ART: Why I Stuck with a Junkie Jazzman

by Laurie Pepper

Art Pepper told his sexy, sordid, and exciting true adventure stories to his lover, Laurie, who put them in a book. She quizzed him (and those who knew him) unrelentingly over seven years, editing and structuring a narrative to which she dedicated all her energy. "Straight Life" by Art and Laurie Pepper (Da Capo) was published in 1979. It was critical success and remains a classic of its kind, the subject of college literary and music studies. Laurie went on to marry Art and manage his resurgent career, touring the world with his band.
"Why I Stuck with a Junkie Jazzman" was the headline some editor gave a newspaper interview Laurie did while the band was in Australia in 1981, and she's now stolen that "that perfect title" for her memoir. "ART: Why I Stuck with a Junkie Jazzman " (APMCorp), describes her marriage to the deeply troubled, drug-addicted, madly gifted artist. "That marriage was the making of me," says Laurie. "Some people go to grad school or join the Marines. I married a genius who valued and inspired me and challenged me to use MY gifts. We had a difficult, powerful partnership. I had to tell that story." She says she also needs to set the record straight and clarify her role: "People think I was some kind of little wifey-saint who rescued him. And Art encouraged them in that. But he knew how truly crazy I could be. We rescued each other."

Genres: Biography, Music, Memoir, Nonfiction, Jazz, Autobiography, History

382 pages, Paperback

First published November 21, 2013

About the author

Laurie Pepper was born in 1940 in Los Angeles to a family of radicals and artists. She grew up in New York and Los Angeles, attended U.C. Berkeley, and was photographer for the legendary L.A. Free Press during the 1960s but went astray and wound up in rehab where she met Art Pepper who told her his sexy, sordid, and exciting true adventure stories to her and she put them in a book. She quizzed him (and those who knew him) unrelentingly over seven years, editing and structuring a narrative to which she dedicated all her energy.

Straight Life by Art and Laurie Pepper (Da Capo) was published in 1979. It was a critical success and remains a classic of its kind, the subject of college literary and music studies. Laurie went on to marry Art and manage his resurgent career, touring the world with his band. "Why I Stuck with a Junkie Jazzman" was the headline some editor gave a newspaper interview Laurie did while the band was in Australia in 1981, and she's now stolen "that perfect title" for her memoir.

ART: Why I Stuck with a Junkie Jazzman (APMCorp) describes her marriage to the deeply troubled, drug-addicted, madly gifted artist. "That marriage was the making of me," says Laurie. "Some people go to grad school or join the Marines. I married a genius who valued and inspired me and challenged me to use MY gifts. We had a difficult, powerful partnership. I had to tell that story." She says she also needs to set the record straight and clarify her role: "People think I was some kind of little wifey-saint who rescued him. And Art encouraged them in that. But he knew how truly crazy I could be. We rescued each other."

Reviews

[Michael Finocchiaro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Straight Life which I also reviewed here is one of the greatest jazz autobiographies of all-time and this recently-published autobiography from Art's last wife and the person who recorded what Art said and actually wrote it down in Straight Life is a marvellous companion to it. Laurie truly believed in Art despite his many (many, many, many) faults and saw his as a musical genius (he was truly one of the greatest players of alto and soprano sax of all time). This book offers insight of course into how they met and a different albeit subjective perspective on Art's rough and tumble life and into the various rehab communities in the LA area. (I imagine that DFW would have loved this had he lived long enough to read it and compare these experiences to those he invented for Enfield).
In any case, a fantastic book to read after you finish Straight Life.

[e b · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll admit it - I sometimes buy re-issues of Art Pepper material I already own if I learn that Laurie Pepper has written new notes for them. This is almost 400 pages of the same, and that's a great thing: her writing is fresh, intelligent, insightful, and it reads beautifully. She has a true writer's eye for telling detail and conveys events wonderfully. She has been talking on Facebook about writing a book about her life without Art, and I'll gladly read it too. I may have come into her work because of Art's music, which I still treasure dearly, but I've continued to seek her work out because she's truly got a gift.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was really well done and that it worked well as a counterpart to Straight Life.

