New book fails to mention Diana Ross

[woodward]

I was watching Morning Joe on Tuesday, 5/23/23. David Remnick was on promoting his new book that was released that day. The title of it is Holding the Note: Profiles of Popular Music. David Remnickis the editor of the famous New York magazine.

I was astonished to put it mildly no mention was made in his appearance of Diana Ross. So I googled the book to see what I could learn. From what I could determine from the Random House presentation there are 11 chapters in the book as follows:

Leonard Cohen
Aretha Franklin
Buddy Guy
Keith Richards
Paul McCartney
Mavis Staples
Charlie Parker and Phil Schaap
Bruce Springsteen
Luciano Pavarotti
Bob Dylan
Patti Smith

No mention in the index of any Motown singers being mentioned. How in the world could he not include a chapter on Diana Ross?

So don't buy the book as she got NO COVERAGE. Unbelievable.

[sansradio]

Even more baffling is the fact that there's a chapter on Pavarotti in a book about popular music. [I guess you could make a case for the 3 Tenors​ projects as popular, but that's a stretch.]

[reese]

At first I was going to say maybe the author only included people that he actually interviewed but then I see Charlie Parker on the list and Remnick wasn't even born until after Parker's passing.

That said, now I think these might be profiles that he wrote for the journal The New Yorker. I don't think it is meant to be a definitive measure of who is or who isn't popular. If I saw it in a bookstore, I would probably pick it up and thumb through it as Aretha is on the cover.

[sansradio]

At first I was going to say maybe the author only included people that he actually interviewed but then I see Charlie Parker on the list and Remnick wasn't even born until after Parker's passing.

That said, now I think these might be profiles that he wrote for the journal The New Yorker. I don't think it is meant to be a definitive measure of who is or who isn't popular. If I saw it in a bookstore, I would probably pick it up and thumb through it as Aretha is on the cover.

Yeah, Remnick's a helluva writer. His Ali biography is indispensable. This should still be a good read.

[Spreadinglove21]

Obviously this book is about artists he admires on some level and has nothing to do with sales. If he doesn't hold Diana Ross in high regard as an artist why would you want a chapter on her? And if your sense of self and fandom in Diana Ross is so threatened because a book doesn't discuss her, then that's f'd up. So besides proposing that no one buy it, do you want the book banned? Or burned? All because Diana Ross isn't mentioned in it?

[Ollie9]

Obviously this book is about artists he admires on some level and has nothing to do with sales. If he doesn't hold Diana Ross in high regard as an artist why would you want a chapter on her? And if your sense of self and fandom in Diana Ross is so threatened because a book doesn't discuss her, then that's f'd up. So besides proposing that no one buy it, do you want the book banned? Or burned? All because Diana Ross isn't mentioned in it?

Good point SL.

[jobeterob]

I don’t think there is much or any significance to this - there’s no slight

[lucky2012]

...I think these might be profiles that he wrote for the journal The New Yorker. I don't think it is meant to be a definitive measure of who is or who isn't popular. If I saw it in a bookstore, I would probably pick it up and thumb through it as Aretha is on the cover.

I totally agree, reese. I would pick it up in a bookstore, too! Besides Aretha, I would want to read what he writes about Leonard Cohen and Mavis Staples.

[marybrewster]

I don’t think there is much or any significance to this - there’s no slight

We agree for once!

[Spreadinglove21]

Seems like by starting this thread Woodward made people aware of this book and may have helped the author get a sale or two!

[sansradio]

[jobeterob]

We agree for once!

I thought we just about always agreed!!??

[copley]

Negativity so often has a positive outcome. Thanks for bringing this book to my attention.

[PeaceNHarmony]

I'd imagine there are quite a few books that don't mention any other of the 4.382 'Supremes' but those books don't worry a new thread either, do they? Wow. Scraping the bottom of the toadpool.

[jobeterob]

The crowd is getting older; some artists have slipped away; some more prolific opinionated members have slipped away. Some knowledgeable insiders left years ago due to the vigorous debate.

So we have some mundane topics and quite a few “what ifs”.

[Ollie9]

I'd imagine there are quite a few books that don't mention any other of the 4.382 'Supremes' but those books don't worry a new thread either, do they? Wow. Scraping the bottom of the toadpool.

Oh dear.

[Motown Eddie]

Obviously this book is about artists he admires on some level and has nothing to do with sales. If he doesn't hold Diana Ross in high regard as an artist why would you want a chapter on her? And if your sense of self and fandom in Diana Ross is so threatened because a book doesn't discuss her, then that's f'd up. So besides proposing that no one buy it, do you want the book banned? Or burned? All because Diana Ross isn't mentioned in it?

Well Said! Diana Ross' reputation is more than secure and doesn't need to be mentioned in every book about great vocalists.

[Circa 1824]

Elvis is also not on the list.

In short, who the hell cares who David Remnick likes. He is nothing to me.

[PeaceNHarmony]

I've been keeping up with news about negotiations on the debt limit, and I'm SHOCKED that not one single Supreme has been mentioned.

[midnightman]

Obviously this book is about artists he admires on some level and has nothing to do with sales. If he doesn't hold Diana Ross in high regard as an artist why would you want a chapter on her? And if your sense of self and fandom in Diana Ross is so threatened because a book doesn't discuss her, then that's f'd up. So besides proposing that no one buy it, do you want the book banned? Or burned? All because Diana Ross isn't mentioned in it?

I think it's clear if he did, Diana would've been a chapter but it seems this was a personal list so yeah it would be silly to include Diana if he didn't favor her.

[reese]

This past weekend, I read the chapters on Aretha and Mavis. Both seemed rather familiar to me, as if I had read them before. It could very well be that these are earlier writings of Remnick's that the author has now compiled for this book.