{"product_id":"the-uncool-a-memoir","title":"The Uncool: A Memoir","description":"\n\u003ctable align=\"center\" border=\"0\" cellpadding=\"2\" cellspacing=\"0\" width=\"100%\"\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"productDetailSmallElements\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"More than fifty years after his debut as a professional writer, Crowe is finally ready to tell the real story. . . . A tender chronicling of his \n\u003ci\u003eRolling Stone \u003c\/i\u003eyears, where he earned the trust of musicians and witnessed now-iconic concert moments.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--Angie Martoccio, \u003ci\u003eRolling Stone\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"An unputdownable ode to family and classic rock . . . Crowe's infectious sense of awe and down-to-earth storytelling will win over readers; a must-have for all collections.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal \u003c\/i\u003e(starred review)\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"A riveting memoir . . . Still fueled by the awe of a fifteen-year-old fan decades later, Crowe delivers a memoir that is both a backstage pass to rock 'n' roll and a master class in storytelling, warm, vivid, and irresistibly uncool in the best way.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--Freda Love Smith, \u003ci\u003eBooklist \u003c\/i\u003e(starred review) \u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"It's a delight . . . Readers who only know Crowe from his screen credits will savor the behind-the-scenes insights, but the book's real power lies in its portrait of a teenager chasing his heroes.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003e--Publishers Weekly \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \"A winning blend of family portrait, rock history, and coming-of-age movies.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003e--Kirkus Reviews \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e(starred review) \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Remarkable . . . Such a joy and so well written . . . My favorite book in a long, long time.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--Anderson Cooper\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \"Before writing \n\u003ci\u003eFast Times at Ridgemont High\u003c\/i\u003e and \n\u003ci\u003eAlmost Famous\u003c\/i\u003e, Crowe was a mostly obedient younger brother growing up in the deserts of Southern California. His book is deeper than the typical Hollywood memoir, as much about the fears and loneliness that defined those early years as the famous people he brushed up against.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eNew York\u003c\/i\u003e magazine \u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \"Splendid . . . Crowe arrived already so fully developed as the world's most precocious teen scribe in the '70s that it was hard to imagine he would ever get much better as a prose stylist. . . . But \n\u003ci\u003eThe Uncool \u003c\/i\u003eproves that he has. . . . It's the kind of a book where you want to blow a chef's kiss to sentence after well-honed sentence, written in a richly detailed, at times almost passionately epigrammatic fashion. . . . If it's stories about the greatest musicians of all time you want, come for the Allman Brothers and Fleetwood Mac, or a description of Gram Parsons' and Emmylou Harris' first musical encounter, then stay for the just-as-compelling stories of his family life growing up in Indio and San Diego. Both these sides were well-explored in \n\u003ci\u003eAlmost Famous\u003c\/i\u003e, but \n\u003ci\u003eThe Uncool \u003c\/i\u003ebrings them to a light and life that dramatic rendering could only begin to get at.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--Chris Willman, \u003ci\u003eVariety\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \"Crowe's charming new memoir is an elegy for a lost time and place, when rock 'n' roll culture was still a secret handshake. . . . As he does so often in this book, Crowe pulls the reader in with his keenly observant eye. . . . Reminds us of what has been lost, the myths and mystique that fueled our rock star fantasies and gave the music an aura of magic.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--Marc Weingarten, \u003ci\u003eLos Angeles Times \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \"A candid memoir packed with untold revelations about his unconventional career--from riding shotgun with David Bowie to studio battles over Spicoli.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--Mia Galuppo, \u003ci\u003eThe Hollywood Reporter\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \"Lyrical and compulsively readable . . . \n\u003ci\u003eThe Uncool \u003c\/i\u003ecaptures an extraordinarily inventive period in which rock music was stretching out in all directions.