Part memoir, part oral history, Poets and Dreamers: My Life in Americana Music traces Tamara Saviano's remarkable journey through the rise of the Americana music genre. Spanning more than three decades, Saviano unfolds the story of Americana-country music's bohemian cousin-from her unique perspectives as a journalist, historian, Grammy-winning music producer, filmmaker, and artist emissary. The first woman president of the Americana Music Association and producer of the early Americana Honors and Awards shows at Nashville's storied Ryman Auditorium, Saviano takes readers behind the scenes for some of the most significant moments in Americana history. Poets and Dreamers illuminates the exceptional Americana community: an ever-expanding yet close-knit circle of friends and unsung heroes devoted to the success of roots music and its artists. Highlights include interviews with artists and colleagues and memories of special events, concerts, and day-to-day life with singers, songwriters, and musicians. Tender stories recalling Saviano's close relationships with two of her most enduring clients, iconic songwriters Kris Kristofferson and Guy Clark, round out this singular historical work. Including photographs of significant people and moments in Americana music, Poets and Dreamers: My Life in Americana Music will entertain and inform a worldwide readership of fans, students, and scholars of Americana and roots music.
Tamara Saviano is the author of Without Getting Killed or Caught: The Life and Music of Guy Clark, winner of the Belmont Award, sponsored by the International Country Music Conference. A Nashville music and film producer, she also produced Beautiful Dreamer: The Songs of Stephen Foster, which won the 2005 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Folk Album, and the 2020 documentary Without Getting Killed or Caught. In 2017, the Texas Heritage Songwriters Association honored Saviano with the Darrell K. Royal Texas Legend Award for her work with Texas songwriters, and in 2020, the Austin Music Awards selected her to receive the Margaret Moser Award, which recognizes women in music.
"A brave and inventive spirit, Tamara Saviano has created a thrilling and affectionate chronicle of the Americana phenomenon that she is uniquely qualified to deliver. Hers is a view from the inside--rich, authoritative and always honest."--Michael Streissguth, author of Johnny Cash: The Biography and Outlaw: Waylon, Willie, Kris, and the Renegades of Nashville, among others--Michael Streissguth "Americana is more than the music, it's the stories and the soulfulness of the people who bring it to life. One of them is Tamara Saviano, a journalist turned industry insider who in this memoir skillfully peels back the layers to show how the genre became the powerhouse it is today. But far from a forensics report, this book is told through her own story of facilitating projects and careers that together helped drive the new century's revival of American roots music. A thrilling behind the scenes look that shows both the rewards and the toll of making the music a vocation for life."--Mark Guarino, author of Country & Midwestern: Chicago in the History of Country Music and the Folk Revival--Mark Guarino "Tamara Saviano wasn't just there for the infancy of the Americana music scene--she helped birth it. Her deep friendships and professional relationships with Guy Clark and Kris Kristofferson anchor this evocative memoir of a genre's fight for industry recognition. But in recounting her own scrappy and remarkable life--populated by the likes of Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, and John Prine--she also shows just why she is such a respected leader in a male-dominated field. Winning a Grammy as a rookie producer is one thing, but when Elvis Costello fetes you in public, you know you've really rung the bell. "--Alanna Nash, author of Baby, Let's Play House: Elvis Presley and the Women Who Loved Him, The Colonel: The Extraordinary Story of Colonel Tom Parker and Elvis Presley, and Golden Girl: The Story of Jessica Savitch--Alanna Nash "With her superb biography of Guy Clark, Without Getting Killed or Caught, Tamara Saviano established her credentials as an outstanding chronicler of Americana music. Poets & Dreamers tells us how she came to be a multi-media popularizer of those roots-based styles and performers that populate Americana. Saviano's own journey into the heart of Americana rivals that of the protagonist in Hank Snow's 'I've Been Everywhere, ' a backstory she's skillfully intertwined with that of the songwriters, musicians, promoters, and publicists who continue to invest this music with beauty, variety, and vitality."--Bobbie and Bill C. Malone, authors of Traveler: The Musical Odyssey of Tim O'Brien and Nashville's Songwriting Sweethearts: The Boudleaux and Felice Bryant Story--Bobbie and Bill C. Malone
