I’ve had the pleasure of being friends with writer, curator, and producer John Corbett for more than three and a half decades now. There are lots of things that I love about John—his generosity, his smarts, his humor—but his unflagging enthusiasm for the things he’s passionate about has always been a huge inspiration. He’s gotten me excited about and turned me on to countless things during our friendship; in fact, early on his enthusiasm for my perverse late-80s fanzine Butt Rag was crucial, giving me a huge boost and a major shot of confidence. Looking back now, I don’t know if I would have followed the path I took without John’s support.
Tonight Corbett will celebrate the publication of the book with a reading at Constellation starting at 8 PM, an event happening before a concert by the Scandinavian trio the Thing—a group fronted by one of Corbett’s closest friends (and also a zealous record collector), saxophonist Mats Gustafsson, with whom Corbett will converse. A surprise guest is also promised, along with a limited quantity of free barbecue from Lem’s and Barbara Ann’s. Corbett will also make an appearance on Saturday afternoon at 3 PM at Hyde Park’s singular Seminary Co-Op Bookstore, where he’ll read and discuss the book with some live accompaniment from cellist Tomeka Reid.
