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Alembic Club » Alembic Basses & Guitars » Archive through October 26, 2012 » Dancing with the Dead - Rosie McGee's Memoir « Previous Next »

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mica
Moderator
Username: mica

Post Number: 7802
Registered: 6-2000
Posted on Wednesday, July 11, 2012 - 9:21 am:   Edit Post

As posted in News & Announcements, our dear friend Rosie McGee has just published her memoir and it's available now on Amazon. An enjoyable read of early days with the Grateful Dead, with tons of photographs (even my mommy and daddy and me as a baby (well, you can see my leg!)). It's great to read a first-hand account of that time from a woman's perspective, with previously unpublished photos of the band and lots of other musicians from the era.

It's going to be available on other ereaders soon, as described on Rosie's website.
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 10812
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Wednesday, July 11, 2012 - 10:05 am:   Edit Post

I just got mine; and looking forward to reading it! Thanks!!!
lbpesq
Senior Member
Username: lbpesq

Post Number: 5188
Registered: 7-2004
Posted on Wednesday, July 11, 2012 - 4:42 pm:   Edit Post

Got mine too.

Bill, tgo
rustyg61
Senior Member
Username: rustyg61

Post Number: 633
Registered: 2-2011
Posted on Wednesday, July 11, 2012 - 9:08 pm:   Edit Post

Do you know if it will ever be in print?
jacko
Senior Member
Username: jacko

Post Number: 3211
Registered: 10-2002
Posted on Thursday, July 12, 2012 - 4:26 am:   Edit Post

Rusty beat me to it.

Graeme
jazzyvee
Senior Member
Username: jazzyvee

Post Number: 3013
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Thursday, July 12, 2012 - 4:32 am:   Edit Post

What's the story behind how the band chose the name "Grateful Dead"?

Jazzyvee
jacko
Senior Member
Username: jacko

Post Number: 3213
Registered: 10-2002
Posted on Thursday, July 12, 2012 - 4:41 am:   Edit Post

They were known as the Warlocks when they started but found out there was another band with the ame name so spent some time tryng to decide on a new name.
from wikipedia.."According to Phil Lesh, in his biography (pp. 62), "...[Jerry Garcia] picked up an old Britannica World Language Dictionary...[and]...In that silvery elf-voice he said to me, 'Hey, man, how about the Grateful Dead?'" The definition there was "the soul of a dead person, or his angel, showing gratitude to someone who, as an act of charity, arranged their burial."

apparently bill Kreutzman and bob weir weren't to happy with the new name at first.

graeme

p.s. Phil's autobiography 'searching for the sound' is a great read as is Dennis Mcnally's 'a long strange trip' if you're interested in the history of the band. naturally, Ron and Susan get a mention ;-)
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 10815
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Friday, July 13, 2012 - 6:09 am:   Edit Post

I finished it last night; thoroughly enjoyable! Having read Phil Lesh's book and Blair Jackson's Garcia and other things about that period, many of the events that she writes about were familiar to me; but her perspective gave me a different view into, and a greater appreciation of, the "family".

It was also very interesting to read her accounts of the beginnings of Alembic.

It's a very personal autobiographical piece, but also, in my view, an important addition to the historical accounts of the music and culture of that period and of the Grateful Dead in particular. It was for me a page turner and an enjoyable read; but it also added to my knowledge and appreciation of that music and culture. And for that I am thankful.

