Julian's at the HeritageJim CarrollSat.Julian'sw/ Ashes of Grisum/ Irritable Tribe of Poets
The State Theatre
St. Petersburg
Fri., Nov. 1
8 p.m./$15Sat.Jim Carroll is primarily known as the author of The Basketball Diaries, not because the book was the basis for the 1995 film of the same name — a disappointing set of scenes starring Leonardo DiCaprio indulging in perversities and playing basketball in slow motion — but because the book has introduced decades of kids to the world of literature. He"s held in high esteem as well for his years fronting the Jim Carroll Band and producing the punk rock classic "People Who Died."
Begun in 1962, when Carroll was 12 (roughly a year before he would first try heroin), the diary is a timeless document of coming of age in a modern, urban streetscape of sex and drugs. The writing reads a bit like the way rock "n" roll sounds. There"s a lyricism and edginess, with gems of acute observation on nearly every page.
The diary was sharp enough that the Paris Review published excerpts in 1970, yet cool enough for kids to shoplift it so commonly that some bookstores have kept it behind their counters. Carroll has authored a second prose diary, Forced Entries (1987), as well as six books of poetry, among them Living at the Movies, nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in 1973. And it"s his ability to populate each page with unique phrases and truths that at once appeals to literati and juvenile delinquents.
Stammering like a cool Woody Allen, Carroll speaks vaguely about the novel he"s working on, 75 pages of which he"s just delivered to his agent. "There are some sections that I could read," he says, referring to his performance at the State Theater on Nov. 1. "I"ll probably read some and then read some new poems."
Carroll confesses he doesn"t like to do many readings in his hometown of New York City because there"s always the expectation of him to read new work.
"There"s two places I read, aside from St. Marks Church," Carroll says. "I still read in like rock clubs or at colleges. And in between books that"s a good source of money." Having not published anything since the poetry collection Void of Course in 1998, Carroll is very much between books.
"Places I don"t go all that often," he says, "I can read stuff from old books."
Florida is one such place Carroll doesn"t go all that often. The last time he read here, River Phoenix (who died of a drug overdose in 1993) was in attendance, expressing interest in playing the lead in The Basketball Diaries. (DiCaprio inherited the role from Phoenix, as well as the role of French 19th century poet Arthur Rimbaud in 1995"s Total Eclipse.)
For the show at the State Theater, Carroll is also considering doing a couple of pieces with the Bay area ensemble Irritable Tribe of Poets, known locally for their expertise in backing spoken word artists. "I"ve done that before," Carroll says, meaning he"s riffed with an unfamiliar band. "It was guys from Soundgarden," he adds without pretense. "It doesn"t matter if the songs sound shitty. If we get through it, it"s conquering something."
How did Carroll made the move from poetry to rock "n" roll? In 1973, the Catholic boy-turned-junkie saw a fellow user (with whom he was trying to rip off a dealer) get his head split open with an ax and decided to clean up. With methadone and a move to Bolinas, Calif., he successfully kicked but became mostly hermetic. Removed from old friends, he mused, wrote and then, oddly enough for anyone trying to kick smack, began visiting rock clubs, getting caught up in the burgeoning punk movement. Soon enough, he began crafting straightforward yet evocative lyrics.
He made up for his technical setbacks as a singer with his understanding of phrasing, intuitively knowing how to leave out a word and put power chords in its place to create a desired tension. And then, lured back to the New York in 1979 by a contract to publish The Basketball Diaries, he found himself "discovered" by Keith Richards.
Carroll fans who"ve heard his spoken word CDs know what to expect from his performance. When listening to a poet read, you can"t see the verse on the page, but you can hear the rhythms and inflections. And to hear raspy old Carroll, a man who loves words and images, give voice to work steeped in pathos, is a thing not to be missed.
Contact Events Editor Cooper Cruz at 813-248-8888, ext. 291, or e-mail him at cooper.cruz@weeklplanet.com.
This article appears in Oct 30 – Nov 5, 2002.