Jonathan Lethem UK Book Launch for Cellophane Bricks with Adam Curtis

Sep 25, 6:30 PM GMT • London: Christie’s • 8 King St, London SW1Y 6QT, United Kingdom

Many know Jonathan Lethem as one of our most celebrated and eclectic writers, whose iconic novels—Motherless Brooklyn, The Fortress of Solitude, Chronic City, among many others—play with genres and storytelling modes like a DJ mixing music. But Lethem grew up in his father’s studio, went to art school, and, in his own words, “made hundreds if not thousands of drawings, collages, paintings, hand-drawn comics, and even two animated shorts” before diverting, at nineteen, to prose. The surreal and form-defying panoply of his stories, essays, and novels celebrates—and mourns—this forsaken world of the visual and plastic arts. That leap, between the cellophane ephemerality of language and the brick-like tangibility of visual art, which operates as a sublimated wellspring for Lethem’s writing, is the subject of this book. 

Cellophane Bricks mortars together Lethem’s fictions in response to (and in exchange for) artworks by his friends with dozens of original essays. Here we tour his meditations on comics and graffiti art; his collaborations with artists and interventions into visual culture; and his portrait of the museum that was and continues to be his home, untethered from geography. Unique in Lethem’s kaleidoscopic oeuvre, Cellophane Bricks comprises a kind of stealth memoir of his parallel life in visual culture. Gorgeously designed, with stunning, full-color images from the author’s own collection and elsewhere, Cellophane Bricks is a ravishing assemblage for story lovers of all kinds. Lethem also discusses Brooklyn Crime Novel, out now in paperback.

About the Author

Jonathan Lethem is the author of Brooklyn Crime Novel and twelve other novels. His stories and essays have been collected in five volumes, and his work translated into over thirty languages. He has been recipient of The National Book Critics Circle Award, The World Fantasy Award, The Berlin Prize, and a MacArthur Fellowship.

About the Interlocutor:

Adam Curtis is an award-winning documentary maker at the BBC. His films include The Power of Nightmares, about the parallel between the rise of Islamism in the Arab world and neoconservatism in the United States

About the Venue:

Christie’s is a global art business. Active in 46 countries, with 10 salerooms around the world and an advanced online bidding platform, it’s easy to buy and sell with Christie’s — wherever you are.

Our regional galleries work directly with collectors to buy and sell world-class works of art throughout the year — independent of the auction calendar. Galleries feature private sales, curated exhibitions and partnerships with prominent local collectors and institutions, while selling exhibitions are open for public view.

For all press inquiries please contact Alexander Galan, ag@vidoun.com or Thora Siemsen, tds@vidoun.com

Joe Boyd Presents And the Roots of Rhythm Remain: A Journey through Global Music

Sep 25, 6 PM MT • Albuquerque: Bookworks Bookstore • 4022 Rio Grande Blvd NW, Albuquerque, NM 87107

We are happy to partner with AMP Concerts to present author and producer, Joe Boyd, for a reading and signing event to celebrate the release of his new book, And the Roots of Rhythm Remain.

This is a free event, but registration is highly encouraged. Please register for this event here.

"What an amazing book! Joe Boyd has distilled decades of experience and observation of how musical ideas interbreed, and how culture is formed, into a tumultuous, gripping and dramatic story. I doubt I'll ever read a better account of the history and sociology of popular music than this one." --Brian Eno

"Joe Boyd has an acute ear for music and an astute eye for talent that has led him around the world, recording and returning with music that has been and will be an indelible and fascinating part of our culture. Here he reveals the searching intellect, the generous spirit, and the deep heart beneath his extraordinary life's work." --T Bone Burnett

About the Book

“You haven’t heard this before!" the accordion flourish seemed to proclaim. Paul Simon told Joe Boyd that he immediately knew it would open Graceland, the multi-platinum album that helped usher in the 1980s “world music” boom. Yet that movement had roots extending back through the decades and across continents: tango on the eve of World War I, Latin dance across the ’30s, ’40s and ’50s, reggae in the ’70s, pre-War samba and pre-Beatles bossa nova, Eastern European ensembles filling capitalist concert halls during the Cold War, Indian ragas changing rock and roll in the 1960s, the folk music–inspired classical composers of the 19th and 20th centuries.

In this sweeping history compiled from more than a decade of travel, research, interviews, and deep listening, Boyd sets out to explore centuries of fascinating backstories to these sounds. He shows how personalities, events, and politics in places such as Havana, Lagos, Budapest, Kingston, and Rio are as colorful and momentous as anything that took place in New Orleans, Harlem, Laurel Canyon, or Liverpool. And, moreover, how jazz, rhythm and blues, and rock ‘n’ roll would never have happened if it weren’t for the notes and rhythms emanating from over the horizon. The one-of-a-kind result is And the Roots of Rhythm Remain: a glorious, symphonic celebration of the music that shapes our world.

About the Author

Joe Boyd is a record producer and writer, known for his acclaimed memoir, White Bicycles. Artists he has produced include Nick Drake, R.E.M., Toots and the Maytals, Richard Thompson, Pink Floyd, Kate and Anna McGarrigle, and ¡Cubanismo! among many others over the course of a nearly sixty-year career. 

After graduating from Harvard in 1964, he tour-managed Muddy Waters, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Sonny Rollins, Stan Getz and Astrud Gilberto, and others before serving as production manager for the historic 1965 Newport Folk and Jazz Festivals. He then moved to London to open Elektra Records’ office and started the famous UFO club, which became the center of London’s psychedelic revolution. In 1979 he launched his own label, Hannibal Records, which was at the forefront of bringing global artists to western audiences. As a film producer, his credits include Amazing Grace, Scandal,and Jimi Hendrix. A gifted raconteur, he appears frequently on radio, podcasts and documentaries.

About the Venue

This fall, Bookworks celebrates 39 years as a locally-owned and operated independent bookstore.

As one of Albuquerque’s legacy independent bookstores, we are dedicated to supporting our community and connecting books and readers. And we are thankful that our community is devoted to supporting us. 

As of 2023, Bookworks is owned by an LLC (Bookworks on Rio Grande) funded by group of 15 people. The group invested in the store to ensure it stayed open and remained robust. Shannon Guinn-Collins and Nancy Guinn are the majority members and oversee the store’s operations.

