Interview with the Host–Decemeber 5th, 2008 Show

December 8, 2008

I had the honor of turning the tables on Sound Authors host Dr. Kent Gustavson and interviewed him about the guests on last week’s show.
1) You spoke to Jerry Caraccioli who wrote a book about the boycott on the Olympics in 1980. Since you were very young when this happened..what did you learn about this incredible historical event after speaking to him?

I had heard about this event while growing up — my dad and I are Olympics junkies… This year I had the television on NBC for just about every hour the Olympics were on! I think it’s also the best memory of my childhood — sitting and watching the Olympics with my father.

What was fascinating is that they looked back and found several athletes that had not been able to attend the Olympics, and it turned out that it was their only chance at being an Olympian! In Jerry’s research, he found that most of the athletes felt that the Boycott didn’t really work, and that it was a true shame that the athletes who had trained so hard wouldn’t be able to compete in the event that they had worked their whole lives towards!

2) What insight about the American Legend John Henry did you learn after speaking to Scott Reynolds Nelson — author of Steel Drivin’ Man?

I love his book — I actually read it some time ago, and just came back to it before the interview. I had always thought that John Henry was a folk tale, but it turns out he did truly beat the steam drill, and then he had a heart attack and died. I love that the song was used by so many movements to express the power of man vs. the industrial machine… Very fitting for today’s world, in the talk about all the banks and the stock market…

3) After speaking to bestselling author Katherine Neville, how has she incorporated her rich and diverse career into her novels?

It was simply fascinating speaking with a legend of fiction… She’s been in the industry for so many years… Her books take lives of their own — she talks about her novels as if they write themselves…

But I especially liked talking with her about her pet rat — I have 2 pet rats, and they are adorable creatures, and very smart! Her website has a wonderful little corner devoted to her late pet rat…

4) Ken Peplowski was on the show and he is sometimes compared to Benny Goodman in terms of tone and virtuosity. Do you agree with that statement?

Certainly… Of course, there can’t really ever be another Benny Goodman — an innovator opens the door with great struggle… and whomever comes in that door after him doesn’t need to push as hard! He’s already done the hard work…

But what I really enjoy about Ken’s playing is his playfulness, and he truly captures the joy of big band music, as well as the melancholy, at times, of John Coltrane and some of the other ensemble musicians of the 60s… It was a great honor chatting with such a great jazz player!

I found most amusing that he said he needed 10-20 reeds per gig! I would have never thought that…

Posted by amber | Filed Under x_ AFTERTHOUGHTS