A Blessing from the Dead
When John Morano sought permission to weave Grateful Dead lyrics into his novel, he expected a legal hurdle. Instead, he received an unforgettable surprise.
While working on my second novel, “Makoona,” I created the character Molo, an octopus named in honor of the drummer John Molo, whom I had seen play with iterations of the Grateful Dead. John Molo is 6 feet, 6 inches tall, and when his long arms wave behind the kit, he resembles an octopus.
Molo became a very special character to me: loose, psychedelic, a little burnt out, and speaking entirely in repurposed Grateful Dead lyrics. I had so much fun writing him that it never occurred to me, until the book was finished, that I might need the band’s permission.
A reader in Germany connected me with Alan Trist, who oversaw Ice Nine Publishing, the company that handled the Dead’s song rights. When I explained to Alan what I’d done, his response wasn’t encouraging. He felt the story sounded political, which the band was not (by design), but he invited me to send him the manuscript with the lyrics highlighted and agreed to give it a look.
A month later he called me back.
“Professor!” he said. “I’ve read your book, shared it with the band, and we’ve come to a decision.”
I braced myself.
“You’ve identified the one cause we all care about: protecting the planet. There is no better place for our lyrics than in an octopus on a coral reef.”
Then came the words I never expected.
“You can use any and all of our lyrics—for free!”
It was like a sloppy kiss from the band that played the music of my soul.
It’s rare and reaffirming when the band that makes the music that lives inside you turns out to be exactly who you thought and hoped they’d be. It’s something I’ll always cherish.
John Morano retired this spring after 38 years as a journalism professor at Monmouth University. He is the author of four novels in the Morano Eco-Adventure Series and is currently at work on his fifth.