Andy Harley wrote a unique book, of special interest to Bruce Hornsby fans. Entitled “Till the Dreaming’s Done”, it’s a book of 62 poems, with a twist – each poem features one line of a Bruce Hornsby song. We had to catch up with him and ask him about it.
So, what made you decide to write a book of poems, and to include one of Bruce’s lyrics in each one of your 62 poems?
Well, the main reason behind me writing the book was that I wanted to give a little something back to Bruce himself for giving the world and myself his phenomenal music.
How long did it take you to write?
I started on my poetic journey back in August of 2003, and finished writing the very last poem in my book around the latter part of October 2004. After about 3 months of editing and revising, and a good 9 months of going through the whole publishing process, Till The Dreaming’s Done “Poems Crafted For Thinking People”, went to print on September 12, 2005.
Does Bruce himself have a copy of your book? Has he told you what he thinks of it?
As soon as I received a handful of complimentary copies of my book from my publisher, I immediately sent a signed copy down to Bruce. A few days later I received an e-mail from Bruce’s Production Assistant Patti Martin, saying, “Bruce wanted me to tell you thanks for the book of poetry. That he’s enjoyed perusing it, will read more soon, and that it’s very flattering.” Then on August 24, 2006, I had the awesome opportunity to be backstage after one of Bruce’s shows in Vienna, VA. Not only did Bruce sign “my” very first copy that I ever received of my book, but he also shook my hand and told me in person how awesome he thought my book was. It truly was one of the Top 5 most memorable moments in my life so far, and I still catch myself grinnin’ like an Oz flying monkey when I think back on that amazing night.
Do you plan on writing any more books?
I currently have 124 ideas with titles for new poems, to go into 2 new books. However, with me going to school full-time, bartending part-time, and playing keyboards in a Rock band – definitely don’t look for me to be sharing the couch with Oprah anytime soon. 🙂
You can pick up a copy of Andy’s book at Amazon.