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--Alex Needham, \u003ci\u003eThe Guardian \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBiographical Note\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCameron Crowe became \n\u003ci\u003eRolling Stone\u003c\/i\u003e's youngest-ever contributor as a fifteen-year-old high school graduate, going on to conduct all-time best interviews with the likes of Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Elton John, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Led Zeppelin, the Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, and the Who. Crowe is also an acclaimed filmmaker who has written and directed films including \n\u003ci\u003eFast Times at Ridgemont High\u003c\/i\u003e, \n\u003ci\u003eSay Anything...\u003c\/i\u003e, \n\u003ci\u003eSingles\u003c\/i\u003e, \n\u003ci\u003eJerry Maguire\u003c\/i\u003e, \n\u003ci\u003eVanilla Sky\u003c\/i\u003e, and \n\u003ci\u003eAlmost Famous\u003c\/i\u003e (for which he won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay). He wrote the definitive book on the work of writer-director Billy Wilder, \n\u003ci\u003eConversations with Wilder\u003c\/i\u003e. Crowe is currently at work on a film based on the life and music of Joni Mitchell. He has three children and lives in Southern California.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"We know his voice: the journalist\/adventurer, the cinematic novelist, and now (with \n\u003ci\u003eThe Uncool\u003c\/i\u003e) the raconteur of his own literary self. He sculpts and weaves the events of his experience into scenes and language that often turn into something like a manifesto. He talks to us like he's talking to \n\u003ci\u003eus\u003c\/i\u003e. Many centuries ago, he instructed me and Owen Wilson about an early cut of our unformed first film: 'Your movie has a rock sensibility. Don't fight it. It will \n\u003ci\u003eserve\u003c\/i\u003e you.' On the screen (and stage) and on the page: his clarity of observation and memory, his choice words, his \n\u003ci\u003epeople\u003c\/i\u003e--Cameron Crowe, wonderfully, continues to serve us.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--Wes Anderson \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Cameron has written a book that feels like music, an intimate souvenir, like a song you can't stop listening to.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--Stevie Nicks \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"A delicious tale of a devotee who worships at the altar of rock and roll. From the jittery reverence that comes with the first taste of backstage to the intimate thrill of the post-show motel room, this is a story for every kid who's ever dreamed a dream and dared to watch it all come true. It's about the friends you make and the memories that linger long after the credits roll. It's a love letter to fandom, sealed with Cameron's trademark sincerity and heart.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--Maggie Rogers \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"If you're a lover of music, or you've ever been in love, then you have something to say. Cameron has always been someone who knows just how to say it.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--Harry Styles \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Captivating . . . Crowe's depiction of the travels and interviews he did with musicians brings both them and the era vibrantly alive. . . . This is a remarkable and moving memoir, with an engaging and unforgettable cast of characters, that will resonate well beyond fans of celebrated '70s music. \n\u003ci\u003eThe Uncool\u003c\/i\u003e is a celebration of the passionate, often awkward and chaotic journey to find one's place in the world.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--Elizabeth DeNoma, \u003ci\u003eShelf Awareness \u003c\/i\u003e(starred review)\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher Marketing\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNEW YORK TIMES \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eBESTSELLER - \"Cameron has written a book that feels like music, an intimate souvenir, like a song you can't stop listening to.\" --Stevie Nicks - \"A delicious tale of a devotee who worships at the altar of rock and roll....It's a love letter to fandom, sealed with Cameron's trademark sincerity and heart.\" --Maggie Rogers - \"Such a joy and so well written...My favorite book in a long, long time.\" --Anderson Cooper\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eThe long-awaited memoir by Cameron Crowe--one of America's most iconic journalists and filmmakers--\u003ci\u003eThe Uncool\u003c\/i\u003e is a joyful dispatch from a lost world, a chronicle of the real-life events that became \u003ci\u003eAlmost Famous\u003c\/i\u003e, and a coming-of-age journey filled with music legends as you've never seen them before.