Avery, Kevin

Seamlessly incorporating the perspectives of Nick Tosches, Robert Christgau, and Jann Wenner, Avery has crafted both a cautionary tale and a celebration of a noir-influenced writer who deserves a place alongside Lester Bangs for his ability to live, always, in the music. Devotees of folk, establishment rock 'n' roll, and pulp fiction will rue not having discovered Nelson sooner. [See also the Avery-edited Conversations with Clint: Paul Nelson's Lost Interviews with Clint Eastwood, 1979–1983, coming in October from Continuum.—Ed.]