An Unfinished Conversation: The Life and Music of Stan Rogers

by Chris Gudgeon

Genres: Music, History, Biography, Nonfiction

217 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

CHRIS GUDGEON is an author, screenwriter, and the creator/producer of the hit television series "Ghost Trackers." He has contributed to dozens of publications ranging from MAD and The National Lampoon to Today's Parent. He has written thirteen books, including An Unfinished Conversation: The Life and Music of Stan Rogers; Consider the Fish; and the hilarious You're Not as Good as You Think You Are: A Demotivational Guide. Chris Gudgeon has also worked for Mattel Interactive, Disney's Creative Wonders, and he has developed websites for television shows. He lives in Victoria, B.C., with his three sons.

Reviews

[Bev Walkling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stan Rogers was an incredible musician. I never had the privilege of seeing him perform but his music has had a huge impact on my life. His ability to tell stories through his songwriting added so much to his greatness and his loss due to an airplane fire was incredibly sad. I found this biography was a quick easy read. A good portion of the back of the book was the lyrics to Stan's songs. The author started with his childhood and each chapter touched on different highlights of his life. Through my own contacts with folk music and participation in hosting house concerts and volunteering at Folk Festivals, I have had the pleasure of knowing quite a few of the people who were a part of Stan's life and who were mentioned in the book. It was an interesting and easy read for me.

[Gerard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was interested in this story since I knew so little about Stan Rogers other than a few of his songs.He died too young at only thirty-three.The annual Stanfest in Canso honors him and the music he helped make so popular.

[Thomas Proudfoot · Rating 4 out of 5]

I became fascinated to the point of obsession with the music of Stan Rogers during lockdown in 2020.
I bought this book back then, but have only recently found the time to read it.

It is thoroughly researched, and charts Stan's musical journey very clearly. I found it an informative read as someone who is generally interested in the North American folk revival, and the music and performance culture of that period.

That said, if you want to feel closer to Stan, this biography doesn't quite deliver on that front. There are hints towards a more challenging side to his character, but there is not as much insight into his life outside of the music as I had hoped for. A good chunk of the book is devoted to lyrics to his songs, though, which perhaps say more about the man than any biography could hope to do.

[Virginia · Rating 5 out of 5]

As if reading about a colossally talented young man who died young weren’t sad enough, it was even sadder to me to be reading a book that was written 31 years ago. Stan Rogers was perhaps a niche singer of home-grown historical ballads, and maybe not everyone’s musical cup of tea, but he was a compelling larger-than-life figure who died horribly, and horribly young, and should be more widely known than he is. The lyrics of a number of his better-known songs are also included. Great photos too. 4 1/2 stars

[Nathan Augustine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would have preferred a more personal biography, the bulk of the book addresses only Roger’s career, but the formatting and general structure were good, and I enjoyed the read overall. I also like the archive of lyrics, a good edition to a personal library.

[Chris Pahud · Rating 1 out of 5]

Questionable 'biography' of Stan Rogers.