Almost Famous
When I was about 18, I wanted to become a rock writer. I saw Almost Famous and thought that was what I wanted to be. I didn’t identify with Penny Lane, but with William who felt awkward and unsure of his place in the world. I wanted to be something more than a groupie or feel like I’m kidding myself. I think the reason I wasn’t very good at it was because I wasn’t a particular type of fan. I loved going to shows (still do) and have always enjoyed various genres of music. Music was something I shared with my dad, but I was never the uber fan. I believe they call them stans now. I was never the teenaged girl screaming the moment she saw her favorite band and covering her walls with their posters. The other side of that coin is the cynical musical snob who, for all of his knowledge and criticism, works at a record store or bookshop while he practices with his own band at night. I use the pronoun “he” because this person is usually male. These were my friends back then. Always o