{"id":4169,"date":"2022-01-10T22:17:48","date_gmt":"2022-01-10T22:17:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost:8000\/?page_id=4169"},"modified":"2025-03-05T18:37:40","modified_gmt":"2025-03-06T02:37:40","slug":"jim-carroll-from-poet-to-rocker-and-back","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.catholicboy.com\/WP\/research\/feature-articles\/jim-carroll-from-poet-to-rocker-and-back\/","title":{"rendered":"Jim Carroll: From Poet to Rocker–and Back"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Karla Peterson
The San Diego Union<\/em>\u00a07 July 1989<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was one problem with the ad touting the upcoming appearance of the Jim Carroll Band at an Atlanta theater: the Jim Carroll Band wasn’t appearing there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Our advertising is always real specific that I’m doing a reading and not a concert,” the 38-year-old Carroll said during a recent phone interview. “But one time, there was this Atlanta club owner who tried to get away with making it look like it was me playing with a band. . . . So when I went up on stage, I told the audience it was just me, and I said, ‘If you want your money back, you can do that. But at least wait for a few minutes before you decide.’ And then I read some of my funniest stuff, the stuff I knew was real accessible, and everyone stayed. It was great.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Jim Carroll, writing has always come before rock’n’roll. Carroll, who appears tonight at the Spirit club, has been reading and publishing poems since he was 16. At 17, the New Yorker became a celebrity of sorts when excerpts from his streetwise teen diary–which chronicled his days as a basketball-playing heroin addict–were published in the highbrow Paris Review<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The full account of those times was published in 1978 as “The Basketball Diaries.” And just as the slim, harrowing book was becoming an underground classic, Carroll traded his pen for a microphone and became a rock’n’roll performer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the release of three albums (‘Catholic Boy,” “Dry Dreams” and “I Write Your Name”) and another diary collection (“Forced Entries”), Carroll went back to the literary life, with a twist. These days, when Carroll does a reading, he is likely to do it in the same clubs where he used to bring his band.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Doing poetry readings in rock clubs is great. There’s a spirit of rock ‘n’ roll there that I really like. You don’t need music to get that. There is one definition of rock ‘n’ roll, that it is music derived from rhythm and blues. But there is another definition that has nothing to do with music, and you can get that in the readings.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carroll stopped recording albums a few years ago after a falling out with Atlantic records, and he is not sure if he will ever record with a band again. These days, the former club crawler is a recluse who spends most of his time holed up in New York City, perfecting the trade he picked up 23 years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“In New York, I don’t go out to the club scene. I can’t even imagine it now,” said Carroll, who is working on the first draft of a new novel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Nothing exciting is going on in my life. Basically, what’s inspiring to me is the characters in the book. They’ve taken on an energy of their own. And that’s the fantastic thing about writing.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Jim Carroll will read prose and poetry tonight at the Spirit club, 1130 Buenos Ave. Tamela Glenn, the Restraints and others will open the 8 p.m. show. Call 276-3993 for information.)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00a9 1989 The San Diego Union<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Karla PetersonThe San Diego Union\u00a07 July 1989 There was one problem with the ad touting the upcoming appearance of the Jim Carroll Band at an Atlanta theater: the Jim Carroll Band wasn’t appearing there. “Our advertising is always real specific that I’m doing a reading and not a concert,” the 38-year-old Carroll said during … Continue reading Jim Carroll: From Poet to Rocker–and Back<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":4163,"menu_order":9,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"folder":[39],"class_list":["post-4169","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/P9VlUH-15f","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4056,"url":"https:\/\/www.catholicboy.com\/WP\/works\/jim-carroll-music-and-spoken-word\/music-jim-carroll-jim-carroll-band\/","url_meta":{"origin":4169,"position":0},"title":"Music by Jim Carroll & The Jim Carroll Band","author":"catholicboy.com","date":"January 10, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Runaway EP Released: 2000 By: Jim Carroll Label: Kill Rock Stars Get this recording on Amazon Pools of Mercury Released: 1998 By: Jim Carroll Label: Mercury Get this recording on Amazon A World Without Gravity: The Best of the Jim Carroll Band Released: 1993 By: The Jim Carroll Band Label:\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"Cover Art - Runaway EP (2000) - by Jim Carroll","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.catholicboy.com\/WP\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/runaway.gif?