'If I hadn't listened to Peel that Day/Week/Month/Year....'

[ken garner]

The Peel Sessions Book project is now accelerating terrifyingly fast 
towards deadline, and this is the first of a number of requests I'm 
going to lob at you all for active, urgent contributions. I'm just 
about done with the checking-the-data stage, which several of you 
have been crucially helpful with, now we move on to the touchy feely 
stuff.

TYPE OF CONTRIBUTION: THE NIGHT A DJ SAVED MY LIFE
As you know, we want to try if at all possible to get the voice of 
the listener into the book, throughout. My current thinking is to 
perhaps have drop-in quotes, like break out boxes in the margins of 
magazine layouts, under the heading A LISTENER WRITES... These could 
be anything I suppose from a 2 or 3 sentence funny story or anecdote, 
to up to 130 words of thoughtful memory or reflection. What we're 
looking for is the crystal clear startling insight or memory flash 
one has, or something from a letter Peel wrote you when you were 15, 
or the night listening to the show changed your life. So we're not 
talking about the special occasion in later years when you actually 
met John, or queries or appreciation over specific session tracks 
gleaned from tapes or swapped files; rather live listening 
memories or reflections in which the show clearly intersects with or 
effected your life or its subsequent direction. We want them dated as 
specifically as possible, but at the very least to a particular year. 
You can post them here on the list, or e-mail me off list if you'd 
prefer (ken_garner@...). You can write 700 words if you feel 
the need or want to, but we are unlikely to be able to quote more 
than 130 max in the book. While all contributions we do use will be 
acknowledged - please sign yourself at the end in the form you would 
be happy for it to appear in the book, please, with a location, in 
case (eg. "Joe Bloggs, Yorkshire") - of course, as I am sure everyone 
realises, I cannot gaurantee we'll use it, and we reserve the right 
to edit as we see fit. I have already had unsolicited, 
moving e-mails that fit this bill from Phil, Marcelle and Tom Roche 
which I hope they won't mind my considering for this, and more to the 
point, their messages have encouraged me that there are many more 
such stories out there, in your hearts and minds. Looking forward to 
hearing from you,

DEADLINES:
stories from listening-in from 67-75: WEDNESDAY 23 MAY!
storied from listening-in from 76-91: MONDAY 4 JUNE!
stories from listening-in from 91-04: FRIDAY 29 JUNE!

so why not do it now?

thanks

ken

PS. just to make clear on the technicalities or legalese of all this, 
your stories or emails are effectively the same status as interviews 
I am conducting for the book: you do not get paid, and the copyright 
on your words as may be quoted as a part of the total 'work' remains 
with the publisher and myself. Just for the record. Sorry, but, you 
know...