"Nobody Knows I'm Famous" is a frank and insightful book that illustrates what it means to be a prolific, eccentric, successful, and unknown musician in the twenty-first century. Guitarist Shawn Persinger came of age in the post-Warholian, pre-Internet 1980s. It was a time when success was measured by bank accounts and record sales, video airplay and magazine covers, home square footage and gossip column romances; a time when fame and fortune seemed promised to anyone who played guitar - though it didn't turn out that way for most. Fast forward 30 years: While producing a far-from-commercial, guitar quartet entitled Halloween Baptizm, Persinger began documenting his creative process with hopes of clarifying some of his long-held beliefs regarding art and achievement; beliefs that seemed to be losing validity or were in need of more than flippant rationalizations. His introspection led to this refreshing and whimsical book that goes far beyond an artist's everyday routine. Filled with practical advice gleaned from firsthand knowledge, Persinger provides a glimpse into the providential workings of creativity and accomplishment: The importance of always following the Muse; finding the balance between self-confidence and self-doubt; questioning preconceived notions; and understanding that there are no absolutes, objectivity is a myth, and everything is relative.
