The Medusa Fora

Carol has contacted me and provided an updated copy of the forward. I'll be making the changes shortly. She has also asked me to pass along these responses to your questions:

1) There are 28 chapters in all, plus a 6,000-word Epilogue, and a total of 447 pages - quite a weighty tome.

2) Philip is right when he says that the blurb and the pictured jacket were put together a long time ago - and they keep cropping up in all sorts of places. I'm pretty sure that the publishers will keep the cover photo, although I trust my name will be spelt correctly by the time the sleeve has gone through all its checks and double checks! The promotional blurb does specify that Cait was interviewed for the book, which is unfortunate, because she wasn't. Shane did eventually make some contributions during our rather awkward encounter in The Boogaloo, described in the Foreword! Jem, Spider, James, Andrew, Philip, Terry and Darryl have each spent hours and hours and hours talking to me, for which I am really grateful, and these interviews form the basis of the book.

3) Yes, there is plenty of Joe Strummer!

So why wasn't Cait interviewed? did she refuse or was she not invited?

Good question

kmurray105 wrote:So why wasn't Cait interviewed? did she refuse or was she not invited?

She declined Carol's invitation, as I understand it. Which was, quite correctly, her prerogative.

Hello, it's Carol. I did approach Cait - at a brilliant Radiators gig in Camden, by the way - and in typical Cait style, she made it very clear that she would not like to take part!

Oh Boy is Cait is in the doghouse! - and I know, I've read chapter 28!!

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Have no illusions folks, this book is 400 pages about 8 men arguing

Thank Christ it has a happy ending!

And of course there's Masses about the music

It did leave me feeling one thing firmly: this is a band that DESERVES it's Reunion; deserves it's boutique hotels and plump checks and days off and long leisurely gaps between tours because in the 1980s the music bizz lashed each and every one of these musicians to a merryground... And stamped on the accelerater, faster and faster, year after year, until they were all flung off ...

Carol Clerk has done an excellent job.

Thanks to CM, whoever he or she may be, for the compliment. However. . . I am currently reading the proofs, and no one else on this earth has seen the final version of Chapter 28! Any instances of Cait being in the doghouse would occur in a much earlier part of the story, like when she walked out of the band during their first American tour. . .
'400 pages of 8 men arguing' . . . I think CM has got mixed up and read my Hawkwind book by mistake. . .

Hi Carol, superb job on the book.

re: Cait. I meant the Epilogue not Chapter 28. Oops. !!

Sharon Kelly emailed me the manuscript to review (I work in the book trade) and I've read it all, but I appreciate there may have been subsequent edits since my version.

PM sent

A Proper review will appear!

And of course, '400 pages about ...' doesn't BEGIN to do justice to The Story Of The Pogues. NOt meant to, was just a ... teaser

Carol Clerk wrote:Hello, it's Carol. I did approach Cait - at a brilliant Radiators gig in Camden, by the way - and in typical Cait style, she made it very clear that she would not like to take part!

what is typical cait style? a punch in the nose!

Anonymous wrote:

Carol Clerk wrote:Hello, it's Carol. I did approach Cait - at a brilliant Radiators gig in Camden, by the way - and in typical Cait style, she made it very clear that she would not like to take part!

what is typical cait style? a punch in the nose!

philipchevron wrote: I long ago concluded that what other people think about me is none of my goddamn business.

Seems I've heard many friends of Bill express this exact sentiment - 'tis one of my favorites to be sure.

Anyone know what date in October this is out?

Amazon? it says - 9th