More than fifteen hours have passed since anyone has added anything to the threads about me. The last entry, posted right before Cross took the stage: “Either these are the trippiest mushrooms I’ve ever eaten, or Pennyforger has a couple women hanging on him.”
I GO THROUGH my emails.
Neil Young Guy checked in: “Did you hear? Neil Young has a tour bus that runs on methane; it gets 500 miles on one Cross CD.” Plus, “Neil Young inspired Pearl Jam; Jimmy Cross inspired the ‘pearl necklace.’”
An acquaintance in Chile, claiming to have contacts in the entertainment industry there, tells me that Cross’s management is planning to be in South America next July, more or less on schedule. According to his sources, Cross has tentative dates in Santiago, Lima, Córdoba, Buenos Aires, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, and Caracas. Nothing in Brazil, supposedly, but one can’t read too far into rumors. If Cross will be in South America next summer, I should probably bone up on my Spanish.
Dear Mr. Pennyman,
My name is Jay’Den Delacroix. I am a student in Ms. Weatherby’s 7th-grade World History class in Passaic, New Jersey. We have been learning about how we communicate today and what gets taken for granted. There’s a project paper we got to write. My original idea was Morse Code, but Ms. Weatherby said no.
She thought I should write you because you are supposed to be some expert on Jim Cross and he is a historical figure who lived through big changes in tech. Please answer these questions or I’ll fail.
How has technology changed Jim Cross?
Are these changes for the good or bad?
What would Jim Cross say about the Internet?
Thank you SO much.
Your friend,
Jay’Den
Dear Jay’Den,
First: Cross is still very much living, and, like all of us, he continues to adapt to changes in technology.
When I first started following Cross, the CD was new — people thought it might be a fad. The only people I knew with cell phones were doctors! If I wanted to make plane reservations, I needed to contact a travel agent. Oops, you asked how technology has changed Jimmy and I’ve gone off talking about myself. I guess the best answer is that technology has changed him completely and not at all. So far, his lyrics haven’t mentioned Google, iPods, the Walkman, laptops, cell phones, Facebook, or anything else that seems especially current. He does mention records (like vinyl LPs and EPs — ask Ms. Weatherby), radio, rockets, electric keyboards, biplanes (in an ironic context; he’s not that old), and television (if yours is the computer generation, mine was the TV generation).
This is a tricky question. You called me an expert on the musician, but I think the truth is that I’m expert at listening to his music and, maybe to a lesser degree, at being a fan of his music. So what do I think? I think that those of us who listen to his music probably have ambivalent feelings about changes in tech. For one thing, change is always bittersweet. The world doesn’t change without changing us. I drove a car with a 4-speed manual transmission and a tape deck to the hospital where my daughter was born; I called my parents collect on a pay phone (again, ask Ms. Weatherby) to let them know they had become grandparents. Bittersweet. Can you imagine that one day you’ll have similar feelings for your cell phone or whathaveyou?!
Here, finally, I can offer you something concrete. In 2002 Der Spiegel (a famous German newspaper — ask Ms. Weatherby about newspapers. . just kidding) asked Cross if he used the Internet. The interview, unfortunately, is in German, but I’ve seen a translated version. Cross said that he traveled with a portable computer (for a lot of people, one of the lessons of September 11 was the importance of staying connected). He mentioned watching Kurosawa films and that on the odd occasion when he finds himself cooking — can you imagine him cooking?! — he’ll look up recipes. I’ve heard rumors that he maintains a private Facebook profile to get in touch with his far-flung friends, though I can’t confirm this. So far, the few aliases I suspected have refused my friend requests.
Good luck with your paper! I hope this helps.
Best,
Arthur Pennyman
SteeltownLarry writes, “Is something going on between Jimmy and the band? Besides introducing them during ‘Loss of Pressure’ he hardly seemed to acknowledge anyone the whole night. Did you notice that he exited the stage on the opposite side from the rest of the guys? It’s been a while since he cleaned house — even the kid has been with him for a few years now. Do you expect we’ll see new faces come spring?”
Dear SteeltownLarry,
In my tenure I’ve seen eleven guitarists, nine percussionists, three bassists (people ignore Tony’s mysterious40 leave of absence at the end of ’97 and his brief illness in ’08), two keyboardists, and one erratic mandolin player (William Styles’s one-night stand in Seattle). I won’t mention all the special guests, both headliners and has-beens, who’ve dropped in for a set.
To quote Heraclitus: Change is the only constant.
As for his relationship with the band, all I can say is that I haven’t seen or heard anything unusual. This has been a pretty stable era, all in all. However, that’s not to say he couldn’t pull a Springfield Armory41 tomorrow.
The bigger question, it seems to me: How much longer do WE expect this to go on? I’m not the only one to think Cross has seemed a bit erratic this fall. He put on a hell of a show last night, so why did it leave me feeling uneasy? Why did it leave you uneasy? These are the sorts of questions that make the winter so long and lonely.
Yours,
Arthur Pennyman
Mr. Pennyman,
My name is Raven Warren. I am writing you in my capacity as a curator for the Center for American Music and Folk Art in Los Angeles. If you’re not familiar with CAMFA, let me catch you up to speed. We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit committed to preserving and protecting the rich heritage of American art makers. As you may know, the center is in the process of creating a digital archive. I would be very interested in talking with you about your Jimmy Cross project. If you would have time to meet with me, I could tell you why CAMFA can offer an ideal repository for your records. As you know, the University of Wisconsin and the Smithsonian have already secured, respectively, Cross’s papers and existent recordings; I also know, from conversations with board members, that neither institution envisions acquiring secondary materials.
When you have a chance, I hope we can discuss how CAMFA might protect your significant legacy.
Warmly,
Raven Warren
Director of Digital Media Archives, CAMFA
Dear Raven,
Thank you for your interest in my project. You’ve reached me at a good time, as I’ve been wondering what shall become of this material once I can no longer take care of it. Future Cross scholars — as well as sociologists, musicians, cultural historians, etc. — will want access to my materials. JimCrossCompendium is very much an active community: last month the site had more than eighty thousand page views!
Perhaps CAMFA would be interested in cosponsoring next year’s leg of the tour?! Or maybe there are other models of support that might serve both of our interests. I’d be very interested in having that discussion with you.
And, yes, I’ve followed the jousting between UWisconsin and the Smithsonian. However, I’m surprised you didn’t mention the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. They’re the ones I’ve always expected would come calling — they’re certainly aware of me: my server regularly records visitors from their ISP. Considering Paul Allen’s financial resources and his background with computers, they would be a natural match. And don’t forget: Cross was inducted into the Hall of Fame in ’88!