About this project
I'm publishing a book titled Oakland in Popular Memory: Interviews with 12 cutting-edge artists from Oakland and beyond. This book features interviews from my award-winning radio show on Fresh Air: The Alternative, and various other interviews I've done with leading artists from Oakland, California and artists who’ve influenced musicians from Oakland.
The interviews cover in-depth discussions with leading musicians from Oakland and beyond, spanning 2008-2011, and cover topics like the election of President Obama, the shooting of Oscar Grant, and the most recent interviews discuss the Occupy Oakland movement.
Artists interviewed include Talib Kweli, Saul Williams, George Watsky, Chinaka Hodge, Ise Lyfe, Dave Smallen, Dahlak Brathwaite, Kid Beyond, K.Flay, and MC Lars. Podcasts of my interviews can be found at mattswriting.com, artist interviews at TheRumpus.net, and writing on Oakland on Oakland Local.
The book also features portraits of each artist drawn in pencil by Laura Tomlinson, a cover created from a woodblock print by Dave Smallen, the photography of Joe Sciarrillo, and the transcription talents of Korin McGinty.
I plan to self-publish the book in March, 2012 similar to how I self-published a book earlier this year. For details on how this book will be made, see my post on DIY Book Binding. See http://thoughtpublishing.org for more information.
FAQ
-
Your contribution will help pay the interview transcriber, portrait artist, cover artist, and also for the paper, printing, and binding of the 200 copies of the first edition of this book.
If there are any funds left over, they will go towards the book's marketing budget for ads in strategically-placed periodicals (like N+1 and the Believer Magazine) and Bay Area news and culture websites like Oakland Local, Berkeleyside, and TheRumpus.net.
Have a question? If the info above doesn't help, you can ask the project creator directly.
21
Backers
$2,506
pledged of $2,500 goal
0
seconds to go
Funding Successful
This project successfully raised its funding goal on December 31.
Pledge $5 or more Pledge $5 or more
Email thanking you for the donation
Pledge $25 or more Pledge $25 or more
The above, plus 1 signed print version of book. The first edition of the book will be a limited printing of 200 copies of the book hand-bound and individually numbered by me. It will be printed on 100% pure cotton archival quality paper.
Pledge $50 or more Pledge $50 or more
The above, plus an additional signed copy, and an acknowledgment in the back of the book for supporting the project.
Pledge $100 or more Pledge $100 or more
The above, plus a full-size reproduction of your favorite artist’s portrait from the book drawn by Laura Tomlinson.
Pledge $250 or more Pledge $250 or more
The above, plus a special-edition booklet featuring full-size reproductions of all of the artist portraits in the book.
Pledge $500 or more Pledge $500 or more
The above, plus a personal tour of Oakland, California led by the author to visit neighborhoods and local history covered in the book.
Pledge $1,000 or more Pledge $1,000 or more
The above, plus 2 tickets to the next show in Oakland by one of the artists interviewed in the book.
Pledge $1,500 or more Pledge $1,500 or more
The above, with the personal tour of Oakland, California ending with dinner at Chicken and Waffles with at least one of the Oakland artists interviewed in the book.
Project By
Connected as Matt Werner (1173 friends)
Born in Oakland, I studied English at UC Berkeley and did a Master's in English at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. I currently work as a technical writer in Silicon Valley. Outside of work, I write, interview artists, and DJ.
From 2008-2009, I hosted the DJ Matt Werner Show on Fresh Air: The Alternative, where each week I interviewed a provocative musician. Since then, I have continued to interview Oakland artists for the literary website TheRumpus.net.
