To a divided world

Written by Mick Rose | editor@claremont-courier.com

Starting last week, I can no longer make political statements or write opinions that are not related to Claremont. [See “Local news judgment evolves in a divided world,” April 5]. This decision was made by Courier publisher Peter Weinberger following the publication of my March 29th column, “The horrors in Gaza are unjustified.”

Although I disagree, I understand this decision. By offending some readers, we risk real financial consequences for the Courier. This is a particularly acute concern at a time when we and hundreds (thousands?) of other community newspapers are struggling to survive financially. It is also against the rules for nonprofit organizations like the Courier to endorse candidates. The Courier is a community newspaper and website, but my boss told me it wasn’t an appropriate medium for non-local subjects.

Last week’s protests at Pomona College made national news, and this issue covers that, as well as other local news related to the Gaza conflict. Further passion for the subject is very evident in this week’s reader comments. So here are some examples of how the Courier will cover this going forward.

I recognize that it is a privilege to be an employee rather than an employer. I have the luxury of “carving out time.” There is no burden of calculating payroll every two weeks. You can afford to be idealistic. So I don’t begrudge my boss the right to choose how to keep Courier’s printing presses running. I will continue to do everything I can within our newly established scope to ensure that the Courier remains an essential and useful resource for our community.

But let me be clear: I believe writing about suffering, injustice, and cruelty is the job of all journalists everywhere, big and small.me too very I am proud of what I have written about the war in Gaza, and I believe that one day this courier will be considered on the right side of history.

Go ahead.

Truly an “ordinary assassin”

Bill Sassenberger may not be a household name, but for people of a certain age, say 45 to 65, who were musical adventurers in their youth, he is a very important and respected figure. I even have this thought. Sassenberger and his late wife Juliana Towns were the proprietors of Toxic Shock Records, which operated their wonderfully bizarre stores and record label in various locations in Pomona from 1980 to 1988, then in Tucson, Arizona. , and became integral to an entirely new group of outsiders. It was loved by music fans until it closed in 2014.

I just finished reading Sassenberger’s first book, a moving, clear-eyed and hilarious memoir, Toxic Shock Records, Assassin of Mediocrity: A Story of Love, Loss and Loud Music, published by Fluke Publishing last month. Released. The work is both a monumental love affair with Townes, who died in 2019 from complications from a series of strokes that began in 2011, and a heroic championing of what was once called “underground music.” are being tracked.

I’ve read dozens of music biographies, but this one is probably the most personal. Although he rarely mentions it, Sassenberger’s life’s work, the store and record label, has changed the lives of countless musicians and music fans. I understand because I was one of them. He believed in my little punk rock band and included Human His Therapy on his 1983 compilation Barricaded Suspects, his label’s first 12-inch vinyl release. I did.

The book depicts his somewhat rough childhood and how music became his salvation and ultimately his calling. It’s not a story of climbing the financial ladder, but of a protagonist toiling in obscurity for decades before rising to the status of a mogul. “This is the story of his life in the trenches of the mercantile class,” Sassenberger writes in the opening sentence. This modest introduction sets the tone for the entire 198-page journey, and the author’s prose is characterized by a beautiful balance of sly humor and touching insight.

It’s packed with details and dirty jokes about all sorts of artists, but the story centers on Townes’ nearly 40-year marriage. This alone could have been a book. Taken alongside an endless passion and devotion to adventurous music and musicians, a treasure trove of memories, at some point his two stories become one of hers. Indeed, this is the best love story. And if you’re like me and grew up consuming art on the fringes of music that is now central, this book has deep relevance.

Sassenberger explores his considerable accomplishments with humility, honesty, and humor. He faces the most difficult subjects. It’s his journey as she struggles with her awkward and abusive stepfather, her mother’s dementia and death, the loss of many family members, and of course, the love of her life, Townes. Following her strokes, a new normal was born, without sentimentality or pretentiousness. It is especially admirable to be reminded of something difficult in such a clear way.

Sassenberger, who still calls Tucson home, plans to visit Southern California in June for a book signing. The first one will take place on Friday, June 7th at Doctor Strange Records in Alta Loma. And on Saturday, June 8th, he will be attending the huge No Values ​​Festival at the Pomona Fairplex, where he will also celebrate his 69th birthday.^th birthday. Fittingly, he will be surrounded by punk rock artists from the 1970s to today, including some of his longtime friends. Many of them, like me, are grateful to him.

Visit flukemags.com to purchase “Toxic Shock Records, Assassin of Mediocrity: A Story of Love, Loss and Loud Music.”