Hold On to Your Dreams: Arthur Russell and the Downtown Music Scene, 1973-1992

Arthur Russell (1951-1992) was one of the most important and least appreciated New York City musicians of the last forty years. Tim Lawrence's book Hold On to Your Dreams is a respectful and detailed biography of Russell's life — including his early years in Iowa, his journey to NYC, his influence on a wide range of genres in the 1970s and 1980s downtown music scene, and (in the most interesting sections) Russell's production processes and creative influences. (Meanwhile, two superb music compilations were released in 2004 that helped bring this extraordinary music to modern listeners: The World of Arthur Russell and Calling Out of Context.)