High Friends in Low Places features in lurid detail Alan Lord's epic romp through the riotous avant-underground scene of Montreal, New York, and Europe in the 1980s. Along the way, he relates his encounters with the luminaries of cutting-edge literature, music and art including William Burroughs, Kathy Acker, Chris Kraus, John Giorno, Manu Chao, Blixa Bargeld, Chris Burden and pop artist James Rosenquist, as well as introducing us to brilliantly creative unknowns in all the arts. In the end, exhausted, he begins a downward spiral—only to be rescued by a woman who becomes his wife of 34 plus years.

There’s a strong possibility Alan Lord may be the world’s only “Trilingual Writer Satirista Musician Songwriter Civil/Structural Engineer Ex-Avant-Scenester”. He built Montreal’s Biodome, penned the Co-Loc’s hit song Bonyeu, broke guitar strings in the legendary Vent du Mont Scharr and now Alan Lord & The Falling Men, opened for the Ramones and B-52’s, and is featured in the documentary film MTL Punk. Now back in hometown Montreal, he has lived in Paris, Toronto, and Santiago (Chile). If ATM Sexdoesn’t give you a heart attack, then you surely have the DNA to reach the crap old age of 100.

Alan Lord's profile page

OH MY GOD! This work is important. SO MUCH. I am hooked. It's fucking exciting.

Félix B. Desfossés, CBC Radio Canada music journalist

Engaging and fun to read. Very addictive, too. Love it! Brilliant writing. Wow, loving Alan's memoir! So many great lines. He should be cranking out books all the time. Just saying.

Lisa Blaushild, author of Up Is Up, But So Is Down

Alan Lord’s High Friends In Low Places captures the spirit of Montreal’s postpunk cultural world with its ties to New York in the 1970's and 80's. But even more, it captures the spirit of aspiration, possibility, excitement, joy and despair that comes from discovering high culture from the margins of working-class life in a small city. Lord offers brilliant and intimate portraits of friends famed and obscure, from William S. Burroughs to the late Québécois poet Mario Campo. Reflecting both the era’s mainstream underground values and the values of his Hochelaga neighborhood, he’s written a kind of definitive history.

Chris Kraus, author of After Kathy Acker and I Love Dick