(Original recording made in 1997)
In 1996, one of my favorite singer/songwriters, Bill Morrissey, published "Edson," his first novel. We did a phone interview when it came out, Bill was on tour at the time in Oregon. The following year Bill came through Dayton to play the Canal Street Tavern and I was able to get him to come out to visit us here at WYSO. He brought along his guitar. That day we discussed his new CD and he performed some of his incredible music. Then we talked again about that first book. He said he was already working on his next novel.
I kept waiting for that second book to come out.In 2011 we received some terrible news; Bill had died while he was out on tour in Dalton, Georgia-he had succumbed to heart failure. He was only 59-years-old. Later that year his second novel, Imaginary Runner, was finally published. I have spent the past dozen years trying to locate a copy of it. I have not been able to find that book. It must have been a very limited printing.
Bill Morrissey was a genius. I miss him...
Book Nook Bonus segment:
When Bill played Canal Street Tavern that night in January of 1997 he was excited about the Super Bowl which was going to be played the following weekend. It was the New England Patriots vs. the Green Bay Packers. Bill was a New England guy through and through and he was supremely confident the Patriots would win that game. He was wrong, the Packers won. His opening act that night at Canal Street was another folk singer, Dan Bern.
Time passed. Half a dozen years later Dan Bern came through the area again on tour and this time he brought along a full band because they had a new CD out and he was now the headliner. They came out to WYSO to play some songs for us. Dan is one of the most literary songwriters I know. I consider him to be a genius. I have included a couple of the songs they performed for us that day as your musical Book Nook bonus segment.
The Book Nook on WYSO is presented by the Greene County Public Library with additional support from Washington-Centerville Public Library, Clark County Public Library, Dayton Metro Library, Wright Memorial Public Library, and Tipp City Public.
