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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 11, 1977)
page 12 daily nebraskari friday, february 11,1977 Rolling Stone proc By Douglas R.Weil Maybe it's because he writes for Rolling Stone magazine. Maybe it's because he writes for Rolling Stone, is only 19 years old and has written for it since he was 14. Maybe it's just his writing style, but Cameron Crowe seems to be an interesting person. In a long-distance telephone interview with the Daily Nebraskan, Crowe talked about being one of the youngest, if not the youngest, journalist writing for a national magazine. Crowe began his career as a rock journalist at the San Diego Door, a newspaper that Crowe referred to as the heaviest underground newspaper in the city". While the Door was an underground newspaper, sup posedly representing the anti-establishment, Crowe landed his job there through a typically establishment technique-'the connection." My sister was living with a girl whose boyfriend was the brother of the girl that was married to the art direc tor of the paper," Crowe said, pausing to take a breath be fore continuing. "Through all these people I got invited to a staff meeting." Unknown to his editors, Crowe was only 14 years old when he began writing record reviews for the Door. "I didn't tell them how old I was," Crowe recalled. "My sister was living with a girl whose boyfriend was the brother of the girl that was married to the art director of the paper. . "They later found out through my sister, but by that time I had established myself as a good writer."" No salary Eventually Crowe became disillusioned about not re ceiving a salary though he was writing a considerable num ber of reviews and interviews. The Door could not quite manage to break-even, he said. Frustrated, Crowe wrote to Crcem magazine in hopes of landing a job with the nationally circulated publication. Creem 's editors were impressed with Crowe's work at the Door and he subsequently became a Creem staff member. After working at Creem for a short while, Crowe be . came acquainted with Ren Fong-Torres, an editor for Rolling Stone magazine. "Fong-Torres, and Crowe talked about musjc and journalism. Crowe mentioned that he would like to write for Rolling Stone and Fong-Torres encouraged him to submit an article. Crowe did a story on Poco and Richie Furay. Rolling Stone like it, and Crowe became a writer for them at age 14; How did nationally known music personalities react to doing interviews with a "kid" from Rolling Stone"! Refreshing "They made me feel real comfortable," Crowe said "I guess it's refreshing to have someone young doing inter views, someone who still enjoyed the music. I was into the music and a lot of the people that I wrote about didn't seem to care about my age. I guess I should thank them a whole lot, he said. Dealing with personalities in the music business is dif ferent from dealing with personalities in other environ ments such as the business and political worlds, he said. Unique business The unique nature of the music business and a host of social factors have created a new form of journalism lias labeled by some as "New Journalism." This New Journalism is not really as revolutionary as the term might suggest. Logically, the writing style is the "I didn't tell them how old I was (1 4), by the time they found out I had established myself as a good writer. . ." most visible change. New Journalism is more literary and to a degree more complex in structure than the traditional press in America. While the writing style is the most apparent difference, the tone and atmosphere in the New Journalism setting are the style's most important traits. New Journalism pro-, fesses to emphasize informality, candor and depth, in short a tearing down of barriers that may hinder a forth right exchange between reporter and subject. Informality essential According to Crowe, informality is essential to inter viewing, especially when interviewing music celebrities. "Most of the time I don't even prepare questions, he said. "It's much better if you don't have things written out and if you re not sure what you want to ask. "If you know what you want to get out of a person youu invariably get that out of them. In that situation theyH realize what it is you want and they 11 tell you just that. It's easier for them." Crowe said he thinks interviewers are beginning to better understand the purpose of an interview. "Nowadays when anyone consents to an interview, es pecially a Rolling Stone interview, I think they resize they arent going to be able to get away with rehashed publicity release material," he said. They had better be i link forthcoming." iigy advocates New Journalism As an example of this frankness, Crowe