BOOK FEATURE : : : :

Shaman, poet, rebel, icon.

THE JIM MORRISON SCRAPBOOK captures the many personas of the Doors' legendary leader through an exclusive collection of new interviews with Jim's family, friends, and fellow musicians. Published forty years after the Doors released their first album, the book chronicles Morrison's explosive story from his precocious childhood through his wild, electrifying musical career, to his volatile love affair with Pamela Courson, and his tragic and mysterious death in Paris at the age of 27.

This fully illustrated package features never-before-published photos and more than 20 removable, hands-on facsimiles of memorabilia from Jim's life: handwritten poetry and lyrics, personal notes and letters, his teenage artwork, a Doors tour program, and more. A 60-minute CD comprising rare interviews plus Jim telling candid stories and previously unreleased spoken-word poetry caps off this incomparable collector's package.

James Henke, curator and vice president of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum in Cleveland, wrote and compiled this collection with the help of the Morrison and Courson families. We caught up with the author and asked him what it was like to re-examine the life of the Lizard King.

So, were you a Doors fan before you wrote this book?
I liked the Doors when I was growing up and I actually got to see them once at the Allen Theater in Cleveland before Jim died. Doing the research for the book made me go back and study their music, and I am impressed with how well the music has held up over time. It sounds really good. Their sound was also unique, with no bass player and with so much emphasis on the keyboards.


What did you learn about Jim Morrison during the project?
Well, I think one of the striking things about Jim is the fact that he was almost like the perfect child growing up. He got good grades in school, was in the Cub Scouts, on the swim team, etc. His brother, who is younger, described Jim as a "goody-goody." And I think a lot of people would be surprised by that.

What was the highlight of your research?
I particularly liked interviewing Jim's brother and his sister. They haven't really talked a lot about their brother to journalists, writers, etc., so I was fortunate to be able to speak with them. And some of the things they said differ from what has been generally perceived about Jim and his family life. For example, his father, who is an Admiral in the Navy, has always been described as a strict disciplinarian, but they both said that was not the case.

Do you have a favorite piece of ephemera from the book?
I like the "Pony Express" manuscript, the report card, the note to his mother… a lot of the early stuff. Jim's mother and father donated a ton of stuff from his childhood to the Hall of Fame—virtually every report card, birth certificate, drawings, etc. It's one of the best collections we have.

Our readers in Cleveland can catch the exhibition, "Break on Through: The Lasting Legacy of the Doors," currently on view at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum through March 30, 2008. For exhibition information, visit www.rockhall.com/exhibitnew/the-doors. To hear more from James Henke, check out our audio podcast online.

WIN EXCLUSIVE DOORS MEMORABILIA!
To celebrate 40 years of the Doors (and our own 40th anniversary here at Chronicle Books), we’re giving away 5 copies of The Jim Morrison Scrapbook signed by the remaining band members (John Densmore, Ray Manzarek, and Robby Krieger) plus free Doors t-shirts. To enter to win, send an email by December 3rd to webmaster@chroniclebooks.com with the subject line "Jim Morrison" and tell us which Doors song lights your fire and why.

More Pop Culture Titles

THE ART OF BEOWULF
http://www.chroniclebooks.com/beowulf/

Fans of the intense, action-packed film will relish this extraordinary hardcover packed with lavish concept art and quotes from the production designers, artists, actors, and filmmakers in a stunning homage to the genesis and visual execution of a unique motion picture.

EIJI TSUBURAYA: MASTER OF MONSTERS
http://www.chroniclebooks.com/tsuburaya/

Go behind the scenes with the legendary effects mastermind Tsuburaya in this highly visual biography detailing his fascinating life and career with concept art and on-set photos.

San Francisco readers can meet author August Ragone at a book signing and discussion at Super 7 this Saturday, December 1, at 3 pm. www.super7store.com

THE COMPLETE WORST-CASE SCENARIO HANDBOOK
http://www.chroniclebooks.com/completewcs/

The worst of the worst, all in one place! This deluxe hardbound volume highlights the most popular scenarios from all 11 Worst-Case Scenario handbooks—plus the entire contents of all the books on a fully searchable CD that also includes newly created extra features like screensavers, e-cards, wallpaper and more.

GREETINGS FROM E STREET: THE STORY OF BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN AND THE E STREET BAND
http://www.chroniclebooks.com/estreet/

With the sold-out success of their fall tour, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band have announced they'll return to the U.S. for more dates in spring 2008. Get ready to rock with their only authorized biography, featuring 30 pieces of removable memorabilia to reveal the band's rise to fame, and a podcast with author and band intimate Robert Santelli.

CHRONICLE BOOKS
680 SECOND STREET
SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94107
415.537.4000

Thank you for subscribing to Book Blast: Pop Culture. If you wish to ***, click here.

Email webmaster@chroniclebooks.com with comments or questions. If you can't see this, go to
www.chroniclebooks.com/
BOOKBLAST/popculture112607.html