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December 24, 2011

The Query Letter and the One-Sentence Pitch

Filed under: Essays,News,Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Thomas Hauck @ 1:09 pm

One of my clients is a very talented novelist who is writing a political thriller. He and his very dedicated literary agents are working diligently to offer the book to selected New York editors, gauge the responses, and then modify the book and their proposal before submitting the package to additional editors. It’s a smart strategy.

The editors who have read the book – or have started to read it – have offered a mixed bag of responses. Some say the characters are too thinly dawn. Others want more action up front. Others say they can’t identify with the protagonist.

There is no consensus, only a grab bag of contradictory feedback. It’s possible that the author is encountering an expectations gap. Editors, like readers, have a set of preconceptions about what they like and what they think will sell. If you meet those expectations, terrific. If not, you have a tough road ahead.

As any author knows, the query letter is key. It sets up expectations. These expectations must be fulfilled, or the editor will put the book down. Unfortunately, the word “thriller” comes with a set of images – nowadays in the form of Jack Reacher and/or Lisbeth Salander. If you’re not offering a domestic crime caper with a tough guy/tough gal protagonist, preferably one with crippling personal issues, you have some explaining to do.

Which brings us back to our query letter. There is a one-sentence format that every author should at least attempt to fulfill. This is the “When…then” formula. Here are some examples of this formula in action when applied to a selection of classic books on my bookshelf.

A. “When the warrior’s ship is blown off course, he faces a ten-year journey to return home and defend his wife against greedy suitors.”

B. “When a young London real estate agent is sent to meet a client in a mysterious castle in Transylvania, he faces an evil force more powerful than he could imagine.”

C. “When a young guitar player happens to meet a singer on the train, an unlikely partnership is formed that will change pop music forever.”

D. “When a boy and  girl meet at a dance and fall in love, they unleash a bitter family conflict that threatens their lives.”

E. “When a newly divorced woman buys a bed and breakfast in a remote seacoast town, she discovers the true love of her life.”

The answers – A. “The Odyssey”; B. “Dracula”; C. “Life” by Keith Richards; D. “Romeo and Juliet”; E. Any one of a thousand books.

It’s a tidy formula: When some trigger event happens, then the protagonist faces challenges and/or opportunities. It’s like a door opening.

Literature is above all about the individual human experience. When your reader connects with your protagonist, you’ve got a companion on your journey.

Thomas Hauck, book editor, helps clients in Boston, New England, and around the world bring their books to the highest level possible. If you need help with your novel, memoir, self-help book, or business book, contact Thomas Hauck today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

December 5, 2011

Thomas Hauck, Editor: “That” or “Which”?

Filed under: Essays,News,Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , — Thomas Hauck @ 6:14 pm

I’ve edited hundreds of books and documents, and one of the issues that drives writers crazy is trying to figure out when to use “that” or “which” when either is used to introduce a dependent clause that modifies a preceding noun or pronoun. (See that? I used “that.” An argument with a grammarian may now ensue.)

Nowadays, editors try to use “that” for what we call restrictive clauses. This means that the information provided by the clause is indispensable. Here is an easy example: “The car that gets the best gas mileage is the one I’ll buy.” The phrase about the gas mileage is necessary to the sentence. You cannot remove it.

Editors try to use “which” when the information is non-restrictive or incidental. You don’t need it to understand the central meaning of the sentence. Here is an example: “The car, which gets great gas mileage, is the one that I will buy.” The part about the gas mileage is additional information about the car, but it is not absolutely necessary.

Most editors will use a comma before “which,” as I did in the preceding example. Editors will not use a comma preceding “that.”

Here is a trickier example: “I will buy the car which gets the best gas mileage.” If you put a comma in front of “which,” it looks wrong: “I will buy the car, which gets the best gas mileage.” A grammarian might insist that the sentence read, “I will buy the car that gets the best gas mileage.” This sentence suggests that there are a finite number of cars from which to choose – perhaps two or three.

