About the Book
Now the inspiration for a major motion picture written and directed by the Coen brothers
Dave Van Ronk was one of the founding figures of the 1960s folk revival, but he was far more than that. A pioneer of modern acoustic blues, a fine songwriter and arranger, a powerful singer, and one of the most influential guitarists of the '60s, he was also a marvelous storyteller, a peerless musical historian, and one of the most quotable figures on the Village scene. The Mayor of MacDougal Street is a firsthand account by a major player in the social and musical history of the '50s and '60s. It features encounters with young stars-to-be like Bob Dylan, Tom Paxton, Phil Ochs, and Joni Mitchell, as well as older luminaries like the Reverend Gary Davis, Mississippi John Hurt, and Odetta. Colorful, hilarious, and engaging, The Mayor of MacDougal Street is a feast for anyone interested in the music, politics, and spirit of a revolutionary period in American culture.
About the Author :
Dave Van Ronk (1936-2002) was one of the founding figures of the 1960s folk revival, but he was far more than that. A pioneer of modern acoustic blues, a fine songwriter and arranger, a powerful singer, and one of the most influential guitarists of the '60s, he was also a marvelous storyteller, a peerless musical historian, and one of the most quotable figures on the Village scene.
Elijah Wald wrote the acclaimed study of blues legend Robert Johnson, Escaping the Delta. He also wrote the biography Josh White: Society Blues and Narcocorrido: A Journey into the Music of Drugs, Guns, and Guerrillas. He lives in Los Angeles.
Lawrence Block is the recipient of a Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America and a New York Times bestselling author. His prolific career spans over one hundred books, including four bestselling series and dozens of short stories and articles. He has won multiple Edgar, and Shamus awards, two Falcon Awards from the Maltese Falcon Society of Japan, the Nero and Philip Marlowe Awards, the Cartier Diamond Dagger from the Crime Writers Association of America, and many others. Aside from being a mystery writer, he has also written a number of episodes for television, including two episodes of the ESPN series Tilt; he also cowrote the screenplay for the film My Blueberry Nights, starring Norah Jones. Block currently lives in New York City with his wife, Lynne.
Sean Runnette, an Earphones Award-winning narrator, has also directed and produced more than two hundred audiobooks, including several Audie Award winners. He is a member of the American Repertory Theater company and has toured the United States and internationally with ART and Mabou Mines. His television and film appearances include Two If by Sea, Cop Land, Sex and the City, Law & Order, the award-winning film Easter, and numerous commercials.
Review :
"A funny, insightful, and honest recounting...Many readers may go to the book looking for stories about other people, including Dylan--and they are here--but along the way they will discover, or rediscover, the story of Dave Van Ronk."
-- "Associated Press"
"Best Book of 2005--If you thought Bob Dylan's Chronicles emanated atmosphere, try Van Ronk's salty, seamless, and often hilarious re-creation of Greenwich Village...Where his Bobness could be frustratingly oblique, Van Ronk is concrete to the point of 3-D."
-- "Library Journal"
"Filled with amusing, colourful anecdotes."
-- "Chart"
"A hulking raconteur and iconoclast, [Van Ronk] fondly captures the spirit of the times."
-- "Q magazine"
"A wise and very funny book."
-- "New Yorker"
"Charming, evocative autobiography by one of the key figures in the mid-twentieth-century folk revival...A must for those with an interest in the music, and of great appeal as well for anyone who enjoys a roistering life story recounted in a lively narrative voice."
-- "Kirkus Reviews"
"In Greenwich Village, Van Ronk was king of the street, he reigned supreme."
-- "Bob Dylan"
