As a part of the Outside-in Cinema screenings in Experimedia here at the Library, on Wednesday 28th July at 6:30pm you can catch the recent documentary on legendary singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt entitled Be here to love me.

His haunting and sad take on country and folk music, inspired by the likes of Bob Dylan and Hank Williams, has been covered be many acclaimed performers over the years, though success often passed him by in his lifetime. For a deeper understanding of his rickety road through life, To live’s to fly, available on the shelves in the Arts Reading Room, paints a detailed picture of the man and his music that serves well to complement the film.

For a portrayal of a similarly stressed pathway through life, the biography of his friend, Steve Earle, Hardcore troubadour, available for request through our catalogue for use in the Library, gives another down to earth look at another unstable genius of the modern folk arena.

And finally, for those wanting some guidance with unpacking the many complexities of the country music palette, Reading country music, found on the shelves in the Arts Reading Room, covers many aspects of the genre beyond the cliches and stereotypes all too easily applied by those giving it merely a cursory glance.