Interviews

Published on May 25th, 2019 | by Darren Paltrowitz

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Author Tiffanie DeBartolo On “Grace: The Jeff Buckley Story,” Upcoming Projects & More

Jeff Buckley has undoubtedly been one of the most influential singer/songwriters of the last few decades. But tragically, Buckley’s unexpected death came before most of Buckley’s fanbase became aware of him. However, Buckley’s catalog continues to live on in a big way, thanks to high-profile covers of his music, frequent usages in major film and television projects, and countless placements of his debut full-length release Grace on countless “best albums of all-time” lists all over the world.

Grace: The Jeff Buckley Story is a graphic novel released by First Second/Macmillan last month. Written by Tiffanie DeBartolo, with artwork contributed by both Pascal Dizin and Lisa Reist, Grace tells the heartfelt journey of Buckley — his rise from intimate New York City venue Sin-é, to worldwide acclaim, to his settling in Memphis and subsequent accidental death — as beautifully illustrated in a warm tone. This biography uses archival material, as provided by Buckley’s mother Mary Guibert, to reveal the young songwriter’s process and his overall transition into becoming a musical legend.

DeBartolo is also the author of 2002’s God-Shaped Hole and 2005’s How To Kill a Rock Star, and the writer and director of the 1996 Columbia Tristar movie Dream For An Insomniac. She is also the cofounder and CEO of San Francisco Bay Area record label Bright Antenna Records. Meanwhile, the earlier-mentioned Pascal Dizin is a comic book artist and illustrator whose first graphic novel City Of Spies was published by First Second in 2010. His illustrations have appeared in Time Out New York and on the covers of Jack Gantos’s Joey Pigza book series, among other high-profile outlets.

On behalf of The Hype, I had the pleasure of doing Q&A with author Tiffanie DeBartolo about Grace: The Jeff Buckley Story and more. Ms. DeBartolo can be followed on Twitter via @TiffanieD.

How long did you spend putting together Grace?

Tiffanie DeBartolo: It was a long process from start to finish. After I was hired to write the text, I spent at least half a year doing research, and then another half doing the actual writing. But then we had to find the right illustrator. Someone who could really capture the essence of Jeff in the way that we envisioned. That took quite a bit of time. And once we did find him, it took him quite a few years to finish the project.

What was the hardest part of making Grace happen? The animation?

Tiffanie DeBartolo: I suppose the illustrator would say it was the animation. (laughs) But because I’m primarily a fiction writer — I write novels, like God-Shaped Hole, How To Kill A Rock Star and the not-yet-published Sorrow — the hardest part for me was having to accumulate real facts, decide which ones were the most pertinent, and then figure out the best way to present them. I’d never written non-fiction before, and it’s a very different and difficult discipline when you’re used to making everything up.

I read that you first learned about Jeff Buckley’s music as a result of a Chris Cornell interview. Which song of Jeff’s did you hear first?

Tiffanie DeBartolo: This is true. I read an interview that Chris did in 1999 where he talked about Jeff’s music and the influence that it had on his own work. It was right after Chris’s first solo album was released, and two years after Jeff had passed away. I immediately went out and bought Grace, so the first song I heard was the first song on the album, which is “Mojo Pin.” I think I had tears in my eyes within the first 25 seconds.

Do you have a favorite Jeff Buckley song?

Tiffanie DeBartolo: Yes, I do. It’s “Lover, You Should’ve Come Over.”

Having done extensive research on Jeff, is there anything that you feel people often get wrong about him?

Tiffanie DeBartolo: I hear people speculate on the circumstances of his death a lot. They assume Jeff committed suicide, or that he was under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of his death. Neither of those assumptions are true. He went down to the river with a friend, so there was an eyewitness to what happened. Jeff wasn’t alone and depressed, he was listening to music and decided to cool off in the water. And they obviously did an autopsy after his body was recovered. There were no drugs or alcohol in his system.

Grace is of course not your first book. As an author, director and record label co-founder, do you have a favorite creative outlet?

Tiffanie DeBartolo: Writing fiction is definitely my favorite creative outlet. Oh, and I recently started drawing. I have been enjoying that immensely as well.

Grace promotion aside, what is coming up for you?

Tiffanie DeBartolo: I recently finished writing my third novel. It’s called Sorrow, and it was loosely inspired by the music of The National. My agent is currently shopping that around. In the meantime, my label Bright Antenna has some incredible records coming out this summer, including new music from bands like Wilderado, Cheerleader, and Sports Team. And I’m going to take a trip to Europe in the fall to do some research for my next novel. I’m busy. (laughs)

So when not busy with work, how do you like to spend your free time?

Tiffanie DeBartolo: I love to play outside. I live in Northern California, near Muir Woods, one of the most beautiful places on earth, and I run and hike a lot. I also enjoy yoga. And I have two giant dogs — Irish Wolfhounds — that keep me on my toes. But because I travel and work so much, often my favorite pastime is simply to walk down to the little café in my town with a good book, get a nice cup of coffee, and sit and read all afternoon.

What was the last concert you attended for fun?

Tiffanie DeBartolo: Does a comedian count? My husband and I saw Chris D’Elia a few weeks ago in Oakland. He was hilarious.

Finally, Tiffanie, any last words for the kids?

Tiffanie DeBartolo: VOTE IN 2020! Please! I beg you! The country is going to hell and we need to get that piece of s**t out of office!


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About the Author

Darren Paltrowitz is a New York resident with over 20 years of entertainment industry experience. He began working around the music business as a teenager, interning for the manager of his then-favorite band Superdrag. Since then, he has worked with a wide array of artists including OK Go, They Might Be Giants, Mike Viola, Tracy Bonham, Loudness, Rachael Yamagata, and Amanda Palmer. Darren's writing has appeared in dozens of outlets including the New York Daily News, Inquisitr, The Daily Meal, The Hype Magazine, All Music Guide, Guitar World, TheStreet.com, Businessweek, Chicago Tribune, L.A. Times, and the Jewish Journal. Beyond being "Editor At Large" for The Hype Magazine, Darren is also the host of weekly "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz" series, which airs on dozens on television and digital networks. He has also co-authored 2 published books, 2018's "Pocket Change: Your Happy Money" (Book Web Publishing) and 2019's "Good Advice From Professional Wrestling" (6623 Press), and co-hosts the world's only known podcast about David Lee Roth, "The DLR Cast."


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