Wonder if you've finished working on that book?'

Keith Reid clarifies

Keith Reid rang 'Beyond the Pale' from New York in October 1999, and we have his permission to report the parts of the conversation that turned towards My Own Choice, his limited-edition book of his words that we first reported on 26 August 1998. Keith was positive and forthcoming: as always he chose his words with care ...

RC
... I wonder if there's any news from Joe Stefko, about your Charnel house project?

KR
I spoke to him the other day, I think he's getting on with it and I think he's aiming for the early part of next year. It's just going through approvals from different publishing companies: that's what holding it up really. But we've decided the content and it's all basically ready to go.

Can you tell me what the contents are? Is it all Procol Harum songs?

No no! No, I've tried to make it ... you know there's a fair mixture of stuff. I'm not sure what the exact breakdown of it is but it's by no means all Procol Harum stuff at all. (see here ...)

It is all song words or is ...

No there's a few bits and pieces in there, there's definitely a bunch of stuff that's ... you know, unpublished, has never seen the light of day.

Is your play in there? (see here and here)

No, no no no no!

That's a shame ...

No no, no it's all ... for want of a better word ... it's sort of poetry-format. I mean there's loads ... well I don't know if it's loads ... but there's certainly a good amount of stuff that people won't be familiar with.

Has the play ever been staged?

(Laughs broadly) No, that will never see the light of day, I assure you.

Fair enough. Well it's nice of you to ring me!

All right then, good luck! Bye!