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"In the last few months of his incredible life the composer spent time with his daughter documenting his wonderful career for a planned book project."
Yes, I was told this too. I was asked not to say anything at the time though because of the privacy issue. I hope it realises itself as a book very soon.
Cheers
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Personally I don't think an acknowledged fan is the best candidate to write a biography, because it may lack objectivity.
Steven C Smith set a great standard with his Herrmann book. Yes, he's a fan but he wrote the book from a firmly objective standpoint.
A skilled journalist using knowledgeable fans in a consultative way may be the best bet.
Cheers
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Don't you think there exists a candidate Goldsmith fan who can be objective?
No, to be honest.
A book needs three talents, not just one:
a knowledge and enthusiastic consultant.
a good and objective writer.
a VERY good editor.
What so many books lack is good editing. Authors, especially enthusiastic ones, can ramble aimlessly. A good editor can save their work. Why authors will not go to the trouble of engaging good editors, goodness only knows.
Cheers
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I realise I'm coming across as a bit dissy re: a book project. I would just like to say, I don't mean to. I merely wish to say that for the best book to be produced it should be done professionally.
A good, professional biography is underpinned by (a) Good research, (b) Good writing and (c) a good editor.
If I were in charge of such a project of course I'd want enthusiastic fans on board. But I'd have an aware yet detached professional writer at the keyboard with a great editor as his foil and a good researcher as his aide (to find references, letters, documents and people to be interviewed). The fans should guide the writer, who could use the researcher to find corroboration of stories and the editor to make sure it's polished and ready for the reading public.
Cheers
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Posted: |
Jul 29, 2004 - 6:30 PM
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By: |
Southall
(Member)
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There is only so much an enthusiastic fan can do. I could sit here and start writing about Jerry Goldsmith and come up with 200 pages overnight just off the top of my head, but it would be a useless book. I'm not interested in a book of reviews of his scores, I'm interested in a proper biographer telling us about his life, his personal relationships, events in his life which characterised his music (eg was there a tumultuous score or two following the end of his first marriage, a few more magical ones than usual after the birth of his grandchild, etc), one that does proper research by speaking to his friends, family and professional colleagues and collaborators. If there's anyone out there capable of doing it I've no idea, but frankly I'm not interested in it if it's less than that.
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I saw some recent queries about this book on the Jerry Goldsmith forum so I decided to post the following here:
I was briefly involved with trying to help Carrie Goldsmith find a publisher for her manuscript, or self-publish, and also work on the book editorially. The manuscript had a lot of fascinating material but, as Carrie advised me, there were likely legal issues pertaining to some of the content (i.e. persons depicted therein). Unfortunately, in trying to explore ways to smooth over these legal issues, I showed the manuscript to someone without permission and when I fessed up to Carrie, she and her brother Joel decided -- and I don't blame them -- to terminate my involvement. This was entirely my fault and I take full responsibility.
The last I heard, Carrie had decided to shelve the book indefinitely. I have sworn not to share any of the content of the book outside of the brief excerpts that Carrie allowed us to quote in a couple of liner notes (as in The Last Run). I will say that the manuscript is fairly represented by the sample chapters published online, in that it is largely a presentation of the oral history Carrie began with her father during the last months of his life, interspersed with Carrie's interviews with other composers, film music figures, and family members, and Carrie's own journey of trying to connect with her father and detail difficult aspects of her personal history with him.
In my opinion, the book is not a true biography of Jerry Goldsmith but a very personal and candid memoir from Carrie's point of view with a great deal of literary potential. However, there is considerable work remaining to make the book fit for publication. In my observation, Carrie really poured her heart into the book, and made great personal sacrifices to work on it, and at this point she just doesn't want to deal with it anymore. In a way I feel like I was the straw that broke the camel's back, and as Joel and Carrie will likely read this, if they want a public apology, I offer it here. However, I will say I worked on the book with the best of intentions, and that the manuscript, as it stands now, is not appropriate for publication -- and to be perfectly clear, this is something on which Joel and Carrie appeared to agree with me.
It is regrettable that the manuscript may never reach the public. The responsible thing for Carrie and Joel Goldsmith to do would be to continue to work on the manuscript so that a version of it could be published -- even if online -- or alternatively provide the material to another author for a scholarly biography. I don't know what good it would do to write them letters to this effect.
I think I am characterizing the above fairly but it's likely Joel and Carrie, or someone else involved, might have a different recollection.
Please excuse me if I don't want to make any further statements on this book. It was a very difficult project to be associated with and I really regret my failure to help Joel and Carrie, and of course to the fans dying to read about Jerry Goldsmith.
Lukas Kendall
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I'm sure you've punished yourself enough Lukas, so there's no need for any of us to pass further judgment on you. I will, however, say that the current situation, at least as you describe it, totally sucks. I hope all the b/s can one day be sorted out in order to get the book published.
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