mentioned the controversial interview in which Betty Ford told a nation al newsman that she would not be shocked if Susan told her she was engaging in premarital sex. "In the past, those things were not asked," Crowe said. Today people are expected to answer those questions. I think you could say that New Journalism has influenced this whole mood of candor." Sometimes the openness and informality is so direct that it even surprises Crowe, he said, although he has been working with it for nearly five years. Rortstadt interview Crowe said he was taken back by the candidness of singer Linda Rondstadt in an interview that he did for a recent issue. He explained that although he knew Rond stadt only casually, she bared her soul to him, talking about all her problems and even some of her experiences with psychoanalysis. "Sometimes it's almost embarrassing," Crowe said. Crowe said he thinks Rolling Stone is more likely to get the complete story from someone than does the tradi tional press, he explained. "Rolling Stone has the space to write about what is really going on without having to condense it into a com promising story. In the end, I think people are happy that there is space available in Rolling Stone so that the whole story can be written." New Journalism is the norm for interviewing music personalities. People in the music business are used to its frankness, depth and informality. But what about celebri ties trom other fields that come into contact with this new journalistic form? has grown to be," Crowe said. "As a music magazine, its coverage has become 4real slick Tm real close to Rolling Stone so it's hard for me to have an overview. In the end, I write for Rolling Stone but I also read Rolling Stone. Tve read it for a long time." As for the tales about editor Wenner, Crowe hedges a bit. "Maybe the stories are true, maybe they aren't." 'Td like to say (Rolling Stone Editor) Jann Wenner is a saint I'm sure he's not ..." Think about it, how many publishers and editors-in: chief have been really closely scrutinized? I think an editor understands the frenzy that comes with putting out a magazine of a hundred- odd pages every two weeks." "rd like to say Jann Wenner is a saint, I'm sure he's not. Personally 1 get along with Jann very well, rfc sent me a Christmas card and signed it 'Uncle Jann'." Crowe said he realizes he cannot remain at Rolling Stone forever. He looks for even better thing in the future. "I'd really like to get into writing screenplays," Crowe said. I guess a lot of people say that like a lot of people say, "I play guitar -a little bit.' Everyone has a screenplay they want to do." Most of all, Crowe said he hopes his life and career do not become routine. Or as Crowe said, "I dont want to be interviewing the Grateful Dead when I'm 40 years old." arts and entertainment sTf if r J ( v c I i it " . . - A I v"' 1 v v j miMm'- P A I " i ft' 1 M Credit Cameron Crowe Cameron Crowe has been writing for Rolling Stone magazine since he was 14 years old. What about politicians? Politicians are extremely guarded in what they say and they are especially sensitive about how they appear in print. Although most of Crowe's reporting experiences have involved music celebrities, he has had contact with politi cians in a New Journalism setting. "I spent a lot of time with (Indiana Sen.) Birch Bayfi recently," Crowe said. "He was very open to that kind of interview, lie said fuckMIe was very relaxed." Magazine criticized Although Rolling Stone is one of the leading propon ents of New Journalism, the magazine recently has been the subject of considerable criticism. Some have charged that it has become elitist and corporate. One national magazine did a two-issue feature story portraying Rolling ?a nltotT m r".." a temperamental tyrant, a 1 970 s Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. I fyde. Crowe said he views Rolling Stone u the mirror -image of the music world as it is today. "I think Rolling Stone has grown to be what the music Classical guitarist performs Sunday Classical guitarist Javier Calderon will perform in the Nebraska Union Ballroom Sunday at 8 p.m. A native of Bolivia, Calderon was recommended to the North Carolina School of Arts, where he studied and taught, by the famed guitarist Segovia. lie also studied with Segovia at Segovia's home in Spain. Calderon has soloed with the Cincinnati Symphony and the Minnesota Orchestra. He has performed solo recitals in the United States, Europe, South America, and Canada. Gary Gilgcr of the Union Program Council said he hopes to persuade Calderon to teach a workshop when he is in Lincoln, Saturday through Monday. Tickets, SI. 50 for UNL students and S2.50 for the general public, are available at the Union South Desk and Dirt Cheap.