• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Interviewing Bassists Stories Pt. 3

#801
but_ch said:
LWow. What the hell? He will get what's coming to him, be it in this life or another.
Is there something we can do to help you? (Not meant to be revenge oriented)
Click to expand...

Go to my Website and read this:

Link Removed

After reading both parts of the letter--which give you the background--search "Introducing my two favorite" in the search box on the right.

I'm being all coy because I've been ignored or turned down by every single publication, Website, and blog I've contacted. Everybody's afraid of lawsuits.

Well, I'm not afraid. I've been using names since January 23, and so far not a peep from the accused or their lawyers.

I can't get anyone interested in the story except for the agency I listed above, so that's that.

Mom and Dad left me a generous legacy, so I don't have to write for a living. My plan is to publish Volume Three of the Ghosts Trilogy and finish the military book and then hang it up.

Think about this: The suicides of my parents and my own illnesses were used to fleece me of $40,000, but not a single media outlet in the entire country is interested.

That's how far we've fallen.

Thanks to everybody who bought a copy of Ghosts and Ballyhoo. I appreciate it a lot.

I'm done. If you want to spread the news, at least that'll warn away other authors.

Don't feel bad. The books are out there, and they'll be in the Library of Congress forever. I don't have any regrets. Sometimes you have to know when to fold 'em, and this is one of those times.

I'm now an investor and expositor, not a writer. I'll keep on tapping away at my keyboard every night because it's enjoyable, but I'm through with the publishing and media world.

When the media says there's no story in a housebound guy with PTSD being absolutely reamed in the most merciless way you can imagine--the suicides of his parents being used as a basis for theft--well, it's time for me to bail.

I don't recognize what our culture has become. The good news is that I'd don't have to. The rest of my life is being devoted to good things, not soulless alien creepiness that didn't exist when I was young.
 
#802
Wow, Tom, that's awful to read. I remember when you first started posting here on TB, I read that post the first day. I also remember the day when Scott Thunes showed up here to chime in, as well. Good that he's been in touch with you. Good friends are worth their weight in moon rocks.
 
#803
Spectrum said:
Wow, Tom, that's awful to read. I remember when you first started posting here on TB, I read that post the first day. I also remember the day when Scott Thunes showed up here to chime in, as well. Good that he's been in touch with you. Good friends are worth their weight in moon rocks.
Click to expand...

They sure are. Thunes keeps pulling my fat from the fire.

At any rate, I wrote three books, so there's that.

It's bad, but I'll survive. Heck, this is just Bass Player all over again. Nothing new about it.
 
#804
Arthritic_Tom said:
Run into some problems on the writing front. In fact I've given it up professionally.
...
So get your Ghosts Trilogy while you can!
Click to expand...

Sorry to hear of your run-ins with the predators and scammers. I know they're everywhere but it's one of the reasons I had few regrets about leaving Lost Angeles.

I hope that your withdrawal from writing is a phase, and that you'll become inspired to take it up again. You're better than most at it.

I have Whale but life has been busy since it arrived. Every time I pick it up some new crisis demanding my attention interrupts. No, I don't think it's psychic transferrance (yet...) but it's got me a little gunshy ;-)

I'll complete the Ghosts trilogy as soon as the last book is available. Do you have an update on when you think that might be?
 
#806
ArtechnikA said:
Sorry to hear of your run-ins with the predators and scammers. I know they're everywhere but it's one of the reasons I had few regrets about leaving Lost Angeles.

I hope that your withdrawal from writing is a phase, and that you'll become inspired to take it up again. You're better than most at it.

I have Whale but life has been busy since it arrived. Every time I pick it up some new crisis demanding my attention interrupts. No, I don't think it's psychic transferrance (yet...) but it's got me a little gunshy ;-)

I'll complete the Ghosts trilogy as soon as the last book is available. Do you have an update on when you think that might be?
Click to expand...

Hallucinabulia will be ready by mid-February.

Tim tells me that I'll write again someday. Maybe. Right now I have no interest whatsoever in doing it professionally.

I'm content just writing a post or two a day on my Website.
 
#810
Also, Tom, forgot to tell you, I had "Make a Jazz Noise Here" on my wish list as well, because of you. I've never been a Zappa fan, not ever being into that wierdness, but after following your links I decided to get a copy. Fortunately, just as my sister hooked me up with your book, my mom hooked me up with that Zappa CD. This is the same mom who got me the Japanese Westone bass pictured below for a high school graduation gift in 1985. She has zero interest in music and has no understanding what I actually do with the instrument, but I thank her for it whenever I see her, and she knows I appreciate it. That bass is on a stand next to me as I type this. I have an awesome mom.

And now, thanks to you, I know who Scott Thunes is and can listen to his music.