Bookworks has been a literary meeting place in Albuquerque since 1984, from its original home in Albuquerque's Rio Grande Valley in what was then the Dietz Farm Plaza, and now in the next stage of life, next to the Flying Star Cafe in the Shops on Rio Grande. The store is well-known for high-quality events and readings, including local, regional, and nationally-known authors. We partner with organizations such as the Albuquerque Public Library Foundation and the Leopold Writing Program to offer event series, including A Word with Writers and Writing the Wild, and we hold events both in the store and in venues throughout the community. In 2023, approximately 80% of our events features local and regional authors.

For more information on And The Roots Of Rhythm Remain, please reachout to Matt Hanks (mhanks@shorefire.com), Chris Taillie (ctaillie@shorefire.com), and Henry Thomas (hthomas@shorefire.com) at Shore Fire Media.

Joe Boyd Presents And the Roots of Rhythm Remain: A Journey through Global Music

Sep 24, 6 PM MT • Santa Fe: Collected Works Bookstore • 202 Galisteo St, Santa Fe, NM 87501

From the legendary producer of Nick Drake, R.E.M., Toots and the Maytals, and Pink Floyd and author of "White Bicycles: Making Music in the 1960s" comes a riveting, world-spanning tour de force illuminating the artists, histories, controversies, and collaborations that shaped global music.

About the Event

CW is proud to co-present this event with AMP Concerts.

This will be an in-store event and live streamed to Zoom, please register for Zoom here

Purchase And the Roots of Rhythm Remain (hardcover, $40) from CW here or call the store to order (505) 988-4226.

About the Book

“You haven’t heard this before!" the accordion flourish seemed to proclaim. Paul Simon told Joe Boyd that he immediately knew it would open Graceland, the multi-platinum album that helped usher in the 1980s “world music” boom. Yet that movement had roots extending back through the decades and across continents: tango on the eve of World War I, Latin dance across the ’30s, ’40s and ’50s, reggae in the ’70s, pre-War samba and pre-Beatles bossa nova, Eastern European ensembles filling capitalist concert halls during the Cold War, Indian ragas changing rock and roll in the 1960s, the folk music–inspired classical composers of the 19th and 20th centuries.

In this sweeping history compiled from more than a decade of travel, research, interviews, and deep listening, Boyd sets out to explore centuries of fascinating backstories to these sounds. He shows how personalities, events, and politics in places such as Havana, Lagos, Budapest, Kingston, and Rio are as colorful and momentous as anything that took place in New Orleans, Harlem, Laurel Canyon, or Liverpool. And, moreover, how jazz, rhythm and blues, and rock ‘n’ roll would never have happened if it weren’t for the notes and rhythms emanating from over the horizon. The one-of-a-kind result is And the Roots of Rhythm Remain: a glorious, symphonic celebration of the music that shapes our world.

About the Author

Joe Boyd is a record producer and writer, known for his acclaimed memoir, White Bicycles. Artists he has produced include Nick Drake, R.E.M., Toots and the Maytals, Richard Thompson, Pink Floyd, Kate and Anna McGarrigle, and ¡Cubanismo! among many others over the course of a nearly sixty-year career. 

After graduating from Harvard in 1964, he tour-managed Muddy Waters, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Sonny Rollins, Stan Getz and Astrud Gilberto, and others before serving as production manager for the historic 1965 Newport Folk and Jazz Festivals. He then moved to London to open Elektra Records’ office and started the famous UFO club, which became the center of London’s psychedelic revolution. In 1979 he launched his own label, Hannibal Records, which was at the forefront of bringing global artists to western audiences. As a film producer, his credits include Amazing Grace, Scandal,and Jimi Hendrix. A gifted raconteur, he appears frequently on radio, podcasts and documentaries.

About the Venue

For 46 years, Collected Works Bookstore has served as Santa Fe’s source for all things literary. We are Santa Fe's oldest locally-owned independent bookstore, nestled just blocks away from the historic downtown Plaza. We are home to thousands of titles spanning all genres of local, national and international authors. If you're looking for a specific book, come in or call us - our booksellers are happy to help.​

We are happy to welcome you to our beloved community hub. Come in, buy a book, and get comfortable with a cup of coffee from our coffeehouse in front of our fireplace, on one of our couches or outside on our patio. Collected Works hosts over 70 author/poet events annually, be sure to stay informed of our event schedule by signing up to receive our weekly email.​

Collected Works' Coffeehouse is run by our team. The coffeehouse is set within the bookstore and features light fare, free high-speed wifi access, comfortable seating, and great books.

For more information on And The Roots Of Rhythm Remain, please reachout to Matt Hanks (mhanks@shorefire.com), Chris Taillie (ctaillie@shorefire.com), and Henry Thomas (hthomas@shorefire.com) at Shore Fire Media.

Bob Dylan Center Book Club: And the Roots of Rhythm Remain: A Journey through Global Music

Sep 22, 5 PM CT • Tulsa: Bob Dylan Center • 116 E Mathew Brady St, Tulsa, OK 74103

Legendary producer Joe Boyd has applied his keen ear and studio wizardry to folk-rock masterpieces by a remarkable range of artists including Nick Drake, Pink Floyd, Fairport Convention, The Incredible String Band, Taj Mahal, Billy Bragg, 10,000 Maniacs and R.E.M.

Following the 2010 publication of his critically acclaimed memoir “White Bicycles: Making Music in the 1960s,” Boyd travelled the world—from Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro to Lagos and Soweto to Hungary and India—to study the remarkable music made by a diverse array of cultures. The resulting book, “And the Roots of Rhythm Remain: A Journey through Global Music” is a sweeping study of the impact that sounds from over the horizon and below the equator have had on jazz, R&B and rock ‘n’ roll, and a celebration of music as a truly global language that speaks beyond geographic boundaries. Boyd describes his magnum opus as “a non-academic page-turner, full of anecdotes, personalities and backstories.”

Making a rare visit to the States from his home in London, Boyd will engage in an onstage conversation with American Song Archives Managing Director Steve Higgins about roots, rhythms, writing, producing, the brilliance of Richard Thompson and stage-managing the 1965 Newport Folk Festival, where Bob Dylan famously “went electric.”

