I eventually got the contract for my Zappa edited collection this week ‘Zappa and the And: A Contextual Analysis of his Legacy’.  If everything goes to plan, it will be released toward the end of 2012, and I will use the blog to update interested parties about progress, etc. In the meantime, here is my initial concept of how the chapters are shaping up.

Introduction: Zappa and the ‘And’

Paul Carr

1.      Zappa and Horror: Screamin’ at the Monster

Richard J. Hand

2.      Zappa and his Cultural Legacy: Authorship, Influences and Expressive Frontiers in Frank Zappa’s Movies

Manuel de la Fuente Soler

3.      Zappa and God:  Music is the Best

Kevin Seal

4.      Zappa and the Razor: Editing, Sampling and Musique Concrète

James Gardner

5.      Zappa and Satire: From Conceptual Absurdism to the Perversity of Politics

Nick Awde

6.      Zappa and Resistance: The Pleasure Principle

Claude Chastagner

7.      Zappa and Censorship: Contesting the boundaries of freedom of expression

Michael Drewett

8.      Zappa and Creativity: His incorporation of time, space and place in performing, composing, arranging his music

Paul Carr

9.      Zappa in Suburbia: Return of the Sons of the Plastic People

Ben Halligan

10.  Zappa and the Freaks: Recording Wild Man Fischer

David Sanjek

11.  Zappa and Modernism: An extended study of “Brown Shoes Don’t Make It”

Martin Knakkergaard

12.  Zappa and the Avant-Garde: Towards a Way-Out of 20th Century Art

Michel Delville

13.  Zappa and Death: People who can’t write interviewing people who can’t talk for people who can’t read

Paula Hearsum

I am so lucky to be working with not only an excellent publisher, but some incredible writers from all over the planet, and hope that the book will present a contribution toward what is already out there. Wish us luck!