When I set out to learn about my mother's bridge club, the Jewish octogenarians behind the matching outfits and accessories, I never expected to fall in love with them. This is the story of the ladies, their game, their gen, and the ragged path that led me back to my mother.
“The reverberations of Kurt’s suicide last to this day, and have touched the lives of many. Dozens of people could have written their own version of this bracingly candid book; Eric Erlandson has written one, filled with rage and love, landmined with detail, that can stand for them all.”
–Michael Azerrad, Come as You Are and Our Band Could Be Your Life
“Eric was the spirit-boy in the Nirvana/Hole dynamic. Quiet, bemused, intelligent and curiously intuitive to the power of hugging the devil, to say we will all be ok. The early 1990s were an explosive and defining period of creativity and excitement for the underground punk/post-punk scene, particularly with the manifest poetry of Kurt, who we were so proud to have as a light in our shared time and space. To express how enchanting he was, how the whole scene was, is something Eric expresses in his thoughtful, radical adult prose/love. Bring on the future, darling. –Thurston Moore, Sonic Youth
Hey Guys, if you’re interested in Hole, Nirvana, suicide, fame, food, sex, agony, consumerism, rock and roll, poetry and the savage gods, you might like Eric Erlandson’s first book, Letters to Kurt. Fifty prose poems that are raw, naked, and fully clothed. Former lead guitarist of Hole, Eric Erlandson’s new book is on limited offer with the chapbook of ephemera, Cock Soup. Check it out: http://www.akashicbooks.com/store/page7.html
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Betsy Lerner 
Nice to read new words from Thurston Moore. And to see a (gasp) typewriter, now gone, like the vinyl LP and face-to-face human communication alongside it. Sonic Geezers.
Whew. Very nicely said, Thomas.
The early 1990s, for me, ended any delusion that I had some rock n’ roll left in my portfolio. Motherhood, divorce and other simple slaps of life kept me too distracted to really embrace this particular music era and group.
Never-the-less, the roll call of musical talent lost to suicide is quite a heart-breaking list. Perhaps this book will give another, troubled musician reason to pause and reconsider certain choices. THAT would be a wonderful legacy.
Thanks for this. I’ve been thinking a lot about Kurt the past couple of days, since seeing Amanda Palmer’s video for her cover of “Polly.” I’ve been thinking that we haven’t had a famous man who so powerfully stuck up for women in a long, long time, possibly not since he was alive.
I wasn’t alive yet for the Kennedy assassination, but damn if don’t I remember exactly where I was when I heard Kurt died and exactly what it felt like. April was indeed the cruelest month.
gawd, now I really am old – you know we lost two Kennedy brothers to assassins, right? And maybe you were just too young to remember Bobby?
Thanks for the heads-up, Betsy!
I’d love to buy the entire ARC package, but I just can’t afford it right now.
But I just placed a pre-order for Letters without the bells and whistles. April’s not that far away. Right? Right?
i’d love to buy this nifty package but am too poor right now. when kurt died the first thing i thought was ‘he had a kid, you don’t get to kill yourself when you have a child.’ i remember how he wrote of male seahorses being the ones who carry the child. eric e. looks v. much like my last flame who was a heterosexual crossdresser and total narcissist but i always saw eric e. as a darling dear, a real angel. i remember drew barrymore pointing somewhere in the building to where he was when she was on letterman one time…eric e. now i’m going to internet stalk you because i’m too poor to buy the book. i hope i find the rage because we need to hear more of that and act on it. ❤
Gifted, talented, born to it, worked for it, fell into it…when the great among us die a piece of us always goes with them. Death is death. But, when the choice is by your own hand, it is a shadow which follows all who loved and admired their spirit.
I’m old enough to remember the Kennedys, King, Mama Cass, Patsy, Natalie, Kurt, John B., River, Manny, (Earl, my shadow) oh my, God there are too many. The longer I live, the more I see go. Bless the ones still here.
Is it me…making a living off someone else’s suicide, isn’t that a little creepy?
“Name me someone that’s not a parasite and I’ll go out and say a prayer for him” — Robert Allen Zimmerman
All parasites, no prayers, we are doomed to hell. I guess if you’re going anywhere hell is as good a place as any.
Still creepy though.
I always learn here, and today there is much.
I know more about the South Pole than about Kurt, though I know something about Jimmi and Jerry, and remember exactly where I was when JFK was killed, and when MLK was killed.
My oldest son, though, will consume Eric’s book, and be a little consumed by it. I’ll get it for him.
I thank you, Betsy, and Dan will too.
Jimi, Jim, Janis, Kurt: the 27 club.
Amy Winehouse and Brian Jones, too.
Wow, Betsy: The passion behind this book is extremely interesting to me, more so than the actual subject (I think you can tell a lot about a guy by who he marries). I HAVE to read this just to see if I can be convinced to care about an artist who does not hold any special meaning to me.
i think i’ll wear my flannel shirt today. around my waist.
Was I the only one who saw “Cock Soup” and thought there was going to be a guest post by Averil?
First thing I thought was, “Wait—I’ve never seen Chuck Wendig around here before.”
My grad school mentor killed himself a couple weeks ago. 57 not 27, actually took the time to unwind his brilliant mind before he said good night. Understandable, horrible and burning my guts out right now.
Chris, I am so sorry to hear that.
Thank you Tetman
So sorry to hear this, CJ.
suicide is not romantic
eric is a freaking genius with words. so glad he is sharing his insanity, provoking the rest of us bums with his witty, hilarious, loving and truly singular view on the whole affair. can’t wait to have the actually hardcopy in my hands!