Larry Rochelle will read from CRAZY LIL' MEDIA on April 24 at McIntyre's Fine Books
(Larry Rochelle will read from and discuss his new book, CRAZY LIL’ MEDIA, at McIntyre’s Fine Books on Friday April 24 at 2 p.m.)
Larry Rochelle’s FAUX Interview with
Mike Hendricks of the KANSAS CITY STAR
HENDRICKS: You seem to know a lot about Kansas City for someone living in North Carolina. How long did you live in KC?
LARRY ROCHELLE: Twenty-eight years. We moved there from Illinois in 1978. I taught at a community college, wrote papers about Kansas City for various conferences and joined the KC Blues Society. So, I had a chance to discover KC and surrounding areas.
HENDRICKS: Do you think the mob still controls Kansas City?
ROCHELLE: It controls quite a few venues, bars, strip clubs, produce markets, vending, cement, while still being involved in gambling. The movie CASINO focused on KC’s mob and its links to Vegas. Then, there was a big battle for control of the River Quay area in the late 70s, with mob killings, exploding buildings and political corruption. While weakened and invisible to most, the mob still has clout today.
HENDRICKS: Kansas City voted to start a light rail line, and then the city council canceled that vote.
ROCHELLE: Yes, the Council had a running battle with activist Clay Chastain over many improvement issues such as light rail and Union Station changes. The Council seemed to want a light rail plan, just not Chastain’s. He was not their man. He worked with petitions and worked outside the system. The Greater KC Chamber of Commerce especially fought against him.
HENDRICKS: What was their issue with light rail in your opinion?
ROCHELLE: Well, Mike, you know this stuff as well as I do. Part of it concerned the route down Main Street. Shop owners didn’t want the disruption of business while construction went on. Another issue, in my opinion, was racism. Kansas City has a lot of racism and may not want to give easy access to transportation for minority citizens. As you might know, KC built its sports centers outside of the downtown area to avoid racial issues, out to Independence, which basically destroyed the old downtown area. Downtown is finally coming back a little with the building of the new SPRINT ARENA. Ironically, the Greater KC Chamber has most of its members from the suburbs. Folks who fled the city in the white flight of the 1960s and 1970s. They don’t see how light rail will help them. I just can’t understand why that suburban Chamber has so much clout inside KC. Also, the KC STAR demonized Clay Chastain in its editorials. You saw that, didn’t you?
HENDRICKS: Maybe. Anyway, how did you end up in the Triangle area?
ROCHELLE: When I retired in 2006, my wife and I wanted the mountains and the ocean. The Triangle offered both, plus ROY WILLIAMS. We had followed the Kansas Jayhawks when Roy was the KU basketball coach for 15 years. We missed him and tried to re-settle as close to the Tar Heels and Chapel Hill as we could. We’ve had a great two years watching Roy and the Tar Heels succeed.
HENDRICKS: Does your book include Roy Williams as part of its media study?
ROCHELLE: No, most of CRAZY LIL’ MEDIA focuses on KCPT, the public TV outlet in KC, on PITCH, the KC alternative newspaper, and on the KC battle for light rail. I was an intern at both media outlets in 2001 during the 9/11 attack and the vote on light rail. I had a good view as the media adjusted. I also was worried about my son, Doug, who lived in New York with his family. I quote his emails about what was going on in NYC and about his persistent cough due to the asbestos fumes that autumn. He still has that cough.
HENDRICKS: How can we contact you for more information?
ROCHELLE: Email me at burnthotcoffee.yahoo.com
In the second book of the BetterWorld trilogy, Kiyoko and her friends continue to fight MediaCorp's schemes to control the world. But a team of ruthless mercenaries is after them, and is closing in fast.
Wilderness Bound -- Fire-fighter and paramedic, Matthew Standing Deer returns to the past, to the Lakota, only to find himself hurtled into danger, uncontrollable greed, and searching for a serial killer. Danger looms over everyone's head. How will h
Share
Save
