On John Prine

My introduction to John Prine's music came in junior high listening to a friend's brother's records. In retrospect, I was drawn to storytellers: Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Robert Hunter's Grateful Dead tunes—but mostly John Prine.

Come high school, any excuse for a John Prine sing-along was a good one. I'd sing “Dear Abby” or “Your Flag Decal...” on my solitary walks home to learn all the words. In college, I was that obnoxious drunk singing along with Prine at that Grand Forks show. And maybe others. My apologies.

A move to the California desert started me writing short stories and lyrics. I bought a guitar for the sole purpose of learning those three magical chords that John Prine used to write all those wonderful tunes. I learned the chords but Essential Tremors thwarted any attempt to get through an entire song.

I have a short story called Christmas in Prison, published years ago in some now-defunct on-line journal and written years before that. With my nightly walk home from Liquor Lyle's interrupted by a train blowing through Uptown, I stood singing the Prine song: “It was Christmas in prison and the food was real good / We had turkey and pistols carved out of wood.” As the train passed, I spotted a little girl in a pink snowsuit laying in the snow. As I grew closer I watched her make a snow angel. How's that for having a story handed to ya?

John Prine made his way into my novel The Great American Scrapbook in the form of grief therapy for the book's main character, Brock McCoy. He took to wandering around the house with his guitar, singing John Prine songs that came to mind. The family let this play out, even calling out requests till Brock snapped out of it.

For those of you unfamiliar with my work—and you are many—I enjoy using real-life characters in my novels. My work-in-progress (If I Lie in a Combat Zone) has its main character stumble into John Prine while returning from Vietnam via Germany. Naturally, they become friends.

Last night, we all got the news that John Prine had died from complications from the friggin' hoax virus. Wait a while eternity? I guess not.

UPDATE Sept '21: If I Lie in a Combat Zone is finished and available: https://kdp.amazon.com/amazon-dp-action/us/dualbookshelf.marketplacelink/B09FH2MC4V

I hope I treated John well.