Don't suck, don't die : giving up Vic Chesnutt /

Musician, artist, and author (Rat Girl) Hersh offers a short stream-of-consciousness style reminiscence of her close friend and fellow singer-songwriter Vic Chesnutt. He was born in Jacksonville, FL, in 1964, the grandson of a country singer/guitarist. At age 18 he was involved in a one-car drunken driving accident which left him almost completely paralyzed from the neck down. Though not widely known, he was considered one of the best songwriters of his generation and his songs have been covered by REM, Madonna, and Neutral Milk Hotel. Hersh chronicles the highs and lows of touring for a living with Vic, his wife, Tina, and Hersh's husband, Billy. She philosophizes about the meaning of life and rants about her friend's early demise (Chesnutt influenced many musicians up until his suicide from an overdose in 2009). -VERDICT A solid choice for readers who aren't put off by the rambling text, which is laced with profanity. Additional recommended "American Music" series titles include Eddie Huffman's John Prine and David Menconi's Ryan Adams.--Elizabeth D. Eisen, Appleton P.L., WI © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Glimpses of a musician's life and death. When the singer-songwriter Vic Chesnutt (1964-2009) committed suicide with an overdose of muscle relaxants, he left behind an acclaimed, if not widely known, body of work and a devoted following, particularly among fellow musicians. One of those musicians is Hersh (Rat Girl: A Memoir, 2010, etc.), leader of the alternative rock band Throwing Muses, who became close friends with Chesnutt and, as a solo artist, toured with him often. Her book, a combination of memoir and prose poem, is an occasionally cryptic and often oblique elegy for the man with whom she shared many hours onstage and off, touring small venues for little pay where a certain principled indie rock still thrives. Chesnutt, who was paralyzed and used a wheelchair, appears here as cantankerous, outrageous, vulgar, and brilliant; Hersh, whose devotion always triumphs over her exasperation, also emphasizes his moments of kindness and humor. Wisely, the author does not linger on the sound of his music or his two-finger guitar playingthat is best left to the recordingsbut she does capture his incessant wordplay and talent for pulling perfectly formed lyrics and melodies seemingly out of the air or, more often, the conversations around him. Chesnutt's banterwith Hersh, himself, or anyone in earshotcan be quite funny, and even when it borders on inside-joke territory, it makes the author's account more endearing. But this is hardly a fond remembrance, as Hersh's portrait of Chesnutt is colored by pain, frustration, and, ultimately, heartbreak. Despite the author's best efforts, Chesnutt remains a somewhat inscrutable figurethough there is no mistaking the rareness and depth of their friendship. The book's great sadness is matched by the skill and vitality of Hersh's writing; it will make treasured and troubled reading for fans of Chesnutt and the author alike. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.