The History Book Has Lost Its Binding

Just wanted to quickly let you all know that I am having a much better Saturday than the last few. No headache, plenty of energy, went to kung fu class- it was a good day. Not sure what the difference was between today and any other Saturday.

I did have a thought though- I managed to avoid an allergy attack today. My allergies have really been going haywire the last couple weeks. Funny thing is that I don't really have allergy problems normally. But I do live right next to a giant unmowed field here in the Presidio (living in the woods doesn't help matters). And it was a really wet spring in the Bay Area and since then it's been sunny and dry. I also noticed my reaction was especially bad when I was walking my dog or in the car. So I've been avoid trudging through the fields around my building. And I took my car to the car wash and wiped out and vacuumed the interior- it was coated in pollen which was blowing in my face when I put on the vent.

Anyway, after class I went to my favorite cafe and got some serious editing work done on The Secret Origin of Guided By Voices section of Pop Zeus. Have collected a bunch of great new quotes in the last few weeks and the chapter is really shaping up nicely.

The plan is still for a history of the band told only in their own words- much like the Beatles Anthology book. I also decided to not use previous GBV bio pieces Watch Me Jumpstart or Hunting Accidents as reference- I really want my history to stand apart.

It not only will the text be unique but it will also only feature the period before they hit the big time in 1994, from Bob's childhood to the 1993 New Music Seminar. I want to focus on the redemptive arc of the story- the rise, fall then rebirth of Guided By Voices.

And lastly, the chosen quotes will tell the more visually interesting tales. So I have been whittling down the voluminous material (25 pages and climbing!) to lose the dates and facts stuff (which anyone can find out on their own) and concentrate on the funny or interesting stories as told by Bob and the gang- the ones that conjure images as I read them. And boy, there is some hilarious (and mostly forgotten) stuff that I can't wait to draw!

Sorry if I am retreading with all this. I've talked about this section before. But as the writing nears completion, it's turning out really great and I'm getting really excited about it!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend, my friends. Have some more stuff to add to the band history, so off I go...