“What an amazing book! Joe Boyd has distilled decades of experience and observation of how musical ideas interbreed, and how culture is formed, into a tumultuous, gripping and dramatic story. I doubt I’ll ever read a better account of the history and sociology of popular music than this one.”
—Brian Eno

“Joe Boyd has an acute ear for music and an astute eye for talent that has led him around the world, recording and returning with music that has been and will be an indelible and fascinating part of our culture. Here he reveals the searching intellect, the generous spirit, and the deep heart beneath his extraordinary life’s work.”
—T Bone Burnett

This event is free with admission; limited-capacity general admission seating available on a first- come, first-served basis.

This event will be livestreamed for Bob Dylan Center members.

Details:

Sunday, Sept. 22
5 p.m. CT
Bob Dylan Center
116 E. Reconciliation Way, Tulsa, OK 74103

Tickets:

Free with Bob Dylan Center admission

About the Book

“You haven’t heard this before!" the accordion flourish seemed to proclaim. Paul Simon told Joe Boyd that he immediately knew it would open Graceland, the multi-platinum album that helped usher in the 1980s “world music” boom. Yet that movement had roots extending back through the decades and across continents: tango on the eve of World War I, Latin dance across the ’30s, ’40s and ’50s, reggae in the ’70s, pre-War samba and pre-Beatles bossa nova, Eastern European ensembles filling capitalist concert halls during the Cold War, Indian ragas changing rock and roll in the 1960s, the folk music–inspired classical composers of the 19th and 20th centuries.

In this sweeping history compiled from more than a decade of travel, research, interviews, and deep listening, Boyd sets out to explore centuries of fascinating backstories to these sounds. He shows how personalities, events, and politics in places such as Havana, Lagos, Budapest, Kingston, and Rio are as colorful and momentous as anything that took place in New Orleans, Harlem, Laurel Canyon, or Liverpool. And, moreover, how jazz, rhythm and blues, and rock ‘n’ roll would never have happened if it weren’t for the notes and rhythms emanating from over the horizon. The one-of-a-kind result is And the Roots of Rhythm Remain: a glorious, symphonic celebration of the music that shapes our world.

About the Author

Joe Boyd is a record producer and writer, known for his acclaimed memoir, White Bicycles. Artists he has produced include Nick Drake, R.E.M., Toots and the Maytals, Richard Thompson, Pink Floyd, Kate and Anna McGarrigle, and ¡Cubanismo! among many others over the course of a nearly sixty-year career. 

After graduating from Harvard in 1964, he tour-managed Muddy Waters, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Sonny Rollins, Stan Getz and Astrud Gilberto, and others before serving as production manager for the historic 1965 Newport Folk and Jazz Festivals. He then moved to London to open Elektra Records’ office and started the famous UFO club, which became the center of London’s psychedelic revolution. In 1979 he launched his own label, Hannibal Records, which was at the forefront of bringing global artists to western audiences. As a film producer, his credits include Amazing Grace, Scandal,and Jimi Hendrix. A gifted raconteur, he appears frequently on radio, podcasts and documentaries.

About the Venue

The Bob Dylan Center inspires and celebrates fearless creativity by exploring the music and artistry of the Nobel Prize–winning singer-songwriter as a catalyst for personal expression and cultural change.

For more information on And The Roots Of Rhythm Remain, please reachout to Matt Hanks (mhanks@shorefire.com), Chris Taillie (ctaillie@shorefire.com), and Henry Thomas (hthomas@shorefire.com) at Shore Fire Media.

Joe Boyd: And the Roots of Rhythm Remain

Sep 20, 11 AM CT • Nashville: Hilton Nashville Downtown • 121 4th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37201

Legendary producer (Nick Drake, Pink Floyd, REM, Fairport Convention, etc) and author of acclaimed memoir, White Bicycles: Making Music in the 1960s, presents words and music from his remarkable new book, And the Roots of Rhythm Remain, and answers questions from the audience.

"What an amazing book! Joe Boyd has distilled decades of experience and observation of how musical ideas interbreed, and how culture is formed, into a tumultuous, gripping and dramatic story. I doubt I'll ever read a better account of the history and sociology of popular music than this one. It has me saying ‘Wow' on every page.” - Brian Eno

https://www.joeboyd.co.uk/

About the Book

“You haven’t heard this before!" the accordion flourish seemed to proclaim. Paul Simon told Joe Boyd that he immediately knew it would open Graceland, the multi-platinum album that helped usher in the 1980s “world music” boom. Yet that movement had roots extending back through the decades and across continents: tango on the eve of World War I, Latin dance across the ’30s, ’40s and ’50s, reggae in the ’70s, pre-War samba and pre-Beatles bossa nova, Eastern European ensembles filling capitalist concert halls during the Cold War, Indian ragas changing rock and roll in the 1960s, the folk music–inspired classical composers of the 19th and 20th centuries.

In this sweeping history compiled from more than a decade of travel, research, interviews, and deep listening, Boyd sets out to explore centuries of fascinating backstories to these sounds. He shows how personalities, events, and politics in places such as Havana, Lagos, Budapest, Kingston, and Rio are as colorful and momentous as anything that took place in New Orleans, Harlem, Laurel Canyon, or Liverpool. And, moreover, how jazz, rhythm and blues, and rock ‘n’ roll would never have happened if it weren’t for the notes and rhythms emanating from over the horizon. The one-of-a-kind result is And the Roots of Rhythm Remain: a glorious, symphonic celebration of the music that shapes our world.

About the Author

Joe Boyd is a record producer and writer, known for his acclaimed memoir, White Bicycles. Artists he has produced include Nick Drake, R.E.M., Toots and the Maytals, Richard Thompson, Pink Floyd, Kate and Anna McGarrigle, and ¡Cubanismo! among many others over the course of a nearly sixty-year career. 

After graduating from Harvard in 1964, he tour-managed Muddy Waters, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Sonny Rollins, Stan Getz and Astrud Gilberto, and others before serving as production manager for the historic 1965 Newport Folk and Jazz Festivals. He then moved to London to open Elektra Records’ office and started the famous UFO club, which became the center of London’s psychedelic revolution. In 1979 he launched his own label, Hannibal Records, which was at the forefront of bringing global artists to western audiences. As a film producer, his credits include Amazing Grace, Scandal,and Jimi Hendrix. A gifted raconteur, he appears frequently on radio, podcasts and documentaries.

