To my subscribers...
I want to thank you so much for helping me in the months since I started HALFLING. It’s probably ‘unhealthy’ but as I’ve been a professional writer since I was too young to vote, and I’m a pensioner now, things AREN’T QUITE REAL to me until I’ve written about them. Until I’ve told the truth, in public.
It’s because of you I could do that, and in some way, have the will to live again.
HALFLING will be going fortnightly to The i Paper from next week, but my Substack will remain as MUSIC UPSTAIRS: MY LIFE IN POP. Come on - I’ve complained for long enough. What say we have some fun?
Julie X
I was thinking that as this is your Golden Jubilee it would be lovely if you uploaded the first piece you ever had published in the NME. Perhaps you could publish it here to coincide with the date it was printed in the NME in ‘76. Or maybe share the review of Patti Smith’s Horses album that got you the young gunslinger gig in the first place. No matter how naive & teenagery it may be it’d be cool to read it as in some ways it’s the most important piece you ever wrote.
As a Retired Nurse and fellow Pensioner I’ve really enjoyed your halfling writing. It’s so beautifully written with such honesty and courage, damn I’m going to have to subscribe to the i Paper now!