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THE RICE ROOM: Growing Up Chinese-American: From Number
Two Son to Rock ‘N Roll
Hyperion Books 1994, Limited Edition, Hardcover,
Autographed $24.95 + Shipping & Handling.
Purchase Now
I saved a handful of the first edition of my memoirs, and am now offering copies through AsianConnections Online Store. Let me know who
you want me to sign it to, and I’ll do it. The Washington Post called The Rice Room “a courageous book...moving and important.” It’s been
used in high schools and colleges. In fact, Colby College in Maine named it its Freshman Book and gave a copy to each incoming student.
Here are comments by other readers:
“This is a book you want to hug...a wonderfully poignant portrait of
growing up - from Chinatown to the Age of Aquarius” - Amy Tan, author of The Joy Luck Club
“From childhood to manhood we see his struggles and triumphs as he
negotiates growing up in the ‘60s with Elvis, hippie rock and roll, personal tragedy, and a Chinese-American soul. A witty, moving,
heartfelt read.” - Philip Kan Gotanda, playwright and film director
“Ben Fong-Torres’ voice rocked over the radio waves, and a whole
generation listened to one of the pioneer voices to break out of Chinatown. Now Fong-Torres fills his memoir with worlds of feeling,
both tender and tragic, to reveal the fire behind that voice.” - Faye Myenne Ng, author of Bone
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NOT FADE AWAY: A Backstage Pass to 20 Years of Rock & Roll
Miller Freeman Books, 1999, $14.95
Purchase Now
This is a collection of 30-something of my favorite pieces from Rolling Stone and other magazines, with backstage stories, photos by Annie Leibovitz, and a
foreword by Cameron Crowe. Here are some nice comments about the book:
“As a lifelong fan of Ben’s insightful, wry takes on my fellow rock and rollers, I’m honored to be included in
this collection. Ben got a lot of us before the rest of the world did. What a great window on those times.” - Bonnie Raitt
“Fong-Torres offers up refreshingly candid and bombast-free missives
interwoven with original articles on rock and pop colossi of the ‘70s...You couldn’t hope for a more upbeat, sane, and dryly revealing
observer of popular music’s halcyon era.” - Carl Rosen, Billboard
“In a journalistic world where, as the saying goes, ninety percent of
success is showing up, Fong-Torres made his presence known with diligence and style.” - Nathan Brackett, Rolling Stone
“Solid journalist that he is, Fong-Torres can stretch from James
Brown to Neil Diamond, from Bob Dylan to Iggy Pop - all without straining.” - Steven Stolder, Amazon.com
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THE HITS JUST KEEP ON COMING: The History of Top 40 Radio
Miller Freeman Books/Gavin, 1998, $27.95
Purchase Now
Buzzing with behind-the-scenes stories from Top 40 DJs, many of them as popular as the records they spun, this blast from the past reflects the
rhythmic pulse of Top 40 radio itself. It takes you back to the rantings and ravings of dozens of "cooler rulers," like the Real Don Steele, "Fifth
Beatle" Murray the K, WMCA Good Guy B. Mitch Reed, the colorful "Cousin Brucie," the inimitable Wolfman Jack, and the controversial Alan Freed.
Says Laugh-In’s Gary Owens: "Which star was mooned by which
evangelist? Did Cher cure mononucleosis by vigorous kissing? This volume has it all!"
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HICKORY WIND: The Life and Times of Gram Parsons
St. Martin’s Griffin, 1998, $13.95.
Originally published hardcover in 1991 by Pocket Books/Simon & Schuster.
Purchase Now
Long out of print, Hickory Wind is back, in a revised and expanded form, with a new epilogue and photos. A must-have for fans of the original Mr. Americana.
"A remarkable job of tracking the life of Mr.
Parsons...the writing is clear, and the tales ring true ashe follows a seminal figure of country rock from his birth into a citrus-moneyed family in Winter Haven,
Florida, to his drug-related death in the high desert town of Joshua Tree, California."
- Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"A saddening piece of reading, but one which members of Parsons’ large cult will find essential."
- Musician magazine
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CDs
A CONVERSATION WITH JIM MORRISON (Beserkly Records,
1997)
From the CD liner notes, by Ben Fong-Torres:
Working for Rolling Stone, I used to pop into Hollywood on a regular basis. Sometimes I stayed at the apartment of a rock publicist
friend, Diane. One of her neighbors was Pamela Courson - Jim Morrison’s old lady. One February afternoon in 1971, Jim came around, looking for
Pamela. She wasn’t there, so he decided to hang out and wait.
When Diane introduced us, I asked for an interview. He and I hit it
off right away, and got into doing this parody of a TV talk show. I played Dick Cavett; he was a rock star.
He told a couple of jokes so risque that they would have gotten
Cavett canned, and then, with my cheap cassette recorder running, we settled into a pretty serious chat about the Doors and the blues; the future of rock, and his own future.
Despite his reputation as a wild man; despite his busts for obscenity
and for exposing himself on stage, Morrison had struck me, in published interviews, as a smart, thoughtful guy. Maybe he wasn't
quite the poet and artiste he fancied himself to be, but at least he was playing with the conventions of rock, performance, and theater. He was at home on the edge.
Jim was planning to move to Paris within weeks, and this turned out
to be his last interview before his departure in March. In July, I was in Hollywood again - visiting with his friends and associates, and writing his obituary.
This just in: I have a few of the interview CDs for sale. You can write
me for details. However, the interview is being posted for free streaming right now at www.throttlebox.com, a multimedia site. Check it out.
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STRANGER THAN FICTION
Purchase Now
Stranger Than Fiction is exactly that, and I'm proud to be part of it. If you know about the Rock Bottom Remainders, you get the concept:
Authors from exalted literary types like the late Jessica Mitford and the rarely late Dave Barry to rock critic scum of the earth like Greil
Marcus and Dave Marsh are not only allowed to sing; the results are unleashed onto a suspectingpublic.
Now comes a two-CD set from Remainders founder-producer-guitarist-label head Kathi Kamen Goldmark. Over
three years in 11 studios, she rounded up Stephen King, Norman Mailer, Amy Tan, Maya Angelou, Matt Groening, Molly Ivins, Roy
Blount Jr., Bob Greene, Leonard Maltin, Peggy Orenstein, and many others, along with real musicians like Jeff "Skunk" Baxter and Warren
Zevon, helping out on the recording sessions.
My bit is a track called "Rainy Day Bookstores," a takeoff on Bob
Dylan's "Rainy Day Women 12+35," in which I play the parts of Dylan and Elvis Presley, with a gorgeous kazoo orchestra background and
backup vocals by Amy Tan, among others. It's psychedelic!
The CD, which benefits the PEN Writers Fund's Special Fund, will be
in stores as of April Fool's Day. A special Collectors' Edition, with liner notes by Warren Zevon and artwork by Gretchen Schields, can be
ordered directly from Goldmark's label, Don't Quit Your Day Job Records.
For Stranger Than Fiction and for info on DQYDJ's wide array of cool recordings, surf on over to its Web site: http://www.dqydj.com.
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