Sometimes, to break a tie, I will check to see if the preceding noun is identified by “a” or “the.” If the sentence talks about “a car,” it is obviously one of many, and needs to be further identified. Here is an example: “A car that gets good gas mileage is inexpensive to operate.”

Contrast that with this example: “The car, which gets good gas mileage, is inexpensive to operate.” When you say “the car,” you have identified only one car, and so the information about the gas mileage could be omitted.

When you have written a book or report, it’s important to make sure that the grammar is perfect – or at least within the limits that grammarians argue about! At Thomas Hauck book editing, my goal is to bring your book to the highest level possible. Every year in the United States almost a million new books are published, both by traditional publishers and self-publishers. It’s a very competitive marketplace, and books that contain basic errors are quickly set aside. You need to let your ideas shine through, and the only way to do that is with the assistance of a qualified book editor.

Contact Thomas Hauck book editor today for a free quote and unmatched personal service. I’m located in Gloucester, MA, USA, and I serve clients throughout the United States and around the world. Let’s get your book looking great!

Thomas Hauck, Editor: Line Editing for Clarity and Impact

Filed under: Essays,News — Thomas Hauck @ 11:33 am

In order to get a book in shape to be published, an editor has to do many “objective” tasks, including correcting typos and spelling. But one job that is the hallmark of a skilled editor is line editing, which is difficult to measure objectively.

Here’s why. Reading is a linear process. The reader follows a line of text and sees one word after another. In this way it’s like music, which is also time-based and linear. It is unlike visual art; when you approach a painting your eye can scan across the surface and see various parts in whatever order you choose.

In good writing, it’s important not to confuse the reader. You want the reader to fly through the book the way a skier flies downhill. You do not want any moguls and you do not want the reader to have to stop and figure out what you are saying.

The differences can be very subtle. At Thomas Hauck book editors, I make sure that each line – each phrase – is presented in the optimum order. Here’s an example of a typical line edit.

“The tree fell with a mighty crash because its roots were weakened by age and it was hit by a fierce west wind.” Technically, there is nothing wrong here. No typos and no bad grammar. But the phrasing is inelegant. The reader must backtrack to put all the pieces together: tree fell, weak roots, west wind.

The line editor may suggest this: “From the west came a fierce wind, and the tree, its roots weakened by age, fell with a mighty crash.”

In a joke, the format is this: setup and then punchline. The joke writer always saves the punchline for the end. A sentence is no different. In our example, the punchline is that the tree fell with a mighty crash. This information must be saved for the end. All of the other information, which serves to set up the punchline, comes first. This allows the reader to visualize the scene clearly and without having to backtrack. Typically, this means that the writer is moving from the general to the specific: taking the long establishing shot and then moving in for the closeup.

This is why the Bible says, “In the beginning was the word.” It does not say, “The word was in the beginning.” They are exactly the same six words, yet one version is clumsy, and the other version sings.

At Thomas Hauck book editing, we make sure that your manuscript is not only acceptable, we ensure that it is the very best that it can be. Contact editor Thomas Hauck for all of your literary needs.

 

December 4, 2011

Who Are Thomas Hauck’s Editing Clients?

Filed under: Essays,News,Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Thomas Hauck @ 5:16 pm

When people first meet me and I tell them that I’m a book editor and ghostwriter based in Gloucester, MA, which is an hour north of Boston, they often want to know who my clients are and where they come from.

I edit books for people all over the world, but primarily from the United States, England, and Australia. I have worked with authors and business clients in Canada, Mexico, Germany, France, The Netherlands, Singapore, and many other places. A sizable part of the Thomas Hauck editing business is with foreign clients who need their books to be in flawless US or UK English. This can be challenging – and you cannot outsource native English writing!

Many of my clients are individual authors who either have written, or are in the process of writing, a novel or memoir. I recently had the pleasure to assist an established author prepare his thriller novel for submission to publishers; his literary agent had many suggestions for the book and the very talented author, who was otherwise very busy, turned to me for quick ghostwriting of new material as well as editing with an eye to plot, character, flow, and point of view – all the ingredients that must be perfect for a novel to captivate the reader.

