2000 downloaded from http://www.ggould.com/gdforum/hunterlog.html Robert Hunter AOL GD Forum/MacWorld Live Event 12/19/96 On Thursday night, 12/19/96 at 6 PM PST, Robert Hunter, Karen Libertore, and I sat down for a chat in cyberspace, hosted by the AOL Live crew. When you see a question that [Image] starts with Question, that means it was asked by a member of the audience. The transcript has been edited/altered from the original raw typing to improve the intelligibility/intent of the event. Copyright 1996 America Online, Inc., The AOL GD Forum and MacWorld Online. Geoff Gould : Welcome to tonight's special AOL Live event. My name is Geoff Gould, and I am the AOL GD Forum coordinator. Before we start the official proceedings, and I clear the Question buffers, I'd like to ask that we come up with really good questions. If all I find in the buffer are questions like: "When are the Dead getting back together?" and so on, it makes it harder to find the good ones! Well, thanks for your help; we'll get started in a minute. Karen Libertore : Welcome to the Macworld - Grateful Dead Forum live chat with Robert Hunter. Hello Robert. And hello to Geoff Gould, Dead Forum sysop, guest moderator. Thanks to both of you. GG : thanks KL : My name is Karen Liberatore. I'm an editor and producer at Macworld Online. The Macworld staff sends its greetings. KL : So, Robert, what kind of computer do you use? ;) GG : what a setup! KL : Well, we try RH : Currently on a Mac5300ce with 60 megs of RAM KL : You've got a fine Web site - how many hours a week do you spend updating it? RH : Down from 100 hours per week to about 40 KL : Are you getting Web burnout? You kind of hint at that in your latest journal entry. GG : eating your time up a bit, eh? RH : Way past burnout and working on burn-in! KL : Is the wolf at the door? RH : Someone said on the conferencing line today: I often wished the wolf was at your door so you'd get your ass out on the road where you belong. But no, not just a present. GG : Well Robert, before we get too techno-geeky tonight, I'd like to ask you to give us an update on your plans to tour again, as you stated in your 12/17 Journal. I know that I'M interested! RH : Still in the planning stages, but I only expect to do half a dozen cities in order to find out if I have the stamina to proceed further. I'll then mull it over and think about Texas. GG : good, we'll certainly be there. KL : How long has it been since your last tour? RH : It's been about 5 or 6 years, I think, since I went out with my guitar. Did some readings in between. GG : So, let's get to some audience questions. I'll set 'em up; you knock 'em down! Question : What is your favorite song that you and Jerry worked on together? RH : What's Become of the Baby? Question : Anything you would like to share about the recent Furthur tour mentioned in your newsletter? RH : Can't think of anything right off the bat. Next one should be better co-ordinated. GG : real Question; must've been Karen's coworker!: Question : Why exactly do you prefer to work with a Mac other than a PC? RH : After the Osborne 64k, it's just the only computer I've ever worked with. Habit I guess. Plus the lure of the under-dog image. GG : Care to talk about how you evolved into a webmaster? RH : Didn't evolve, the band just gave me the job because they knew I was interested in the net. Question : I have a very important Question for Robert. Why did he feel he had to rerecord the vocals for the album Tigerose? RH : Don't know. I just thought I could do them better and didn't realize that my own work had become a bit of a classic in it's own right - but I realized better later on, withdrew the new version, and the old version is now out on Ryko. Question : Have you been writing any new material for your own album? RH : Not planning an album at present. I recently recorded Kerouac's SF Blues and may release that. Question : Mr. hunter, would you ever consider writing songs for bands that dead heads have moved on to such as phish? RH : The lyricist of Phish is an email buddy of mine. I wouldn't want to move into anyone else's territory. Question : Are there any cinematic projects with which you are currently involved? Do you get a chance to read any screenplays regarding stories about the dead? RH : Yep - but I hate reading scripts. No projects of my own in mind. GG : here's a two-parter: Question : Do you see the NET as being a leveler of information world wide? if so.. how are you infolved with this.. Comment on BARLOW , thank you. I am a BIG FAN RH : Barlow is the Lone Ranger of Cyberspace. RH : Leveler of information? Yes. KL : Web sites are ubiquitous: What makes a site stand out? What drives your vision of Web community? RH : Continuity, content, community. Question : Robert, how do *you* utilise authoring tools w/html? (Please gig near Baltimore!) RH : I use a whole bunch of them - but PageMill 2 is the best; although there's something wrong with its ability to center text I can't figure out. GG : ok, let's dig into the buffer again... Question : How did writing with Garcia compare to other people you have written with? RH : Writing with Garcia was like dropping pennies off the Brooklyn Bridge - different from dropping them into a fishpond, if you know what I mean. Question : Robert, it is a great concern of the majority of Deadheads. How have you coped with the loss of Jerry? RH : I've coped by putting my energies full time into the net. Now I'm pulling back a bit. Question : what is the url to your web site? RH : www.dead.net Question : Have you ever thought about publishing any fiction? RH : I do publish it - on the internet. Question : Robert did MAC help you out when you had trouble with the system RH : There was an offer, but I was already off to England. No blame - they got a lot to cope with. Question : Mr. Hunter, you mentioned in your journal that Dick Latvala is having a tough time. What do you think may help his cause? GG : Dick is special to the heads! RH : Dick has to handle that himself. Question : should we be expecting any new features to be added to your web site soon? RH : Always new features in mind. KL : Why publish on the Net? What do you get out of it? RH : What I get out of it is bypassing a year and a half wait to see it out on paper! KL : Yeah, that's great. Instant gratificationl. Question : will there be a chance that flight of the marie elana will come out on cd? RH : Don't have any plans for release of old stuff. Question : When did you complete the extra verses to Terrapin? Any story behind those? I love em, especially the last two portions. RH : completed around 1994. Question : Do you still talk to Bobby, Phil, Vince....etc? RH : Once in awhile. Vince called two days ago. Question : Did you find it to be a healing process putting in so many hours on the computer? RH : I don't really know. I was too busy. Question : Why hasn't the album "Jack of Roses" ever been released on CD? RH : Don't know where the master is. Question : Mr. Hunter, What is the last song you wrote for the Dead, used or unused? RH : Days Between Question : Hi! I was wondering where the quote "Everybody's dancing in a ring around the sun" came from. I love that and I say it all the time. RH : From "Golden Road." Not my lyric - don't iknow source. Question : Robert... Hello hooray!! Are you writing songs for any bands currently or plan to?? RH : Secret project. Time will tell. Question : The lyrics and music to all of the GD songs worked very well together. How did this intimate relationship between lyrics and music develop; I mean since they were written seperately? RH : Some of the best were written when JG & I lived in the same house. I'd be banging on my guitar and typing and 103b he'd be downstairs arranging so that by the time I handed him the lyric, the tune was done. Question : are you still meeting with the band? RH : I'd need bonus miles certificates to do this. Question : mr. hunter what do you think of the group phish? RH : I bought their double set and loved it. Great charm to the music - an old familiar ring, but new. Question : Why don't you do some shows on the Furthur tour, if they do it again RH : I need to find out, first, what kind of stamina and endurance I have through going out on a small tour Question : are you writing any new songs with anybody? RH : yes and no. KL : Have you heard Sixteen Horsepower? What do you think? RH : Havend't heard them. Question : Robert, how would one go about contacting your agent re. a booking in our fair city? RH : Don't do it - we're just setting up a small tour in a few usual places at this point. Future unknown. Question : Will it be just you on tour or will you have a full band? RH : Just me and my guitar. Question : Was the Terrapin Part 2 stuff (Ivory Wheels/Rosewood Track, Jack O'Roses, etc...) ever recorded? RH : On the "Jack O'Roses" album aforemention and lost. Question : What was your favorite city on your tours? RH : Generally Boston. KL : Is this the 20th anniversary of Terrapin? RH : Yes. maybe. KL : So, what are your favorite web sites? RH : www.levity.com and www.enterzone (com or not, don't know) KL : Why? RH : Content, content, content GG : by the way Karen, what's this about dead.net being a top MacWorld website? KL : The Robert Hunter Archives was our Site of the Week during Expo Boston. People loved it.. GG : I must say Robert, I point to your website often as a triumph of content; well done. RH : No wonder I like Boston! GG : another Question from the buffer... Question : Any more stories like Giant's Harp coming our way? - I loved it RH : I've got a chapter of a new one written - I see Giant's Harp as a trilogy. Question : Any new books of poetry coming out soon? RH : "Glass Lunch" on the Penguin Poets series due out any old day. KL : I especially like your Library of the Uncanny...where did the idea come from RH : I think the experience of the uncanny is more "commonplace" than most people realize. It seemed like a good idea to ask readers for their experiences. Some real chilling tales in there. KL : Definitely. I think we've all had some kind of visit or another. some ppl don't admit it, though GG : Can you tell us your impression of how dead.net central has evolved? RH : It's a mad dog! Watching it grow and extend into all nooks and crannies of the Dead experience is fascinating, almost overwhelming! GG : Has it given you the distance you needed? RH : Far from it! GG : the conference is at http://dead.net/webx for those of you who haven't been there Question : WHAT AUTHORS DO YOU LIKE? FICTION AND NON-FICTION? ANY FAVORITE BOOKS? RH : Currently re-reading Philip K. Dick & Lovecraft. Nancy Collins writes a great vampire story. KL : Lovecraft? Haven't heard his name in a while. RH : An ascendent master of pure creep perfection. KL : Yes indeed. GG : we're done here in a few minutes; is there something we forgot to discuss that you actually like to talk about? RH : Ha! Outrunning your buffer am I? I type fast! GG : I've got 415 Questions left! RH : You mean to say it's been 45 minutes already? GG : but time is not on our side! KL : Thanks Robert for joining us. The Mac community is a special one, as you know.. RH : Seems so to me. RH : Thanks Karen. GG : Well, I'd like to thank Robert Hunter for coming tonight, let's give him a hand! KL : Standing ovation.. GG : Thanks Karen for setting this up KL : You're welcome, and only with your help. RH : Does God look down on the Boys in the Barroom? KL : Yes He does. Keep up the good Mac work.. GG : I hope so. We bid you good night. Thanks everyone for coming! Copyright 1996 America Online, Inc., The AOL GD Forum and MacWorld Online. . 0