Gordon Lightfoot Forums - View Single Post - Writing GORDON LIGHTFOOT

charlene · 10-19-2011, 10:46 AM

Depending on the weather I may attend the book launch on Thursday night in TOronto.

This is Bidini's 10th book. He has written about music and hockey, had a band "The Rheostatics" and now has "BidiniBand".

I find the approach of this book quite intriguing. The facts of those times and people have been written but as fans of any artist know there are many details we are not privy to. Taking a seminal event in time to anchor a secondary story and tell ones own personal take on them in the form of 'writing/talking' to the main character is very interesting. Whether I like what I read because some of the blanks have been filled in with conjecture/fantasy has yet to be determined because I haven't read the book.

Dave's been upfront about his 'relationship' with Lightfoot and how that has played out over the years and how Lightfoot has reacted to him. Because Lightfoot may still be pissed off with what has occurred is interesting in itself but won't influence whether I like the book or not.
I, personally have written many actual notes/letters/cards to Lightfoot over the last 40 years, several were well before my present relationship (LOL) with him. I well remember many times back in the day wondering if he had received them and if he had would he then respond. When there was no response I wondered why not (duh) but always felt that he was thankful for them. How could someone who wrote such beautiful musical poetry not be a thankful sort of person deep in his soul? Delusional? Perhaps..
Years later I would come to know how he felt. I would hear it from the man himself.

Like all of us I've wondered about his 'real' life, what his days are like, what his opinion are about things other than loving the Toronto Maple Leafs, what his regrets are, what he would do over if given the chance, his greatest highs, his deepest lows. We've formed our opinions about him from various sources, from the perspective of our own lives, some may be true, others patently wrong. For his own reasons he chose to not participate in the writing of this book. The author, wanting to write about music, Mariposa and Lightfoot had to choose between not writing the book or trying it this way with his own imaginings and conjecture actually written down and published. That's pretty brave as far as I'm concerned, putting it 'out there' to be critiqued by not only the reading public but the subject (his hero) of the book and it takes some serious soul searching about whether it's worth it or not. Such is the life of a writer I guess. I don't think it makes him pompous tho.

We all have our own 'conjectures' about the wherefor and why of Lightfoot..We just don't write a book about them and for the most part we avoid dwelling on the 'controversial.'

Is it true that much of the man is truly separate from the music yet much is in the music?
Only he knows that answer and he obviously likes it that way. I think he finds it all quite perplexing and mystifying why anyone gives a shit or not. But I think he also understands that human nature being what it is means this won't be the last book written about his life and his musical legacy. Perhaps that's better than being ignored. Perhaps it will be the impetus for him to write his own story. Perhaps.

10-19-2011, 10:46 AM	#10
charlene Moderator Join Date: May 2000 Posts: 15,886	Re: Writing GORDONLIGHTFOOT - book excerpt Depending on the weather I may attend the book launch on Thursday night in TOronto. This is Bidini's 10th book. He has written about music and hockey, had a band "The Rheostatics" and now has "BidiniBand". I find the approach of this book quite intriguing. The facts of those times and people have been written but as fans of any artist know there are many details we are not privy to. Taking a seminal event in time to anchor a secondary story and tell ones own personal take on them in the form of 'writing/talking' to the main character is very interesting. Whether I like what I read because some of the blanks have been filled in with conjecture/fantasy has yet to be determined because I haven't read the book. Dave's been upfront about his 'relationship' with Lightfoot and how that has played out over the years and how Lightfoot has reacted to him. Because Lightfoot may still be pissed off with what has occurred is interesting in itself but won't influence whether I like the book or not. I, personally have written many actual notes/letters/cards to Lightfoot over the last 40 years, several were well before my present relationship (LOL) with him. I well remember many times back in the day wondering if he had received them and if he had would he then respond. When there was no response I wondered why not (duh) but always felt that he was thankful for them. How could someone who wrote such beautiful musical poetry not be a thankful sort of person deep in his soul? Delusional? Perhaps.. Years later I would come to know how he felt. I would hear it from the man himself. Like all of us I've wondered about his 'real' life, what his days are like, what his opinion are about things other than loving the Toronto Maple Leafs, what his regrets are, what he would do over if given the chance, his greatest highs, his deepest lows. We've formed our opinions about him from various sources, from the perspective of our own lives, some may be true, others patently wrong. For his own reasons he chose to not participate in the writing of this book. The author, wanting to write about music, Mariposa and Lightfoot had to choose between not writing the book or trying it this way with his own imaginings and conjecture actually written down and published. That's pretty brave as far as I'm concerned, putting it 'out there' to be critiqued by not only the reading public but the subject (his hero) of the book and it takes some serious soul searching about whether it's worth it or not. Such is the life of a writer I guess. I don't think it makes him pompous tho. We all have our own 'conjectures' about the wherefor and why of Lightfoot..We just don't write a book about them and for the most part we avoid dwelling on the 'controversial.' Is it true that much of the man is truly separate from the music yet much is in the music? Only he knows that answer and he obviously likes it that way. I think he finds it all quite perplexing and mystifying why anyone gives a shit or not. But I think he also understands that human nature being what it is means this won't be the last book written about his life and his musical legacy. Perhaps that's better than being ignored. Perhaps it will be the impetus for him to write his own story. Perhaps.