Mark Zwonitzer

The first major biography of the Carter Family, the musical pioneers who almost single-handedly created the sounds and traditions that grew into modern folk, country, and bluegrass music.Meticulously researched and lovingly written, it is a look at a world and a culture that, rather than passing, has continued to exist in the music that is the legacy of the Carters—songs that have shaped and influenced generations of artists who have followed them.Brilliant in insight and execution, Will You Miss Me When I'm Gone? is also an in-depth study of A.P., Sara, and Maybelle Carter, and their bittersweet story of love and fulfillment, sadness and loss. The result is more than just a biography of a family; it is also a journey into another time, almost another world, and theirs is a story that resonates today and lives on in the timeless music they created.

In a dual biography covering the last ten years of the lives of friends and contemporaries, writer Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain) and statesman John Hay (who served as secretary of state under presidents William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt), The Statesman and the Storyteller not only provides an intimate look into the daily lives of these men but also creates an elucidating portrait of the United States on the verge of emerging as a world power.And just as the narrative details the wisdom, and the occasional missteps, of two great men during a tumultuous time, it also penetrates the seat of power in Washington as the nation strove to make itself known internationally--and in the process committed acts antithetical to America’s professed ideals and promises.The country’s most significant move in this time was to go to war with Spain and to eventually wrest control of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. In what has to be viewed as one of the most shameful periods in American political history, Filipinos who believed they had been promised independence were instead told they were incapable of self-government and then violently subdued in a war that featured torture and execution of native soldiers and civilians. The United States also used its growing military and political might to grab the entirety of the Hawaiian Islands and a large section of Panama.As secretary of state during this time, Hay, though a charitable man, was nonetheless complicit in these misdeeds. Clemens, a staunch critic of his country’s imperialistic actions, was forced by his own financial and family needs to temper his remarks. Nearing the end of their long and remarkable lives, both men found themselves struggling to maintain their personal integrity while remaining celebrated and esteemed public figures.Written with a keen eye--Mark Zwonitzer is also an award-winning documentary filmmaker--and informed by the author’s deep understanding of the patterns of history, The Statesman and the Storyteller has the compelling pace of a novel, the epic sweep of historical writing at its best, and, in capturing the essence of the lives of Hay and Twain, the humanity and nuance of masterful biography.

For three generations the Carter Family performed and recorded hundreds of songs that resonated with ordinary people inspired such legends as Hank Williams Elvis Presley Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan and had a lasting impact on American music This book tells the story of the Carter family from the 1891 birth of musical founder A P Carter to the creation of the original Family A P his wife Sara and his sister in law Maybelle through years of fame and public performances which continued despite the dissolution of A P and Sara s marriage The first major biography of the Carter Family the musical pioneers who almost single handedly created the sounds and traditions that grew into modern folk country and bluegrass music Meticulously researched and lovingly written it is a look at a world and a culture that rather than passing has continued to exist in the music that is the legacy of the Carters songs that have shaped and influenced generations of artists who have followed them Brilliant in insight and execution Will You Miss Me When I m Gone is also an in depth study of A P Sara and Maybelle Carter and their bittersweet story of love and fulfillment sadness and loss The result is more than just a biography of a family it is also a journey into another time almost another world and theirs is a story that resonates today and lives on in the timeless music they created Traces the bluegrass country music achievements of the Carter family from their discovery by a New York record maker to their rise to stardom and eventual breakup noting their influence on the careers of top performers Will You Miss Me When I m Gone is the first major biography of the Carter Family the musical pioneers who almost single handedly created the sounds and traditions that grew into modern folk country and bluegrass music Meticulously researched and lovingly written it is a look at a world and a culture that rather than passing has continued to exist