Many professionals turn to Thomas Hauck editing and ghostwriting services when they need to publish a book that will establish them as a leader in their field and attract new clients. My job is to position them as thought leaders and help them to connect with their market. I focus on the entire package – content, proofreading, line editing, formatting, and structure.

I edit quite a few self-help books. These are books that help people to lead better lives, and sometimes to change their lives dramatically. Self-help or advice books come in every variety. Some are very philosophical; some focus on health; while others are business oriented. Right now I’m editing a book for a UK client that shows you how to get the best deal when buying a car!  A few weeks ago I edited a book that featured a deep philosophical and spiritual dialogue between a sea captain and an Indian mystic.

My clients find me on my website at thomashauck.net. They also find me on Elance and Guru, two excellent websites for a wide range of talent.  My book editing and ghostwriting clients know that I’m always accessible by email, phone, or Skype. I never outsource any editing or ghostwriting project – not one word. My rates are discussed up front and there are never any surprises. A follow-up round of edits is always included at no extra charge.

No matter where in the world you may be located, Thomas Hauck ghostwriting and book editing can help you. I’m always just a few clicks away!

- From our offices in Gloucester, MA, Thomas Hauck provides professional book editing and ghostwriting services for authors in the Boston area, New England, the United States, and worldwide. Contact Thomas Hauck book editor today.

October 23, 2011

Thomas Hauck – Ghostwriter, Editor, and Proofreader: Services Overview

Filed under: Essays,News,Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Thomas Hauck @ 3:44 pm

I’m a professional editor, proofreader and ghostwriter. Here’s a quick guide to the services I provide to my clients in Gloucester, Boston, the United States, and around the world. You’ll notice that in the text I use my own name once in a while. That’s just to keep the search engine bots happy.

Thomas Hauck Editor: Overview

I provide my valued clients with personal one-on-one service. I never outsource and I use no lower-priced assistants. When you become my client, I’ll provide you with:

· Original research and writing (for ghostwriting projects).

· Developmental suggestions about overall structure and flow.

· Line editing and proofreading with unmatched attention to detail.

· Professional formatting for submission to a literary agent or publisher.

· Assistance with your query or agency submission.

· My personal cell phone number.

· Confidence that your book is of the highest professional quality.

For projects over $250, it is a good idea to establish milestones. This provides you with confidence and protection because you are not committed to using my services beyond each milestone.

For example, let’s say you hire Thomas Hauck to edit your 80,000-word novel. The fee might range from $800 to $1,200, depending on the condition of your manuscript. Let’s say we agree on $900. We might agree on four milestones of $225 each:

1. Basic formatting and first 20,000 words.

2. Editing up to 40,000 words.

3. Editing up to 60,000 words.

4. Final editing and polish.

At each step, I deliver drafts for your approval. When editing, I use the Word edit tracker so that you can see every change. The process is collaborative and I welcome your phone calls or emails.

Thomas Hauck is represented on both Elance and Guru, and both services offer convenient escrow accounts. You pay into an escrow and release the funds only when a milestone is complete. This system offers a high degree of protection and confidence for both you and me.

Ghostwriter

When you don’t have the time or the expertise to write your book or report, Thomas Hauck can write it for you. I’ll work closely with you to bring your ideas to the printed page. Your book will be written based on your input and in your voice, and you will retain full copyright. The book may be sold or offered under your name alone. I will gladly sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA).

I’m proud of my track record of success. I’m happy to provide work samples and links to specific books on Amazon or Barnes & Noble, and explain my role in creating the book. For example, I ghostwrote Judd Kessler’s phenomenally successful book Dangerous Law Practice Myths, Lies, and Stupidity. I’m proud to provide a link to the book on Amazon.

How is my fee calculated? Ghostwriters are usually hired on the basis of the word count.

E-books can be as few as 10,000 words. Non-fiction books, such as self-help books and memoirs, can be nearly any length above 25,000 words. For fiction, a short novel is generally between 50,000 and 80,000 words. A full-length novel is above 80,000 words.

