Gary Giddins

Gary Giddins, long-time columnist for the Village Voice and arguably the world's preeminent jazz critic, has won an unparalleled six ASCAP-Deems Taylor Awards, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and a Peabody Award in Broadcasting, as well as a lifetime achievement award from the Jazz Journalists Association. His new book, co-authored with Scott DeVeaux, is Jazz.

From Giddins' Q & A with the Independent:

Choose a favourite author and say why you like her/him

My favourite book is Ulysses but my favourite authors are William Faulkner, who has the most of America in him and can use words that would make other writers sound like complete idiots, and Thomas Mann.

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Which fictional character most resembles you?

Stephen Dedalus (from Ulysses) because he thinks he is the novel's hero but he isn't. He's the supporting character. I totally identify with that.

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Who is your hero/heroine from outside literature?

Louis Armstrong and Bing Crosby. Armstrong for his lack of pretension and Crosby for his insistence on doing things the way he wanted. He didn't negotiate on what was important.

Read the complete Q & A.

--Marshal Zeringue