Unstrung

The paperback edition of iconoclastic guitar player Marc Ribot's darkly funny and subversive collection of writing, featuring brand-new essays not included in the hardcover.

Throughout his genre-defying career as one of the most innovative musicians of our time, iconoclastic guitar player Marc Ribot has consistently defied expectation at every turn. Here, in the expanded paperback edition of Ribot's first collection of writing, we see that same uncompromising sensibility at work as he playfully interrogates our assumptions about music, life, and death. Through essays - including some new material not included in the hardcover - short stories, and the occasional unfilmable film 'mistreatment' that showcase the sheer range of his voice, Unstrung captures an artist whose versatility on the page rivals his dexterity onstage.

In the first section of the book, 'Lies and Distortion,' Ribot turns his attention to his instrument - 'my relation to the guitar is one of struggle; I'm constantly forcing it to be something else' - and reflects on his influences (and friends) like Robert Quine (the Voidoids) and producer Hal Willner (Saturday Night Live), while delivering an impassioned plea on behalf of artists' rights. Elsewhere, we glimpse fragments of Ribot's life as a traveling musician - he captures both the monotony of touring as well as small moments of beauty and despair on the road. In the heart of the collection, 'Sorry, We're Experiencing Technical Difficulties,' Ribot offers wickedly humorous short stories that synthesize the best elements of the Russian absurdist tradition with the imaginative heft of George Saunders. Taken together, these stories and essays cement Ribot's position as one of the most dynamic and creative voices of our time.

'A slim yet powerful book in which Marc Ribot blends bits of memoir with strange little fictions, many of which are based on his own life and career.' - Wall Street Journal

'Ribot...produced a book that is much like his musical output: difficult to categorize but fascinating and engaging.' - Inside Hook

'Unstrunghas all the honesty, original angles, beauty, and clangor found in Marc Ribot's playing. His compassionate writing about Frantz Casseus gives a human face to his calls for artists' rights. Like life itself, this book is bloody, funny, and bloody funny.' - Elvis Costello, musician

'An insightful tour through the razor-sharp mind of one of the world's most original and influential guitar masters. Ribot's acerbic wit, self-deprecating humor, and profoundly vexing love-hate relationship with all things guitar make for a fun and stimulating read.' - John Zorn, musician

'In Ribot's fearless playing and equally acerbic prose, silence has a mighty fight on its hands.' - California Review of Books

'At its best, Ribot's writing resembles his music: It's challenging, unique, and very humane.' - Washington Examiner

'Ribot is an all-American original, and this collection provides plenty of insight into his fascinating mind.'
- Kirkus Reviews

'Ribot is not only a gifted musician but also a talented wordsmith, and this quirky volume will appeal to music aficionados who appreciate strong writing with observational, intelligent, and provocative themes.' - Library Journal