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4620,"url":"https:\/\/www.catholicboy.com\/WP\/research\/performance-reviews\/preview-university-of-montana-1999\/","url_meta":{"origin":4169,"position":1},"title":"\u201cOne wrist in heaven, one ankle in hell\u201d: Jim Carroll to Speak in Missoula\u00a0","author":"catholicboy.com","date":"January 10, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"University of Montana (Missoula, MT)8 November 1999Nate Schweber, Eye Spy Reporter\u00a0Kaimin Online19 October 1999 When I discovered Jim Carroll a week before my 20th birthday, it took me 30 seconds to adopt the last sentence of the first chapter of his book \u201cForced Entries\u201d as a personal motto. After a\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":4275,"url":"https:\/\/www.catholicboy.com\/WP\/works\/jim-carroll-music-and-spoken-word\/music-jim-carroll-jim-carroll-band\/catholic-boy-jim-carroll-band\/","url_meta":{"origin":4169,"position":2},"title":"Catholic Boy","author":"catholicboy.com","date":"January 10, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Catholic BoyBy The Jim Carroll BandAtco, 1980 Get this on AmazonSee also: Catholic Boy - Fat Possum reissue, 2021 Songs View Lyrics Wicked Gravity Three Sisters Day and Night Nothing Is True People Who Died City Drops Into the Night Crow It's Too Late I Want the Angel Catholic Boy\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"Cover Art - Catholic Boy (1980) - by The Jim Carroll Band","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.catholicboy.com\/WP\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/cboy.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4037,"url":"https:\/\/www.catholicboy.com\/WP\/photos-video-audio\/photo-gallery\/photos-of-jim-carroll\/","url_meta":{"origin":4169,"position":3},"title":"xxPhotos of Jim Carroll","author":"catholicboy.com","date":"January 10, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"If you have any good photos of Jim Carroll, please email them to me! Press Photos These photos may be reprinted (with photographer credits). Please do not reprint other photos on this site without reviewing the FAQs. xxxx Lorem ipsum XThe Catholic Boy Gets Blessed Lorem ipsum individual portraits Solo\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"Jim Carroll (1998) \u00a9Ray Lego\/Cut the Fat","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.catholicboy.com\/WP\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/JC1998_color_005.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.catholicboy.com\/WP\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/JC1998_color_005.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.catholicboy.com\/WP\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/JC1998_color_005.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4635,"url":"https:\/\/www.catholicboy.com\/WP\/works\/jim-carroll-music-and-spoken-word\/rare-jim-carroll-albums-live-recordings-videos\/","url_meta":{"origin":4169,"position":4},"title":"Rare Jim Carroll Albums, Live Recordings, & Videos","author":"catholicboy.com","date":"January 10, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"This page represents some of LaVerne Kreklau's collection of primo recorded rarities and ephemera. If you have anything unusual or any audio or video tapes not listed here, please contact me! Rare Vinyl One World PoetryMilkway Records & Giorno Poetry Systems, 1981Giorno Poetry Systems Records GPS 028-029 This album seems\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"Cover Art - One World Poetry - Giorno Poetry Systems (1981)","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.catholicboy.com\/WP\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/giorno-one-world-poetry.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.catholicboy.com\/WP\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/giorno-one-world-poetry.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.catholicboy.com\/WP\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/giorno-one-world-poetry.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4058,"url":"https:\/\/www.catholicboy.com\/WP\/works\/jim-carroll-music-and-spoken-word\/music-jim-carroll-jim-carroll-band\/dry-dreams\/","url_meta":{"origin":4169,"position":5},"title":"Dry Dreams","author":"catholicboy.com","date":"January 10, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Cover Art - Dry Dreams (1982) - By The Jim Carroll Band Dry DreamsBy The Jim Carroll BandAtlantic, 1982 Get this on Amazon.comSee also: Lyrics and Audio Library SONGS Work, Not Play Dry Dreams Them Jealous Twin Lorraine Jody Barricades Evangeline Rooms Still Life Liner Notes Jim Carroll: VocalsWayne Woods:\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"Cover Art - Dry Dreams (1982) - By The Jim Carroll Band","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.catholicboy.com\/WP\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/ddreams.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.catholicboy.com\/WP\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4169","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.catholicboy.com\/WP\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.catholicboy.com\/WP\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.catholicboy.com\/WP\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.catholicboy.com\/WP\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4169"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.catholicboy.com\/WP\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4169\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8525,"href":"https:\/\/www.catholicboy.com\/WP\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4169\/revisions\/8525"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.catholicboy.com\/WP\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4163"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.catholicboy.com\/WP\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4169"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"folder","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.catholicboy.com\/WP\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/folder?post=4169"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}