About the Interlocutor

A roots music renaissance man, Buddy Miller has made a name for himself as a guitarist, singer, songwriter, and producer, and he's worked with an impressive array of artists as well as creating a well-regarded body of work on his own. As a guitarist, Miller's work is rich, soulful, and evocative, more focused on atmosphere and tone than dazzling the listener with technique, while his songwriting offers an intimate glimpse into many sides of the human experience, and his production work lends a natural sound to the recordings that's honest but casts the artists in their best light. On 1997's Poison Love, Miller fused a classic country sound with the sensibility of a contemporary singer/songwriter, and on 2001's Buddy & Julie Miller (the first of several collaborations with his wife and creative partner), the slightly rough grain of his voice wove itself around her higher, more idiosyncratic sound. 2004's Universal United House of Prayer melded blues, rock, and country accents with the passion of gospel music, and Miller pushed the boundaries of country guitar on 2011's The Majestic Silver Strings, a collaboration with fellow pickers Bill Frisell, Greg Leisz, and Marc Ribot. Miller's work as a producer and sideman kept him busy in the 2010s, though he found time to cut albums in tandem with songwriter Jim Lauderdale (2012's Buddy & Jim) and Julie Miller (2019's Breakdown on 20th Ave. South).

About the Venue

“Each year the Americana Music Association seems to outdo themselves in curating a rich lineup of roots and Americana artists that you simply cannot get anywhere else.” – No Depression

Our 24th annual AMERICANAFEST will take place September 17-21, 2024, bringing together fans and industry professionals alike, offering five days of celebration through seminars, panels and networking  opportunities by day and raw, intimate showcases each night.

Join us in celebrating 25 years of the Americana Music Association this year and buy your pass today!

Snag a Silver Pass for access to our daytime conference, priority admission to showcases, and first dibs on RSVP events. Only want the showcase experience? Our Festival Pass gets you into all evening performances and select special events. Choose what best suits you and curate your own experience.

Don’t forget about our flagship event, The Americana Honors & Awards show!

Learn more about the types of passes we offer here.

For more information on And The Roots Of Rhythm Remain, please reachout to Matt Hanks (mhanks@shorefire.com), Chris Taillie (ctaillie@shorefire.com), and Henry Thomas (hthomas@shorefire.com) at Shore Fire Media.

Joe Boyd Distinguished Lecture at Middle Tennessee State University

Sep 19, 5 PM CT • Murfreesboro, TN: Middle Tennessee State University, BAS LOB-E, BAS STATE FARM ROOM (S102) • 1301 E Main St, Murfreesboro, TN 37132

You are invited to a distinguished lecture by Joe Boyd, the legendary music producer who has worked with artists such as Nick Drake, Pink Floyd, REM, Fairport Convention, Toots and the Maytals, and many more. He will be speaking about his forthcoming book, And the Roots of Rhythm Remain: a Journey through Global Music. Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing.

For more information, please contact Dr. Mark Doyle: mdoyle@mtsu.edu

About the Book

“You haven’t heard this before!" the accordion flourish seemed to proclaim. Paul Simon told Joe Boyd that he immediately knew it would open Graceland, the multi-platinum album that helped usher in the 1980s “world music” boom. Yet that movement had roots extending back through the decades and across continents: tango on the eve of World War I, Latin dance across the ’30s, ’40s and ’50s, reggae in the ’70s, pre-War samba and pre-Beatles bossa nova, Eastern European ensembles filling capitalist concert halls during the Cold War, Indian ragas changing rock and roll in the 1960s, the folk music–inspired classical composers of the 19th and 20th centuries.

In this sweeping history compiled from more than a decade of travel, research, interviews, and deep listening, Boyd sets out to explore centuries of fascinating backstories to these sounds. He shows how personalities, events, and politics in places such as Havana, Lagos, Budapest, Kingston, and Rio are as colorful and momentous as anything that took place in New Orleans, Harlem, Laurel Canyon, or Liverpool. And, moreover, how jazz, rhythm and blues, and rock ‘n’ roll would never have happened if it weren’t for the notes and rhythms emanating from over the horizon. The one-of-a-kind result is And the Roots of Rhythm Remain: a glorious, symphonic celebration of the music that shapes our world.

About the Author

Joe Boyd is a record producer and writer, known for his acclaimed memoir, White Bicycles. Artists he has produced include Nick Drake, R.E.M., Toots and the Maytals, Richard Thompson, Pink Floyd, Kate and Anna McGarrigle, and ¡Cubanismo! among many others over the course of a nearly sixty-year career. 

After graduating from Harvard in 1964, he tour-managed Muddy Waters, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Sonny Rollins, Stan Getz and Astrud Gilberto, and others before serving as production manager for the historic 1965 Newport Folk and Jazz Festivals. He then moved to London to open Elektra Records’ office and started the famous UFO club, which became the center of London’s psychedelic revolution. In 1979 he launched his own label, Hannibal Records, which was at the forefront of bringing global artists to western audiences. As a film producer, his credits include Amazing Grace, Scandal,and Jimi Hendrix. A gifted raconteur, he appears frequently on radio, podcasts and documentaries.

About the Venue

https://www.mtsu.edu/campuslife/events/?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D1191597406

For more information on And The Roots Of Rhythm Remain, please reachout to Matt Hanks (mhanks@shorefire.com), Chris Taillie (ctaillie@shorefire.com), and Henry Thomas (hthomas@shorefire.com) at Shore Fire Media.

Joe Boyd: And the Roots of Rhythm Remain

Sep 16, 7:30 PM ET • Chicago: Gary and Laura Maurer Concert Hall • 4544 N Lincoln Ave, 60625

Legendary producer (Nick Drake, Pink Floyd, REM, Fairport Convention, etc) and author of acclaimed memoir, White Bicycles: Making Music in the 1960s, presents words and music from his remarkable new book, And the Roots of Rhythm Remain, and answers questions from the audience.

"What an amazing book! Joe Boyd has distilled decades of experience and observation of how musical ideas interbreed, and how culture is formed, into a tumultuous, gripping and dramatic story. I doubt I'll ever read a better account of the history and sociology of popular music than this one. It has me saying ‘Wow' on every page.” - Brian Eno

https://www.joeboyd.co.uk/

About the Book

“You haven’t heard this before!" the accordion flourish seemed to proclaim. Paul Simon told Joe Boyd that he immediately knew it would open Graceland, the multi-platinum album that helped usher in the 1980s “world music” boom. Yet that movement had roots extending back through the decades and across continents: tango on the eve of World War I, Latin dance across the ’30s, ’40s and ’50s, reggae in the ’70s, pre-War samba and pre-Beatles bossa nova, Eastern European ensembles filling capitalist concert halls during the Cold War, Indian ragas changing rock and roll in the 1960s, the folk music–inspired classical composers of the 19th and 20th centuries.

