Re: R.I.P., Susanna Clark
Posted: July 11, 2012 12:54 am
This ran on the No Depression site on July 3rd and was written by Guy's publicist/biographer Tamara Saviano (who also assembled This One's For Him: A Tribute To Guy Clark).
RIP Susanna Clark (March 11, 1939 - June 27, 2012)
Susanna in 1973 (Photo by Burton Wilson)
by Tamara Saviano
I've gotten many sweet condolence calls and messages about Susanna Clark's death, yet I don't feel worthy of them. I'm not a close family friend. I was Guy's publicist until I started working on his biography, but even then, I was Guy's publicist, not Susanna's.
Now, I'm the biographer. At an authors panel earlier this year at Folk Alliance someone from the audience asked the panel if it was easier to write about someone while they were still alive or better if the subject was dead. All of the authors—at the exact same moment—shouted "Dead!" Sitting in the audience, I shook my head no, felt that I was the lucky one because my subject is alive and interested and engaging and boy, oh, boy I'm going to have a great book because Guy is in this with me.
Guy might be in it with me, but Susanna? I did not know Susanna well. I know plenty about her because I've been researching her life for the last four years. In total, I have 6 hours of interview tape with Susanna, plus another several hours that other journalists have shared with me, not to mention the hours and hours that Guy and I have discussed her. I don't know Susanna the woman nearly as well as I know Susanna the subject. And today, well, intellectually, I don't think I should be surprised by Susanna's death, yet, I am. I am stunned that she is gone.
To read the rest of the article click here.
RIP Susanna Clark (March 11, 1939 - June 27, 2012)
Susanna in 1973 (Photo by Burton Wilson)
by Tamara Saviano
I've gotten many sweet condolence calls and messages about Susanna Clark's death, yet I don't feel worthy of them. I'm not a close family friend. I was Guy's publicist until I started working on his biography, but even then, I was Guy's publicist, not Susanna's.
Now, I'm the biographer. At an authors panel earlier this year at Folk Alliance someone from the audience asked the panel if it was easier to write about someone while they were still alive or better if the subject was dead. All of the authors—at the exact same moment—shouted "Dead!" Sitting in the audience, I shook my head no, felt that I was the lucky one because my subject is alive and interested and engaging and boy, oh, boy I'm going to have a great book because Guy is in this with me.
Guy might be in it with me, but Susanna? I did not know Susanna well. I know plenty about her because I've been researching her life for the last four years. In total, I have 6 hours of interview tape with Susanna, plus another several hours that other journalists have shared with me, not to mention the hours and hours that Guy and I have discussed her. I don't know Susanna the woman nearly as well as I know Susanna the subject. And today, well, intellectually, I don't think I should be surprised by Susanna's death, yet, I am. I am stunned that she is gone.
To read the rest of the article click here.
