Travels Over Feeling: Arthur Russell, a Life

by Richard King

Arthur Russell, the Lower Manhattan avant-garde cult figure of experimental music and would-be dancehall/pop star, was far ahead of his time when his life was cut short at age 40. Travels Over Feeling is an expertly composed, richly illustrated, and beautifully designed monograph celebrating Russell’s mythic legacy through narration, oral history, and archival artifacts. The monograph presents an abundance of archival ephemera, including Russell’s own words, as well as quotes from his family, friends, lovers, and collaborators. The oral histories and images are arranged chronologically, and aided by Richard King's caring, but neutral prose. Travels succeeds in conveying much of Russell’s “messy brilliance,” and capturing some of his “strange, slippery essence.” — Herbert Pföstl, Book Consultant for the New Museum Store.

The music of Arthur Russell defies classification. From his pioneering compositions as part of New York's vibrant avant-garde scene (alongside artists including Philip Glass, David Byrne, Laurie Anderson, John Cage, and Allen Ginsberg) to his genre-expanding disco productions, from his new wave and art pop to his posthumously released folk songs, Russell crafted timeless and foundationally influential work until his premature death in 1992 from AIDS-related illnesses.

Now, in a landmark publication assembled by critically-acclaimed writer Richard King, Travels Over Feeling collects the extensive ephemera found in Russell’s New York Public Library archive, along with pieces from the personal collections of those who were closest to him. Combining unseen visual material—handwritten scores, lyrics, photos, letters, and drawings—with new texts by King and extensive original interviews with Arthur’s collaborators, contemporaries, family, and friends, Travels Over Feeling paints a portrait of Arthur Russell unlike any which has come before, revealing a true picture of one of the most distinctive artists of the last fifty years.

2024; hardcover; 10 x 7 3/4 inches; 304 pages, 336 images; ISBN: 9781944860608.