Specifying the number of pages can be difficult, because the page count will vary depending upon size of the text, margins, and chapter breaks. However, for a typical document in 12-point Times New Roman with one-inch margins, you can expect to get about 500 words per page. So a document of 200 typewritten pages would be about 100,000 words.

Here’s an example of how page counts can vary. Ever read Tribes by Seth Godin? It’s a book of 147 pages. The pages are only 5 x 7 inches with about 25 lines of text per page and about 10 words per line. So the book is about 147 x 10 x 25 = 36,750 words. Probably less if you consider space taken up by headlines. And it is a best seller.

If you take your typical Tolstoy novel, it will be printed in 10-point font with 35 lines per page and 15 words per line. In a typical Tolstoy novel, 147 pages of text would be 77,000 words – almost twice as many as Tribes.

This is why it is always better to agree on a word count. It is measurable and there is no ambiguity.

I will always provide a price based on a flat rate for the project, or based on a price per word (say, ten cents per word, which is average). Thomas Hauck does not get involved with graphics or cover art; writing is a highly specialized occupation, and like most good writers, I just write.

Thomas Hauck, Editor

When you have a nearly complete book or report, I will provide editorial services. I’ll read the entire document and help you to organize and present your thoughts as effectively as possible. I may suggest adding material or deleting passages that aren’t effective. In this process it pays to have an open mind, because many authors are sensitive about their work and it can be difficult to be objective. I’m very easy to work with. You do not want an editor who is bossy and won’t explain why he or she favors certain changes. It’s your book and your name on the cover!

I will always give you a price in advance. Then, as the work progresses through the milestones, you review the results, and only when we are in agreement should you continue. There are never any surprises.

A full edit means that I work in partnership with you to develop and shape the text and the content. This is also called developmental editing.

A copy edit means that I will look at every aspect of your document. Does it make sense? Is it readable? I may ask to re-write sections or suggest changes. The “five Cs” summarize the copy editor’s job: Make the copy Clear, Correct, Concise, Comprehensible, and Consistent. I also provide formatting services so that your book or document has a professional look.

A line edit is when I ensure that every sentence reads properly, but I do not address larger issues of theme or continuity.

When deciding questions of grammar and punctuation, I use the Chicago Manual of Style. It is a highly regarded industry standard. But there are others, and you may specify which style you want to follow.

No matter which style you choose, the key is consistency. For example, if you choose to write out numbers below ten (one, two, three, as opposed to 1, 2, 3), this should be done consistently throughout the document. But in cases where there is some ambiguity, the bottom line is always readability: does it make sense?

Thomas Hauck, editor, will always work closely with you to preserve your voice and your personal vision. Your story is unique, and whether your style is chatty or hard-boiled or academic, I will always be in tune with your expressive voice.

Proofreader

For documents that are ready for publication, Thomas Hauck is an experienced and meticulous proofreader. I will check for mistakes of grammar and spelling, fact check, and correct typographical errors. I will not interject my editorial opinion about the content of your work.

No proofreader is more meticulous than I am. My goal is for your manuscript to have zero errors and to stand up to the most rigorous scrutiny.

I ordinarily use the Chicago Manual of Style for tricky questions of usage and grammar. I know correct punctuation (when to place a semicolon instead of a comma, for example, or the difference between an m-dash and a hyphen). I have a thorough knowledge of English vocabulary and grammar (when to say “ensure” rather than “insure,” or “farther” rather than “further”). These details are very important to any professional document. One needless mistake in your book may cause a reader to go elsewhere.

You can hire Thomas Hauck on a per-word basis or by the project. I will provide a firm estimate in advance.

My Invitation to You

Even if you are not sure which services you need, I invite you to contact me so that we can discuss how I can help you reach your goals. I look forward to hearing from you. Email me at thomasahauck [at] hotmail [dot] com, or use the contact form on my website.

