Song of the Fool: On the Road with Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers

When nineteen-year-old Hunter Sharpless e-mails roots rock band Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers he doesnt expect a response. He wants to write a book about them. When his inbox chimes two hours later telling him he has a chance to tour with the band for three full months he dreams of groupies and Almost Famous. It doesnt take long though for Hunter to discover that the road isnt the electric collection of glories its often billed to be. Hes mistaken for a homeless person in Sacramento thrust onstage in Iowa and cradled against a toilet in New York. The road is hard. No cocaine no backstage blowjobs no sleek tour bus. But the Sixers see it differently. Stephen introduces Hunter to a more authentic perspective: behind the lights of the stage after the glow of the performance away from the noise of the amps. This is the world Song of the Fool begins to unravel. When considering this kids out-of-the-blue request to tour with his band Stephen Kellogg asked Hunter Sharpless to explain why it would be a good idea to bring an underage person out on the road who wants to write a book and is unhappy. Turns out it wasnt a good idea. It was a great idea--as readers will discover only a few pages into the achingly sweet disarmingly honest and beautifully written Song of the Fool. --Brooks Landon author of Building Great Sentences Hunter Sharpless is a writer and essayist from Texas. He is an MFA candidate in nonfiction writing at the University of Minnesota. For more information visit www.huntersharpless.com. Stephen Kellogg is a singer-songwriter from Connecticut where he lives with his wife and four daughters.