“I really tried to create a band that I would love, if they were real”— Taylor Jenkins Reid, author of Daisy Jones & The Six
Fiction writers have long been seduced by the anarchy, defiance, and raw power of rock ‘n roll, creating stories about music, the people who make it, and the characters who love it with the same intensity as the most ambitious concept albums. But until Rock is Lit first aired in September 2022, there had never been a podcast devoted to this art form—the rock novel—and the show remains a singularity.
In each episode, host Christy Alexander Hallberg, author of the award-winning rock novel Searching for Jimmy Page (Livingston Press, 2021), interviews authors about craft and the musical inspiration behind their work, then brings in music experts, like legendary groupie Pamela Des Barres, to add real-world context to the bands or musical periods featured in the novels. Hallberg has quickly earned a reputation as a meticulous researcher and creative producer, frequently garnering compliments from guests such as Rex Weiner, author of The (Original) Adventures of Ford Fairlane: “You’re so well versed in what I wrote and, of course, your own rock ‘n roll history is pretty terrific.”
The podcast’s growing roster of rock novels includes: Dana Spiotta’s National Book Award-nominated Eat the Document, works by BIPOC authors like Chris L. Terry’s Black Card, metal-centric novels like John Wray’s Gone to the Wolves, YA LGBTQ debuts like Jessamyn Violet’s Secret Rules to Being a Rockstar, Scifi rock novels like Sarah Pinsker’s Nebula Award-winning A Song For A New Day, rock novels adapted to film like Garth Risk Hallberg’s City on Fire, and celebrity rock novels like the legendary Suzi Quatro’s The Hurricane.
Tune in to Rock is Lit and join the mounting number of Lit Listeners on their quest to find the very best rock novels.
A proud part of Pantheon Podcasts.
Watch the trailer on YouTube.
Find Christy Alexander Hallberg and Rock is Lit on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube: @ChristyHallberg
All content for Rock Is Lit is the property of Christy Alexander Hallberg and is served directly from their servers
with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
“I really tried to create a band that I would love, if they were real”— Taylor Jenkins Reid, author of Daisy Jones & The Six
Fiction writers have long been seduced by the anarchy, defiance, and raw power of rock ‘n roll, creating stories about music, the people who make it, and the characters who love it with the same intensity as the most ambitious concept albums. But until Rock is Lit first aired in September 2022, there had never been a podcast devoted to this art form—the rock novel—and the show remains a singularity.
In each episode, host Christy Alexander Hallberg, author of the award-winning rock novel Searching for Jimmy Page (Livingston Press, 2021), interviews authors about craft and the musical inspiration behind their work, then brings in music experts, like legendary groupie Pamela Des Barres, to add real-world context to the bands or musical periods featured in the novels. Hallberg has quickly earned a reputation as a meticulous researcher and creative producer, frequently garnering compliments from guests such as Rex Weiner, author of The (Original) Adventures of Ford Fairlane: “You’re so well versed in what I wrote and, of course, your own rock ‘n roll history is pretty terrific.”
The podcast’s growing roster of rock novels includes: Dana Spiotta’s National Book Award-nominated Eat the Document, works by BIPOC authors like Chris L. Terry’s Black Card, metal-centric novels like John Wray’s Gone to the Wolves, YA LGBTQ debuts like Jessamyn Violet’s Secret Rules to Being a Rockstar, Scifi rock novels like Sarah Pinsker’s Nebula Award-winning A Song For A New Day, rock novels adapted to film like Garth Risk Hallberg’s City on Fire, and celebrity rock novels like the legendary Suzi Quatro’s The Hurricane.
Tune in to Rock is Lit and join the mounting number of Lit Listeners on their quest to find the very best rock novels.
A proud part of Pantheon Podcasts.
Watch the trailer on YouTube.
