Yesterday I blogged about the unpublished Jerry Goldsmith biography...and I can't say it was a good experience. I don't mean to complain, just being honest. I was taken to task by a few folks pretty hard and their criticisms were, by and large, valid. So I accept it. I appreciate that people are passionate and took the time to express their opinions.
Even though the FSM board is known for its fights and complaining—I so wish I had set it up in the era when people use their real names—I try to set a good example by accepting criticism and responding politely. I usually find if people attack you, and you just say, "Good point, thanks for weighing in!"—then the topic rapidly dies. I have fun seeing people confused! They're like, "Uh...okay, then."
But honestly...after 30 years of being a voice in film music fandom, for whatever that's worth, I have a sense of how to manage its currents.
There wasn't anything significant to the timing of my blogging about the project (a few people asked, "why now?"). I had been meaning to set up a blog for some time—where I also want to talk about non-film music topics, so I didn't want to use the FSM site—and once I set up my personal website, I remembered how I have wanted to get it off my chest.
One thing did come up, which was the suggestion that the Goldsmith book needed a proper book editor, instead of my sorry ass. I won't deny that. I would have loved it if somebody else had done it!
But I do want to point out that I subsequently became involved in getting another unpublished manuscript out to the public (one in which Goldsmith makes an appearance): Preston Neal Jones's fantastic oral history of the making of Star Trek: The Motion Picture.
I didn't write this book. I didn't publish this book (that was Taylor White at Creature Features). But I scanned Preston's typewritten 1979-80 manuscript (on the copier at the Paramount music dept., ironically) and cleaned it up and helped with the fact-checking, proofreading, and some of the other arrangements to get it published and publicized.
And everybody was happy! (That is, except for the few critics who lamented the lack of artwork—which we didn't have the rights to, and which would have made the book even longer. But that's fine, it's a valid complaint.) The hardcopy book sold out, Preston got to see his hard work appreciated after some 35 years, the fans got to read a one-of-a-kind making-of book about a classic film—hooray, everybody!
The hardcopy book is sold out and now goes for a lot of money on the secondary market, but we subsequently created an e-book which is very affordable at $9.99.
So, you know, folks...I'm not entirely incompetent at this.
Anyway, thanks for reading, for writing your various comments here and at the platforms—and I'm also glad that this Wix interface seems to be not bad. If you post comments and criticisms, I'll try to respond...and you're welcome to make requests for things you'd like to see me write about.
In the days ahead I'll explain what I hope to do next with my non-career!