WarrenZevonandPhilosophyisacollectionofchaptersonZevon’slifeandmusic,authoredbyphilosopherswhoarealsoZevonfans,providingnewandexcitinginsightsintoZevon’sthinking,hiscynicallyrics,andthecruelironiesofhisroller-coasterlifeandcareer.Sincehisdeathin2003attheageoffifty-six,WarrenZevon’sfollowinghasgrown,andsevenbooksonZevonhaveappearedinthelastfewyears,withmoreintheworks.TheZevonlegendcontinuestoattractattentionbothbecauseoftheoutstandingqualityofhisbestsongsandbecauseofthepoignanttrajectoryofhislife.AccordingtothenovelistCarlHiaasen,Zevon“leftbehindawildlyintelligentandcaptivatingbodyofmusic.“WarrenZevonwasanAmericanrock’n’rollsinger-songwriter,borninChicago,thoughassociatedwiththemusicsceneinLosAngeles.Hisearlyalbums,WarrenZevon(1976)andExcitableBoy(1978)attractedaloyalfanfollowingandecstaticpraisefromcritics.Asaspecialtalenttowatch,theteenageZevonwasintroducedtoseveralnotablepeople,includingevenIgorStravinsky.Zevon’sdescentintoalcoholismandotheraddictions,alongwithhisdebaucheryanderraticbehavior,tookitstollandhisperformancessuffered,anaspectdisturbinglycapturedinthememoirbyhisex-wifeCrystalZevon,I’llSleepWhenI’mDead:TheDirtyLifeandTimesofWarrenZevon(2008).Inthelastfewyearsofhislife,Zevonrehabilitatedsomewhat,andhisworkreturnedtoanimpressivelevelofquality.Hisremarkablefinalalbums,Life’llKillYa(2000),MyRide’sHere(2002),andTheWind(2003)havemadealastingimpact.ThelastofthesewasgiventheGrammyAwardforBestContemporaryFolkAlbum,whilethesong“DisorderintheHouse,“performedbyZevonwithBruceSpringsteen,wonBestRockVocalPerformance.JohnMacKinnonteachesphilosophyatSaintMary’sUniversity,Halifax,NovaScotia.Hehaspublishedscholarlyarticlesonaestheticsandphilosophyofliterature.
WARREN SONGWRITER HALIFAX LIFE NOVASCOTIA
