Shake, rattle and write: why the music memoir is booming

From Bono to Jarvis Cocker, Bruce Springsteen to Cosey Fanni Tutti, the last decade has seen an explosion of books by artists from every walk of musical life. Why is this once-rare genre striking a chord with stars and readers alike?By her own admission, Miki Berenyi was not a woman itching to write a memoir. Even if she had been, she says, why would anyone have been interested? Her band, Lush, were “never that big”. They enjoyed cult alt-rock success in the early 90s, scored three Top 30 singles in the Britpop era, and broke up in 1996. They briefly reformed in 2015, but broke up again after less than a year, keen “to return to our families and homes”. When a publisher approached her with the idea of an autobiography, she says, “I literally laughed in his fucking face – I was like: ‘Why would I want to do that? That sounds ridiculous.’”But then Berenyi lost her job as a subeditor when the magazine she worked for folded. “Lockdown was looming, and I thought, ‘Oh shit, actually this isn’t a great time to be looking for a job’, so I kind of … It was a bit more pragmatic than a burning ambition.” Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2023-07-15 08:00:25 UTC ]
News tagged with: #musical life #readers alike #great time #memoir

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Actor Richard E. Grant processed his grief by writing and name-dropping

Richard E. Grant, star of 'Loki,' 'The Lesson' and much more, on how writing his memoir 'A Pocketful of Happiness' helped him grieve for his wife. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-07-28 19:53:27 UTC ]
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Google testing AI tool that writes news articles

Tool is said to have been pitched to several US news outlets as an aid for journalists rather than a replacementGoogle is testing an artificial intelligence tool that can write news articles, in the latest evidence that the technology has the potential to transform white-collar professions.The... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-07-20 12:04:29 UTC ]
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See the cover for Sloane Crosley’s new memoir, Grief is for People.

Literary Hub is pleased to reveal the cover for Grief is for People, a first memoir from the sharp-eyed essayist and novelist Sloane Crosley, which will be published by MCD/FSG on February 27, 2024. Here’s a bit about the book from the publisher: For most of her adult life, Sloane and Russell... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-07-19 14:00:54 UTC ]
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The indie publishing mavericks shaking up the UK books world

Last year, all of literature’s big prizes went to small publishers. In a risk‑averse climate, edgy debuts and ‘tricky-to-sell’ foreign titles have found a home at the likes of Fitzcarraldo Editions and Sort Of Books – and the gamble has paid offA quiet revolution is afoot in British publishing.... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-07-16 08:00:02 UTC ]
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The Rest is History: Andrew Ridker on Writing About the Recent Past

For years I refused to read historical fiction. It seemed to me that there was something artificial—dishonest, even—in summoning a time and place that hadn’t been experienced firsthand. I couldn’t see past the affected dialogue, the funny hats, and my suspicion that the author was making it all... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-07-12 08:51:46 UTC ]
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Gallery Books Will Publish Britney Spears's Memoir This Fall

Simon & Schuster imprint Gallery Books will publish 'The Woman in Me' on October 24. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-07-12 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Britney Spears’ Memoir Release Date and Cover Reveal

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[ Book Riot | 2023-07-11 16:42:00 UTC ]
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Britney Spears’s ‘brave’ tell-all memoir out in October

The Woman in Me, which will cover pop star’s conservatorship experience among other topics, is set for release later this yearBritney Spears will release her tell-all memoir, The Woman in Me on 24 October, the publisher announced on Tuesday.The Woman in Me will be “a brave and astonishingly... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-07-11 16:02:28 UTC ]
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Yomi Adegoke: ‘There’s something inherently cringe about writing fiction’

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[ The Guardian | 2023-07-01 08:00:07 UTC ]
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Writing a Book is an Act of Prayer

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[ Electric Literature | 2023-06-29 11:12:00 UTC ]
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Adventures in Memory: On Searching for Truth by Writing Fiction

As a fiction writer, I’ve always felt compelled, memoir style, to pore over my life’s timeline. But in a novel, I can erase, revise, smash, crash, reconstruct, and transfigure that squiggly narrative. A novel has no obligation to mirror or represent anything familiar, recognizable, or real. And... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-06-28 08:52:54 UTC ]
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A Memoir's Sharp Look at Christian Marriage

PW talks with author Shannon Harris about 'The Woman They Wanted: Shattering the Illusion of the Good Christian Wife.' Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-06-27 04:00:00 UTC ]
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‘It’s like all my dreams coming true’: inside the BBC’s electrifying new musical drama

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[ The Guardian | 2023-06-23 12:00:37 UTC ]
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Spiritual Journeys Tie Together New Memoirs

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-06-23 04:00:00 UTC ]
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8 Recently Published Political Graphic Nonfiction and Memoirs

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[ Book Riot | 2023-06-22 10:32:00 UTC ]
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The Pulitzer Prize-winning author was always willing to experiment with his prose, pacing and narration, crafting an oeuvre that varied wildly in style and structure. Continue reading at The Conversation

[ The Conversation | 2023-06-16 17:42:27 UTC ]
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The Young Heroes of the Writing World

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-06-16 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Steph Catudal’s Memoir Is Actually Two Books Woven Together

When her husband was diagnosed with lung cancer, the author was haunted by a long-ago loss — one she’d already written about. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-06-15 09:00:49 UTC ]
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The Study of Reality: On Trauma, Quantum Mechanics, and Writing Science Fiction

Before I dedicated my life to taking pot-shots at the nature of the universe—I mean, before I became a science fiction writer—I was a frightened child. Death scared me, but living was the constant terror. My father told me I had chosen this. I had come to him in a dream before I was born […] Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-06-14 08:53:04 UTC ]
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‘Beyond This Harbor,’ a Memoir by Rose Styron, Has Poetry, Crusades and Glittering Names

The poet and activist Rose Styron, 95, had to be talked into writing about herself and the many luminaries she has known. “I don’t like looking backward,” she said. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-06-13 21:08:45 UTC ]
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