{"id":4246,"date":"2022-01-10T22:17:47","date_gmt":"2022-01-10T22:17:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost:8000\/?page_id=3975"},"modified":"2023-04-06T03:05:37","modified_gmt":"2023-04-06T10:05:37","slug":"frequently-asked-questions","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.catholicboy.com\/WP\/questions-and-answers\/faqs\/frequently-asked-questions\/","title":{"rendered":"Frequently Asked Questions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
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\nHome<\/a> > Books<\/a> > Translations & Foreign Editions<\/span><\/p>\n

Frequently Asked Questions<\/h1>\n

Updated 7 October 2009<\/span><\/p>\n

Since this site launched in 1996, I have received a steady stream of email from fans and others interested
\nin Jim Carroll. Below is an index of the most frequently asked questions, categorized by
\ntopic. Click on the questions to see the answers.<\/p>\n

Note: these FAQs were originally written in 2001, and some are outdated. I’ve . . . removed the ones that became obviously irrelevant after Jim’s death. The rest I’ll update after I’ve finished re-building the site. — Webmaster<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/a>Jim Carroll’s Work on the Web<\/h2>\n

<\/a> Where can I find some of Jim Carroll’s full poems online?<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

There are a several sites
\non the Web that offer complete poems by Jim Carroll, and almost all of them are doing so in
\nviolation of United States copyright law. You are more than welcome to hunt for them
\nyourself using all of the internet search engines at your disposal; usually they appear
\nranked in the mid-hundreds in search results.<\/div>\n

<\/a> I have a website. Can I put Jim Carroll’s work on it? <\/a>\n<\/p>\n

Not without express written
\npermission from Jim Carroll. Jim Carroll’s work is protected by United States copyright
\nlaw.<\/div>\n

<\/a> Can I use the images on CatholicBoy.com on my website, flyer, article, essay, etc?<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

\n You are welcome to use any of the Press Photos<\/a>, so long as you credit the photographers.<\/p>\n

Other than the press photos, most of the images appearing on
\nCatholicBoy.com are NOT<\/i> the property of CatholicBoy.com. Before using any of them, please refer to the photo
\ncredits provided to helo you locate and contact the
\ncopyright owners.<\/p>\n

Images that ARE<\/i>
\nproperty of CatholicBoy.com include the logo caricature of Jim Carroll, design elements,
\nand various photographs by Cassie Carter. You may contact Cassie Carter<\/a> to request permission to use
\nthese.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/a> Can I use the text on CatholicBoy.com for my website, flyer, article, essay, etc.? <\/a>\n<\/p>\n

If you wish to use any text
\nfrom CatholicBoy.com, you must contact the copyright owner for permission. All articles,
\nreviews, and interviews include a byline and, if from an outside source, the name of the
\nsource. Materials from outside sources also generally carry a copyright at the bottom of
\nthe article (separate from the Jim Carroll Website copyright). If you wish to use text
\nfrom an outside source, you must contact the original source via the information provided
\nin the byline and\/or copyright. If the text is a review or other material exclusive to
\nCatholicBoy.com, and the author is anyone other than Cassie Carter, you need to contact
\nthe author. If the author is Cassie Carter, or if there is no byline or any other
\nidentifying information, you should contact Cassie Carter<\/a>.<\/div>\n

<\/a> Where
\ncan I find audio and video clips of Jim Carroll and the Jim Carroll Band?<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

Check out the audio<\/a> and video<\/a> pages within the Works section of this site.<\/div>\n

<\/a> Where can I find guitar tabs\/chords for the Jim Carroll song “[fill in title here]”?<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

As far as I know, there is
\nno online or offline source for guitar tabs\/chords for any Jim Carroll or Jim Carroll Band
\nsongs. If you find a source, please tell me<\/a>, because I get this question all the time!<\/p>\n

If it’s any help, John S.
\ninforms me that “People Who Died” is a 12-bar blues in C-major. (I have no
\nidea if that’s true.)<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/a>Where can I find Jim Carroll Books\/Albums\/Films, etc?<\/h2>\n

<\/a> How do I get copies of Jim Carroll’s books and albums?<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

You
\ncan purchase all currently-in-print work on online via CatholicBoy.com’s
\nlinks to Amazon.com, iTunes, and other sources on the books<\/a>,
\nalbums<\/a>, and films<\/a>
\npages (in the Works section).<\/p>\n

If
\nyou suffer from online purchasing phobia, go
\nto the customer service desk at your local book\/CD\/video store
\nand order the items you want. Merchants will always order items
\nfor you, usually at no additional cost.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/a> Where can I find the Dry Dreams<\/i> CD?<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

