"H" Is For Hard

[cbertsch]

The piece I'm writing is making me enormously anxious. Even though I know it's likely that my subject will find fault with much of it, I still want him to like it. At the same time, though, it won't be worth anything unless I put my own stamp on it. I guess that's what makes this kind of journalism so hard. I keep thinking about how happy Dennis Cooper was to be writing a profile for Spin on Bob Mould, only to end up pissing him off despite the best of intentions. Being a fan isn't enough. In the end, I have to stand up for my own perspective regardless of the consequences. I just wish that I could once and for all renounce the dream of pleasing everyone. That's a shortcut to madness.

Comments

[ex-benlinus.livejournal.com]

I've done a few profiles like that, and I always battled with that idea. I swing between "fuck him if he doesn't like it" to "he's a good dude and I wanna help him look good as much as possible", then right back to "fuck him if he doesn't like it - I'M GIVING MY HONEST OPINIONS HERE."
Everyone's got their quirks and flaws, and shit they might not want put out there, but you can't let their self image obscure YOUR image of them, even if he is a legend.
What are the consequences for you? He tells all his rockstar buddies not to talk to you?

[cbertsch.livejournal.com]

The thing is, I really respect him. And I understand why he's hard on journalists. I just wish he'd be easier on me. I don't need him to love the piece, but I don't want him to dismiss it with a wave of his hand.