In My Hour of Darkness, In My Time of Need

In My Hour of Darkness, In My Time of Need is a 130-line narrative poem by Jonathan Fink about the life of pioneering musician Gram Parsons and his overdose and failed cremation at what at the time was Joshua Tree National Monument. Accompanied by original artwork created by Julie Fink, the art and poetry book is made available digitally for free online here as the culminating project of a October 2023 Artist-in-Residence Fellowship awarded to Jonathan by Joshua Tree National Park. The book is also available for purchase in full-color paperback through this site. Additionally, Jonathan and Julie would like to thank Joshua Tree National Park (specifically Sarah Jane Pepper) and the UWF Department of Art and Design (specifically Kel Crownover, book designer, and John Dougherty) for their support and assistance.

Purchase a Signed Paperback, Full-Color Edition of In My Hour of Darkness, In My Time of Need

Thank you for interest in a signed, full-color paperback edition of In My Hour of Darkness, In My Time of Need. The $15 purchase cost includes domestic shipping in the U.S. (For non-domestic deliveries, please contact the authors prior to purchase.) Please include the mailing address for shipping when you submit the order. You can also contact Jonathan through the “Contact” page of jonathanfink.com to follow up on your purchase or ask any questions. Jonathan will respond to you quickly and confirm when the book has shipped.

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A Note from the Author

On September 19, 1973, pioneering “Cosmic American Music” musician Gram Parsons passed away at the age of twenty-six from an overdose at the Joshua Tree Inn in Joshua Tree, California. Following Gram Parsons’s death, Parsons’s road manager and one of his acquaintances stole Parsons’s coffin and body from the Los Angeles International Airport and performed a failed cremation at Cap Rock in Joshua Tree National Monument, attempting to honor what Parsons stated previously and prophetically as his desired request. This poem imagines the final moments of Parsons’s spirit and voice rising in the smoke of the failed cremation.

A Note from the Artist

Many of the images included here are inspired and informed by Gram Parsons’s “Nudie Suits” created by Nudie Cohn. In a blend of tradition and irreverence reflective of his musical vision and life, Gram Parsons requested that his Nudie Suits contain images of pills, poppies, marijuana leaves, naked women, a Joshua tree, and a large cross, among others. The additional artwork included in the book reflects the landscape of Joshua Tree that was so important to Parsons as well as imagined renderings based on the content of the poem. All original artwork for this project was done in watercolor and charcoal.