Thomas Hauck

Author, editor, ghostwriter

 

May 21, 2011

Book Editing: Changing the Voice of a Book or Document

Filed under: Essays,News,Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Thomas Hauck @ 4:45 pm

Occasionally, a client for whom I am editing a book will ask, “Does the book sound natural? Does it sound like a native English speaker writing in a conversational tone?” Often the clients who ask me this reside outside the United States and are concerned that American readers will be put off by stilted or unfamiliar language.

Once in a while I get the feeling that the client’s book was ghostwritten by a low-priced non-native-English-speaking writer, and the book’s owner is having second thoughts. This seems to happen frequently with business books that focus on self-help or advice.

This is a difficult question. Normally, to edit a book does not mean that you have to rewrite every sentence. When editing a well-written book, sometimes entire paragraphs are found to be perfectly acceptable.

But if the book’s tone or voice is stilted or just doesn’t hit the cultural bull’s-eye, it is because every sentence and every phrase is a little bit “off.” A sentence can be grammatically correct and understandable, but still seem as if it were written by someone who does not hang around at the Mall of America.

Here is an example from a book I recently edited about the fashion industry. The language is not bad and there is nothing grammatically wrong. But the syntax has the whiff of the non-native English writer:

“Creative fashion geniuses often have ample resources for suitable inspiration and can regularly create striking and splendid designs. But since most are amateurs, they are on a constant lookout to get their work noticed and presented in the already streaming market. By finding the right opportunities and right people, it is quite possible to have the chance of a lifetime of getting your work into the limelight and even have the prospects of making big bucks out of it. There are quite a few processes involved in this fashion industry rigamorale and we shall make it easy for you by the following steps and useful information pieces.”

The text is perfectly acceptable but seems stilted. The book’s owner asked if I could edit the book to make it sound more natural. My response was that the best analogy would be to compare two automobiles, a Mercedes and a Lexus. Both are good cars. But if someone said, “Please turn my Mercedes into a Lexus,” you are looking at a very big project. A typical car has 20,000 parts. To achieve the transformation, you would have to change each of those 20,000 parts. A book is the same. To achieve a different tone or voice throughout, you have to re-write practically every sentence. The voice of the book is embedded in every phrase and every paragraph. This is why a book by Ernest Hemingway is instantly identifiable and different from a book by Stephen King. It’s there in every sentence, just like every cell in your body carries your DNA.

To make the fashion industry text sound more like homegrown American, I’d have to rewrite every sentence, and charge accordingly. The client declined. But the takeaway is this: editing is not the same as rewriting, and when you edit a book you’re not changing the voice; you’re enhancing what is already there.

Thomas Hauck

Ghostwriter, Editor, Proofreader

January 28, 2011

“The Overton Window” by Glenn Beck

Filed under: Book Reviews,Essays — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , — Thomas Hauck @ 3:37 pm

Totalitarianism is bad. Freedom is good. You can’t argue with the message that FOX television personality Glenn Beck expertly delivers in “The Overton Window.” Modern industrialized democratic societies are capable of embracing dictatorships, as Germany and Italy did in the in 1930s. Can it happen in America? Never say “never.”

The central and most useful idea put forth in “The Overton Window” is one of political relativism. That is, when presented with a given set of choices, when one possible solution is extreme, a less extreme outcome will seem more acceptable. This idea is not Beck’s; according to Wikipedia, “The Overton window, in political theory, describes a ‘window’ in the range of public reactions to ideas in public discourse, in a spectrum of all possible options on a particular issue. It is named after its originator, Joseph P. Overton, former vice president of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy.”

For example, if the government threatens to ban all firearms in private hands, a less extreme ban on automatic weapons seems more reasonable. To a libertarian, which Beck sounds like, this type of compromise moves the Overton window along the sliding scale toward totalitarianism. A government ban on automatic weapons, which should be unthinkable, is accepted by the masses only because the other choice, a total ban on all weapons, is a possibility. This is how Big Brother conditions citizens to meekly accept government control over the lives of its citizens.

