Tom Verlaine | Part One of The Interview with S.R.P.

Of Tom Verlaine, Patti Smith once said, “Tom plays guitar like a thousand bluebirds screaming.” and to listen to Tom, is to know exactly what she means. But there is a gentler side of Verlaine; the guy who comes through in songs like Pillow and 4.A.M and Stalingrad – this is the Tom Verlaine that I grew to love, long before I knew that he had played with Patti Smith on Horses, or so it was rumored, and yes, I knew Tom could belt out a song like nobdy else, and I mean, like nobody else because Verlaine has a style and a method all his own, and it’s hard to pin-point precise musical influences, though he reveals some in this interview.

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songstress katie melua | brighten my northern sky

It's 5:30pm and Katie Melua has just finished one of the most exhaustive sound checks I've ever heard - which was an incredible performance in itself, complete with a cover of "The Love Cats" that even the Cure would applaud.

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koning cool | an interview with author extraordinaire, Hans Koning

Author extraordinaire Hans Koning was born Amsterdam and remembers being in high school when the Germans invaded his country on May 10, 1940. Koning, thankfully, managed to escape, and in 1942, he fled to England where he enlisted in The British Army (7 Troop, 4 Commando). After the stint, Koning attended The University of Amsterdam and The Sorbonne. A quick review: after university, Koning was invited to Indonesia to take part in a radio program on western arts and literature. When his contract was up, Koning decided to go back to Holland and saw his way back through his homeland by way of Los Angeles. After some time, Koning returned to America and boarded a Greyhound bus to New York City where he found a job in publicity at the Dutch cultural attaché?s office. Ever the traveler, Koning moved yet again, this time to Mexico where he wrote his first novel, the one that would Koning?s career as a great writer of great fiction that was always on the cutting edge, always unexpected and original and always well-received. The book was "The Affair."

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kawasaki revolutionary | a sit down with Guy Kawasaki

Guy Kawasaki, a favorite at any time and now with his new book that I reviewed (also here on Blogcritics), The Art of the Start, gave generously of his time and sat down for our virtual interview. Guy approached the interview relaxed, as I had asked, because he told me, that's pretty much his natural state, and after reading through his answers, that relaxed and easy-going demeanor come across clearly, but I also see that je ne sais quoi or thing (in plain English) that has made Kawasaki such a tremendous success, to be specific his incredible candor and forthrightness combined with his wit, wisdom, and charm, all of which he shared with me so that I may now share it with you. Tune in for a casual conversation with Guy Kawasaki and when you're done, rush out and buy his books because not only are they well-written and smart, but the writing conveys the same straight-forwardness and no nonsense attitude with which he approached this interview. Here, at last, are books from someone who has made it to the top and unlike so many, is not threatened by new or smarter talent, but indeed welcomes it. It's about time someone like Guy Kawasaki came along, and thank god, because he came just in time.

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the art of the start | can't start a fire without a spark - just ask Guy Kawasak

Guy Kawasaki should know the Art of the Start, the title of his new book. With his impressive background as an Apple-Fellow at Apple Computer and an employee partially responsible for the success of the Macintosh brand, Guy Kawasaki then had the brass to start his own company, Garage Technology Ventures, an early-stage venture film, for which he is managing director.

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