Joe Goldberg
Devil’s Own Day
DOSSIER: You have a signed photo of you chatting with George H.W. Bush outside of the CIA building where you’re looking very stylish in your 20s. Who would I recognize in other pictures you have?
GOLDBERG: Jimmy Buffett. Here is the quick story. I was getting whacked at Motorola (2009) as it dissolved. I was asked to lead an international political consulting business for a successful US consulting company (just won the US presidential election). I said yes and met with someone who had worked in that kind of biz before for advice. I randomly mentioned Motorola and how Buffett music helped keep the spirits up.
“Oh? Jimmy?” You want to meet him?” he asked.
“Um…ah…er…yes!” I replied.
Seems that he met JB back in the old days (80’s), stumping for candidates. So was put in contact with JB’s point person (Mike, a great guy). The next thing I knew, I was at Madison Square Garden around Thanksgiving. Met JB in his room pre-concert. I managed to sputter out the thing I wanted to tell him (how his music was important in dark times.)
He said thanks. Could not have been nicer.
Then Mike says, “This is the last concert of the year. Want to come to the after party?”
“Um…ah…er…yes!” I replied.
After a great concert and seats, I was in a cab speeding up 8th Ave to Guantanamera, a small Cuban restaurant and bar. I was slamming mojitos and everything else with JB and the Coral Reefers!
Best night ever. Cut head to February next year. I am in Bogota looking to land a deal when I got a text saying it is from JB. I don’t believe it.
“Call me,” I text. The phone rang a minute later.
“Hi, Joe, It’s Jimmy, Fins up! Can you help me?”
“Um…ah…er…yes!” I replied.
From that point on, whenever JB plays in the Chicago area, we would go to breakfast, get parking and backstage/party passes, see JB before the show, and go to the show. We got tours. Got on stage before some shows.
So, I have lots of pix of me with JB. (above is the first time at MSG.)
DOSSIER: When was the last time you made your own BBQ at home? There’s a story there, right?
GOLDBERG: Ah…the “Lets pick on Joe because he set his house on fire in 2017” question. Hahaha…I’m laughing…FYI: The statute of limitations for laughing at me has expired, but I will indulge The Dossier!
I BBQ all the time, just no flames that can set my house on fire are involved. I use a pellet grill, now. “Set it and forget it.” A Weber charcoal and a windy day did me in 2017. The lid just wouldn’t set right, and we went out for a drink and got the “your house is on fire” texts and calls. It was also a delicious smoked chicken with a cherry/hickory glaze. Sad. (below)
I smoked beef, salmon, and chicken, mostly. At cooler temps, smoke cheese. Sometimes I do jerky, but I keep fiddling with my recipe. It was good. Shouldn’t have done that. Not as good as it was…like over-editing a book.
DOSSIER: When and where do you write, and what kind of environment do you prefer? (Music/silence/closet?) You have a great list of TV theme songs on your blog, how is the Magnum P.I. theme only in the VERY Honorable Mention category? Jack Carr is going to have something to say about that.
GOLDBERG: I can write anywhere, but mostly in my office at home. I listen to instrumental music. Jazz of all kinds. Orchestra. I try to avoid songs with words, as I will sing along in some way. If it is too quiet, my mind is saying, “Hey, isn’t it really quiet? Wow. Listen to the silence.” I’m done when that happens.
I received interesting feedback from the music list—instrumental TV theme songs. It was a challenging list to construct for obvious reasons. I don’t want Jack mad at me, but I stand by my choices…unless he asks me to change it…
I am a history guy, so a criterion was its impact on the music industry and overall culture. I tied many of these songs to the performers, particularly the great Wrecking Crew studio musicians. I think a future list will be TV themes with words. That can cause some real debate.
DOSSIER: It’s cool that you have a Little Reading Library set up outside your house. What is the most interesting book someone has left in it?
GOLDBERG: For those who do not know, the Little Reading Library (LRL) is a box outside your house where people can take a book/leave a book (kids and adult). My wife was a reading teacher (recently retired), so when we rebuilt post-fire (see above), putting a LRL in the front was part of the deal. It is a destination stop for kids and families. There is a bench to sit on and landscaping. We have a lot of boxes of books in the garage.
I asked my wife your question. She didn’t have an answer. I know we have put my books in there, and they were taken. NONE of them came back. Is that a good thing?
DOSSIER: Many of your book locations take place in cities you’ve visited. For REBELLIOUS SON, how much 6th street research did you personally do, and are you still banned from The Jackalope?
GOLDBERG: Obvious answer time: “What happens in Austin, stays in Austin.”
I do like to use places I have visited. As authors know, getting the full sense of a setting without visiting is hard. The setting is a character, so the more flavor I can add, the better. I remember the advice of an author who told me. He said to set my books in places I want to visit on vacation.
Of course, technology allows us to visit virtually in so many ways. I had not been to all the locations I used when I published my first book, SECRET WARS, in 2014. I had not been to Rome and certainly not Libya. So, I used paper maps, tour guidebooks, interviews, and my imagination. When I did get there, I walked the paths of my characters. I was pretty happy with how I did.
For those who do not know, the Little Reading Library (LRL) is a box outside your house where people can take a book/leave a book (kids and adult). My wife was a reading teacher (recently retired), so when we rebuilt post-fire (see above), putting a LRL in the front was part of the deal. It is a destination stop for kids and families. There is a bench to sit on and landscaping. We have a lot of boxes of books in the garage.
I asked my wife your question. She didn’t have an answer. I know we have put my books in there, and they were taken. NONE of them came back. Is that a good thing?
DOSSIER: Many of your book locations take place in cities you’ve visited. For REBELLIOUS SON, how much 6th street research did you personally do, and are you still banned from The Jackalope?
GOLDBERG: Obvious answer time: “What happens in Austin, stays in Austin.”
I do like to use places I have visited. As authors know, getting the full sense of a setting without visiting is hard. The setting is a character, so the more flavor I can add, the better. I remember the advice of an author who told me. He said to set my books in places I want to visit on vacation.
Of course, technology allows us to visit virtually in so many ways. I had not been to all the locations I used when I published my first book, SECRET WARS, in 2014. I had not been to Rome and certainly not Libya. So, I used paper maps, tour guidebooks, interviews, and my imagination. When I did get there, I walked the paths of my characters. I was pretty happy with how I did.
In the spirit of your question, I had some “good” times during many of my international trips. I AM able to return to all those countries, but “What happened in those countries stays in those countries.”
Website: joegoldbergbooks.com
Jeff Circle 