In this sweeping history compiled from more than a decade of travel, research, interviews, and deep listening, Boyd sets out to explore centuries of fascinating backstories to these sounds. He shows how personalities, events, and politics in places such as Havana, Lagos, Budapest, Kingston, and Rio are as colorful and momentous as anything that took place in New Orleans, Harlem, Laurel Canyon, or Liverpool. And, moreover, how jazz, rhythm and blues, and rock ‘n’ roll would never have happened if it weren’t for the notes and rhythms emanating from over the horizon. The one-of-a-kind result is And the Roots of Rhythm Remain: a glorious, symphonic celebration of the music that shapes our world.

About the Author

Joe Boyd is a record producer and writer, known for his acclaimed memoir, White Bicycles. Artists he has produced include Nick Drake, R.E.M., Toots and the Maytals, Richard Thompson, Pink Floyd, Kate and Anna McGarrigle, and ¡Cubanismo! among many others over the course of a nearly sixty-year career. 

After graduating from Harvard in 1964, he tour-managed Muddy Waters, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Sonny Rollins, Stan Getz and Astrud Gilberto, and others before serving as production manager for the historic 1965 Newport Folk and Jazz Festivals. He then moved to London to open Elektra Records’ office and started the famous UFO club, which became the center of London’s psychedelic revolution. In 1979 he launched his own label, Hannibal Records, which was at the forefront of bringing global artists to western audiences. As a film producer, his credits include Amazing Grace, Scandal,and Jimi Hendrix. A gifted raconteur, he appears frequently on radio, podcasts and documentaries.

About the Venue

The Old Town School of Folk Music teaches and celebrates music and cultural expressions rooted in the traditions of diverse American and global communities.

Founded in 1957, the Old Town School of Folk Music provides a wide range of music, dance, theater, and visual arts courses to people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds. Whatever one's interest, the Old Town School provides broad access to more than 700 accredited class offerings, private lessons, and workshops that span an array of artistic genres.

For more information on And The Roots Of Rhythm Remain, please reachout to Matt Hanks (mhanks@shorefire.com), Chris Taillie (ctaillie@shorefire.com), and Henry Thomas (hthomas@shorefire.com) at Shore Fire Media.

Joe Boyd — And the Roots of Rhythm Remain - with Bob Boilen — at Union Market

Sep 14, 6 PM ET • Washington, DC: Politics & Prose Union Market • 1324 4th St. NE, Washington, DC 20002

This event is in partnership with Byrdland Records.

Paul Simon told Joe Boyd that when he first heard the accordion flourish that would open his multi-platinum album Graceland, it seemed to proclaim, "You haven't heard this before!" Yet the 1980s "world music" boom that Simon's album helped usher in had roots that extended back through the decades and across continents: tango on the eve of World War I, Latin dance across the '30s, '40s and '50s, reggae in the '70s, pre-War samba and pre-Beatles bossa nova, Eastern European ensembles filling capitalist concert halls during the Cold War, Indian ragas changing rock and roll in the 1960s, the folk music-inspired classical composers of the 19th and 20th centuries.

In this sweeping history compiled from more than a decade of travel, research, interviews, and deep listening, Boyd sets out to explore centuries of fascinating backstories to these sounds. He shows how personalities, events, and politics in places such as Havana, Lagos, Budapest, Kingston, and Rio are as colorful and momentous as anything that took place in New Orleans, Harlem, Laurel Canyon, or Liverpool. And, moreover, how jazz, rhythm and blues, and rock 'n' roll would never have happened if it weren't for the notes and rhythms emanating from over the horizon. The one-of-a-kind result is And the Roots of Rhythm Remain: a glorious, symphonic celebration of the music that shapes our world.

About the Book

“You haven’t heard this before!" the accordion flourish seemed to proclaim. Paul Simon told Joe Boyd that he immediately knew it would open Graceland, the multi-platinum album that helped usher in the 1980s “world music” boom. Yet that movement had roots extending back through the decades and across continents: tango on the eve of World War I, Latin dance across the ’30s, ’40s and ’50s, reggae in the ’70s, pre-War samba and pre-Beatles bossa nova, Eastern European ensembles filling capitalist concert halls during the Cold War, Indian ragas changing rock and roll in the 1960s, the folk music–inspired classical composers of the 19th and 20th centuries.

In this sweeping history compiled from more than a decade of travel, research, interviews, and deep listening, Boyd sets out to explore centuries of fascinating backstories to these sounds. He shows how personalities, events, and politics in places such as Havana, Lagos, Budapest, Kingston, and Rio are as colorful and momentous as anything that took place in New Orleans, Harlem, Laurel Canyon, or Liverpool. And, moreover, how jazz, rhythm and blues, and rock ‘n’ roll would never have happened if it weren’t for the notes and rhythms emanating from over the horizon. The one-of-a-kind result is And the Roots of Rhythm Remain: a glorious, symphonic celebration of the music that shapes our world.

About the Author

Joe Boyd is a record producer and writer, known for his acclaimed memoir, White Bicycles. Artists he has produced include Nick Drake, R.E.M., Toots and the Maytals, Richard Thompson, Pink Floyd, Kate and Anna McGarrigle, and ¡Cubanismo! among many others over the course of a nearly sixty-year career. 

After graduating from Harvard in 1964, he tour-managed Muddy Waters, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Sonny Rollins, Stan Getz and Astrud Gilberto, and others before serving as production manager for the historic 1965 Newport Folk and Jazz Festivals. He then moved to London to open Elektra Records’ office and started the famous UFO club, which became the center of London’s psychedelic revolution. In 1979 he launched his own label, Hannibal Records, which was at the forefront of bringing global artists to western audiences. As a film producer, his credits include Amazing Grace, Scandal,and Jimi Hendrix. A gifted raconteur, he appears frequently on radio, podcasts and documentaries.

About the Interlocutor

Bob Boilen is the creator and host of NPR's All Songs Considered and Tiny Desk Concerts, recently retired. He hosts My Tiny Morning Show, a one-hour weekly radio show featuring new emerging creative, independent, and groundbreaking artists from the past. Boilen is the author of Your Song Changed My Life, asking 35 artists, including Jimmy Page, David Byrne, Lucinda Williams, Ian MacKaye, and Smokey Robinson, about a song that changed their lives. He's also a musician and a photographer. 