Unfortunately, you don’t need four hundred pages to figure this out. “The Overton Window” is not so much a thriller as a political science lesson. The characters, which are expertly drawn, deliver endless lectures to each other. The evil public relations genius Arthur Isaiah Gardner pontificates about how the United States is a failed experiment in democracy that needs totalitarianism. The good guys lecture each other about how the government plans to institute totalitarianism. As it turns out, the paranoia of the good guys is based on reality. Terrorists will detonate a nuclear bomb in Las Vegas, and the blame will be put on the Founders Keepers, a group that resembles the Tea Party. The scheme echoes the Reichstag fire of 1933, which Chancellor Hitler was quick to blame on communists and which he used as an excuse to suspend civil liberties.

The protagonist and bad-guy-who-becomes-good is Noah Gardner, son of the evil Arthur Gardner. Noah is paired with Molly Ross, an activist with the Founders Keepers. (Presumably other Founders Keepers gals might be named Betsy Madison or Dolly Washington. Beck makes it easy for the reader to get the point.) Beck takes pains to avoid bashing Democrats; in his world, no matter who is in charge the government literally does nothing good or moral. Nothing. At one point Noah, in a lengthy political discussion with Molly, asserts, “I care about the environment more than most, I want clean energy….and Saddam Hussein was a legitimate monster.” But after this tiny window of rational discussion is cracked open, it is slammed shut again and Beck takes us back to paranoia. The problem is that “they” (the promoters of totalitarianism) are undefined. Presumably it is everyone in government (although Beck expressly excuses local law enforcement and those engaged in “public safety” – no sense in making the local cops and firefighters mad) and every corporate type. And there are no solutions offered, only a bleak and horrifying future ushered in by a guy who evokes Lionel Barrymore’s portrayal of the evil Henry Potter in “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Even the GM bailout, which in retrospect seems like a fantastic deal for the U.S. taxpayer and for our standing in the increasingly competitive global marketplace, is seen as evidence of the nanny state meddling in our freedom.

The challenge for anyone who might be critical of this book is that people who love the book can retort, “So! You are in favor of dictatorship! You hate freedom!” Sorry – no. I’m not paranoid and I am not afraid of complexity. As communication and mobility improve, the trend towards increased federalism is inevitable. It’s something that we have to manage, not run away from.

January 27, 2011

Thomas Hauck, Editor: Quotes, Italics, Boldface, and Capitals

Filed under: Essays,Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Thomas Hauck @ 2:05 am

Every writer wants his or her words to leap off the page. We all experience the anxiety that the reader will lose interest or will fail to grasp a particularly important point or word. And so many writers resort to four popular devices to draw the reader’s attention: quotes, italics, capitals, and bolded type. Use of these literary spices must be judicious, or else the recipe will taste like a jumble of accents and no substance. At worst they can be an irritating turnoff.

Quotes

Aside from indicating direct quotations of speech, quotes should only be used to either indicate that it is the word itself that is under consideration, or to indicate the unusual or non-standard usage of a word. Here are two examples.

1. When you see the word “elephant,” you should say it out loud.

2. The gangster’s “defense” consisted of the ridiculous assertion that the bloody knife got stuck into the victim’s back by accident.

In the second sentence, you might have said, “The gangster’s so-called defense consisted…” You are indicating to the reader that the word is being used sarcastically. Don’t use quotes around a word unless you are really and truly using the word in some unusual way. Overuse of quotes around single words quickly becomes tiresome.

Italics

Italics are good way to add emphasis to any word. Italicized words are easy to read and you can use them liberally.

1. You need to differentiate between good cholesterol and bad cholesterol.

2. The aircraft hit turbulence. Really rough turbulence.

Capitals

Putting ordinary words in caps for emphasis is never a good idea. It is tiresome and confusing. Take a look at this paragraph:

1. In the USA, President Ronald Reagan established the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDIO), which was later changed to the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization (BMDO). In 2002, BMDO’s name was changed to its current title, the Missile Defense Agency (MDA). The MDA is a POWERFUL deterrent to Russian or North Korean missile attack.