Find Christy Alexander Hallberg and Rock is Lit on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube: @ChristyHallberg
Cassettes, Secrets, and Small-Town Mysteries: Matthew Fiander Reads from His Novel, ‘Ringing in Your Ears’
Rock Is Lit
35 minutes
1 year ago
Cassettes, Secrets, and Small-Town Mysteries: Matthew Fiander Reads from His Novel, ‘Ringing in Your Ears’
In this episode, Matthew Fiander joins the Rock is Lit Season 4 Reading Series to discuss and read from his debut novel, ‘Ringing in Your Ears’. Set in a Boston suburb during the early ‘90s, the story follows Louise “Blue” Cleary as she navigates the emotional aftermath of her sister Christine’s mysterious death. Already struggling to fit in as a girl barred from playing baseball and an umpire facing hostility from local parents, Blue’s grief sends her on a journey to uncover truths about her sister—and herself. With Christine’s cassette tapes as clues, Blue’s search reveals buried secrets about her family and the dark underbelly of their seemingly idyllic town.
Matthew Fiander’s fiction has appeared in ‘Story Magazine’, ‘Mid-American Review’, ‘Zone 3’, ‘Willow Springs’, ‘The Massachusetts Review’, ‘Southern Indiana Review’, ‘South Carolina Review’, ‘Reckon Review’, and elsewhere. He has also written for ‘The New York Times’, PopMatters, and other outlets. His debut novel, ‘Ringing in Your Ears’, was published by Main Street Rag. Fiander currently lives and works in North Carolina.
MUSIC IN THE EPISODE IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE:
Rock is Lit theme music
[Guitar Instrumental Beat] Sad Rock [Free Use Music] Punch Deck—“I Can’t Stop”
Buffalo Tom “Taillights Fade”
Pearl Jam “Once”
Nirvana “All Apologies”
[Guitar Instrumental Beat] Sad Rock [Free Use Music] Punch Deck—“I Can’t Stop”
Rock is Lit theme music
LINKS:
Leave a rating and comment for Rock is Lit on Goodpods: https://goodpods.com/podcasts/rock-is-lit-212451
Leave a rating and comment for Rock is Lit on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rock-is-lit/id1642987350
Matthew Fiander on Facebook: @MatthewFiander
Matthew Fiander on Twitter: @mattfiander
Christy Alexander Hallberg’s website: https://www.christyalexanderhallberg.com/rockislit
Christy Alexander Hallberg on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube: @ChristyHallberg
Rock is Lit on Instagram: @rockislitpodcast
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Rock Is Lit
“I really tried to create a band that I would love, if they were real”— Taylor Jenkins Reid, author of Daisy Jones & The Six
Fiction writers have long been seduced by the anarchy, defiance, and raw power of rock ‘n roll, creating stories about music, the people who make it, and the characters who love it with the same intensity as the most ambitious concept albums. But until Rock is Lit first aired in September 2022, there had never been a podcast devoted to this art form—the rock novel—and the show remains a singularity.
In each episode, host Christy Alexander Hallberg, author of the award-winning rock novel Searching for Jimmy Page (Livingston Press, 2021), interviews authors about craft and the musical inspiration behind their work, then brings in music experts, like legendary groupie Pamela Des Barres, to add real-world context to the bands or musical periods featured in the novels. Hallberg has quickly earned a reputation as a meticulous researcher and creative producer, frequently garnering compliments from guests such as Rex Weiner, author of The (Original) Adventures of Ford Fairlane: “You’re so well versed in what I wrote and, of course, your own rock ‘n roll history is pretty terrific.”
The podcast’s growing roster of rock novels includes: Dana Spiotta’s National Book Award-nominated Eat the Document, works by BIPOC authors like Chris L. Terry’s Black Card, metal-centric novels like John Wray’s Gone to the Wolves, YA LGBTQ debuts like Jessamyn Violet’s Secret Rules to Being a Rockstar, Scifi rock novels like Sarah Pinsker’s Nebula Award-winning A Song For A New Day, rock novels adapted to film like Garth Risk Hallberg’s City on Fire, and celebrity rock novels like the legendary Suzi Quatro’s The Hurricane.
Tune in to Rock is Lit and join the mounting number of Lit Listeners on their quest to find the very best rock novels.
A proud part of Pantheon Podcasts.
Watch the trailer on YouTube.
Find Christy Alexander Hallberg and Rock is Lit on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube: @ChristyHallberg