About the Venue

https://www.politics-prose.com/our-history

For more information on And The Roots Of Rhythm Remain, please reach out to Matt Hanks (mhanks@shorefire.com), Chris Taillie (ctaillie@shorefire.com), and Henry Thomas (hthomas@shorefire.com) at Shore Fire Media.

And The Roots Of Rhythm Remain: Legendary Producer Joe Boyd in Conversation with David Byrne

Sep 11, 6 PM ET • New York City: Albertine Books • 972 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10075

“What an amazing book! I doubt I’ll ever read a better account of the history and sociology of popular music than this one. It has me saying ‘Wow’ on every page.” – Brian Eno

Known to many as the legendary producer behind notable recordings from Nick Drake, Pink Floyd, R.E.M., Joe Boyd will discuss his latest book, And The Roots Of Rhythm Remain: A Journey Through Global Music (ZE Books) with David Byrne.

Informed by decades of travel, research, interviews, deep listening, and many years spent producing groundbreaking music in Cuba, Brazil, Bulgaria, Mali, Hungary, Spain, India, the UK and beyond, And The Roots Of Rhythm Remain is a riveting tour of the music that shaped how our world sounds.
Filled with engaging anecdotes (did you know that Frank Sinatra owed his career to a tango singer from Buenos Aires?) and vivid personalities, And The Roots Of Rhythm Remain is a work of breathtaking scale from a keen observer and gifted raconteur who’s been there and seen it all.

The conversation will be in English. It is free with RSVP. Click here for tickets.

This event is co-organized with the World Music Institute.

About the Book

“You haven’t heard this before!" the accordion flourish seemed to proclaim. Paul Simon told Joe Boyd that he immediately knew it would open Graceland, the multi-platinum album that helped usher in the 1980s “world music” boom. Yet that movement had roots extending back through the decades and across continents: tango on the eve of World War I, Latin dance across the ’30s, ’40s and ’50s, reggae in the ’70s, pre-War samba and pre-Beatles bossa nova, Eastern European ensembles filling capitalist concert halls during the Cold War, Indian ragas changing rock and roll in the 1960s, the folk music–inspired classical composers of the 19th and 20th centuries.

In this sweeping history compiled from more than a decade of travel, research, interviews, and deep listening, Boyd sets out to explore centuries of fascinating backstories to these sounds. He shows how personalities, events, and politics in places such as Havana, Lagos, Budapest, Kingston, and Rio are as colorful and momentous as anything that took place in New Orleans, Harlem, Laurel Canyon, or Liverpool. And, moreover, how jazz, rhythm and blues, and rock ‘n’ roll would never have happened if it weren’t for the notes and rhythms emanating from over the horizon. The one-of-a-kind result is And the Roots of Rhythm Remain: a glorious, symphonic celebration of the music that shapes our world.

About the Author

Joe Boyd is a record producer and writer, known for his acclaimed memoir, White Bicycles. Artists he has produced include Nick Drake, R.E.M., Toots and the Maytals, Richard Thompson, Pink Floyd, Kate and Anna McGarrigle, and ¡Cubanismo! among many others over the course of a nearly sixty-year career. 

After graduating from Harvard in 1964, he tour-managed Muddy Waters, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Sonny Rollins, Stan Getz and Astrud Gilberto, and others before serving as production manager for the historic 1965 Newport Folk and Jazz Festivals. He then moved to London to open Elektra Records’ office and started the famous UFO club, which became the center of London’s psychedelic revolution. In 1979 he launched his own label, Hannibal Records, which was at the forefront of bringing global artists to western audiences. As a film producer, his credits include Amazing Grace, Scandal,and Jimi Hendrix. A gifted raconteur, he appears frequently on radio, podcasts and documentaries.

About the Interlocutor

David Byrne is a musician, performer, writer and multidisciplinary artist whose creative ventures have captivated audiences since 1975 when he co-founded the renowned group Talking Heads. Recent works include Here Lies Love, a musical with music by David Byrne and Fatboy Slim (2023), Theater of the Mind, an immersive journey co-created by Byrne & writer Mala Gaonkar (2022/23), SOCIAL! at The Park Avenue Armory, the Broadway production of David Byrne’s American Utopia (2019) as well as the Spike Lee directed film version (2020), the launch of his Reasons to be Cheerful online magazine (2019) and the solo album American Utopia (2018). To date, Byrne has published five books including How Music Works (2012).

About the Venue

Tucked inside the historic Payne Whitney mansion, Albertine is the only bookshop in New York devoted solely to books in French and English with more than 14,000 contemporary and classic titles from 30 French-speaking countries.

As an integral part of the Cultural Services of the French Embassy, the Albertine bookshop brings to life the French government’s commitment to French-American intellectual exchange. The space reflects its belief in the power of literature and the humanities to increase understanding and friendship across borders, and in the power of books as a common good for a better world.

In partnership with the Cultural Services, Albertine hosts lively debates and discussions exploring popular and classical culture through a modern and global lens.

French books at Albertine comply with the French law that states that book prices cannot be reduced more than 5 percent. Fixed book prices protect a rich network of publishers and booksellers in France and nourish its “biblio-diversity”

For more information on And The Roots Of Rhythm Remain, please reach out to Matt Hanks (mhanks@shorefire.com), Chris Taillie (ctaillie@shorefire.com), and Henry Thomas (hthomas@shorefire.com) at Shore Fire Media.

Joe Boyd, author of And the Roots of Rhythm Remain, in conversation with Yosvany Terry

Sep 9, 7 PM ET • Cambridge, MA: Porter Square Books • 25 White St., Cambridge, MA 02140

Porter Square Books is excited to welcome Joe Boyd for the release of And the Roots of Rhythm Remain! Musician and composer Yosvany Terry will join Boyd in conversation. This event will take place on Monday, September 9 at 7pm at Porter Square Books (25 White St. Cambridge, MA 02140).

