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{{short description|American poet, author, singer and lawyer (born 1960)}}
{{Infobox writer <!-- for more information see [[:Template:Infobox writer/doc]] -->
{{Infobox writer <!-- for more information see [[:Template:Infobox writer/doc]] -->
| name = John S. Hall
| name = John S. Hall
| birth_name = John Charles Hall
| birth_name = John Charles Hall
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1960|9|2}}
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1960|9|2}}
| image =
| image =
| image_size = 250px
| caption =
| caption = Hall in 1991
| pseudonym =
|| birth_place = [[Brooklyn, New York]], U.S.
| pseudonym = |
| birth_place = [[Brooklyn, New York]], U.S.
| occupation = Poet, author, singer, lawyer
| occupation = Poet, author, singer, lawyer
| years_active = 1981–present
| genre = [[Performance poetry]], [[spoken word]], [[free verse]]
| movement = [[Avant-garde]], [[absurdism|absurdist]], [[postmodern literature|postmodernist]]
| genre = [[Performance poetry]], [[spoken word]], [[free verse]]
| movement = [[Avant-garde]], [[absurdism|absurdist]], [[postmodern literature|postmodernist]], [[comedy rock]]
| influences = [[Mykel Board]], [[Patti Smith]], [[John Giorno]], [[Allen Ginsberg]], [[Amiri Baraka]]<ref name="newsletter" />
⚫
| website = {{URL|kingmissile.com}}
| influenced = [[MC Lars]]<ref name="thedialogue" />
⚫
| signature =
⚫
| website = {{URL|http://kingmissile.com}}
⚫
|signature =
}}
}}


'''John S. Hall''' (born '''John Charles Hall''' September 2, 1960) is an American poet, author, singer and lawyer perhaps best known for his work with [[King Missile]], an [[experimental music|avant-garde]] [[band (music)|band]] that he co-founded in 1986 and has since led in various incarnations.
'''John S. Hall''' (born '''John Charles Hall''', September 2, 1960) is an American poet, author, singer and lawyer perhaps best known for his work with [[King Missile]], an [[experimental music|avant-garde]] [[band (music)|band]] that he co-founded in 1986 and has since led in various incarnations.


==Biography==
==Biography==
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===Early life===
===Early life===
John S. Hall was born in [[Brooklyn]],<ref name="farmboy">{{cite web
John S. Hall was born in [[Brooklyn]],<ref name="farmboy">{{cite web
| last =
| first =
| title = Interview w/ John
| title = Interview w/ John
| publisher = Farmboy's King Missile
| publisher = Farmboy's King Missile
| date =
| url = http://www.i-mockery.com/kingmissile
| url = http://www.i-mockery.com/kingmissile
| accessdate = 2008-06-02 }}</ref> New York and grew up in [[Manhattan]]'s [[West Village]].<ref name="aptowicz">Aptowicz, Cristin O'Keefe. (2008). ''Words in Your Face: A Guided Tour Through Twenty Years of the New York City Poetry Slam.'' New York City: Soft Skull Press, 288. {{ISBN|1-933368-82-9}}.</ref> He recalls being "very quiet and shy" as a child,<ref name="farmboy" /> and a social outcast as an adolescent.<ref name="wuss">{{cite web
| access-date = 2008-06-02 }}</ref> New York and grew up in [[Manhattan]]'s [[West Village]].<ref name="aptowicz">Aptowicz, Cristin O'Keefe. (2008). ''Words in Your Face: A Guided Tour Through Twenty Years of the New York City Poetry Slam.'' New York City: Soft Skull Press, 288. {{ISBN|1-933368-82-9}}.</ref> He recalls being "very quiet and shy" as a child<ref name="farmboy" /> and a social outcast as an adolescent.<ref name="wuss">{{cite web
| last =
| first =
| title = Lyrics: Wuss
| title = Lyrics: Wuss
| publisher = Farmboy's King Missile
| publisher = Farmboy's King Missile
| date =
| url = http://www.i-mockery.com/kingmissile/wuss.html
| url = http://www.i-mockery.com/kingmissile/wuss.html
| accessdate = 2008-06-02 }}</ref> In 1978 he [[graduation|graduated]] from [[Stuyvesant High School]].<ref name="myspace">{{cite web
| access-date = 2008-06-02 }}</ref> In 1978 he [[graduation|graduated]] from [[Stuyvesant High School]].<ref name="myspace">{{cite web
| last =
| first =
| title = John S. Hall MySpace Page
| title = John S. Hall MySpace Page
| publisher = MySpace
| publisher = MySpace
| date =
| url = http://www.myspace.com/johnshall
| url = http://www.myspace.com/johnshall
| accessdate = 2008-06-02 }}</ref>
| access-date = 2008-06-02 }}</ref>


===Participation in poetry scene===
===Participation in poetry scene===
In the early 1980s, Hall began participating in the [[Lower East Side]] poetry scene.<ref name="aptowicz287">Aptowicz (2008), p. 287.</ref> He read his poems at such venues as Speakeasy<ref name="aptowicz" /> and [[ABC No Rio]].<ref name="aptowicz289">Aptowicz (2008), p. 289.</ref> According to [[performance poetry|performance poet]] [[Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz]], Hall "became an easily recognizable figure in the scene: pale, bald, dressed mostly in black and white, with wire-rimmed glasses and a [[pork pie hat|porkpie hat]]."<ref name="aptowicz287" />
In the early 1980s, Hall began participating in the [[Lower East Side]] poetry scene.<ref name="aptowicz287">Aptowicz (2008), p. 287.</ref> He read his poems at such venues as Speakeasy<ref name="aptowicz" /> and [[ABC No Rio]].<ref name="aptowicz289">Aptowicz (2008), p. 289.</ref> According to [[performance poetry|performance poet]] [[Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz]], Hall "became an easily recognizable figure in the scene: pale, bald, dressed mostly in black and white, with wire-rimmed glasses and a [[pork pie hat|porkpie hat]]."<ref name="aptowicz287" />


Hall has long been a vocal opponent of [[poetry slam|slam poetry]], taking issue with such factors as its inherently competitive nature<ref name="aptowicz290">Aptowicz (2008), p. 290.</ref> and what he considers its lack of stylistic diversity.<ref name="aptowicz297">Aptowicz (2008), p. 297.</ref> In a 2005 interview by Aptowicz, he recalled seeing his first slam, at the [[Nuyorican Poets Café]]:{{quote|...I hated it. And it made me really uncomfortable and... it was very much like a sporting event, and I was interested in poetry in large part because it was like the [[antithesis]] of sports.... [I]t seemed to me like a very [[machismo|macho]], masculine form of poetry and not at all what I was interested in.<ref name="aptowicz289" />}}
Hall has long been a vocal opponent of [[poetry slam|slam poetry]], taking issue with such factors as its inherently competitive nature<ref name="aptowicz290">Aptowicz (2008), p. 290.</ref> and what he considers its lack of stylistic diversity.<ref name="aptowicz297">Aptowicz (2008), p. 297.</ref> In a 2005 interview by Aptowicz, he recalled seeing his first slam, at the [[Nuyorican Poets Café]]:{{blockquote|...I hated it. And it made me really uncomfortable and... it was very much like a sporting event, and I was interested in poetry in large part because it was like the [[antithesis]] of sports.... [I]t seemed to me like a very [[machismo|macho]], masculine form of poetry and not at all what I was interested in.<ref name="aptowicz289" />}}


Despite his reservations about slam poetry, Hall has performed alongside slam poets on such television programs as [[Public Broadcasting Service|PBS]]'s ''The United States of Poetry,''<ref name="aptowicz287" /> [[MTV]]'s ''Spoken Word Unplugged,''<ref name="aptowicz287" /> and [[Home Box Office|HBO]]'s ''[[Def Poetry|Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry]].''<ref name="youtube">{{cite web
Despite his reservations about slam poetry, Hall has performed alongside slam poets on such television programs as [[Public Broadcasting Service|PBS]]'s ''The United States of Poetry,''<ref name="aptowicz287" /> [[MTV]]'s ''Spoken Word Unplugged,''<ref name="aptowicz287" /> and [[Home Box Office|HBO]]'s ''[[Def Poetry|Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry]].''<ref name="youtube">{{cite web
| last =
| first =
| title = Video: America Kicks Ass (live on ''Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry'')
| title = Video: America Kicks Ass (live on ''Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry'')
| publisher = [[YouTube]]
| publisher = [[YouTube]]
| date = 2007-01-27
| date = 2007-01-27
| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKLzClpc12A
| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKLzClpc12A
| accessdate = 2008-06-14 }}</ref>
| access-date = 2008-06-14 }}</ref>


