A new book on Kate by music journalist John Mendelssohn, entitled “Waiting for Kate Bush” is now already listed (pre-publication) on the UK, German, Canadian and Japanese Amazon websites. It will contain 240 pages and will be published on 15 November 2004. The blurb reads: “When Kate Bush came out of nowhere in 1978 with her jaw-droppingly eccentric debut single ‘Wuthering Heights’, screeching like a banshee, flapping her arms as though trying to take wing, pulling alarming faces, people either adored or loathed her. One of the former was an American underwear model, Lesley Herskovits, who, in spite of his remarkable good looks, reserved his loathing for himself. By the time Kate had taken to keeping her fans waiting literally ages between albums, he’d found himself a boarding house near Kate’s birthplace that accommodated only fervent Kate fans. Only his disinclination to miss her eighth album, after waiting more than a decade for it, kept him from leaping off a multi-storey tower block. In Waiting for Kate Bush – an unusual hybrid of satirical novel and music biography – the reader will not only laugh aloud at Herskovits’ attempt to make sense of his life in an alien culture, but also learn in detail what Kate Bush – known alternately as “the barmiest bird in pop”, “the Pre-Raphaelite nymph with Minnie Mouse’s soprano” and “the greatest artist of the last 30 years” – has been up to in the silent decade-plus since the release of her last and best alb [sic]” An anonymous review on the Amazon site says “Having read the proof and viewed fans comments via the web, this book beats all expectations and is a worthy addition to any Kate Bush fan while waiting for the new album. The information is fresh and well written and explains above all why KB fans are some of the best and most patient in the world. Beautiful pictures inside. A worthy buy when released.” It will be interesting to see initial reactions to what sounds like one of the most unusual books yet written about Kate. (thanks to Henrik and Kyla).
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