When you get to the word “powerful,” the effect is bewildering. The use of caps should be reserved only for acronyms.

Bolded type

Bolded type is useful in a non-fiction document when you are introducing a word or phrase for the first time, and you want to make sure the reader sees it. It’s also used for live links to website pages. Here is an example:

1. For a non-profit organization, a successful capital campaign is the result of many constituencies working together for a common goal, including the board, staff, volunteers, donors, and community representatives. As the project grows from an idea to a proposal to reality, a campaign plan is key to success. A comprehensive campaign plan provides a framework for action and a template that is transparent and universally accepted

We’ve introduced the term “campaign plan,” which we intend to discuss in the document. Subsequent occurrences are not bolded.

A word about ellipses

Ellipses (…) should only be used when a part of the sentence or dialogue is truly missing, not simply to indicate a pause. To indicate a pause, use a dash.

1. But wait – there’s more! I want you to see – to hear – and to truly believe!

2. Everyone knows how the Gettysburg Address begins: “Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth…the proposition that all men are created equal.”

Thomas Hauck – ghostwriter, editor, proofreader. From my office in Gloucester, MA, which is an hour north of Boston, I provide professional book editing, ghostwriting, and proofreading services for authors in the Boston area, New England, the United States, and worldwide. For unsurpassed personal service, contact Thomas Hauck book editor today.

January 2, 2011

“Life” by Keith Richards

Filed under: Book Reviews,Essays — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Thomas Hauck @ 4:45 pm

There are many reasons why I would want to read “Life,” the new memoir by Keith Richards. I’ve been Rolling Stones fan since I was a kid back in Cincinnati and I first heard “Satisfaction” and “Last Time” on WSAI-AM, our local top-forty station. As a guitar player and songwriter, Keith is probably my number one musical inspiration. And of course the news reports and Stones press releases about his drug-fueled exploits have always been fascinating.

I actually made it through to the end of this 547-page tome. This is unusual because with the exception of the great Russian novelists, classics, and a few others, I have no patience to wade through 547 pages of anything. Most often I get a novel and read the first fifty pages to get a feeling for how the author writes, and then I’m bored. So the first thing I can say about “Life” is that it is surprisingly well written. It’s hard to say how much of this is attributable to James Fox, who does not receive credit on the cover, only on the title page. My guess is that the writing is Keith’s. He deftly moves back and forth in time, throws in asides, adds colorful commentary, and glides through his story with a combination of detail and big strokes that reflects how he approaches his music.

The guitar and songwriting info is useful for any musician. The drug advice and escapades become tedious, and I have to admit that after 1980 or so I started to scan paragraphs and skip the redundant drug discussions.

But for me the most interesting theme of “Life” is that it is about a creative and business partnership: Keith and Mick Jagger, the Glimmer Twins. This is the theme that anyone can relate to. Most everyone has a job with co-workers, or is married, or is involved in some type of long-term partnership. Keith and Mick (and of course Charlie) have hung together for nearly fifty years, which is an extraordinary record. According to Keith, the relationship between himself and Mick was solid until the beginning of the 1980s, when Mick became “unbearable.” Memoirs tend to be self-serving, and from “Life” one should not expect anything different, but I had hoped for more insight from Keith. For their estrangement he basically lays the blame on Mick, whom he accuses of Lead Vocalist Syndrome (LVS) and of wanting to jump on every passing musical trend, such as disco. Mick is shallow; Mick is endlessly calculating.

Keith could have seen Mick’s side. As the 1980s approached the Stones were a multimillion-dollar global enterprise and Mick was at his performing peak. Yet Mick’s songwriting and musical partner was mired in drug addiction and endless bouts with the law. It is reasonable to think that Mick would not know from one day to the next whether wild & crazy Keef would get busted and be incarcerated, or simply drop dead. And for years Keith had had trouble getting visas for tours. Would it not be unreasonable for Mick to hedge his bets and develop his solo career, even if it seemed to be nothing more than a reproduction Stones? Keith bitterly accuses Mick of disloyalty, but an argument could be made that Mick was as loyal as any human could be expected to be.

