It’s such fun to discover that someone who’s a master in one field has talents that spill over to another creative area. Take novelist Meg Wolitzer, for example. The author of nine books — including The Position, The Wife, The Uncoupling, and her latest, now out in paperback, The Interestings — she also has a passion for music. She’s been known to sing along with her friend Suzzy Roche, singer/songwriter with the group The Roches and author of the book Wayward Saints. In fact, last fall the two served as guest professors at Princeton, where they taught the music- and storytelling-themed course, Stories to Stage, Words, and Song: A Study in Adaptation.
“Students turned poems into songs, scenes into monologues, etc.,” Wolitzer says. “I loved that there was a performing aspect to the class, which usually isn’t the case in the classes I teach.”
While she doesn’t listen to music while she writes, Wolitzer says she does create playlists for other activities. So we asked her to share a few hits from her personal soundtrack. She offered up, “ten songs that I love, most of them quite old. I listen to them while walking around New York City, something I do every day.” Here they are:
Start with Lucy Wainwright Roche, folk musician (and daughter of Suzzy Roche and Loudon Wainwright III). “Snare Drum” is a favorite.
Next, a classic, “Penny Lane,” by The Beatles:
Cue up the rest on Spotify, and take a walk:
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Meet the author: Parnassus Books hosts a discussion and signing with Meg Wolitzer on Thursday, March 27, at 6:30 p.m. (Free, no advance tickets required.)
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The Interestings (Paperback)$17.00
ISBN-13: 9781594632341
Availability: On Our Shelves Now Published: Riverhead Trade, 4/2014 |
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The Ten-Year Nap (Paperback)$16.00
ISBN-13: 9781594483547
Availability: On Our Shelves Now Published: Riverhead Trade, 3/2009 |
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This Is My Life (Paperback)$16.00
ISBN-13: 9781594633140
Availability: On Our Shelves Now Published: Riverhead Trade, 3/2014 |
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Sleepwalking (Paperback)$16.00
ISBN-13: 9781594633133
Availability: On Our Shelves Now Published: Riverhead Trade, 3/2014 |
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The Uncoupling (Paperback)$16.00
ISBN-13: 9781594485657
Availability: On Our Shelves Now Published: Riverhead Trade, 3/2012 |
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The Wife (Paperback)$15.00
ISBN-13: 9780743456661
Availability: On Our Shelves Now Published: Scribner, 4/2004 |
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The Position (Paperback)$17.99
ISBN-13: 9780743261807
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days Published: Scribner, 6/2006 |
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