Craig, J. Marshall

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CRAIG, J. Marshall

(Jeff Craig)

PERSONAL: Born in Canada.

ADDRESSES: Agent—c/o Author Mail, William Morris Agency, 1 William Morris Pl., Beverly Hills, CA 90212. E-mail—[email protected]

CAREER: Worked for many years as a journalist; has written and directed a number of independent films.

WRITINGS:

(As Jeff Craig) Playing with My Food…. A Very Personal Cookbook, Hollywords Publications, 1998.

(With Eric Burdon) Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood (memoir), Thunder's Mouth Press (New York, NY), 2001, reprinted as My Secret Life: Die Autobiographie, Palmyra Publishers (Heidelberg, Germany), 2004.

(And director, editor, and producer) Fabulous Shiksa in Distress (screenplay), 2003.

You're Lucky if You're Killed, iUniverse Publishing (Lincoln, NE), 2003.

Eh Mail (novel), iUniverse Publishing (Lincoln, NE), 2003.

(With Chuck Leavell) Between Rock and a Home Place (memoir), Mercer University Press (Macon, GA), 2004.

Needs Salt (novel), in press.

Eating My Words (sequel to Playing with My Food … A Very Personal Cookbook), in press.

Contributor to She's a Bad Motorcycle: Writers on Riding, Carved in Rock: Short Stories by Musicians, Remember Me When I'm Gone, and The Outlaw Bible of American Literature.

Author's work has been translated into Greek.

SIDELIGHTS: Canadian-born writer J. Marshall Craig first pursued journalism and editing as a career, working for a number of newspapers and magazines over the course of twenty years. He then moved to California in order to write and direct screenplays. The first fruit of this move was the 2003 film Fabulous Shiksa in Distress, which he wrote, directed, produced, and edited. Craig also turned to writing full-length books, including memoirs, fiction, and general nonfiction titles.

In 2001 Craig helped British musician Eric Burdon write his memoir, Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood. The book follows the life and career of Burdon, who was the lead singer of the rock bands the Animals, Eric Burdon and the New Animals, and Eric Burdon and War. The stories and anecdotes cover a span of thirty years of music history, and recount run-ins with shady managers, groupies, drugs, and good times had with other famous musicians of that era. Burdon also discloses tales of his sometimes strange travels to Germany, Israel, Spain, and Russia.

Critics responded favorably to Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood. Some thought the stories Burdon shares often hit a deeper note regarding the power of music in general. "Not many rock 'n' roll stars can recount anecdotes that so dramatically reflect the urgent role their music has filled," wrote Paula Friedman in the Los Angeles Times. Other reviewers found the book to be well written and intelligent. Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood is "a perhaps surprisingly literate chronicle that may rekindle interest in one of the seminal blue-eyed soulsters, rock and roll division," observed Booklist contributor Mike Tribby.

In 2004 Craig collaborated with another musician, Chuck Leavell, to produce the memoir Between Rock and a Home Place. Leavell was a keyboardist for the Allman Brothers, the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, and many other famous musicians. His story recounts time he spent touring with the Rolling Stones and the struggles and successes he experienced while playing with the Allman Brothers. The authors also write about Leavell's personal life, including his pursuit of conservation and his establishment of a 2,200-acre timber and hunting preserve in rural Georgia.

Reviewers and readers again responded positively to Craig's work on Between Rock and a Home Place. While Leavell is not as famous a musician as others during his musical era, critics found his story to be relevant to music fans today, providing honest insight into life touring with a well-known band. "If you care about this music and the life of a working musician on the road, [this] book is a fascinating account," asserted William McKeen in a review for SatelliteMag.com.