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Milbre Burch, NSN Circle of Excellence Storyteller "Although his stories are set in a world populated with famous names, his work is emphatically not about name-dropping. He has created appealing and delightful stories that offer us a slice of the folk music life, and a tasty sampling of the stew of human interaction on stage and off. "He is a gifted wordsmith and a wonderful chronicler of the life he's known; he's giving voice to a culture. I see parallels in his work and the work of the cowboy poet - both let us see inside a life-style that most of us will otherwise never get to experience. "I don't know anyone else who's doing the work Bill Amatneek's doing: telling funny, sweet, thoughtful, humble, generous stories about the very specific and rarefied culture of the folk musician. "I think the folk music world has found its Homer." |
Lisa Null, folklorist, performer "Your stories speak to the folk-revival movement, create a bridge to younger generations, and stand alone as pieces of literature." |
Pete Seeger " 'Paris Remembers' is a great story!" |
Sandy Wright, Director, Winter Tales 2000, OKC, OK "When I heard you at the National Storytelling Festival, you told a story about performing with Peter, Paul & Mary, and it was absolutely entrancing - you struck a chord with everyone in that theater. I knew that your tremendous talents and truly unique blend of stories would be a wonderful addition to WinterTales. My expectations were fully realized for you moved us all with the power of your telling and the depth of your experience. It was a joy and a pleasure to have the opportunity to work with you - an experience I will hold dear always." |
Ed Enright, Editor, Down Beat "Bill, this is Ed Enright of Down Beat calling. It's Tuesday night. I'm sitting here at home doing a little homework, doing a little editing and stuff, . . . . Got your piece. 'Jazzbeaux Got There,' read it just this minute, and it is absolutely beautiful, wonderful, unbelievably good. I just wanted to let you know that. This is a piece I'm going to really be proud of putting in the magazine." |
Hal Crowther, essayist " 'Layin' Buddy Down' is great material, and a perfect, professional specimen of a personal essay - enough research, detail, and feeling to hold the whole thing in the road from start to finish. Graceful ending, smart structure, nothing missing." |
Jeanie Patterson, owner, Sweetwater, 1979-1998 "During my near twenty years at Sweetwater, there were only a small handful of performers whose sheer poignancy made me cry: Watching John Lee Hooker walk on stage; Elizabeth Cotten, at age 88, forgetting the words to her song 'Freight Train,' and the audience singing the lyrics for her; Ralph Stanley singing so lovingly about his departed brother, Carter; Alan Shamblin telling how he came to write 'I Can't Make You Love Me,' which became a huge hit for Bonnie Raitt; and Bill Amatneek, when he finished telling 'Paris Remembers.' It was so touching I burst into tears." |
Jim Cooke, director of The Marin Story Swap " 'Jazzbeaux Got There' was just extraordinary. You made the evening for me. People were so touched, applause would have been a violation of the space you had created. That is the highest mark of respect. That closing was the most powerful I've experienced, . . . the work of a master." |
Mary Carter Smith, African Griot "Your stories are MUSIC to my ears." |