About the Book

“You haven’t heard this before!" the accordion flourish seemed to proclaim. Paul Simon told Joe Boyd that he immediately knew it would open Graceland, the multi-platinum album that helped usher in the 1980s “world music” boom. Yet that movement had roots extending back through the decades and across continents: tango on the eve of World War I, Latin dance across the ’30s, ’40s and ’50s, reggae in the ’70s, pre-War samba and pre-Beatles bossa nova, Eastern European ensembles filling capitalist concert halls during the Cold War, Indian ragas changing rock and roll in the 1960s, the folk music–inspired classical composers of the 19th and 20th centuries.

In this sweeping history compiled from more than a decade of travel, research, interviews, and deep listening, Boyd sets out to explore centuries of fascinating backstories to these sounds. He shows how personalities, events, and politics in places such as Havana, Lagos, Budapest, Kingston, and Rio are as colorful and momentous as anything that took place in New Orleans, Harlem, Laurel Canyon, or Liverpool. And, moreover, how jazz, rhythm and blues, and rock ‘n’ roll would never have happened if it weren’t for the notes and rhythms emanating from over the horizon. The one-of-a-kind result is And the Roots of Rhythm Remain: a glorious, symphonic celebration of the music that shapes our world.

About the Author

Joe Boyd is a record producer and writer, known for his acclaimed memoir, White Bicycles. Artists he has produced include Nick Drake, R.E.M., Toots and the Maytals, Richard Thompson, Pink Floyd, Kate and Anna McGarrigle, and ¡Cubanismo! among many others over the course of a nearly sixty-year career. 

After graduating from Harvard in 1964, he tour-managed Muddy Waters, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Sonny Rollins, Stan Getz and Astrud Gilberto, and others before serving as production manager for the historic 1965 Newport Folk and Jazz Festivals. He then moved to London to open Elektra Records’ office and started the famous UFO club, which became the center of London’s psychedelic revolution. In 1979 he launched his own label, Hannibal Records, which was at the forefront of bringing global artists to western audiences. As a film producer, his credits include Amazing Grace, Scandal,and Jimi Hendrix. A gifted raconteur, he appears frequently on radio, podcasts and documentaries.

About the Interlocutor

Born into a musical family in Camaguey, Cuba. Yosvany went on to classical music training in Havana at the prestigious National School of Arts (ENA) and Amadeo Roldan Conservatory. After graduating, Yosvany worked with major figures in every realm of Cuban music including pianists Chucho Valdes, and Frank Emilio and the celebrated nueva trova singer/guitarist Silvio Rodriguez. From his earliest days in New York, Yosvany has been welcomed by a broad range of artists in the jazz and contemporary music community; playing with, Steve Coleman, Rufus Reid, Gonzalo Rubalcaba,
Roy Hargrove, Vijay Iyer, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Avishai Cohen, Baptiste Trotignon,
Eddie Palmieri, and Gerald Clayton.

Yosvany has continued his music education in New York, he studied composition,
orchestration and counterpoint with Leo Edward, Rudolph Palmer. Yosvany has received a number of commissions as well as grants to support both his performance and composition work. He is a recipient of the prestigious Doris Duke Artist Award of the class 2015. His ‘New Throned King’ album received a Grammy Award Nomination for “Best Latin Jazz Album”.
A key aspect of his work is educating the next generation of musicians both here, and in
Cuba. He has taught at prestigious institutions across the United States and Canada.
He regularly visits his alma maters in Cuba to give workshops and master classes.
In 2015, Yosvany joined the full time faculty at Harvard University as Senior Lecture and
Director of Jazz Ensembles in the Department of Music.

About the Venue

https://www.portersquarebooks.com/

For more information on And The Roots Of Rhythm Remain, please reach out to Matt Hanks (mhanks@shorefire.com), Chris Taillie (ctaillie@shorefire.com), and Henry Thomas (hthomas@shorefire.com) at Shore Fire Media.

Joe Boyd joins PW Director of Publishing Joshua Jelly-Schapiro to discuss the legendary producer’s long-awaited new book, And the Roots of Rhythm Remain

Sep 8, 4 PM ET • Brooklyn, NY: Pioneer Works Media Lab • 159 Pioneer St, Brooklyn, NY 11231

Joe Boyd will be appearing at Pioneer Works in Brooklyn on September 8 for a live conversation with writer, geographer and Pioneer Works Director of Publishing Joshua Jelly-Shapiro to discuss Boyd’s new book, And the Roots of Rhythm Remain: A Journey through Global Music. The conversation, part of Pioneer Works’ ‘Second Sundays’ programming, will be broadcast live as part of the venue’s Broadcast Radio Hour.

About the Book

“You haven’t heard this before!" the accordion flourish seemed to proclaim. Paul Simon told Joe Boyd that he immediately knew it would open Graceland, the multi-platinum album that helped usher in the 1980s “world music” boom. Yet that movement had roots extending back through the decades and across continents: tango on the eve of World War I, Latin dance across the ’30s, ’40s and ’50s, reggae in the ’70s, pre-War samba and pre-Beatles bossa nova, Eastern European ensembles filling capitalist concert halls during the Cold War, Indian ragas changing rock and roll in the 1960s, the folk music–inspired classical composers of the 19th and 20th centuries.

In this sweeping history compiled from more than a decade of travel, research, interviews, and deep listening, Boyd sets out to explore centuries of fascinating backstories to these sounds. He shows how personalities, events, and politics in places such as Havana, Lagos, Budapest, Kingston, and Rio are as colorful and momentous as anything that took place in New Orleans, Harlem, Laurel Canyon, or Liverpool. And, moreover, how jazz, rhythm and blues, and rock ‘n’ roll would never have happened if it weren’t for the notes and rhythms emanating from over the horizon. The one-of-a-kind result is And the Roots of Rhythm Remain: a glorious, symphonic celebration of the music that shapes our world.

About the Author

Joe Boyd is a record producer and writer, known for his acclaimed memoir, White Bicycles. Artists he has produced include Nick Drake, R.E.M., Toots and the Maytals, Richard Thompson, Pink Floyd, Kate and Anna McGarrigle, and ¡Cubanismo! among many others over the course of a nearly sixty-year career. 

After graduating from Harvard in 1964, he tour-managed Muddy Waters, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Sonny Rollins, Stan Getz and Astrud Gilberto, and others before serving as production manager for the historic 1965 Newport Folk and Jazz Festivals. He then moved to London to open Elektra Records’ office and started the famous UFO club, which became the center of London’s psychedelic revolution. In 1979 he launched his own label, Hannibal Records, which was at the forefront of bringing global artists to western audiences. As a film producer, his credits include Amazing Grace, Scandal,and Jimi Hendrix. A gifted raconteur, he appears frequently on radio, podcasts and documentaries.

