In Travels Over Feeling: Arthur Russell – A Life, Richard King offers readers an intimate window into the world of Arthur Russell, a creative visionary whose work and influence continues to resonate across contemporary music. Published by Anthology Editions, the book represents a remarkable approach to music biography, presenting a carefully curated collection of artifacts from Russell's life, interspersed with the words of people who knew him, rather than imposing a singular narrative.
King's work draws extensively from Russell's archive at the New York Public Library, where he spent significant time during 2021 following the pandemic lockdowns. King has assembled letters, handwritten scores, photographs, and notes, complemented by his own thoughtful text and interviews with Russell's collaborators, contemporaries, family, and friends.
"I didn't try to take ownership of any kind of narrative or interpretation of Arthur's life," King explained in an interview with The Fader, highlighting his approach as more curatorial than interpretive. This method allows readers to experience Russell's creative process and personal journey through primary materials, creating a multi-dimensional portrait of the artist.
Arthur Russell died in 1992 from AIDS-related illness at just 40 years old, but nor before creating music that united seemingly disparate worlds. From his pioneering avant-garde compositions alongside figures like Philip Glass and Allen Ginsberg to his innovative disco productions, from art pop to folk songs, Russell's work was indeed sonically diverse but maintained his singular emotional resonance.
Despite not achieving mainstream recognition during his lifetime, Russell's posthumous influence has steadily grown, with his work now recognized as foundational to multiple genres. His music has been described as both "ethereal and earthy," qualities that King's book explores through its expansive collection of archival materials.
Author Richard King is a cultural historian with deep connections to music. Born into a bilingual family in South Wales, King has lived in the rural county of Powys, Mid Wales, for over two decades. His previous books have established him as one of Britain's most insightful music writers.
These earlier works include Original Rockers (2015), a memoir about his time working at Bristol's Revolver Records that was shortlisted for the Gordon Burn Prize; How Soon Is Now? (2012), a history of independent music that was named Sunday Times Music Book of the Year; and The Lark Ascending (2019), which explores the relationship between British landscape and music.
His most recent book before tackling Russell's story was Brittle With Relics: A History of Wales, 1962-97 (2022), an oral history examining Welsh identity during years of significant cultural and political change. In this book, King also brought together multiple voices to create a textured historical narrative, an approach that serves him well in documenting Russell's complex life and artistic communities.
During the livestream event, we will explore:
- The challenges and revelations of working with Russell's extensive archives
- King's experiences interviewing Russell's collaborators and loved ones
- The connections between King's previous work and his approach to Russell's story
- The continuing relevance of Russell's boundary-crossing music in today's landscape
- The process of creating a book that balances archival materials with contextual narrative
This event will be a fascinating exploration of musical history, creative process, and the ways artists' legacies evolve over time.
Our livestream interview with Richard King will take place on April 22 at 7PM BST, 2PM Eastern, 11AM Pacific. The event is free but we ask you to register in advance to secure your spot for this exclusive event.
"Travels Over Feeling: Arthur Russell – A Life" is available here and wherever you buy books.
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Lawrence Peryer
Lawrence Peryer
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