Mick is not the only one who can be calculating. I was interested to see that in the endless revelations of nearly every aspect of Keith’s private life, he did not discuss his famous teeth. There are photos from the seventies showing Keith and his rotten teeth, and then suddenly he’s got brand-new, white, shiny choppers. I guess that being a heroin addict is cool; wearing dentures at the age of forty is not so cool.

As for music, there was a time in the early 1960s when the Stones were at the very cutting edge of pop music. They bridged black and white musical universes. They pushed the envelope and blazed new trails, both culturally and musically. With the advent of the hated disco musical form in the mid-1970s (which also helped launch punk rock), the Stones began to lose their spot on at the edge. They slowly became traditionalists. To Keith this was fine. Mick saw it differently. He wanted the Stones to remain identified with the avant-garde. Mick was responsible for “Miss You,” the disco-influenced song from “Some Girls” that was a huge hit and helped maintain the Stones’ position as cultural nomads. The restless Mick is always shopping around for new sounds and new styles. To Keith this is evidence of a shallow artistic ethic, but perhaps it’s a continuation of what the Stones were always about.

“Life” is a fascinating glimpse into the life of a man who has against all odds remained a towering musical talent. Luckily, most readers won’t be able to directly relate to the chaotic lifestyle and drug culture (sometimes it seems as though Keef and his entourage are living on Mars), but his journey both as a creative individual and as a collaborator with his partners speaks to us all.

"Life" by Keith Richards

December 19, 2010

Mayflower Creationism

Filed under: Essays,News,Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , — Thomas Hauck @ 9:24 pm

In the modern era, the discussion of how we humans have come to exist on earth has assumed a familiar form: creationism versus evolution. Creationists argue that at a particular time in history a divine entity, God, created human beings and all other creatures. Evolutionists argue that over the course of millions of years all life forms emerged and, even today, continue to evolve.

In the past several years we have seen the creationist argument applied by political conservatives to the birth of our nation. On blogs and on the editorial pages of newspapers there appear impassioned letters from Tea Party types and other individuals who put forward the following assertions:

1. The United States of America was founded, more or less single-handedly, by a group of white males whose names are familiar (Washington, Adams, Hancock, and others) and who are collectively referred to as “the founding fathers.”

2. The founding fathers were practicing Christians.

3. The founding fathers intended that the United States be forever identified as a Christian nation.

The arguments of these “Mayflower creationists” parallel those of Biblical creationists. They say that the world as we know it was conjured from nothing by an all-powerful deity (or in the case of the Mayflower creationists, deities) whose beliefs and commandments are set down in scripture and represent an enduring template from which deviation is dangerous and immoral.

If you accept this deeply flawed argument as an axiom, then to decide the important questions facing us today you need only examine and parse every word spoken by, and every sentence written by, the creator(s), whether biblical or constitutional. As a result we see creationists digging through the recorded statements and writings of the founding fathers, seeking proof that these men were Christian and that they intended the United States to be a Christian nation.

To recall that the founding fathers owned slaves and that they lived in era of brutal inequality will make no difference to the Mayflower creationists, and so I’ll forgo that exercise. The deeper point is that while it is good to remember and respect the wisdom of earlier ages, it is foolish to seek advice from men who have been dead for hundreds of years. We cannot ask them directly; we can only sift through historical records and try to interpret what they might say to us today. But when confronted with difficult choices, it makes no sense to point to some long-dead deity and say, “This is how the deity said it had to be done hundreds of years ago, and therefore I am not required to think for myself.”

The founding fathers deserve our admiration and respect. They dared to think for themselves. But in the centuries since they lived, the world has changed. And if you believe in evolution, you know that any species that remains the same is doomed to perish. We live in a world where only the fittest survive. To refuse to adapt is dangerous, and to claim that the ghosts of the past speak to us is folly.

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