Robert Levin (born January 20, 1939,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

) is an American writer of fiction and essays. The author of ''When Pacino’s Hot, I’m Hot: A Miscellany of Stories & Commentary'', ''Against Mental Health: Short Stories'', ''The Killer and Other Stories'', ''A Robert Levin Reader'' and ''Going Outside: Fiction • Commentary • Jazz'', he is also the co-author and coeditor, respectively, of two collections of essays about

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

and

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

in the 1960s: ''Music & Politics'' (with John Sinclair) and ''Giants of Black Music'' (with Pauline Rivelli). In addition, his fiction and essays have appeared in a number of collections, including: ''Twenty-Minute Fandangoes and Forever Changes'', ''Best of Nuvein Fiction,'' the ''Word Riot 2003 Anthology,'' ''Unlikely Stories of the Third Kind'', ''Unspeakable—a PulpCult Anthology Of Contemporary Fiction,'' and ''...Musings on a Manic Reality.'' His comedic short story, "When Pacino’s Hot, I’m Hot," was a storySouth Million Writers Award "Notable Story" of 2004. Another story, "The Hideous Summer," was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. A staunch and sometimes bellicose defender of the

free jazz Free jazz is an experimental approach to jazz improvisation that developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s when musicians attempted to change or break down jazz conventions, such as regular tempos, tones, and chord changes. Musicians during ...

movement of the 1960s, Levin wrote for ''

The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the crea ...

'' (where his regular column played a significant role in establishing an audience for

Cecil Taylor Cecil Percival Taylor (March 25, 1929April 5, 2018) was an American pianist and poet. Taylor was classically trained and was one of the pioneers of free jazz. His music is characterized by an energetic, physical approach, resulting in complex ...

), ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'', ''

Down Beat ' (styled in all caps) is an American music magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond", the last word indicating its expansion beyond the jazz realm which it covered exclusively in previous years. The publication was established in 1934 in Chi ...

'', ''Metronome'', '' American Record Guide'' and ''

Jazz & Pop ''Jazz & Pop'' was an American music magazine that operated from 1962 to 1971. It was launched as ''Jazz'' and managed by Pauline Rivelli, with finance provided by Bob Thiele, the producer of jazz artists such as Duke Ellington, John Coltrane, Lou ...

'' (of which he was jazz editor). Levin's ''Village Voice'' article "200,000 Invisible Men" (in which he questioned the tactics and ultimate value of the 1963

March on Washington The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, also known as simply the March on Washington or The Great March on Washington, was held in Washington, D.C., on August 28, 1963. The purpose of the march was to advocate for the civil and economic righ ...

) drew letters to the editor for the better part of a year and was quoted and discussed in a

Norman Mailer Nachem Malech Mailer (January 31, 1923 – November 10, 2007), known by his pen name Norman Kingsley Mailer, was an American novelist, journalist, essayist, playwright, activist, filmmaker and actor. In a career spanning over six decades, Mailer ...

Esquire Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title. In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentlema ...

'' column. Characterized by Nat Hentoff as "a writer from whom I always learn something," Levin also wrote some 100

liner notes Liner notes (also sleeve notes or album notes) are the writings found on the sleeves of LP record albums and in booklets that come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for cassettes. Origin Liner notes are desce ...

for

Blue Note Records Blue Note Records is an American jazz record label owned by Universal Music Group and operated under Capitol Music Group. Established in 1939 by Alfred Lion and Max Margulis, it derived its name from the blue notes of jazz and the blues. Or ...

Prestige Records Prestige Records is a jazz record company and label founded in 1949 by Bob Weinstock in New York City which issued recordings in the mainstream, bop, and cool jazz idioms. The company recorded hundreds of albums by many of the leading jazz music ...

Impulse Records Impulse! Records (occasionally styled as "¡mpulse! Records" and "¡!") is an American jazz record company and label established by Creed Taylor in 1960. John Coltrane was among Impulse!'s earliest signings. Thanks to consistent sales and positi ...

, and

United Artists Records United Artists Records was an American record label founded by Max E. Youngstein of United Artists in 1957 to issue movie soundtracks. The label expanded into other genres, such as easy listening, jazz, pop, and R&B. History Genres In 1959, ...

, encompassing albums by the likes of such artists as

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of music ...

, John Coltrane,

Thelonious Monk Thelonious Sphere Monk (, October 10, 1917 – February 17, 1982) was an American jazz pianist and composer. He had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the standard jazz repertoire, including " 'Round Midnight", "B ...

Sonny Rollins Walter Theodore "Sonny" Rollins (born September 7, 1930) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist who is widely recognized as one of the most important and influential jazz musicians. In a seven-decade career, he has recorded over sixty albums as a ...

and Coleman Hawkins. Levin has said of his liner notes, many of which were written before he was twenty-one: "They’re all still out there and I wish I could rewrite every last one of them—especially the notes for oltrane’s'' Blue Train''."

References

StorySouth Million Writers Award Notable Stories 2004
*Norman Mailer, "The Big Bite," Esquire, December 1963 *Nat Hentoff, Foreword, ''Giants of Black Music'', Da Capo Press 1971

External links

* http://www.robertlevin.wordpress.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Levin, Robert 1939 births Living people Writers from New York City