===Early bands===
===Early bands===
Hall performed in at least two musical groups before co-founding King Missile. One was Purple Sunshine, a "[[hippie]] band"<ref name="albumnotes">Hall, John S. (2004). Album notes. In ''[[Mystical Shit & Fluting on the Hump]]'' [CD booklet]. New York City: Shimmy Disc.</ref> Hall started because he "was really into hippies and [[lysergic acid diethylamide|LSD]], and [[turn on, tune in, drop out|tuning in and dropping out]], and all that stuff."<ref name="albumnotes" /> The other was You Suck, which Hall says was [[artistic inspiration|inspired]] by a band led by [[punk rock|punk]] musician [[Mykel Board]]:{{quote|[Board]'s band blew my mind. The idea of having someone in the band that didn't sing or play an instrument was a revelation to me. Within a year, I had, with some friends, developed a band called You Suck, where most of the people on stage didn't play an instrument. Like there was a guy who did a [[Rubik's Cube]], or a couple of people playing [[chess]], or a guy with a dead fish on the end of a [[fishing line]] which he waved around the audience, or whatever. If you had some visual idea and cared to join us, we would let you. Over the course of a little over a year, over 100 people performed in You Suck. Mykel came to our first show and said that his face hurt from laughing so much. He ended up [[record producer|producing]] our only [[single (music)|single]] and releasing it on his [[record label|label]]: 'The You Suck Chant' [backed with] 'Get the Fuck off the Stage.' It was weird, because those were practically our only original songs: we were a [[cover band]]. We would do any bad song we could think of...<ref name="newsletter">{{cite web
Hall performed in at least two musical groups before co-founding King Missile. One was Purple Sunshine, a "[[hippie]] band"<ref name="albumnotes">Hall, John S. (2004). Album notes. In ''[[Mystical Shit & Fluting on the Hump]]'' [CD booklet]. New York City: Shimmy Disc.</ref> Hall started because he "was really into hippies and [[lysergic acid diethylamide|LSD]], and [[turn on, tune in, drop out|tuning in and dropping out]], and all that stuff."<ref name="albumnotes" /> The other was You Suck, which Hall says was [[artistic inspiration|inspired]] by a band led by [[punk rock|punk]] musician [[Mykel Board]]:{{blockquote|[Board]'s band blew my mind. The idea of having someone in the band that didn't sing or play an instrument was a revelation to me. Within a year, I had, with some friends, developed a band called You Suck, where most of the people on stage didn't play an instrument. Like there was a guy who did a [[Rubik's Cube]], or a couple of people playing [[chess]], or a guy with a dead fish on the end of a [[fishing line]] which he waved around the audience, or whatever. If you had some visual idea and cared to join us, we would let you. Over the course of a little over a year, over 100 people performed in You Suck. Mykel came to our first show and said that his face hurt from laughing so much. He ended up [[record producer|producing]] our only [[single (music)|single]] and releasing it on his [[record label|label]]: 'The You Suck Chant' [backed with] 'Get the Fuck off the Stage.' It was weird, because those were practically our only original songs: we were a [[cover band]]. We would do any bad song we could think of...<ref name="newsletter">{{cite web
|last=Hall
|last=Hall
|first=John S.
|first=John S.
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|date=2004-03-15
|date=2004-03-15
|url=http://community.livejournal.com/king_missile/5982.html
|url=http://community.livejournal.com/king_missile/5982.html
|archive-url=https://archive.is/20121128042525/http://community.livejournal.com/king_missile/5982.html
|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121128042525/http://community.livejournal.com/king_missile/5982.html
|dead-url=yes
|url-status=dead
|archive-date=2012-11-28
|archive-date=2012-11-28
|accessdate=2008-06-02
|access-date=2008-06-02
}}</ref>}}
}}</ref>}}


Over the objections of the band, Board released the You Suck single with a [[pornography|pornographic]] [[album cover|cover image]].<ref name="newsletter2">{{cite web
Over the objections of the band, Board released the You Suck single with a pornographic album cover.<ref name="newsletter2">{{cite web
|last=Hall
|last=Hall
|first=John S.
|first=John S.
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|date=2004-04-08
|date=2004-04-08
|url=http://community.livejournal.com/king_missile/6597.html
|url=http://community.livejournal.com/king_missile/6597.html
|accessdate=2008-06-05
|access-date=2008-06-05
|deadurl=yes
|url-status=dead
|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101029024755/http://community.livejournal.com/king_missile/6597.html
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101029024755/http://community.livejournal.com/king_missile/6597.html
|archivedate=2010-10-29
|archive-date=2010-10-29
|df=
}}</ref> The single was not a commercial success, and the band broke up shortly after its release.<ref name="newsletter2" />
}}</ref> The single was not a commercial success, and the band broke up shortly after its release.<ref name="newsletter2" />


===King Missile===
===King Missile===
{{main|King Missile}}
{{main|King Missile}}
In 1985, Hall began presenting his work at [[open mic]]<nowiki/> [[poetry reading]]s. After three shows, he became a "featured" poet at the Backfence, a performance space in Manhattan's [[East Village, Manhattan|East Village]].<ref name="prindle">{{cite web
In 1985, Hall began presenting his work at [[open mic]] [[poetry reading]]s. After three shows, he became a "featured" poet at the Backfence, a performance space in Manhattan's [[East Village, Manhattan|East Village]].<ref name="prindle">{{cite web
| last = Prindle
| last = Prindle
| first = Mark
| first = Mark
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| year = 2003
| year = 2003
| url = http://www.markprindle.com/hall-i.htm
| url = http://www.markprindle.com/hall-i.htm
| accessdate = 2008-06-02 }}</ref> In 1986, feeling that "20 minutes of me reading poetry would be totally boring","<ref name="albumnotes" /> Hall asked his guitarist friend [[Dogbowl]] to augment his performances with original music.<ref name="albumnotes" /><ref name="prindle" /> Dogbowl agreed, and with the addition of bassist [[Alex DeLaszlo]], drummer [[R.B. Korbet]], and [[xylophone|xylophonist]] [[George O'Malley (musician)|George O'Malley]], King Missile (Dog Fly Religion) was born. The band released two [[album]]s on the [[Shimmy Disc]] label, 1987's ''[[Fluting on the Hump]]'' and 1988's ''[[They (album)|They]],'' and then dissolved because Dogbowl wanted to pursue a solo [[career]].<ref name="albumnotes" />
| access-date = 2008-06-02 }}</ref> In 1986, feeling that "20 minutes of me reading poetry would be totally boring","<ref name="albumnotes" /> Hall asked his guitarist friend [[Dogbowl]] to augment his performances with original music.<ref name="albumnotes" /><ref name="prindle" /> Dogbowl agreed, and, with the addition of bassist [[Alex DeLaszlo]], drummer [[R.B. Korbet]], and [[xylophone|xylophonist]] George O'Malley, King Missile (Dog Fly Religion) was born. The band released two [[album]]s on the [[Shimmy Disc]] label, 1987's ''[[Fluting on the Hump]]'' and 1988's ''[[They (album)|They]],'' and then dissolved because Dogbowl wanted to pursue a solo [[career]].<ref name="albumnotes" />


After Dogbowl's departure, Hall asked [[Bongwater (band)|Bongwater]] guitarist [[Dave Rick]] to help him put together a new band.<ref name="prindle" /> Rick recruited multi-instrumentalist [[Chris Xefos]], and Hall retained ''They'' drummer [[Steve Dansiger]].<ref name="prindle" /> Hall dubbed the new lineup King Missile, dropping the parenthetical "Dog Fly Religion" [[subtitle (titling)|subtitle]] "since that was [Dogbowl's] idea."<ref name="albumnotes" /> In late 1989 and early 1990, the band recorded the album ''[[Mystical Shit]],'' and in 1990 released it on Shimmy Disc.<ref name="prindle" /> On the strength of the single "[[Jesus Was Way Cool]]", the album hit #1 on the [[College Music Journal#CMJ New Music Report|CMJ charts]], and the band was signed by a major label, [[Atlantic Records]].<ref name="prindle" /> This series of events led Hall to make a habit of [[joke|joking]], "'Jesus' got me signed to Atlantic Records."<ref name="albumnotes" /> Shortly after getting signed, Hall released an album on Shimmy Disc with permission from Atlantic: ''[[Real Men (album)|Real Men]],'' a [[side project]] recorded with producer and Shimmy Disc founder [[Mark Kramer|Kramer]]. King Missile was featured in the 1990 documentary [[Paul Devlin (filmmaker)|''CutTime'']] which chronicled the East Village music scene at the time.<ref>CutTime on DevlinPix</ref><ref>http://www.devlinpix.com/blog/2011-11-06/cuttime-king-missle-life-2-10</ref>
After Dogbowl's departure, Hall asked [[Bongwater (band)|Bongwater]] guitarist [[Dave Rick]] to help him put together a new band.<ref name="prindle" /> Rick recruited multi-instrumentalist [[Chris Xefos]], and Hall retained ''They'' drummer [[Steve Dansiger]].<ref name="prindle" /> Hall dubbed the new lineup King Missile, dropping the parenthetical "Dog Fly Religion" [[subtitle (titling)|subtitle]] "since that was [Dogbowl's] idea."<ref name="albumnotes" /> In late 1989 and early 1990, the band recorded the album ''[[Mystical Shit]]'' and, in 1990, released it on Shimmy Disc.<ref name="prindle" /> On the strength of the single "[[Jesus Was Way Cool]]", the album hit #1 on the [[College Music Journal#CMJ New Music Report|CMJ charts]], and the band was signed by a major label, [[Atlantic Records]].<ref name="prindle" /> This series of events led Hall to make a habit of [[joke|joking]], "'Jesus' got me signed to Atlantic Records."<ref name="albumnotes" /> Shortly after getting signed, Hall released an album on Shimmy Disc with permission from Atlantic: ''[[Real Men (album)|Real Men]],'' a [[side project]] recorded with producer and Shimmy Disc founder [[Mark Kramer|Kramer]]. King Missile was featured in the 1990 documentary [[Paul Devlin (filmmaker)|''CutTime'']] which chronicled the East Village music scene at the time.<ref>CutTime on DevlinPix</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.devlinpix.com/blog/2011-11-06/cuttime-king-missle-life-2-10 |title=CutTime - King Missle &#91;sic&#93;, "Life" (3 of 11) &#124; DevlinPix |access-date=2011-11-22 |archive-date=2012-04-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120404125259/http://www.devlinpix.com/blog/2011-11-06/cuttime-king-missle-life-2-10 |url-status=dead }}</ref>


King Missile recorded three albums for Atlantic: 1991's ''[[The Way to Salvation]],'' 1992's ''[[Happy Hour (King Missile album)|Happy Hour]],'' and 1994's ''[[King Missile (album)|King Missile]].'' ''Happy Hour'' spawned a modest hit in "[[Detachable Penis]]," which reached #25 on the ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' [[Hot Modern Rock Tracks|Modern Rock Tracks]] chart.<ref name="billboard">{{cite web
King Missile recorded three albums for Atlantic: 1991's ''[[The Way to Salvation]],'' 1992's ''[[Happy Hour (King Missile album)|Happy Hour]],'' and 1994's ''[[King Missile (album)|King Missile]].'' ''Happy Hour'' spawned a modest hit in "[[Detachable Penis]]," which reached No. 25 on the ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' [[Hot Modern Rock Tracks|Modern Rock Tracks]] chart.<ref name="billboard">{{cite web
| last =
| first =
| title = King Missile Singles Peak Chart Positions
| title = King Missile Singles Peak Chart Positions
| publisher = [[Allmusic]]
| publisher = [[Allmusic]]
⚫
| url = {{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p13412/charts-awards/billboard-singles|pure_url=yes}}
| date =
⚫
| access-date = 2008-06-02 }}</ref> Nonetheless, after the commercial failure of ''King Missile,'' the band was dropped from Atlantic, and they broke up shortly thereafter because, according to Hall, "there was no reason to stay together."<ref name="farmboy" />
⚫
| url = {{Allmusic|class=artist|id=p13412/charts-awards/billboard-singles|pure_url=yes}}
⚫
| accessdate = 2008-06-02 }}</ref> Nonetheless, after the commercial failure of ''King Missile,'' the band was dropped from Atlantic, and broke up shortly thereafter because, according to Hall, "there was no reason to stay together."<ref name="farmboy" />


In 1996, Hall released a "[[solo album]]," ''[[The Body Has a Head]],'' on the German label [[Manifatture Criminali]]. The album featured considerable input from multi-instrumentalists [[Sasha Forte]], [[Bradford Reed]], and [[Jane Scarpantoni]]. With these musicians, as well as ''They'' cellist [[Charles Curtis (musician)|Charles Curtis]], Hall formed a new band, King Missile III (pronounced "the third"). In 1998, the new lineup released its "debut" album, ''[[Failure (King Missile album)|Failure]],'' on Shimmy Disc. Curtis and Scarpantoni left the band after the release of ''Failure,'' and King Missile III continued as a trio, releasing two more albums, 2003's ''[[The Psychopathology of Everyday Life (album)|The Psychopathology of Everyday Life]]'' and 2004's ''[[Royal Lunch]].''
In 1996, Hall released a "[[solo album]]," ''[[The Body Has a Head]],'' on the German label Manifatture Criminali. The album featured considerable input from multi-instrumentalists [[Sasha Forte]], [[Bradford Reed]], and [[Jane Scarpantoni]]. With these musicians, as well as ''They'' cellist [[Charles Curtis (musician)|Charles Curtis]], Hall formed a new band, King Missile III (pronounced "the third"). In 1998, the new lineup released its "debut" album, ''[[Failure (King Missile album)|Failure]],'' on Shimmy Disc. Curtis and Scarpantoni left the band after the release of ''Failure,'' and King Missile III continued as a trio, releasing two more albums, 2003's ''[[The Psychopathology of Everyday Life (album)|The Psychopathology of Everyday Life]]'' and 2004's ''[[Royal Lunch]].''


In 2015, Hall formed a new lineup of King Missile, King Missile IV, with the band [[LoveyDove]]. They toured New Zealand, and released an EP, called ''This Fuckin' Guy'' on Powertool Records. King Missile's classic lineup also reformed for live shows in 2015, continuing through 2016 and 2017.
In 2015, Hall formed a new lineup of King Missile, King Missile IV, with the band [[LoveyDove]]. They toured New Zealand and released an EP called ''This Fuckin' Guy'' on Powertool Records. King Missile's classic lineup also reformed for live shows in 2015, continuing through 2016 and 2017.


In 2016, Hall started two new bands: Unusual Squirrel, and Sensation Play. Unusual Squirrel released their debut album, ''Fuck Sandwich'' through Bandcamp.<ref name="kingmissile.com">http://kingmissile.com/unusual-squirrel/</ref>
In 2016, Hall started two new bands: Unusual Squirrel and Sensation Play. Unusual Squirrel released their debut album, ''Fuck Sandwich'', through Bandcamp.<ref name="kingmissile.com">{{cite web|url=http://kingmissile.com/unusual-squirrel/|title=Unusual Squirrel &#124; John S. Hall|website=Kingmissile.com|accessdate=5 February 2021}}</ref>

In 2019, King Missile IV changed their name to You, Me and This Fuckin’ Guy and recorded their debut LP, ''Garden Variety Fuckers'', released by Dromedary Records on April 17, 2020.


===Books===
===Books===
Hall has released two books, both on [[Soft Skull Press]]. The first, 1997's ''[[Jesus Was Way Cool (book)|Jesus Was Way Cool]],'' is a collection of 40 poems recorded on King Missile and Hall solo albums, plus a never-recorded poem, "Hope."<ref name="amazon">{{cite web
Hall has released two books, both on [[Soft Skull Press]]. The first, 1997's ''[[Jesus Was Way Cool (book)|Jesus Was Way Cool]],'' is a collection of 40 poems recorded on King Missile and Hall solo albums, plus a never-recorded poem, "Hope."<ref name="amazon">{{cite web
| last =
| first =
| title = Amazon Online Reader: Jesus Was Way Cool
| title = Amazon Online Reader: Jesus Was Way Cool
| publisher = [[Amazon.com]]
| publisher = [[Amazon.com]]
| date =
| url = https://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/1887128158/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link
| url = https://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/1887128158/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link
| accessdate = 2008-06-02 }}</ref>
| access-date = 2008-06-02 }}</ref>


The second, 2007's ''[[Daily Negations]],'' is a dark-humored satire of [[self-help book]]s. In it, Hall presents a negative thought for each day of the calendar year (including Leap Day).<ref name="dailynegations">Hall, John S. (2007). ''Daily Negations.'' New York City: Soft Skull Press. {{ISBN|1-933368-45-4}}.</ref>
The second, 2007's ''[[Daily Negations]],'' is a dark-humored satire of [[self-help book]]s. In it, Hall presents a negative thought for each day of the calendar year (including Leap Day).<ref name="dailynegations">Hall, John S. (2007). ''Daily Negations.'' New York City: Soft Skull Press. {{ISBN|1-933368-45-4}}.</ref> He posts daily readings of these thoughts on his Facebook and Instagram pages.


===Dominant themes of work===
===Dominant themes of work===
Asked in a 2003 interview to speak about the common themes of his work, Hall replied:
Asked in a 2003 interview to speak about the common themes of his work, Hall replied:


{{quote|I think these are some of the common themes: a) life is hard, brutal, capricious and unfair, b) sometimes there is a benefit to seeing it clearly, and acknowledging it truthfully..., and c) other times it is best to find something to laugh about, lest despair crush one completely. I find a lot of humor in shocking or so-called [[taboo]] things: [[castration]], [[excretion|excrement]], violence (usually self-inflicted or inflicted on the narrator, '[[Martin Scorsese (song)|[Martin] Scorsese]]' being an exception), sex and sexual perversions... etc.<ref name="prindle" />}}
{{blockquote|I think these are some of the common themes: a) life is hard, brutal, capricious and unfair, b) sometimes there is a benefit to seeing it clearly, and acknowledging it truthfully..., and c) other times it is best to find something to laugh about, lest despair crush one completely. I find a lot of humor in shocking or so-called [[taboo]] things: [[castration]], [[excretion|excrement]], violence (usually self-inflicted or inflicted on the narrator, '[[Martin Scorsese (song)|[Martin] Scorsese]]' being an exception), sex and sexual perversions... etc.<ref name="prindle" />}}


Other recurring subjects of Hall's work include [[religion]] and [[spirituality]] (e.g., "The Fish That Played the Ponies,"<ref name="thefishthatplayedtheponies">{{cite web
Other recurring subjects of Hall's work include [[religion]] and [[spirituality]] (e.g., "The Fish That Played the Ponies,"<ref name="thefishthatplayedtheponies">{{cite web
| last =
| first =
| title = Lyrics: The Fish That Played the Ponies
| title = Lyrics: The Fish That Played the Ponies
| publisher = Farmboy's King Missile
| publisher = Farmboy's King Missile
| date =
| url = http://www.i-mockery.com/kingmissile/ponies.html
| url = http://www.i-mockery.com/kingmissile/ponies.html
| accessdate = 2008-06-19 }}</ref> "Jesus Was Way Cool,"<ref name="jesuswaswaycool">{{cite web
| access-date = 2008-06-19 }}</ref> "Jesus Was Way Cool,"<ref name="jesuswaswaycool">{{cite web
| last =
| first =
| title = Lyrics: Jesus Was Way Cool
| title = Lyrics: Jesus Was Way Cool
| publisher = Farmboy's King Missile
| publisher = Farmboy's King Missile
| date =
| url = http://www.i-mockery.com/kingmissile/jesus.html
| url = http://www.i-mockery.com/kingmissile/jesus.html
| accessdate = 2008-06-19 }}</ref> "The God"),<ref name="thegod">{{cite web
| access-date = 2008-06-19 }}</ref> "The God"),<ref name="thegod">{{cite web
| last =
| first =
| title = Lyrics: The God
| title = Lyrics: The God
| publisher = [[SongMeanings]]
| publisher = [[SongMeanings]]
| date =
| url = http://www.songmeanings.net/lyric.php?lid=3530822107858573123
| url = http://www.songmeanings.net/lyric.php?lid=3530822107858573123
| accessdate = 2008-06-19 }}</ref> [[nihilism]] (e.g., "[[No Point (song)|No Point]],"<ref name="nopoint">{{cite web
| access-date = 2008-06-19 }}</ref> [[nihilism]] (e.g., "[[No Point (song)|No Point]],"<ref name="nopoint">{{cite web
| last =
| first =
| title = Lyrics: No Point
| title = Lyrics: No Point
| publisher = Farmboy's King Missile
| publisher = Farmboy's King Missile
| date =
| url = http://www.i-mockery.com/kingmissile/point.html
| url = http://www.i-mockery.com/kingmissile/point.html
| accessdate = 2008-06-19 }}</ref> "Ed,"<ref name="ed">{{cite web
| access-date = 2008-06-19 }}</ref> "Ed,"<ref name="ed">{{cite web
| last =
| first =
| title = Lyrics: Ed
| title = Lyrics: Ed
| publisher = SongMeanings
| publisher = SongMeanings
| date =
| url = http://www.songmeanings.net/lyric.php?lid=95732
| url = http://www.songmeanings.net/lyric.php?lid=95732
| accessdate = 2008-06-19 }}</ref> "Jim"),<ref name="jim">{{cite web
| access-date = 2008-06-19 }}</ref> "Jim"),<ref name="jim">{{cite web
| last =
| first =
| title = Lyrics: Jim
| title = Lyrics: Jim
| publisher = SongMeanings
| publisher = SongMeanings
| date =
| url = http://www.songmeanings.net/lyric.php?lid=3530822107858541864
| url = http://www.songmeanings.net/lyric.php?lid=3530822107858541864
| accessdate = 2008-06-19 }}</ref> and [[sadomasochism|masochism]] (e.g., "Pickaxe,"<ref name="pickaxe">{{cite web
| access-date = 2008-06-19 }}</ref> and [[sadomasochism|masochism]] (e.g., "Pickaxe,"<ref name="pickaxe">{{cite web
| last =
| first =
| title = Lyrics: Pickaxe
| title = Lyrics: Pickaxe
| publisher = Farmboy's King Missile
| publisher = Farmboy's King Missile
| date =
| url = http://www.i-mockery.com/kingmissile/axe.html
| url = http://www.i-mockery.com/kingmissile/axe.html
| accessdate = 2008-06-19 }}</ref> "Take Me Home,"<ref name="takemehome">{{cite web
| access-date = 2008-06-19 }}</ref> "Take Me Home,"<ref name="takemehome">{{cite web
| last =
| first =
| title = Lyrics: Take Me Home
| title = Lyrics: Take Me Home
| publisher = Farmboy's King Missile
| publisher = Farmboy's King Missile
| date =
| url = http://www.i-mockery.com/kingmissile/takeme.html
| url = http://www.i-mockery.com/kingmissile/takeme.html
| accessdate = 2008-06-19 }}</ref> "My Lover").<ref name="mylover">{{cite web
| access-date = 2008-06-19 }}</ref> "My Lover").<ref name="mylover">{{cite web
| last =
| first =
| title = Lyrics: My Lover
| title = Lyrics: My Lover
| publisher = SongMeanings
| publisher = SongMeanings
| date =
| url = http://www.songmeanings.net/lyric.php?lid=3530822107858727003
| url = http://www.songmeanings.net/lyric.php?lid=3530822107858727003
| accessdate = 2008-06-19 }}</ref>
| access-date = 2008-06-19 }}</ref>


===Writing and performance styles===
===Writing and performance styles===
Hall's writing varies in format from straightforward [[narrative]] to abstract, disjointed [[free verse]]. The writing frequently contains [[absurdism|absurdist]] imagery (e.g., "A giant testicle rolled over a [[Waffle House]], killing several clowns")<ref name="tourdiarylouisville">{{cite web
Hall's writing varies in format from straightforward [[narrative]] to abstract, disjointed [[free verse]]. The writing frequently contains [[absurdism|absurdist]] imagery (e.g., "A giant testicle rolled over a [[Waffle House]], killing several clowns")<ref name="tourdiarylouisville">{{cite web
| last =
| first =
| title = Lyrics: Tour Diary: Louisville
| title = Lyrics: Tour Diary: Louisville
| publisher = SongMeanings
| publisher = SongMeanings
| date =
| url = http://www.songmeanings.net/lyric.php?lid=3530822107858682329
| url = http://www.songmeanings.net/lyric.php?lid=3530822107858682329
| accessdate = 2008-07-09 }}</ref> and/or [[adynaton|adynata]] (e.g., "P]igeons came along and ate his eyes, and seagulls ripped his stomach out, and [[pelican]]s ate his [[liver]], and his [[spleen]] popped out all on its own and turned into a [[harmonica]] and played a pleasant little tune. Then out came his [[pancreas]], which turned into the dog that bit him last week, and it bit him again and again and again many times").<ref name="jim" />
| access-date = 2008-07-09 }}</ref> and/or [[adynaton|adynata]] (e.g., "P]igeons came along and ate his eyes, and seagulls ripped his stomach out, and [[pelican]]s ate his [[liver]], and his [[spleen]] popped out all on its own and turned into a [[harmonica]] and played a pleasant little tune. Then out came his [[pancreas]], which turned into the dog that bit him last week, and it bit him again and again and again many times").<ref name="jim" />


Hall's performance style is also eclectic, his delivery ranging from a [[deadpan]] monotone to melodic [[tenor]] singing to overwrought screaming. In a 1998 interview, Hall expressed a preference for his spoken material over his sung: "Most of my work that I prefer is this type, and in most cases, the singing stuff [on albums] is filler, with the exception of songs here and there... [F]or the most part, I'm better at the spoken shit."<ref name="thompson">{{cite web
Hall's performance style is also eclectic, his delivery ranging from a [[deadpan]] monotone to melodic [[tenor]] singing to overwrought screaming. In a 1998 interview, Hall expressed a preference for his spoken material over his sung: "Most of my work that I prefer is this type, and in most cases, the singing stuff [on albums] is filler, with the exception of songs here and there... [F]or the most part, I'm better at the spoken shit."<ref name="thompson">{{cite web
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|date=1998-11-11
|date=1998-11-11
|url=http://www.avclub.com/content/node/23128
|url=http://www.avclub.com/content/node/23128
|accessdate=2008-07-09
|access-date=2008-07-09
|deadurl=yes
|url-status=dead
|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080828134117/http://www.avclub.com/content/node/23128
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080828134117/http://www.avclub.com/content/node/23128
|archivedate=2008-08-28
|archive-date=2008-08-28
|df=
}}</ref>
}}</ref>


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In a 2003 missive to his [[electronic mailing list]], Hall explained how he chose his [[stage name]]:
In a 2003 missive to his [[electronic mailing list]], Hall explained how he chose his [[stage name]]:


{{quote|[M]y stage name is John S. Hall, my original born name is John Charles Hall, but my friends, enemies, and [[stalking|stalkers]] call me John Hall. What's the deal with the S? Well, when I was 15, I didn't like the way John C. Hall looked, so I wanted to change it. I was named after my grandfather, Charles Syjefroi Boileau, so I was given the choice of John B. Hall (which looked odd to me when I was 15, but now looks kind of fresh) or John S. Hall, which looked a lot better, so that's what I chose. It was several years before I realized that some people would think it was a deliberate pun on the word '[[asshole]].' It wasn't.<ref name="newsletter3">{{cite web
{{blockquote|[M]y stage name is John S. Hall, my original born name is John Charles Hall, but my friends, enemies, and [[stalking|stalkers]] call me John Hall. What's the deal with the S? Well, when I was 15, I didn't like the way John C. Hall looked, so I wanted to change it. I was named after my grandfather, Charles Syjefroi Boileau, so I was given the choice of John B. Hall (which looked odd to me when I was 15, but now looks kind of fresh) or John S. Hall, which looked a lot better, so that's what I chose. It was several years before I realized that some people would think it was a deliberate pun on the word '[[asshole]].' It wasn't.<ref name="newsletter3">{{cite web
|last=Hall
|last=Hall
|first=John S.
|first=John S.
Line 230: Line 184:
|date=2003-12-27
|date=2003-12-27
|url=http://community.livejournal.com/king_missile/4367.html
|url=http://community.livejournal.com/king_missile/4367.html
|archive-url=https://archive.is/20121130075816/http://community.livejournal.com/king_missile/4367.html
|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121130075816/http://community.livejournal.com/king_missile/4367.html
|dead-url=yes
|url-status=dead
|archive-date=2012-11-30
|archive-date=2012-11-30
|accessdate=2008-06-02
|access-date=2008-06-02
}}</ref>}}
}}</ref>}}


===Legal career===
===Legal career===
After the collapse of the second incarnation of King Missile, Hall decided to attend [[law school]].<ref name="prindle" /> He graduated ''[[Latin honors#Types|cum laude]]'' from the [[Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law]] in Manhattan,<ref name="heratylaw">{{cite web
After the collapse of the second incarnation of King Missile, Hall decided to attend [[law school]].<ref name="prindle" /> He graduated ''[[Maxima cum laude|cum laude]]'' from the [[Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law]] at [[Yeshiva University]] in Manhattan,<ref name="heratylaw">{{cite web
| last =
| first =
| title = Bios
| title = Bios
| publisher = Heraty Law
| publisher = Heraty Law
| date =
| url = http://www.heratylaw.com/bios
| url = http://www.heratylaw.com/bios
| accessdate = 2008-06-02 }}</ref> and after graduation co-founded Heraty Hall, a law firm specializing in [[entertainment law]].<ref name="prindle" /> Hall later left the firm to go into solo practice<ref name="myspace" /> until 2006, when he took a position as a corporate analyst at a law firm.
| access-date = 2008-06-02 }}</ref> and after graduation co-founded Heraty Hall, a law firm specializing in [[entertainment law]].<ref name="prindle" /> Hall later left the firm to go into solo practice<ref name="myspace" /> until 2006, when he took a position as a corporate analyst at a law firm.


Asked by Aptowicz in the aforementioned 2005 interview if he became a lawyer out of disillusionment with the contemporary poetry scene, Hall laughed and replied, "I became a lawyer to make [[money]]."<ref name="aptowicz302">Aptowicz (2008), p. 302.</ref>
Asked by Aptowicz in the aforementioned 2005 interview if he became a lawyer out of disillusionment with the contemporary poetry scene, Hall laughed and replied, "I became a lawyer to make [[money]]."<ref name="aptowicz302">Aptowicz (2008), p. 302.</ref>
Line 250: Line 201:
===Political and personal beliefs===
===Political and personal beliefs===
Hall has used his vehement dislike of [[President of the United States|President]] [[George W. Bush]] and his administration as subject matter for several King Missile III songs, including "The President,"<ref name="thepresident">{{cite web
Hall has used his vehement dislike of [[President of the United States|President]] [[George W. Bush]] and his administration as subject matter for several King Missile III songs, including "The President,"<ref name="thepresident">{{cite web
| last =
| first =
| title = Lyrics: The President
| title = Lyrics: The President
| publisher = SongMeanings
| publisher = SongMeanings
| date =
| url = http://www.songmeanings.net/lyric.php?lid=3530822107858516220
| url = http://www.songmeanings.net/lyric.php?lid=3530822107858516220
| accessdate = 2008-06-23 }}</ref> "Suggested Response to the Coming Crises,"<ref name="suggestedresponse">{{cite web
| access-date = 2008-06-23 }}</ref> "Suggested Response to the Coming Crises,"<ref name="suggestedresponse">{{cite web
| last =
| first =
| title = Lyrics: Suggested Response to the Coming Crises
| title = Lyrics: Suggested Response to the Coming Crises
| publisher = SongMeanings
| publisher = SongMeanings
| date =
| url = http://www.songmeanings.net/lyric.php?lid=3530822107858516313
| url = http://www.songmeanings.net/lyric.php?lid=3530822107858516313
| accessdate = 2008-06-23 }}</ref> and "Another Political Poem."<ref name="anotherpoliticalpoem">{{cite web
| access-date = 2008-06-23 }}</ref> and "Another Political Poem."<ref name="anotherpoliticalpoem">{{cite web
| last =
| first =
| title = Lyrics: Another Political Poem
| title = Lyrics: Another Political Poem
| publisher = SongMeanings
| publisher = SongMeanings
| date =
| url = http://www.songmeanings.net/lyric.php?lid=3530822107858545010
| url = http://www.songmeanings.net/lyric.php?lid=3530822107858545010
| accessdate = 2008-06-23 }}</ref> He campaigned for [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] candidate [[John Kerry]] in the [[United States presidential election, 2004|United States presidential election of 2004]].<ref name="newsletter4">{{cite web
| access-date = 2008-06-23 }}</ref> He campaigned for [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] candidate [[John Kerry]] in the [[2004 United States presidential election|United States presidential election of 2004]].<ref name="newsletter4">{{cite web
|last=Hall
|last=Hall
|first=John S.
|first=John S.
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|date=2004-06-18
|date=2004-06-18
|url=http://community.livejournal.com/king_missile/7812.html
|url=http://community.livejournal.com/king_missile/7812.html
|archive-url=https://archive.is/20121129100719/http://community.livejournal.com/king_missile/7812.html
|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121129100719/http://community.livejournal.com/king_missile/7812.html
|dead-url=yes
|url-status=dead
|archive-date=2012-11-29
|archive-date=2012-11-29
|accessdate=2008-06-23
|access-date=2008-06-23
}}</ref>
}}</ref>


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| date = October 2005
| date = October 2005
| url = http://www.satyamag.com/oct05/hall.html
| url = http://www.satyamag.com/oct05/hall.html
| accessdate = 2008-06-23 }}</ref> and [[agnosticism|agnostic]].<ref name="myspace" /> On his [[MySpace]] page, he summarizes his faith as follows: "I don't believe in God, but I do believe in something. I'm just not sure what."<ref name="myspace" />
| access-date = 2008-06-23 }}</ref> and [[agnosticism|agnostic]].<ref name="myspace" /> On his [[MySpace]] page, he summarizes his faith as follows: "I don't believe in God, but I do believe in something. I'm just not sure what."<ref name="myspace" />


Hall is also a [[veganism|vegan]].<ref name="satya" />
Hall is also a [[veganism|vegan]].<ref name="satya" />


===Family===
===Family===
Hall is the older brother of Francis Hall, better known as [[Faceboy]], an actor, producer, and activist working in the New York City arts community.
Hall is the older brother of Francis Hall, better known as [[Faceboy]], an actor, producer, and activist working in the New York City arts community. As of 2014, Hall was married with a daughter he and his wife had in 2007.<ref>{{cite web|last=Koester |first=Megan |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/bn55n8/john-s-hall-is-a-sensitive-artist-who-works-in-a-law-firm |title=King Missile's John S. Hall Is a Sensitive Artist (Who Works at a Law Firm) |publisher=Vice.com |date= 8 August 2014|accessdate=2022-08-13}}</ref>


===References in popular culture===
===References in popular culture===
American rapper [[MC Lars]] acknowledges Hall in his song "My Rhymes Rhyme": "Shout-outs to [[Wesley Willis]], [[Adam Goren|Adam G.]] and John Hall / Word to [[MC Paul Barman]]; hey, return my call!"<ref name="myrhymesrhyme">{{cite web
American rapper [[MC Lars]] acknowledges Hall in his song "My Rhymes Rhyme": "Shout-outs to [[Wesley Willis]], [[Adam Goren|Adam G.]] and John Hall / Word to [[MC Paul Barman]]; hey, return my call!"<ref name="myrhymesrhyme">{{cite web
| last =
| first =
| title = Lyrics: My Rhymes Rhyme
| title = Lyrics: My Rhymes Rhyme
| publisher = SongMeanings
| publisher = SongMeanings
| date =
| url = http://www.songmeanings.net/lyric.php?lid=3530822107858519936
| url = http://www.songmeanings.net/lyric.php?lid=3530822107858519936
| accessdate = 2008-06-02 }}</ref> Lars also praises King Missile in his song "The Dialogue": "[[Nine Inch Nails]], [[Primus (band)|Primus]], [["Weird Al" Yankovic|"Weird Al"]] and King Missile / Influenced me like a [[postmodernism|postmodern]] epistle."<ref name="thedialogue">{{cite web
| access-date = 2008-06-02 }}</ref> Lars also praises King Missile in his song "The Dialogue": "[[Nine Inch Nails]], [[Primus (band)|Primus]], [["Weird Al" Yankovic|"Weird Al"]] and King Missile / Influenced me like a [[postmodernism|postmodern]] epistle."<ref name="thedialogue">{{cite web
| last =
| first =
| title = Lyrics: The Dialogue
| title = Lyrics: The Dialogue
| publisher = SongMeanings
| publisher = SongMeanings
| date =
| url = http://www.songmeanings.net/lyric.php?lid=3530822107858633397
| url = http://www.songmeanings.net/lyric.php?lid=3530822107858633397
| accessdate = 2008-06-02 }}</ref>
| access-date = 2008-06-02 }}</ref>


==Discography==
==Discography==
Line 431: Line 367:


==Bibliography==
==Bibliography==
*''[[Jesus Was Way Cool (book)|Jesus Was Way Cool]]'' ([[Soft Skull Press]], [[1997 in literature|1997]])
*''Jesus Was Way Cool'' ([[Soft Skull Press]], [[1997 in literature|1997]])
*''[[Daily Negations]]'' (Soft Skull, [[2007 in literature|2007]])
*''Daily Negations'' (Soft Skull Press, [[2007 in literature|2007]])


==References==
==References==
{{reflist|2}}
{{reflist}}


==External links==
==External links==
Line 448: Line 384:


{{DEFAULTSORT:Hall, John S.}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hall, John S.}}
⚫
[[Category:1960 births]]
⚫
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Musicians from Brooklyn]]<!-- "From" as in "born there." -->
[[Category:Musicians from Brooklyn]]<!-- "From" as in "born there." -->
[[Category:People from Manhattan]]<!-- "From" as in "raised there." -->
[[Category:People from Greenwich Village]]
<!-- "From" as in "raised there." -->
[[Category:Stuyvesant High School alumni]]
[[Category:Stuyvesant High School alumni]]
[[Category:Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law alumni]]
[[Category:Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law alumni]]
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[[Category:American male poets]]
[[Category:American male poets]]
[[Category:American male singers]]
[[Category:American male singers]]
⚫
[[Category:American singers]]
[[Category:American humorists]]
[[Category:American humorists]]
[[Category:American Buddhists]]
[[Category:American Buddhists]]
[[Category:American agnostics]]
[[Category:American agnostics]]
[[Category:New York (state) lawyers]]
[[Category:New York (state) lawyers]]
⚫
[[Category:Living people]]
⚫
[[Category:1960 births]]
[[Category:Performance art in New York City]]
[[Category:Performance art in New York City]]
[[Category:King Missile members]]
[[Category:King Missile members]]
⚫
[[Category:21st-century American poets]]
[[Category:21st-century American male writers]]

Latest revision as of 18:37, 22 February 2024

John S. Hall
BornJohn Charles Hall
(1960-09-02) September 2, 1960 (age 63)
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
OccupationPoet, author, singer, lawyer
GenrePerformance poetry, spoken word, free verse
Literary movementAvant-garde, absurdist, postmodernist, comedy rock
Years active1981–present
Website
kingmissile.com

John S. Hall (born John Charles Hall, September 2, 1960) is an American poet, author, singer and lawyer perhaps best known for his work with King Missile, an avant-garde band that he co-founded in 1986 and has since led in various incarnations.

Biography[edit]

Early life[edit]

John S. Hall was born in Brooklyn,[1] New York and grew up in Manhattan's West Village.[2] He recalls being "very quiet and shy" as a child[1] and a social outcast as an adolescent.[3] In 1978 he graduated from Stuyvesant High School.[4]

Participation in poetry scene[edit]

In the early 1980s, Hall began participating in the Lower East Side poetry scene.[5] He read his poems at such venues as Speakeasy[2] and ABC No Rio.[6] According to performance poet Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz, Hall "became an easily recognizable figure in the scene: pale, bald, dressed mostly in black and white, with wire-rimmed glasses and a porkpie hat."[5]

Hall has long been a vocal opponent of slam poetry, taking issue with such factors as its inherently competitive nature[7] and what he considers its lack of stylistic diversity.[8] In a 2005 interview by Aptowicz, he recalled seeing his first slam, at the Nuyorican Poets Café:

...I hated it. And it made me really uncomfortable and... it was very much like a sporting event, and I was interested in poetry in large part because it was like the antithesis of sports.... [I]t seemed to me like a very macho, masculine form of poetry and not at all what I was interested in.[6]

Despite his reservations about slam poetry, Hall has performed alongside slam poets on such television programs as PBS's The United States of Poetry,[5] MTV's Spoken Word Unplugged,[5] and HBO's Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry.[9]

Early bands[edit]

Hall performed in at least two musical groups before co-founding King Missile. One was Purple Sunshine, a "hippie band"[10] Hall started because he "was really into hippies and LSD, and tuning in and dropping out, and all that stuff."[10] The other was You Suck, which Hall says was inspired by a band led by punk musician Mykel Board:

[Board]'s band blew my mind. The idea of having someone in the band that didn't sing or play an instrument was a revelation to me. Within a year, I had, with some friends, developed a band called You Suck, where most of the people on stage didn't play an instrument. Like there was a guy who did a Rubik's Cube, or a couple of people playing chess, or a guy with a dead fish on the end of a fishing line which he waved around the audience, or whatever. If you had some visual idea and cared to join us, we would let you. Over the course of a little over a year, over 100 people performed in You Suck. Mykel came to our first show and said that his face hurt from laughing so much. He ended up producing our only single and releasing it on his label: 'The You Suck Chant' [backed with] 'Get the Fuck off the Stage.' It was weird, because those were practically our only original songs: we were a cover band. We would do any bad song we could think of...[11]

Over the objections of the band, Board released the You Suck single with a pornographic album cover.[12] The single was not a commercial success, and the band broke up shortly after its release.[12]

King Missile[edit]

Main article: King Missile

In 1985, Hall began presenting his work at open mic poetry readings. After three shows, he became a "featured" poet at the Backfence, a performance space in Manhattan's East Village.[13] In 1986, feeling that "20 minutes of me reading poetry would be totally boring","[10] Hall asked his guitarist friend Dogbowl to augment his performances with original music.[10][13] Dogbowl agreed, and, with the addition of bassist Alex DeLaszlo, drummer R.B. Korbet, and xylophonist George O'Malley, King Missile (Dog Fly Religion) was born. The band released two albums on the Shimmy Disc label, 1987's Fluting on the Hump and 1988's They, and then dissolved because Dogbowl wanted to pursue a solo career.[10]

After Dogbowl's departure, Hall asked Bongwater guitarist Dave Rick to help him put together a new band.[13] Rick recruited multi-instrumentalist Chris Xefos, and Hall retained They drummer Steve Dansiger.[13] Hall dubbed the new lineup King Missile, dropping the parenthetical "Dog Fly Religion" subtitle "since that was [Dogbowl's] idea."[10] In late 1989 and early 1990, the band recorded the album Mystical Shit and, in 1990, released it on Shimmy Disc.[13] On the strength of the single "Jesus Was Way Cool", the album hit #1 on the CMJ charts, and the band was signed by a major label, Atlantic Records.[13] This series of events led Hall to make a habit of joking, "'Jesus' got me signed to Atlantic Records."[10] Shortly after getting signed, Hall released an album on Shimmy Disc with permission from Atlantic: Real Men, a side project recorded with producer and Shimmy Disc founder Kramer. King Missile was featured in the 1990 documentary CutTime which chronicled the East Village music scene at the time.[14][15]

King Missile recorded three albums for Atlantic: 1991's The Way to Salvation, 1992's Happy Hour, and 1994's King Missile. Happy Hour spawned a modest hit in "Detachable Penis," which reached No. 25 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.[16] Nonetheless, after the commercial failure of King Missile, the band was dropped from Atlantic, and they broke up shortly thereafter because, according to Hall, "there was no reason to stay together."[1]

In 1996, Hall released a "solo album," The Body Has a Head, on the German label Manifatture Criminali. The album featured considerable input from multi-instrumentalists Sasha Forte, Bradford Reed, and Jane Scarpantoni. With these musicians, as well as They cellist Charles Curtis, Hall formed a new band, King Missile III (pronounced "the third"). In 1998, the new lineup released its "debut" album, Failure, on Shimmy Disc. Curtis and Scarpantoni left the band after the release of Failure, and King Missile III continued as a trio, releasing two more albums, 2003's The Psychopathology of Everyday Life and 2004's Royal Lunch.

In 2015, Hall formed a new lineup of King Missile, King Missile IV, with the band LoveyDove. They toured New Zealand and released an EP called This Fuckin' Guy on Powertool Records. King Missile's classic lineup also reformed for live shows in 2015, continuing through 2016 and 2017.

In 2016, Hall started two new bands: Unusual Squirrel and Sensation Play. Unusual Squirrel released their debut album, Fuck Sandwich, through Bandcamp.[17]

In 2019, King Missile IV changed their name to You, Me and This Fuckin’ Guy and recorded their debut LP, Garden Variety Fuckers, released by Dromedary Records on April 17, 2020.

Books[edit]

Hall has released two books, both on Soft Skull Press. The first, 1997's Jesus Was Way Cool, is a collection of 40 poems recorded on King Missile and Hall solo albums, plus a never-recorded poem, "Hope."[18]

The second, 2007's Daily Negations, is a dark-humored satire of self-help books. In it, Hall presents a negative thought for each day of the calendar year (including Leap Day).[19] He posts daily readings of these thoughts on his Facebook and Instagram pages.

Dominant themes of work[edit]

Asked in a 2003 interview to speak about the common themes of his work, Hall replied:

I think these are some of the common themes: a) life is hard, brutal, capricious and unfair, b) sometimes there is a benefit to seeing it clearly, and acknowledging it truthfully..., and c) other times it is best to find something to laugh about, lest despair crush one completely. I find a lot of humor in shocking or so-called taboo things: castration, excrement, violence (usually self-inflicted or inflicted on the narrator, '[Martin] Scorsese' being an exception), sex and sexual perversions... etc.[13]

Other recurring subjects of Hall's work include religion and spirituality (e.g., "The Fish That Played the Ponies,"[20] "Jesus Was Way Cool,"[21] "The God"),[22] nihilism (e.g., "No Point,"[23] "Ed,"[24] "Jim"),[25] and masochism (e.g., "Pickaxe,"[26] "Take Me Home,"[27] "My Lover").[28]

Writing and performance styles[edit]

Hall's writing varies in format from straightforward narrative to abstract, disjointed free verse. The writing frequently contains absurdist imagery (e.g., "A giant testicle rolled over a Waffle House, killing several clowns")[29] and/or adynata (e.g., "P]igeons came along and ate his eyes, and seagulls ripped his stomach out, and pelicans ate his liver, and his spleen popped out all on its own and turned into a harmonica and played a pleasant little tune. Then out came his pancreas, which turned into the dog that bit him last week, and it bit him again and again and again many times").[25]

Hall's performance style is also eclectic, his delivery ranging from a deadpan monotone to melodic tenor singing to overwrought screaming. In a 1998 interview, Hall expressed a preference for his spoken material over his sung: "Most of my work that I prefer is this type, and in most cases, the singing stuff [on albums] is filler, with the exception of songs here and there... [F]or the most part, I'm better at the spoken shit."[30]

Stage name[edit]

In a 2003 missive to his electronic mailing list, Hall explained how he chose his stage name:

[M]y stage name is John S. Hall, my original born name is John Charles Hall, but my friends, enemies, and stalkers call me John Hall. What's the deal with the S? Well, when I was 15, I didn't like the way John C. Hall looked, so I wanted to change it. I was named after my grandfather, Charles Syjefroi Boileau, so I was given the choice of John B. Hall (which looked odd to me when I was 15, but now looks kind of fresh) or John S. Hall, which looked a lot better, so that's what I chose. It was several years before I realized that some people would think it was a deliberate pun on the word 'asshole.' It wasn't.[31]

Legal career[edit]

After the collapse of the second incarnation of King Missile, Hall decided to attend law school.[13] He graduated cum laude from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University in Manhattan,[32] and after graduation co-founded Heraty Hall, a law firm specializing in entertainment law.[13] Hall later left the firm to go into solo practice[4] until 2006, when he took a position as a corporate analyst at a law firm.

Asked by Aptowicz in the aforementioned 2005 interview if he became a lawyer out of disillusionment with the contemporary poetry scene, Hall laughed and replied, "I became a lawyer to make money."[33]

Political and personal beliefs[edit]

Hall has used his vehement dislike of President George W. Bush and his administration as subject matter for several King Missile III songs, including "The President,"[34] "Suggested Response to the Coming Crises,"[35] and "Another Political Poem."[36] He campaigned for Democratic candidate John Kerry in the United States presidential election of 2004.[37]

Hall considers himself both Buddhist[38] and agnostic.[4] On his MySpace page, he summarizes his faith as follows: "I don't believe in God, but I do believe in something. I'm just not sure what."[4]

Hall is also a vegan.[38]

Family[edit]

Hall is the older brother of Francis Hall, better known as Faceboy, an actor, producer, and activist working in the New York City arts community. As of 2014, Hall was married with a daughter he and his wife had in 2007.[39]

References in popular culture[edit]

American rapper MC Lars acknowledges Hall in his song "My Rhymes Rhyme": "Shout-outs to Wesley Willis, Adam G. and John Hall / Word to MC Paul Barman; hey, return my call!"[40] Lars also praises King Missile in his song "The Dialogue": "Nine Inch Nails, Primus, "Weird Al" and King Missile / Influenced me like a postmodern epistle."[41]

Discography[edit]

With King Missile (Dog Fly Religion)[edit]

Album Record Label Release Year
Fluting on the Hump Shimmy Disc 1987
They Shimmy Disc 1988

With King Missile[edit]

Album Record Label Release Year
Mystical Shit Shimmy Disc 1990
The Way to Salvation Atlantic Records 1991
Happy 14½ (EP) Atlantic 1992
Happy Hour Atlantic 1992
King Missile Atlantic 1994

With King Missile III[edit]

Album Record Label Release Year
Failure Shimmy Disc 1998
The Psychopathology of Everyday Life Instinct Records 2003
Royal Lunch Important Records 2004

With King Missile IV[edit]

Album Record Label Release Year
This Fuckin' Guy Powertool Records 2015

With Unusual Squirrel[edit]

Album Record Label Release Year
Fuck Sandwich [17] Self-Released 2016

With Kramer[edit]

Album Record Label Release Year
Real Men Shimmy Disc 1991

Solo[edit]

Album Record Label Release Year
The Body Has a Head Manifatture Criminali 1996

Bibliography[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c "Interview w/ John". Farmboy's King Missile. Retrieved 2008-06-02.
  2. ^ a b Aptowicz, Cristin O'Keefe. (2008). Words in Your Face: A Guided Tour Through Twenty Years of the New York City Poetry Slam. New York City: Soft Skull Press, 288. ISBN 1-933368-82-9.
  3. ^ "Lyrics: Wuss". Farmboy's King Missile. Retrieved 2008-06-02.
  4. ^ a b c d "John S. Hall MySpace Page". MySpace. Retrieved 2008-06-02.
  5. ^ a b c d Aptowicz (2008), p. 287.
  6. ^ a b Aptowicz (2008), p. 289.
  7. ^ Aptowicz (2008), p. 290.
  8. ^ Aptowicz (2008), p. 297.
  9. ^ "Video: America Kicks Ass (live on Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry)". YouTube. 2007-01-27. Retrieved 2008-06-14.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g Hall, John S. (2004). Album notes. In Mystical Shit & Fluting on the Hump [CD booklet]. New York City: Shimmy Disc.
  11. ^ Hall, John S. (2004-03-15). "John S. Hall/King Missile III Newsletter". LiveJournal. Archived from the original on 2012-11-28. Retrieved 2008-06-02.
  12. ^ a b Hall, John S. (2004-04-08). "John S. Hall/King Missile III Newsletter". LiveJournal. Archived from the original on 2010-10-29. Retrieved 2008-06-05.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h i Prindle, Mark (2003). "Interview with John S. Hall". Prindle Rock and Roll Record Review Site. Retrieved 2008-06-02.
  14. ^ CutTime on DevlinPix
  15. ^ "CutTime - King Missle [sic], "Life" (3 of 11) | DevlinPix". Archived from the original on 2012-04-04. Retrieved 2011-11-22.
  16. ^ "King Missile Singles Peak Chart Positions". Allmusic. Retrieved 2008-06-02.
  17. ^ a b "Unusual Squirrel | John S. Hall". Kingmissile.com. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  18. ^ "Amazon Online Reader: Jesus Was Way Cool". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2008-06-02.
  19. ^ Hall, John S. (2007). Daily Negations. New York City: Soft Skull Press. ISBN 1-933368-45-4.
  20. ^ "Lyrics: The Fish That Played the Ponies". Farmboy's King Missile. Retrieved 2008-06-19.
  21. ^ "Lyrics: Jesus Was Way Cool". Farmboy's King Missile. Retrieved 2008-06-19.
  22. ^ "Lyrics: The God". SongMeanings. Retrieved 2008-06-19.
  23. ^ "Lyrics: No Point". Farmboy's King Missile. Retrieved 2008-06-19.
  24. ^ "Lyrics: Ed". SongMeanings. Retrieved 2008-06-19.
  25. ^ a b "Lyrics: Jim". SongMeanings. Retrieved 2008-06-19.
  26. ^ "Lyrics: Pickaxe". Farmboy's King Missile. Retrieved 2008-06-19.
  27. ^ "Lyrics: Take Me Home". Farmboy's King Missile. Retrieved 2008-06-19.
  28. ^ "Lyrics: My Lover". SongMeanings. Retrieved 2008-06-19.
  29. ^ "Lyrics: Tour Diary: Louisville". SongMeanings. Retrieved 2008-07-09.
  30. ^ Thompson, Stephen (1998-11-11). "Interview with John S. Hall". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on 2008-08-28. Retrieved 2008-07-09.
  31. ^ Hall, John S. (2003-12-27). "John S. Hall/King Missile III Newsletter". LiveJournal. Archived from the original on 2012-11-30. Retrieved 2008-06-02.
  32. ^ "Bios". Heraty Law. Retrieved 2008-06-02.
  33. ^ Aptowicz (2008), p. 302.
  34. ^ "Lyrics: The President". SongMeanings. Retrieved 2008-06-23.
  35. ^ "Lyrics: Suggested Response to the Coming Crises". SongMeanings. Retrieved 2008-06-23.
  36. ^ "Lyrics: Another Political Poem". SongMeanings. Retrieved 2008-06-23.
  37. ^ Hall, John S. (2004-06-18). "John S. Hall/King Missile III Newsletter". LiveJournal. Archived from the original on 2012-11-29. Retrieved 2008-06-23.
  38. ^ a b Hall, John S. (October 2005). "Ocean Lotus Farm: Review". Satya. Retrieved 2008-06-23.
  39. ^ Koester, Megan (8 August 2014). "King Missile's John S. Hall Is a Sensitive Artist (Who Works at a Law Firm)". Vice.com. Retrieved 2022-08-13.
  40. ^ "Lyrics: My Rhymes Rhyme". SongMeanings. Retrieved 2008-06-02.
  41. ^ "Lyrics: The Dialogue". SongMeanings. Retrieved 2008-06-02.

External links[edit]

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