Thank you Rosie for writing and sharing; and thank you Mica for letting us know about her book!
therealrosiemcgee
New
Username: therealrosiemcgee

Post Number: 1
Registered: 7-2012
Posted on Friday, July 13, 2012 - 11:17 am:   Edit Post

Hi - Rosie McGee here. To answer the most common question I'm getting since the release of my e-book, "Will there be a print version?": yes, I certainly hope I can make that happen at some point. Last November, I came to a crossroads where I needed to decide - e-book or no-book? Financial and time considerations forced me to go for the former, since the latter was not an option. Thanks for your interest and for asking.
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 10817
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Friday, July 13, 2012 - 11:30 am:   Edit Post

Hi Rosie! Welcome to our forum! I see that you've already met our hosts :-) What I'm wondering is ... what happened at the Grand Canyon? :-) But that can perhaps be a story for another time and place. Thank you again for sharing your story with us!
therealrosiemcgee
New
Username: therealrosiemcgee

Post Number: 2
Registered: 7-2012
Posted on Friday, July 13, 2012 - 10:25 pm:   Edit Post

Thanks for the welcome. RE: G.C.- seven years is a long time to live in an isolated place that is a spiritual and natural wonder and yet gets 5,000,000 tourists a year, many of them loud and thoughtless. Got an offer to come home to California...took it!
mike13
Intermediate Member
Username: mike13

Post Number: 127
Registered: 11-2007
Posted on Friday, July 13, 2012 - 10:58 pm:   Edit Post

Good to see you here Rosie,looking forward to a read
( Mike Dead fan in OZ)
sonicus
Senior Member
Username: sonicus

Post Number: 2558
Registered: 5-2009
Posted on Saturday, July 14, 2012 - 4:38 am:   Edit Post

Hello Rosie , thank you so very much for all that you have done to document with word and picture over the years of what has been one of the most important historical phenomenons in art and music.
lbpesq
Senior Member
Username: lbpesq

Post Number: 5189
Registered: 7-2004
Posted on Saturday, July 14, 2012 - 7:44 am:   Edit Post

Finished the book late last night. I wish there was more! A great read with loads of great photos. Well and intelligently written without, it seems, the assistance of a ghost writer - a rarity amongst rock autobiographies. Definitely a "must read" for us old deadheads or anyone interested in the amazing phenomena called "the 60's" and the San Francisco sound. Thanks Rosie for sharing this corner of your life story with us.

Bill, the guitar one
rustyg61
Senior Member
Username: rustyg61

Post Number: 641
Registered: 2-2011
Posted on Saturday, July 14, 2012 - 11:34 pm:   Edit Post

Thanks for the reply Rosie & welcome to the forum! I hope that you are able to release a print version in the near future, I would definitely buy one! My son edited an independant film that was financed completely by donations through Indie-GoGo, have you thought of using a service like that or Kickstarter to get fans to pledge to buy the book before it comes out to defer the cost of publishing?
therealrosiemcgee
New
Username: therealrosiemcgee

Post Number: 3
Registered: 7-2012
Posted on Sunday, July 15, 2012 - 3:24 pm:   Edit Post

Thanks for your kind comments.

@lbpesq - you're right. No ghost writer for me, thanks. I had to do it myyyyy waaaayyyyy!

@rustyg61 - I'm not sure about releasing a print version in the "near future" but I hope to at some point. I really have my hands full right now. As for Kickstarter, etc., I'll certainly look at those options, but producing a worthy "pitch" and figuring out the premiums you'll give away, etc. takes time, focus and attention - none of which I currently have.
bob2
Junior
Username: bob2

Post Number: 30
Registered: 2-2009
Posted on Sunday, July 15, 2012 - 7:13 pm:   Edit Post

i don't know if this is entirely applicable, or if you have, or are trying to get, some kind of agreement with a publishing house, but... this place does self-publishing: http://www.blurb.com
i know a couple people that did smaller volume things here and were able to sell what they wanted. i don't know all the details, so it may not work, but it doesn't cost anything to look at the website. (i actually found the site because of an old skateboarding zine from the eighties, which used to be hand xeroxed and mailed out back then.)
note to moderators/anyone else: i am not affiliated with the above mentioned website, just making a suggestion. if this post is too commercial in nature, please feel free to delete it and i apologize in advance.
jon_jackson
Intermediate Member
Username: jon_jackson

Post Number: 139
Registered: 12-2008
Posted on Tuesday, July 17, 2012 - 5:21 am:   Edit Post