[Artemis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read that takes you through the lifetime struggles of a drug addict and one with unique, innate talent as a jazz musician

Worth reading and full of some of life’s struggles and hardships. I wasn’t certain how to respond in a review for this book either (as I’ve read both of Laurie pepper’s books about her husband) at first having been caught off guard by some ways certain things were described to have been stated by Art or things he’d done. The admitted rape definitely caught me off guard and threw me for a loop. Appalling to me anyone would ever feel justified in committing such a heinous act against a woman no matter how she herself was behaving because she apparently didn’t give permission or willingness to engage in such an act with him. He clarifies himself it was a rape. Can only imagine how he would’ve felt had some man spoke in such a way having perpetrated such a heinous act against his own daughter or wife. Just mind blowing. You can discern an entire life of great struggles and many brought on by his rampant drug use, multiple arrests, crimes being committed to get more money for further drug abuse including burglaries and an intense want/desire Art held at that time for wanting to carry a gun in an armed robbery for the thrill of it. Preying on innocent hardworking victims who are running those businesses and making their own hard earned money only to be preyed upon by these drug addicts because they are slaves to the drugs they abuse and want to steal from others to support their ongoing excessive drug abuse..even to the point he gets incarcerated at San Quentin. I emphasize I do think it’s appalling his mother started him out doing drugs with her which clearly set a poor example of how to deal with things in life rather than reinforcing inner strength and resilience and guiding him/teaching him constructive empowering ways to deal with stress and difficulties that come our way in life. I believe his life would have been far more fulfilling and far less serious health issues had he not been a rampant drug user. What Art accomplished in his music with his innate talent is incredible and he certainly is good at what he was gifted with. But how sad his life took this course on a path of becoming such a slave to many various drugs. I chose to read this book because I heard Art Pepper mentioned in the Bosch book series by Michael Connelly (who’s book series on Detective Bosch I thoroughly enjoy) so I became curious about Art’s music and then his life story. I would recommend it to others as it gives insights into the constant struggles of the life of a drug addict and yet one who held such talent it could have turned out in a far more positive direction for him had he been raised with better, stronger coping skills. I also recommend listening to his music to show this worthy side of him and his talent. But what a sorrowful path this man led in life and only managed to expand the inner torment he was struggling through because he was so enslaved by drugs.

[Rob Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The subtitle of the book 'why I stuck with a junkie jazzman' is apt. One might think it was through some kind of saviour complex, but Laurie brings out more complex reasons. By pledging herself to writing Art's life story, she found a defining purpose for her own life. And, more straightforwardly, she shows how she loved a complicated and difficult person. I really enjoyed reading this, and wish Laurie all the best. She is a great writer and a great person.

[Bookcat88 · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading Straight Life, her book about her husband Art Pepper, this was a perfect follow up. In this book Laurie Pepper details more of her like with Art, and talks in detail about her process for writing the previous book. This book is about her life too, and I think would be a rewarding read on its own as well. Very interesting.

[John Marr · Rating 4 out of 5]

An incredible companion piece to Straight Life, perhaps the definitive jazz autobiography. Laurie Pepper tells her side of the story, and what a story it was. A must for anyone with even a middling interest in jazz or Art Pepper.

[Will · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great companion book to Straight Life, and provides additional insight into the personality and traits of Art Pepper. Laurie writes quite well, I had to force myself to slow down once or twice to enjoy the prose (all those years at Uni and work taught me to read fast).

[Marc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laurie Pepper's writing is just as beautiful as her husband's music: frank and beautiful. There is a great deal of street sense and brilliant depth of understanding.

[Marc Hess · Rating 5 out of 5]

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[Gemutlichkeit · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent, excellent read.

[Nic Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful easy to read story of a love that conquered the very many diverse challenges thrown at it.....two people who were made to share the time they did together. A story of a genius musician who was also an alcoholic, a drug addict and a very needy person and a woman who loved him for who he was, all his faults and his needs and wants, and the time they shared.
A story of their highs and their lows, their joys and their despairs......all from her perspective......his perspective is detailed in the book Straight Life.
Engrossing from the first page - a book that holds your attention throughout.
A brilliantly crafted book Laurie Pepper......

[Sheila Powell · Rating 4 out of 5]

On the outside looking in, we often ask why. Why would someone stay? Laurie gives us more than a glimpse behind the closed door of the dysfunctional relationship that defined her. Brilliance often comes from a tortured soul. Laurie Pepper's pure and honest in telling her story.

[Alistair Candlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great for Art Pepper fans and jazzheads, but also a great book in it’s own right.

Great for Art Pepper fans and jazzheads, but also a great book in it’s own right.

I’d definitely love to read more of Laurie Pepper’s writing: hope she continues to write and publish.

[Deborah Underwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

Wonderful read -enjoyed tremendously! Laurie is an amazing person and the perfect partner for Art Pepper. Honest, harrowing and fascinating.