Dry Dreams<\/i> has never been released on CD; it was released only on
\nvinyl and cassette, and it is currently out of print. Sometimes
\nyou can find it in used record stores, auctions, and in collector’s
\nshops. Check out the Collecting<\/a>
\npage for tips on where to get it.<\/div>\n

<\/a> Where
\ncan I find a copy of the soundtrack to the movie Tuff Turf<\/i>?<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

I really
\ndon’t know where to find the soundtrack to Tuff Turf<\/i>, which
\nis unfortunate because it’s the only place you’ll get the original
\nversion of “It’s Too Late.” I got my vinyl copy directly
\nfrom Rhino Records in 1989.<\/div>\n

<\/a> Where
\ncan I find [other hard-to-find item] by Jim Carroll?<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

Check out the Collecting<\/a> page for tips
\non where to find rare Jim Carroll items.<\/div>\n

<\/a> Where
\ncan I find a poster of Jim Carroll?<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

Large-sized
\nposters of Jim Carroll are hard to find. There’s a gorgeous one
\nthat came out with Dry Dreams<\/i> and an enlarged album cover
\nposter for Catholic Boy<\/i> (see
\nthem here<\/a>). Obviously there are a lot of DiCaprio posters
\nthat came out with the Basketball Diaries<\/i> movie. There
\nare also some really cool ones for the Canadian film adaptation
\nof Curtis’s Charm<\/i>, and I’m sure some must be out there
\nfor the film Tuff Turf<\/i>, but you won’t see Jim Carroll in
\nthese. These are the only posters I know about at the moment.
\nThere are, however, a lot of “broadsides” and other
\nitems ranging from single poems on legal-size to square cardboard
\nalbum covers to promotional flyers in all sizes floating around,
\nwaiting to be owned by someone who will love them.<\/p>\n

The
\nsources listed on the Collecting<\/a>
\npage tend to sell posters as they become available. Also check
\nout e-Bay<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/a> Can
\nyou tell me the price of [insert item here] and how I would go
\nabout ordering it?<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

I generally
\ndo not keep up on the prices for Jim Carroll items, although I can
\ntell you that rare items are skyrocketing.<\/p>\n

You
\ncan view the prices of all currently-in-print work and some rare items on online via CatholicBoy.com’s
\nlinks to Amazon.com, iTunes, and other sources on the books<\/a>, albums<\/a>, and films<\/a> pages (in the Works section). For rare items, check out the Collecting<\/a> page.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/a> I
\nlive outside of the United States. Where can I buy Jim Carroll’s
\nbooks\/albums\/films?<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

Much of Carroll’s work is available in translation<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Additionally, international fans should use the links to Amazon.com on the books<\/a>,
\nalbums<\/a>, and films<\/a>
\npages. Amazon ships internationally and offers a lot of flexibility
\nin forms of payment.<\/p>\n

If
\nyou still suffer from online purchasing phobia, go
\nto the customer service desk at your local book\/CD\/video store
\nand ask to order the items you want. Jim Carroll’s books are available
\nthrough Viking Penguin, which is an international company<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/a>International Questions<\/h2>\n

<\/a> Will Jim Carroll’s [insert title] be
\ntranslated into [My Language]?<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

Jim Carroll’s work exists
\nin translation around the globe, and new translations appear regularly. However, when a
\nparticular title will be translated into a particular language is something I cannot
\nforetell.<\/div>\n

<\/a> I live outside of the United
\nStates. Where can I buy Jim Carroll’s books\/albums\/films?<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

Much of Carroll’s work is available in translation<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Additionally, international fans should use the links to Amazon.com on the books<\/a>, albums<\/a>, and films<\/a> pages. Amazon ships internationally and offers a lot of flexibility
\nin forms of payment.<\/p>\n

If
\nyou still suffer from online purchasing phobia, go
\nto the customer service desk at your local book\/CD\/video store
\nand ask to order the items you want. Jim Carroll’s books are available
\nthrough Viking Penguin, which is an international company<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/a>The Basketball Diaries<\/i> (book and film)<\/h2>\n

<\/a> How accurate is the movie?<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

The movie is not accurate
\nat all. For details, read the book<\/a> and check out the
\nBasketball Diaries<\/i> film<\/a> section of the website, which
\noffers a scene-by-scene guide comparing the film to the book, as well as reviews and
\ncommentary.<\/div>\n

<\/a> In
\nthe movie, [fill in scene details] happened. Did that really happen in Jim Carroll’s life?<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