Finished it yesterday. A very interesting and informative book. Great photos as well. I read it straight through and enjoyed it a lot. Thanks for sharing your story and pictures.
Jon
pasewark
Intermediate Member
Username: pasewark

Post Number: 157
Registered: 4-2003
Posted on Tuesday, July 17, 2012 - 10:36 am:   Edit Post

I bought the ebook on amazon, just a cursory glance so far. Looks great!
edwin
Senior Member
Username: edwin

Post Number: 1225
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Tuesday, July 17, 2012 - 11:04 am:   Edit Post

Thanks for the great read, Rosie! It's a wonderful perspective on some very inspiring times. Seeing America at a time when commodification hadn't inflated the cost of everything so completely and there was a possibility of living a life outside of sprinting to stand still creates a lot of questions about the price of "progress", which seems to be defined as the maximization of the monetary value of everything. Cheap rent goes a long way to creating an atmosphere for good art and intellectual inquiry!

I was hoping for some Europe '72 commentary and photos, so maybe there can be an update!
edwin
Senior Member
Username: edwin

Post Number: 1226
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Tuesday, July 17, 2012 - 9:37 pm:   Edit Post

Oops, silly me. I was scrolling through and looking for E72 photos. When I read the section on the tour and read the part about MAM's tour prep, I totally understood. Rosie, that was very humane of you to leave your camera at home. Of course, we missed the pictures that might have been, but as someone who has struggled with maintaining my craft as a photographer while on the road as a musician, with the resultant hassles with gear and getting my photo head space together in the midst of other endeavors, I think you made the right decision. A great way to be diplomatic, show support and free yourself!
dlbydgtl
Intermediate Member
Username: dlbydgtl

Post Number: 131
Registered: 7-2008
Posted on Wednesday, July 18, 2012 - 11:20 am:   Edit Post

Really enjoyed the book and photography! What i thought were crazy times here in the midwest now seem kind of tame. : ) John
therealrosiemcgee
New
Username: therealrosiemcgee

Post Number: 4
Registered: 7-2012
Posted on Tuesday, July 24, 2012 - 11:38 am:   Edit Post

NEW a few days ago - I've created an online gallery where you can buy prints of some of my Grateful Dead photos, including being able to add mounting, mats and framing, for one-stop shopping. People have been asking me for this for years, but I just now got it together. There are only a dozen photos on there now, but I'll add more later, plus some other musicians even later.
I hope you'll check it out, and thanks! Rosie

http://smu.gs/SNAYzG
edwin
Senior Member
Username: edwin

Post Number: 1229
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Tuesday, July 24, 2012 - 11:55 am:   Edit Post

Thanks, Rosie! As a Phil and Starfire fan, I'm sure I'll be placing an order soon.
mc500
Junior
Username: mc500

Post Number: 34
Registered: 11-2009
Posted on Sunday, August 12, 2012 - 4:02 pm:   Edit Post

Rosie, Thank you for a wonderful summer read. I really enjoyed all the thought, time and memories you put into this outstanding book. Gratefully, John
therealrosiemcgee
New
Username: therealrosiemcgee

Post Number: 5
Registered: 7-2012
Posted on Monday, September 17, 2012 - 3:26 pm:   Edit Post

Thanks, all. You may be interested to read the review and interview on the Grateful Dead site, in Blair Jackson's "Golden Road" blog. http://bit.ly/R0Dkbc - Also, I'll be doing some in-person author readings where I'll show photos. Coming up in October, Santa Cruz, Eugene and Portland. Please go to http://www.rosiemcgee.com/contact to sign up for email notifications, and thank you! Rosie
jzias
Junior
Username: jzias

Post Number: 34
Registered: 4-2007
Posted on Sunday, October 07, 2012 - 9:01 pm:   Edit Post

Really enjoyable read. Rosie is a great lady too! Love her documenting of the event of what happened to be my first Grateful Dead show at Central Pk, NYC, 1968.

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