5696135279_4753472133.jpg
 
#811
Spectrum said:
Also, Tom, forgot to tell you, I had "Make a Jazz Noise Here" on my wish list as well, because of you. I've never been a Zappa fan, not ever being into that wierdness, but after following your links I decided to get a copy. Fortunately, just as my sister hooked me up with your book, my mom hooked me up with that Zappa CD. This is the same mom who got me the Japanese Westone bass pictured below for a high school graduation gift in 1985. She has zero interest in music and has no understanding what I actually do with the instrument, but I thank her for it whenever I see her, and she knows I appreciate it. That bass is on a stand next to me as I type this. I have an awesome mom.

And now, thanks to you, I know who Scott Thunes is and can listen to his music.

5696135279_4753472133.jpg
Click to expand...

Buy the Ghosts and Ballyhoo album. I don't get a penny from it.

http://freejazzcollective.bandcamp.com/album/ghosts-and-ballyhoo

Read my interview of Scott on it.

Link Removed
 
#812
Amazing. After almost ten years posting to this board, I had almost completely lost interest. Too many fights, too many of the same stories told over and over again. What's the best bass for metal?

Then I ran across this series of threads this morning. Although it's blowing all productivity from the first half of my day, it's the most interesting thing I've read on Talkbass - maybe the internet - in months. Thanks, Tom!
 
  • Like
Reactions: IGotGas
#814
Altitude said:
Amazing. After almost ten years posting to this board, I had almost completely lost interest. Too many fights, too many of the same stories told over and over again. What's the best bass for metal?

Then I ran across this series of threads this morning. Although it's blowing all productivity from the first half of my day, it's the most interesting thing I've read on Talkbass - maybe the internet - in months. Thanks, Tom!
Click to expand...
That's quite a compliment. Thank you.

If you have a Kindle, I'm giving away no-strings-attached e-books. All I ask is that if you like them, please leave an Amazon review. I'm rebuilding my writing career after three grifters destroyed it.

Link Removed but every Amazon review helps. If you or anybody else is interested, send me your e-mail address by PM or using the contact form on my Website.

And thanks again. I appreciate it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: kcole4001
#816
Arthritic_Tom said:
That's quite a compliment. Thank you.

If you have a Kindle, I'm giving away no-strings-attached e-books. All I ask is that if you like them, please leave an Amazon review. I'm rebuilding my writing career after three grifters destroyed it.

Link Removed but every Amazon review helps. If you or anybody else is interested, send me your e-mail address by PM or using the contact form on my Website.

And thanks again. I appreciate it.
Click to expand...
I do 95% of my reading on a Kindle now, and I will queue you up. Search by your name, I assume. No need to respond unless there is some other trick.
 
#818
Read your blog post Tom, good for you.

And I read Leningen vs. the Ants when I was growing up. It was in an anthology my dad had read and gave me to read; I still have it. Awesome story.
If you haven't seen the film adaptation with Charleton Heston as Leningin I recommend you give it a look if you get a chance, it's not too far off from the short story.
 
#819
Tom,
I came to this thread late. Started at the beginning of part 1 and made my way through to the end of that first thread and found a link to the second thread and read about half way through that one ... so I'm not all caught up on this and I hope my post isn't completely out of context now.

As I was reading the first thread, I found myself really enjoying the stories and your writing. And I was having a lot of fun trying to guess who the people were. And I found that I was really pissed off at Bass Player for destroying your writing career. I wanted to go find that editor and kick him in the nuts!

And also, as I read more and more - I started to get a little uncomfortable by the number of times you indicated you were no longer angry and that you take responsibility for doing it to yourself - and yet you continued to talk about having your career destroyed and it seems to me you haven't really let it go.

I have to say that when I got to the post where you put up the letter your editor sent to you ... I was dumbfounded ... I thought his letter was perfectly respectful of you and very clear (though certainly disappointing). It was, I thought, an extremely clear and kind (yes, I thought he was being kind) letter spelling out exactly what the situation was - indicating a respect for your talent and value as a writer - and hoping that you would be able to work within the bounds of the situation - and recognizing that you have so much talent that you may not want to work within those bounds. I did NOT interpret that as him telling you to get out - honestly I didn't.

In any case - I have really enjoyed reading your writings though the years. And this thread (at least the first thousand or so posts) was very fun and entertaining. and BTW I am also a huge fan of Gentle Giant and Ray Shulman (and all the members of GG) and really enjoyed reading your interview with him when I discovered it a few years ago. Thank you for making that interview available - and thank you for all your other great writing. I'm glad you found a new outlet for your talent. I imagine that it must be a thrill to be getting such positive feedback from everyone and seeing so directly how your artistry is appreciated.
 
Last edited:
#820
Arthritic_Tom said:
That's quite a compliment. Thank you.

.......... I'm rebuilding my writing career after three grifters destroyed it.

Link Removed .........
Click to expand...

That's certainly some good news.

It's my thought that if all the good people put half as much effort making the world better as the bad people do maikng it worse, then the bad won't be able to feel so safe.
Anyway, it's everyone's job to make life better, even if it's only a little.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back