Meeting Greil Marcus

Last night, I had the pleasure of meeting Greil Marcus who was speaking at Book Passage in Corte Madera in support of his latest book, The Shape of Things to Come. (Read about what was said at my Pop Culture Blog). I read Lipstick Traces while I was in college and it really did change my life - or at least had a remarkably strong impact on my writing and what I wanted to accomplish as an artist. After he read a passage and answered some questions (including one from me), I took up a couple books to get signed, and thanked him for writing a book that made such a strong impact on my life. I also gave him a copy of God's Boat because I do believe it is the kind of album he would appreciate. In fact, the very first piece I ever wrote about the Passionistas was a bit Marcus-like, I think. We chatted for a few minutes, mostly about David Lynch and Mulholland Drive. It was wonderful to meet someone whose work I admire, and I found him to be a warm and intelligent individual (although I was already convinced of the latter).