Robin - David Itzkoff

Biography

Rating: 8/10

The world is full of douche bags. Who among us hasn’t found themselves living the refrain from the classic Stealers Wheel song. Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right. It’s for this reason that I usually avoid interviews or articles on artists that I adore. I can’t bear the thought that they will turn out to be massive assholes. This lovingly written, and immensely detailed bio left me with no such feeling. Given that part of Robin’s magic was that you saw the act more than the artist you will likely discover many things you didn’t know. Told in three parts, Comet, Star & Supernova, no aspect of his life is left untold. While his comic genius was undeniable, in essence being able to take a single note and from it create a symphony without missing a beat, the author doesn’t shy away from his flaws. Simply put, he was a man who lived fully and felt deeply.

Footnote: This is not a platform for a dialogue on suicide, but I feel it’s important to say this – you cannot know or judge another’s pain unless you are living their life. We should all be striving to understand more fully the story of those we call friend or family.