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Letters to Kurt
"Nearly two decades after the death of Kurt Cobain, a friend and fellow musician not only continues to mourn his suicide, but also rages against the culture that he holds responsible. These 52 'letters' . . . combine the subject matter of the Byrds' 'So You Wanna Be a Rock and Roll Star' with the fury of Allen Ginsberg's Howl . . . A catharsis for the writer and perhaps fo...more
Hardcover, 159 pages
Published
March 27th 2012
by Akashic Books
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Letters to Kurt was written by Eric Erlandson, who a close friend of both Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love.
I have to tell you that my first impressions of this book were not that great: I think that I was expecting more of a straightforward prose. But that was never the author's intension. He's written a thoughtful introduction to the project that explains both his relationship to Cobain and Love, and why he chose to wrote a series of prose poems to exorcise old demons, in response to one of his fa...more
I have to tell you that my first impressions of this book were not that great: I think that I was expecting more of a straightforward prose. But that was never the author's intension. He's written a thoughtful introduction to the project that explains both his relationship to Cobain and Love, and why he chose to wrote a series of prose poems to exorcise old demons, in response to one of his fa...more
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I thought I'd find the this collection of prose poems more interesting, even though I am not a full-fledged fan of Nirvana (there's a line in the book about how there are Nirvana fans and Pearl Jam fans and no cross-over between; I'm a rare case of someone who likes and dislikes some of each), but it was a bit too personal. Erlandson is basically shouting and ranting at the world in these poems, almost as if he doesn't expect anyone to read it, and doesn't want the readers to share his feelings....more
The book was poetic and not badly written, but after awhile it got annoying because the author is clearly trying to talk sh*t about his former bandmates and other celebrities, but he hides behind all these obnoxious metaphors as if it absolves him from being nothing more than a gossip. The book is very self-indulgent.
With a sad heart I have to say that I found this book difficult to stomach. The "letters in poetic prose" term used for it only disguises a bunch of angry ramblings. I bet that writing all that was really therapeutic for the author, but that doesn't make it worth publishing.
This book is for fans of experimental writing styles (think Allen Ginsberg or William S. Burroughs). The sentences are written in a stream-of-consciousness style, combining themes of depression, suicide, hostility, and vulnerability. Erlandson fills his prose poetry with gut-wrenching emotion, pop culture references, and surreal characters and settings.
I would highly recommend this book if you liked William S. Burrough's "My Eduction: A Book of Dreams" or Allen Ginsberg's "Howl." I won this as...more
I would highly recommend this book if you liked William S. Burrough's "My Eduction: A Book of Dreams" or Allen Ginsberg's "Howl." I won this as...more
Maybe it's the antihistamine, but I totally got this.
Jewel and Billy Corgan have published poetry. Even Suzanne Somers. I'd rather read them.
I was moved by this book. It is dark and filled with emotion. Emotion I can relate to.
It's not you Eric, it's me.
Eric might just be my favorite member of Hole, and Hole is one of my favorite bands still. Anyhow, sometimes this was just a bit too complicated for me (note English is not my main language so often the puns and trains of thought were a bit tricky). Still liked it though, so 3 stars.
Eric might just be my favorite member of Hole, and Hole is one of my favorite bands still. Anyhow, sometimes this was just a bit too complicated for me (note English is not my main language so often the puns and trains of thought were a bit tricky). Still liked it though, so 3 stars.
Crystallized treatise of apocalypse fetishists and their aftermath. The human impulse to ruminate runs counter to the exploding misery of dissatisfied mystics and prophets who running screaming into the void leaking ink, blood, and half chewed philosophies. Step lively.
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ERIC ERLANDSON was born and raised in San Pedro, California. He is best known as cofounder, songwriter, and lead guitarist of the alternative rock band Hole, which he formed with Courtney Love. Their albums Pretty on the Inside, Live Through This, and Celebrity Skin achieved international recognition and success. Live Through This was named one of the top 100 albums of all time by Time magazine. S...more
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“The paper comes in plastic, a little thinner each week, a few more ads. Pretty soon there'll be no news. We'll be underwhelmed, over-bored & all storied out. The clouds ready to burst with our blue-skinned memories. Everyone with a blog, a website, an online store, dedicated server & two-dimensional quick-response-coded documentary made about their precious life. Our brains at maximum capacity, running optimization programs to recover what's left of our sanity. Still, we hope. We go see the latest blockbuster, buy the latest iPhone, zone out in front of our schizo-screens drinking jugs of moonshine corn syrup with our latent mutant meals. Facebook keeps us chained to our pasts, our posts, screwed in our seats... Scarecrows surrounded by night soil & spirits. Your acid shield may protect you from outside threat, but it'll never protect you from yourself.”
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2 people liked it
“Why look for answers in a burnt black log when the smoke is now miles away forming circle around the shape of a serpent fighting a swan?”
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2 people liked it
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