American Interior: The quixotic journey of John Evans, his search for a lost tribe and how, fuelled by fantasy and (possibly) booze, he accidentally annexed a third of North America - Hardcover

Rhys, Gruff

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0241146011 ISBN 13: 9780241146019

Publisher: Hamish Hamilton, 2014

Synopsis

American Interior is a psychedelic historical travelogue from Welsh pop legend Gruff Rhys.

LONGLISTED FOR THE GUARDIAN FIRST BOOK AWARD

SHORTLISTED FOR THE GORDON BURN PRIZE

In 1792, John Evans, a twenty-two-year-old farmhand from Snowdonia, Wales, travelled to America to discover whether there was indeed, as widely believed, a tribe of Welsh-speaking native Americans still walking the great plains.

In 2012, Gruff Rhys set out on an 'investigative concert tour' in the footsteps of John Evans, with concerts in New Orleans, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, St Louis, North Dakota and more.

American Interior is the story of these journeys. It is also an exploration of how wild fantasies interact with hard history and how myth-making can inspire humans to partake in crazy, vain pursuits of glory, including exploration, war and the creative arts.

GRUFF RHYS is known around the world for his work as a solo artist as well as singer and songwriter with Super Furry Animals and Neon Neon, and for his collaborations with Gorillaz, Mogwai, Dangermouse and Sparklehorse amongst others. The latest album by Neon Neon, Praxis Makes Perfect, based on the life of radical Italian publisher Giangiacomo Feltrinelli, was recently performed as an immersive live concert with National Theatre Wales.

About this title

Review:

A joyous and poignant celebration of the mythical and the real (Caught by the River)

A charming and entertainingly written book (Independent)

The most comprehensive study yet of this strange historical figure (Sunday Express)

Written in an exuberant, entertaining style, American Interior is alive to the quixotic nature of Evans's quest, while offering a sideways look at the nexus between history and myth (Financial Times)

A story about gullibility, contradiction, ambition, inexplicable wanderlust . . . this brilliantly life-affirming book highlights a world of wonder far beyond orthodox history (John Harris Guardian)

About the Author:

Gruff Rhys is known around the world for his work as a solo artist as well as singer and songwriter with Super Furry Animals and Neon Neon, and for his collaborations with Gorillaz, Dangermouse, Sparklehorse, Mogwai and Simian Mobile Disco amongst others. The latest album by Neon Neon, Praxis Makes Perfect, based on the life of radical Italian publisher Giangiacomo Feltrinelli, was recently performed as an immersive live concert with National Theatre Wales.

About this edition

• Publisher: Hamish Hamilton
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 0241146011
• ISBN 13: 9780241146019
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 320