Travels Over Feeling: Arthur Russell, a Life

by Richard King

The definitive visual biography on the life of Arthur Russell.  
 The music of Arthur Russell defies classification. From his pioneering compositions as part of New York's vibrant avant-garde scene (alongside artists including Phillip Glass, David Byrne, Laurie Anderson, John Cage, and Allen Ginsberg) to his genre-expanding disco productions, from his new wave and art pop to his posthumously released folk songs, Russell crafted timeless and foundationally influential work until his premature death in 1992 from AIDS-related illnesses.

Now, in a landmark publication curated by critically-acclaimed writer Richard King , Travels Over Feeling collects the extensive ephemera found in Russell’s New York Public Library archive, along with pieces from the personal collections of those who were closest to him. Combining unseen visual material—handwritten scores, lyrics, photos, letters, and drawings—with new texts by King and extensive original interviews with Arthur’s collaborators, contemporaries, family, and friends, Travels Over Feeling paints a portrait of Arthur Russell unlike any which has come before, revealing a true picture of one of the most distinctive artists of the last fifty years.

Genres: Music, Biography

304 pages, Hardcover

Published April 16, 2024

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Richard King is the Founder & CEO at Product Marketing Alliance, the number one product marketing community. In just two years, the PMA has grown to 60,000+ members, boasting multiple accredited certifications and partnering with renowned brands like Microsoft, TikTok, Salesforce, Gong, Intuit, and Google.

Reviews

[Papa Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

Immense pleasure to understand the ethereal Arthur Russell. The last 3rd of the book was extremely emotional.

4.5 stars

[Bel · Rating 5 out of 5]

first time I heard an Arthur Russell song my brain exploded. Ive thought about him literally every day since

[will e · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just love him

[Lilian Buckthought · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a huge fan of Arthur this feels like a very important read. It was so special celebrating this book at a gig at the Barbican with many of my favourite artists playing Arthur tracks.

[A · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book feels like a labor of love, looking through Arthur Russell's papers at the NYPL, and talking with many of Russell's collaborators and friends. It is especially a deep dive into the creative life of New York City in the 1970s and 80s. Russell reached out to many composers, musicians and dancers, as well as others. He created a body of work which is still unfolding, and a pleasure to listen to. I only wish that there was information on how the art for his albums was created. Tom Lee, who met Russell in 1978, mentions that he is an artist and that he and Russell collaborated on promotional material. There is no doubt there were many creative aspects to Russell's life. His music was only a part of it. And there is no doubt that Russell touched many people deeply with his eccentric personality as well as his music.

[Jaime Samson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first time I’ve ever actually read a “coffee table book” and boy am I happy I did. Another beautiful tribute to a beautiful person. Tom’s last notes really moved me. I think in a day and age like today where people are so quick to write people off if they can’t contribute financially or “be a man” or “get it together” etc etc, there’s something truly beautiful in recognizing your partner, friend, brother, etc has more to give than money and to support them in developing their purpose. While not everyone may be worth this effort, some are and it’s worth exploring! Who knows what would have become of Arthur’s work had he not had Tom. I hope Tom knows how much his humility, love and patience has impacted people who come across the Arthur Russell universe <3 Loved this book!!!

[julieta · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is beautiful! I am getting to know the music of Arthur Russell, and to read this book is just amazing. His creative process, his personal life told through the voices of his partner, his sister, his friends and collaborators, the people who knew him is a wonderful way to tell his story. And this edition is beautiful, with pictures, letters, postcards, his personal papers. I think it is so sad that he died so soon, his music was going in incredible directions, and I am sure there would have been plenty more of his art if he would have had the time. Beautiful and moving, I am so happy to have found this book, I really love his music, and this is a perfect companion.

[Russell Barton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating and insightful look into the life of someone who quite reasonably could be called a genius.

Despite the fact that, like most people, I knew how Russell’s life had ended, and had heard Richard King talking about the book at End of the Road festival this year, I found the last part of the book incredibly sad and moving. I think that’s testament to the care and attention that King has put into the work.

[matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don’t think I ever loved an artist as quickly and completely as Arthur Russell, even wrote to labels way back when encouraging them to reissue his music. Still feel it even now that so many records have been released. Reading this gave me a deeper sense of his story and his place in the world he lived in, just adds to the magic aura around his work.

[Owen Hatherley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very wholesome scrapbook of Russell and a glimpse into a lost world.

[javi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Qué tristeza pensar en todo lo que habría sido de él y su música, qué genio