A Free State by Tom Piazza - Minstrel Banjo2024-03-29T09:34:05Zhttps://minstrelbanjo.ning.com/forum/topics/a-free-state-by-tom-piazza?commentId=2477478%3AComment%3A133619&feed=yes&xn_auth=novery much looking forward to…tag:minstrelbanjo.ning.com,2015-10-26:2477478:Comment:1338502015-10-26T01:25:59.385ZChris Prietohttps://minstrelbanjo.ning.com/profile/caprieto
<p>very much looking forward to the book's arrival</p>
<p>very much looking forward to the book's arrival</p> I read this book, I thought i…tag:minstrelbanjo.ning.com,2015-10-25:2477478:Comment:1338462015-10-25T23:26:46.769ZJared Denhardhttps://minstrelbanjo.ning.com/profile/JaredDenhard
<p>I read this book, I thought it was very beautiful, as well as being a compelling page turner.</p>
<p> Tom Piazza's ability to describe a profound musical experience in prose is probably some of the best I've ever read, </p>
<p>His research on early banjo and its repertoire and playing technique is pretty spot on, but it's really the feeing and the characters that made me so sad to finish it, it was in some ways as powerful as Huckleberry Finn, with the same dynamic between the 2 main…</p>
<p>I read this book, I thought it was very beautiful, as well as being a compelling page turner.</p>
<p> Tom Piazza's ability to describe a profound musical experience in prose is probably some of the best I've ever read, </p>
<p>His research on early banjo and its repertoire and playing technique is pretty spot on, but it's really the feeing and the characters that made me so sad to finish it, it was in some ways as powerful as Huckleberry Finn, with the same dynamic between the 2 main characters, only Henry Sims is a much more complex and multifaceted character than Jim was in HF. The song that he sings to Seward at the the end of the book made my jaw drop, a brilliant sincere/sarcastic homage/indictment of minstrelsy - full of joy, defiance and conviction. It was worthy of William Blake in its ability to contain so many contradictions and still be so beautiful and evocative. Anyway, I liked the book.</p> I realize this is a novel, bu…tag:minstrelbanjo.ning.com,2015-10-25:2477478:Comment:1338212015-10-25T21:40:06.518ZAndy Chasehttps://minstrelbanjo.ning.com/profile/anchase
<blockquote><p>I realize this is a novel, but if there's a reference to an actual occurrence let's have it!</p>
<p></p>
<p>Actual accounts typically don't begin with "the year is 1855" (i.e. "it was a dark and stormy night"). I can't tell if or at what point this is an actual account, or merely a paraphrase of an actual account, in the manner of Old West authors. I guess it's on me to obtain a copy of the book.</p>
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<p>Dan'l, if you look at the…</p>
<blockquote><p>I realize this is a novel, but if there's a reference to an actual occurrence let's have it!</p>
<p></p>
<p>Actual accounts typically don't begin with "the year is 1855" (i.e. "it was a dark and stormy night"). I can't tell if or at what point this is an actual account, or merely a paraphrase of an actual account, in the manner of Old West authors. I guess it's on me to obtain a copy of the book.</p>
<p></p>
</blockquote>
<p>Dan'l, if you look at the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Free-State-Novel-Tom-Piazza/dp/0062284126/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1445808875&sr=8-1&keywords=a+free+state" target="_blank">Amazon page</a> for the book you'll see that the above description is from the back cover. Actually, on comparison a few words are different, but it's just the publisher's synopsis.<br/><br/>(Nowhere was it suggested that the book is an account of actual events; it's a fictional novel.)</p> It was great to meet Tom at A…tag:minstrelbanjo.ning.com,2015-10-21:2477478:Comment:1336192015-10-21T17:20:27.813ZAndy Chasehttps://minstrelbanjo.ning.com/profile/anchase
<p>It was great to meet Tom at AEBG. It's a good book that affords us the opportunity of serious reflection on the contexts in which we keep this music alive.</p>
<p>It was great to meet Tom at AEBG. It's a good book that affords us the opportunity of serious reflection on the contexts in which we keep this music alive.</p> Good book. I highly recommend…tag:minstrelbanjo.ning.com,2015-10-19:2477478:Comment:1335972015-10-19T16:18:59.897ZTim Twisshttps://minstrelbanjo.ning.com/profile/TimTwiss
<p>Good book. I highly recommend it. Tom is a gentleman and it was great he came to 2 of AEBG.</p>
<p>Good book. I highly recommend it. Tom is a gentleman and it was great he came to 2 of AEBG.</p>