Don't Suck, Don't Die: Giving Up Vic Chesnutt

Musician, artist, and author (Rat Girl) Hersh offers a short stream-of-consciousness style reminiscence of her close friend and fellow singer-songwriter Vic Chesnutt. He was born in Jacksonville, FL, in 1964, the grandson of a country singer/guitarist. At age 18 he was involved in a one-car drunken driving accident which left him almost completely paralyzed from the neck down. Though not widely known, he was considered one of the best songwriters of his generation and his songs have been covered by REM, Madonna, and Neutral Milk Hotel. Hersh chronicles the highs and lows of touring for a living with Vic, his wife, Tina, and Hersh's husband, Billy. She philosophizes about the meaning of life and rants about her friend's early demise (Chesnutt influenced many musicians up until his suicide from an overdose in 2009).