Travels Over Feeling: Arthur Russell, a Life

Rightly recognised as a Mojo, Uncut, and Rough Trade Book of the Year, Richard King's Travels Over Feeling vividly brings to life the enigmatic Arthur Russell, an icon of New York's downtown music scene, through a meticulously crafted tapestry of archive material and compelling oral history. As the Guardian notes, this book offers a rich and immersive portrait of a truly singular artist.

The music of Arthur Russell consistently defied easy categorisation. Over his twenty-year career, he built a remarkable body of work that spanned his pioneering compositions within the New York avant-garde alongside luminaries such as Philip Glass and Allen Ginsberg, his genre-bending explorations of disco and art pop, and the deeply personal folk songs released posthumously.

Travels Over Feeling is the impressive culmination of extensive research by Richard King, who has curated a wealth of ephemera and documentation unearthed from both Arthur Russell's own private archives and those of his contemporaries. The book features a fascinating array of handwritten scores, poignant lyrics, intimate photos, personal letters, and evocative drawings, offering a tangible connection to Russell's creative world.

Crucially, King has interwoven this archival treasure trove with wide-ranging original interviews conducted with Arthur's collaborators, his contemporaries within the vibrant New York scene, and his close family and friends. The resulting book provides a truly authentic and multi-faceted picture of one of the most distinctive and influential artists of the last fifty years. Travels Over Feeling is an essential exploration for anyone intrigued by the boundaries of music, the creative spirit, and the enduring legacy of a unique and visionary talent.