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PEOPLE & ARTS Saturday 1 april 2017
For Crowell, music is a commitment that deepened with time

DAVID BAUDER of their songs, they must be through some albums at
AP Entertainment Writer on to something, Crowell home and coming upon his
NEW YORK (AP) — Rod- explained. own “Diamonds and Dirt”
ney Crowell’s tender lyrics Crowell understands why from 1988, which yielded
about a woman with “hair people might think he was five No. 1 country singles.
two shades of foxtail red” talking about Cash, who He and his wife laughed at
in a song that features ex- appears on record with her the mullet-haired guy on
wife Rosanne Cash makes for only the second time the cover.
it an easy leap to assume since their 12-year mar- “I wanted to be like Dwight
that he’s singing about riage broke up in 1992 (he Yoakam,” he said. “He defi-
her. It’s not like the thought sang backup on a song on nitely owned ‘cool’ at that
didn’t cross her mind. her most recent album). moment.”
“If I’m totally honest,” she They were once country He’s fueled by a “look
said. “Yeah, a little bit.” music’s First Couple, tak- back with bemusement”
But Crowell, whose new al- ing turns at the top of the attitude now.
bum “Close Ties” is sure to charts, and for both their After taking five years off
be one of the year’s cor- artistry has deepened as at the turn of the century,
nerstone releases in the the spotlight moved on. Crowell returned as a fo-
Americana genre, insists They’re both also of the cused writer, digging deep
he had others in mind while school that appreciate lis- into his heart and leav-
writing “It Ain’t Over Yet.” teners who can take their ing few wasted words. He
He was thinking about old own meanings from songs. learned to take his art more
friends Susanna and Guy Another song on “Close seriously than himself. In “I
Clark, who both died in re- Ties,” out Friday, was ac- Don’t Care Anymore” he
cent years. tually written with Cash in sings: “All those party dolls
That’s fortunate, since he mind. More specifically, and favors that I savored
sings: “Takes the right kind “Forgive Me Annabelle” is from day one add up to
of woman to help you put about Crowell’s own ac- next to nothing after all is This cover image released by New West Records shows “Close
it all in place. It only hap- tions during their breakup. said and done.” Ties,” by Rodney Crowell.
pened once in my life, After an inevitably bitter The funny “Nashville 1972” Associated Press
but man you should have period, they’re friends now. recalls his first meeting, at it’s reflected in his music. and as his level of commit-
seen.” It might have made “I passed through a pe- age 22, with Willie Nelson. He’s also recently rewritten ment has deepened, his
for awkward dinner conver- riod where I simply did not At a party, of course. “There some of his old songs, nota- songs have gotten better.
sation with Crowell’s cur- like myself,” Crowell said. was hippies and reefer and bly “Shame on the Moon,” That’s very inspiring. He’s
rent wife, Claudia Church. “If you don’t like yourself, God knows what all, I was a 1982 hit for Bob Seger, not a dilettante. He’s not
“Rosanne was a wonderful you’re not liking anybody drinking pretty hard,” he where he wanted another just out there showing up
period in my life,” Crowell else. You’re pretty miser- sings. “I played him this shit- crack at a verse he didn’t at the next gig. He’s com-
said, “but the ‘one’ woman able. And that’s what the ty song I wrote and puked like. pletely devoted to his work
is the one I’m with now.” narrator is apologizing for. out in the yard.” “He’s actually writing the and his songwriting and it
Susanna Clark was a It’s saying, ‘Forgive me for Like most people his age, best songs of his life after 45 shows.
straight-talking muse for who I was then.’ But, of 66, Crowell is affected years, or however long it is,” “As Leonard Cohen said,
many aspiring Nashville course, I was already for- by loved ones lost — the Cash said. “His level of com- he’s completely employed
songwriters in the 1970s given.” Clarks, Townes Van Zandt, mitment has deepened, in the tower of song.”q
who figured if she liked one Crowell recalls pawing Leonard Cohen — and

Acclaimed and off-beat magazine

The Believer has new owner

AP National Writer “to journalism and essays rector, Joshua Wolf Shenk.
NEW YORK (AP) — A highly that are frequently very Financial terms for the ac-
praised and proudly off- long, book reviews that quisition weren’t disclosed.
beat literary magazine, are not necessarily timely, The Believer will continue
where contributors have and interviews that are in- to be released bi-monthly,
ranged from Nick Hornby timate, frank and also very and the first edition un-
and Anne Carson to Leslie long.” It had been pub- der Shenk’s leadership is
Jamison and Daniel Han- lished by McSweeney’s, scheduled for Aug. 1.
dler, is changing owner- the independent company “In any era, it’s a challenge
ship. The Believer, a San run by Vida’s husband, au- to make a paper magazine
Francisco-based publica- thor Dave Eggers. work, especially a literary A sign for the Black Mountain Institute hangs in a hallway in a
tion and five-time finalist The Black Mountain Institute and arts magazine like The building at the University of Las Vegas, Nevada, Wednesday,
for the National Maga- was established in 2006. Believer that, by design, March 29, 2017, in Las Vegas. Associated Press
zine Award, has been pur- It sponsors a wide range takes few ads. In this digital
chased by the Black Moun- of programs, publications moment, producing a pa- though its readership has sustain The Believer and
tain Institute at The Univer- and fellowships, working per-and-glue magazine is been steady (around 5,600 help it thrive. To persist and
sity of Nevada, Las Vegas. with Nobel laureates Toni especially hard,” Vida told subscribers) and its financ- grow, The Believer needs
The Believer was founded Morrison and Wole Soy- The Associated Press in a es have “become more resources and an ambi-
in 2003 by authors Vendela inka, among others. The recent email. She said The reasonable and stable.” tious agenda, and Josh
Vida, Ed Park and Heidi Ju- Believer will be edited by Believer has always been “The Black Mountain Insti- and the Black Mountain In-
lavits, with a commitment the institute’s executive di- “break even at best,” al- tute has resources that can stitute have both.”q