In short, no. I’d say the
\noverall story sort of reflects something like what happened in Jim Carroll’s life, but
\nyou’ve got to read the book<\/a>. For details on the film, check out the Basketball Diaries<\/i> film<\/a> section of the website, which offers
\na scene-by-scene guide comparing the film to the book, as well as reviews and commentary.<\/div>\n

<\/a> Do
\nyou know what the music is when [fill in scene details]?<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

In general, no, I don’t
\nknow what music is playing during a specific scene in the movie, although a few songs
\nstand out. “Catholic Boy” by Jim Carroll (with Pearl Jam) plays at the start of
\nthe film. “People Who Died” by the Jim Carroll Band plays during the scene
\nimmediately after Bobby’s funeral. “Riders on the Storm” by The Doors plays
\nduring the basketball game in which the boys have popped pill drawn from Pedro’s hat (just
\ndon’t ask me why this song was chosen–I have no idea<\/i>!). That’s about the best I
\ncan do without watching the movie again, and I really don’t want to do that.<\/div>\n

<\/a> Do you know what poem is read in voice-over when [fill in scene details]?<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

Only two poems are read in
\nvoice-over during the film (“Little Ode on St. Anne’s Day” and “Blood
\nBridge”), both from Living at the Movies<\/a>; the other voice-overs
\nare entries from The Basketball Diaries<\/i>, usually bastardizations. If you are really
\ndying to know what a specific piece is, pause and rewind enough times to write down the
\nfirst line or two. If you take the time to do that, I’ll be happy to report back with
\ntitles and\/or page references. Note: if you describe the scene context, too, you’ll be
\nhelping me add significant information to the scene-by-scene guide<\/a>.<\/div>\n

<\/a> Is
\none of the characters in The Basketball Diaries<\/i> book based on [me, my uncle, my
\nfriend, etc.]?<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

I’ve received only a
\nhandful of queries like this, but I think the topic bears mentioning in the FAQ simply
\nbecause in several cases, the character in question was, in fact, who the questioner
\nthought it might be. Case in point: Bobby Stokes, aka “Bobby
\nSachs<\/a>,” whose younger brother contacted me in 2000. It was a wonderful thing to
\nput a face on this kid who had been memorialized in both The Basketball Diaries<\/i> and
\n“People Who Died.”<\/p>\n

Check out the 1968 Trinity School Yearbook<\/a> to see some of the most
\neasily-identifiable characters in The Basketball Diaries<\/i>. Beyond that, if you think
\none of the characters in The Basketball Diaries<\/i> might be based on you or someone
\nyou know, please specify which character and provide details about the person’s real name,
\nthe neighborhood they grew up in, the school(s) they attended, and any other salient
\ndetails that connect the real person to the character. Most of the time, the real person
\nis not the character, but I will look into it. (Be forewarned: this always takes a long
\ntime because I have to ask Jim.)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/a>Drugs<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/a> How
\ndid Jim Carroll conquer his addiction? <\/a>\n<\/p>\n

In Forced
\nEntries<\/a>, Carroll details the events in his life that led him to move to Bolinas,
\nCalifornia, where he enrolled in a methadone program and successfully got clean in the
\nmid-1970s. However, bear in mind that an addict is always<\/em> an addict, whether
\nthey are actively using or not.<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/a>Research Help Desk<\/h2>\n

<\/a> I’m
\nwriting a report\/article about Jim Carroll. How do I find articles and interviews?<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

CatholicBoy.com offers a
\nlarge collection of full-text articles<\/a>, interviews<\/a>,
\nand performance reviews<\/a>. Of course not all materials are
\navailable online; you will need to consult traditional print materials as well. Your best
\nresource is the extensive annotated bibliography of Jim Carroll I published in the Bulletin
\nof Bibliography (1990)<\/i>. An updated, un<\/i>annotated version of this bibliography is
\navailable on the website. Look at the secondary bibliography<\/a> for
\narticles about<\/i> Carroll, including interviews. Look at the primary
\nbibliography<\/a> for a detailed listing of work by<\/i> Carroll.<\/div>\n

<\/a> I
\nfound these lines of [poetry\/lyrics\/prose]. Where are they are from?<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

If you are sure the lines
\nare by Jim Carroll, be sure to include all of them in your message and state where you
\nfound them. If the lines are not by Carroll, I cannot guarantee that I will answer you.<\/div>\n

<\/a> What
\ndo these lines [quote song lyric, poem, prose] mean? What was Jim Carroll’s intention?<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

As a scholar, I am happy to
\noffer critical commentary on Jim Carroll’s work, but I will not “tell you what it
\nmeans” or claim to be able to read Jim Carroll’s mind. Before you ask me to comment
\non Jim Carroll’s work, please do the following first<\/i>:<\/p>\n