions, either - she's pretty good at finding ways for artists to think a little deeper than usual, and to let them open up on subjects you don't necessarily expect. The people she talks to are all people she admires, and she admires mostly people I happen to admire as well. Interesting choice to shape the book in alphabetical order, too. It makes for some neat juxtapositions - there is no attempt to wrest some connective theory of creativity out of all these people who would undoubtedly argue intensely with each other if they tried to talk about it together.
July 20, 2024
When this book originally came out, I was working in a comic book shop that got books directly from Fantagraphics Books (who published this). I was a fan of a number of the artists who contributed portraits to this collection of interviews, but woefully ignorant of most of the subjects herein. The handful of pieces by artists I knew wasn't really enough to warrant me buying this then.
Fast-forward 20-odd years, and I now am familiar with almost all the remarkable figures McKenna has interviewed here. I finally picked up a copy of the book and it was well worth the wait. Her interviews are insightful, though noticeably short in most cases. The artists read like a who's-who of the best indie comics artists of the 1990s: Charles Burns, Al Columbia, Chris Ware, Peter Kuper, Seth, Megan Kelso, Jim Woodring, Peter Bagge, Jordan Crane, Roberta Gregory, Los Bros Hernandez, Ivan Brunetti, Ellen Forney and others all contribute at least a single portrait, ranging in style from true-to-life to abstract but all a very high standard of black-and-white comics portraiture.
The 38 subjects themselves draw mainly from the arts, consisting of mainly musicians (Leonard Cohen, Ray Charles, Tom Waits) but also filmmakers (Wim Wenders, David Lynch, Kenneth Anger), artists (Howard Finster, Robert Rauschenberg, Robert Frank) and writers (Michael Ondaatje, William S. Burroughs, Pauline Kael). The interviews are offered in alphabetical order (of the subject's surname), which leads to what I found to be the chief drawback here: McKenna's interviews at one point followed a pretty clear pattern, using mostly the same questions (often overlooking what would be an obvious follow-up question), but later interviews were more probing and insightful; I think to offer these interviews in chronological order would have shown more clearly the growth McKenna went through as a journalist, making it more a project dedicated to her talents and abilities.
While I wouldn't recommend this book strictly on the basis of the comic artists showcased in the portraits, that is definitely a bonus to what is a compelling read about some fascinating figures of pop culture from the last 60 years or so.
Fast-forward 20-odd years, and I now am familiar with almost all the remarkable figures McKenna has interviewed here. I finally picked up a copy of the book and it was well worth the wait. Her interviews are insightful, though noticeably short in most cases. The artists read like a who's-who of the best indie comics artists of the 1990s: Charles Burns, Al Columbia, Chris Ware, Peter Kuper, Seth, Megan Kelso, Jim Woodring, Peter Bagge, Jordan Crane, Roberta Gregory, Los Bros Hernandez, Ivan Brunetti, Ellen Forney and others all contribute at least a single portrait, ranging in style from true-to-life to abstract but all a very high standard of black-and-white comics portraiture.
The 38 subjects themselves draw mainly from the arts, consisting of mainly musicians (Leonard Cohen, Ray Charles, Tom Waits) but also filmmakers (Wim Wenders, David Lynch, Kenneth Anger), artists (Howard Finster, Robert Rauschenberg, Robert Frank) and writers (Michael Ondaatje, William S. Burroughs, Pauline Kael). The interviews are offered in alphabetical order (of the subject's surname), which leads to what I found to be the chief drawback here: McKenna's interviews at one point followed a pretty clear pattern, using mostly the same questions (often overlooking what would be an obvious follow-up question), but later interviews were more probing and insightful; I think to offer these interviews in chronological order would have shown more clearly the growth McKenna went through as a journalist, making it more a project dedicated to her talents and abilities.
While I wouldn't recommend this book strictly on the basis of the comic artists showcased in the portraits, that is definitely a bonus to what is a compelling read about some fascinating figures of pop culture from the last 60 years or so.
January 22, 2019
essential selection of interviews with excellent portraits by a number of notable artists
February 1, 2013
The main way this book stands out in my mind is that it was the last book I bought in an independent bookstore in Blacksburg. I knew the "Easychair" was struggling, so I wanted to find a book to buy, and this is all I could find. (The next time I went in with the same intent, I went away empty-handed.) Not being on the cutting edge of "culture" I did not know many of the film-makers and poets interviewed in this book, but I did know some of the writers and musicians. An interesting slice of culture from the 1970s-1990s. And each interviewee was represented by a cartoon portrait, which was a nice touch.
April 1, 2008
Any book that has interviews with both Kenneth Anger and Al Green is ok in my book. Kristine McKenna is a superb interviewer who really listens to her subjects. David Lynch mixes with Neil Young and mixes with Ray Charles - it's one big party!
December 4, 2008
Worth it for the Brian Eno, Werner Herzog, Iggy Pop, Nina Simone, Leonard Cohen, Michael Ondaatje, Patti Smith, David Lynch and Don Van Vliet!!! interviews. Yet only the Captain Beefheart interview wowed me.
August 1, 2007
short and sweet interviews with music legends.
December 19, 2011
I enjoyed about half of the interviews, but it's easy to skip the boring/obnoxious people, so it's worth checking this book out for the truly interesting ones.
July 5, 2012
Brief interviews of some interesting artists and musicians. Liked the interviews with Robert Frank, Willie Dixon, David Lynch and, of course, Iggy Pop.
August 11, 2012
intelligent and insightful questions and responses. a thoroughly engrossing read. if you don't have a copy, you should go get one.
September 14, 2013
What a privilege.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews