Terry Gross

So this is a scene between Patrick Fugit, who plays your surrogate in the film, and Philip Seymour Hoffman, who plays Lester Bangs.

Unmerciful.

Honest and unmerciful.

Yeah, yeah.

And I think that was true of Lester Bangs.

Were you capable of being unmerciful?

Yeah, and unmerciful isn't something you usually strive to be in your life.

But as a critic, you have to be honest.

And sometimes that means unmerciful.

But that's still a harsh word to use for a 15-year-old who's starting in a very harsh business.

Yeah.

Lester Bangs also warned you about not making friends with musicians or publicists.

You probably really wanted to be the musicians' friends, but did you try not to be?

Like, how did that work out for you?

We need to take another break here, so let me reintroduce you.

My guest is Cameron Crowe.

His new memoir is called Uncool, and it follows roughly the same period of time as his movie Almost Famous, which is about being, like, a teenager still in high school, touring with bands and writing about them for Rolling Stone and other magazines.

We'll be back after a short break.

I'm Terry Gross, and this is Fresh Air.

I woke up this morning And the heaven states were blue