\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eCameron Crowe was an unlikely rock and roll insider. Born in 1957 to parents who strictly banned the genre from their house, he dove headfirst into the world of music. By the time he graduated high school at fifteen, Crowe was contributing to Rolling Stone. His parents became believers, uneasily allowing him to interview and tour with legends like Led Zeppelin; Lynyrd Skynyrd; Bob Dylan; Crosby, Stills, Nash \u0026amp; Young; and Fleetwood Mac. \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ci\u003eThe Uncool\u003c\/i\u003e offers a front-row ticket to the 1970s, a golden era for music and art when rock was young. There's no such thing as a media junket--just the rare chance a young writer might be invited along for an adventure. Crowe spends his teens politely turning down the drugs and turning on his tape recorder. He talks his journalism teacher into giving him class credit for his road trip covering Led Zeppelin's 1975 tour, which lands him--and the band--on the cover of Rolling Stone. He embeds with David Bowie as the sequestered genius transforms himself into a new persona: the Thin White Duke. Why did Bowie give Crowe such unprecedented access? \"Because you're young enough to be honest,\" Bowie tells him. \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eYouth and humility are Crowe's ticket into the Eagles' dressing room in 1972, where Glenn Frey vows to keep the band together forever; to his first major interview with Kris Kristofferson; to earning the trust of icons like Gregg Allman and Joni Mitchell, who had sworn to never again speak to Rolling Stone. It's a magical odyssey, the journey of a teenage writer waved through the door to find his fellow dreamers, music geeks, and lifelong community. It's a path that leads him to writing and directing some of the most beloved films of the past forty years, from \n\u003ci\u003eFast Times at Ridgemont High\u003c\/i\u003e and \n\u003ci\u003eSay Anything... \u003c\/i\u003eto \n\u003ci\u003eJerry Maguire\u003c\/i\u003e and \n\u003ci\u003eAlmost Famous\u003c\/i\u003e. His movies often resonate with the music of the artists he first met as a journalist, including Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, the Who, and Pearl Jam. \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ci\u003eThe Uncool\u003c\/i\u003e is also a surprisingly intimate family drama. If you've seen \n\u003ci\u003eAlmost Famous\u003c\/i\u003e, you may think you know this story--but you don't. For the first time, Crowe opens up about his formative years in Palm Springs and pays tribute to his father, a decorated Army officer who taught him the irreplaceable value of the human voice. Crowe also offers a full portrait of his mother, whose singular spirit helped shape him into an unconventional visionary. \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWith its vivid snapshots of a bygone era and a celebration of creativity and connection, this memoir is an essential read for music lovers or anyone chasing their wildest dreams. At the end of that roller-coaster journey, you might just find what you were looking for: your place in the world.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Citations:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/span\u003e 09\/19\/2025 pg. 8 (EAN 9781668059432, Hardcover)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/span\u003e 09\/01\/2025 (EAN 9781668059432, Hardcover) - *Starred Review\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/span\u003e 09\/08\/2025 (EAN 9781668059432, Hardcover)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eShelf Awareness\u003c\/span\u003e 10\/24\/2025 (EAN 9781668059432, Hardcover)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eBooklist\u003c\/span\u003e 10\/01\/2025 (EAN 9781668059432, Hardcover) - *Starred Review\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eContributor Bio:\u003c\/strong\u003eCrowe, Cameron\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCameron Crowe became \n\u003ci\u003eRolling Stone\u003c\/i\u003e's youngest-ever contributor as a fifteen-year-old high school graduate, going on to conduct all-time best interviews with the likes of Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Elton John, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Led Zeppelin, the Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, and the Who. Crowe is also an acclaimed filmmaker who has written and directed films including \n\u003ci\u003eFast Times at Ridgemont High\u003c\/i\u003e, \n\u003ci\u003eSay Anything...\u003c\/i\u003e, \n\u003ci\u003eSingles\u003c\/i\u003e, \n\u003ci\u003eJerry Maguire\u003c\/i\u003e, \n\u003ci\u003eVanilla Sky\u003c\/i\u003e, and \n\u003ci\u003eAlmost Famous\u003c\/i\u003e (for which he won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay). He wrote the definitive book on the work of writer-director Billy Wilder, \n\u003ci\u003eConversations with Wilder\u003c\/i\u003e. Crowe is currently at work on a film based on the life and music of Joni Mitchell. He has three children and lives in Southern California.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n","brand":"Avid Reader Press \/ Simon \u0026 Schuster","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51496152662294,"sku":"9781668059432","price":42.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0857\/9910\/8886\/files\/9781668059432.jpg?v=1783054177","url":"https:\/\/lusper.myshopify.com\/products\/the-uncool-a-memoir","provider":"Lusperbooks","version":"1.0","type":"link"}