About the Interlocutor

Joshua Jelly-Schapiro is a geographer and writer whose books include "Names of New York," "Island People: The Caribbean and the World," and, with Rebecca Solnit, "Nonstop Metropolis: A New York City Atlas."  He is a regular contributor to The New York Review of Books, and he has also written for The New Yorker, The New York Times, Harper's Magazine, The Nation, and Artforum, among many other publications. He speaks and lectures widely, and currently directs the popular Author Talks series at Pioneer Works in Brooklyn. Jelly-Schapiro has taught at Stanford, Berkeley, Yale, and NYU, where he is a scholar-in-residence at the Institute for Public Knowledge, and teaches in the program in Cultural Reporting and Criticism.

About the Venue

Since 2013, Pioneer Works has hosted Second Sundays, a free monthly open house. Highlighting our programs, artists in residence, and Red Hook community members, Second Sundays features open studios, exhibitions, workshops, live music, and food across all three floors and in our garden. Join us on September 8th for our reopening weekend, following an exciting period of construction and improvements to our home. It’s an all day affair with previews from a new Met Opera commision, an exhibition tour led by artist Alejandro García Contreras, live music and more! As always, Second Sundays are free and open to all. Food and drink by Brooklyn Curry Project and Pioneer Works Bar.

For more information on And The Roots Of Rhythm Remain, please reach out to Matt Hanks (mhanks@shorefire.com), Chris Taillie (ctaillie@shorefire.com), and Henry Thomas (hthomas@shorefire.com) at Shore Fire Media.

Blue Hill Books and Cynthia Winings Gallery Present a Book Launch for Jonathan Lethem’s Cellophane Bricks

Jul 18, 6 PM EST • Blue Hill, ME: Cynthia Winings Gallery • 24 Parker Point Road

Join us at Cynthia Winings Gallery in Blue Hill for an event with Jonathan Lethem in celebration of his new book, Cellophane Bricks: A Life in Visual Culture.

Many know Jonathan Lethem as one of our most celebrated and eclectic writers, whose iconic novels—Motherless Brooklyn, The Fortress of Solitude, Chronic City, among many others—play with genres and storytelling modes like a DJ mixing music. But Lethem grew up in his father’s studio, went to art school, and, in his own words, “made hundreds if not thousands of drawings, collages, paintings, hand-drawn comics, and even two animated shorts” before diverting, at nineteen, to prose.

We’re excited to launch Cellophane Bricks, which gathers a lifetime of Lethem’s art-writing, along with stunning, full-color images collected by the author. Here we tour Lethem’s fictions in response to (and in exchange for) artworks by his friends; his meditations on comics and graffiti art; his collaborations with artists and interventions into visual culture, and his portrait of the museum that was and continues to be his home, untethered from geography. Cellophane Bricks comprises a stealth memoir of Jonathan Lethem’s parallel life in visual culture.

For all press inquiries please contact Alexander Galan, ag@vidoun.com or Thora Siemsen, tds@vidoun.com

Jonathan Lethem is the author of Brooklyn Crime Novel and twelve other novels. His stories and essays have been collected in five volumes, and his work translated into over thirty languages. He has been recipient of The National Book Critics Circle Award, The World Fantasy Award, The Berlin Prize, and a MacArthur Fellowship.

Papercuts Presents: Memoir Talk with Adele Bertei, in Conversation with Jenny Hubbard

Jul 14, 5:30 PM EST • Jamaica Plain, MA: Loring Greenough House • 12 South St.

Papercuts is delighted to host an evening with trailblazing rock musician, filmmaker, and memoirist Adele Bertei, for a conversation about her latest book, Twist. This event will take place on Sunday July 14 at 5:30 p.m., outdoors in the garden of the Loring-Greenough House (or inside, in case of inclement weather), located at 12 South St, Jamaica Plain, just a few blocks down the street from our shop! Bring your own lawn chairs or blankets for sitting!

Adele Bertei's band, the Bloods, based out of NYC during the early 1980s, is recognized as the first-ever band comprised entirely of publicly out gay women, and one of the U.S.'s first all-girl bands in general. She was also an original member of the Contortions, a no wave band featured on Brian Eno's seminal No New York album. Bertei's music career has also included frequent collaborations with Thomas Dolby including his international dance pop hit "Hyperactive!", and providing backing vocals for artists ranging from Whitney Houston to Culture Club to Tears for Fears.

Bertei was a lead actor in Lizzie Borden's underground cult classic film Born in Flames, and in experimental filmmakers Beth and Scott B'sThe Offenders, which is now a part of the Museum of Modern Art's film collection. Reading prose and poetry, she opened for writers such as William Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg, and Kathy Acker among others. Her stories and essays have been included in the compilations The New Fuck You; Adventures in Lesbian Reading edited by Eileen Myles, It’s So You edited by Michelle Tea, and Evelyn McDonnell’s Women Who Rock.

Twist, Bertei's new memoir, is a harrowing and electric story of transforming trauma through art, pluck, and imagination, as told through her young alter ego, Maddie Twist. Twist is both a personal personal history of queer culture from a working-class view, and an argument against the concept of the “misery memoir.”

Adele Bertei began playing music in Cleveland with Pere Ubu’s legendary Peter Laughner, and as an original member of the Contortions, produced by Brian Eno on No New York. She was the pioneering creator of  The Bloods—the first out, queer, all-women-rock band. Her singing and songwriting career includes recording, performing live, and writing for such diverse acts as Thomas Dolby, Tears for Fears, Culture Club, Whitney Houston, Scritti Politti, Sheena Easton, Jellybean Benitez, Lydia Lunch, Jamaaladeen Tacuma, the Pointer Sisters, and John Lurie. Bertei played a lead role in Lizzie Borden’s seminal feminist sci-fi film Born in Flames. She is the author of two previous books: Peter and the Wolves (a memoir) and Why Labelle Matters, a finalist for the 2022 Lambda Literary Awards. Twist: An American Girl is her origin story.

Book Launch: Jonathan Lethem and Mass MoCA’s Denise Markonish Discuss Cellophane Bricks

Jul 11, 6 PM EST • North Adams, MA: MASS MoCA • 1111 Mass MoCA Way

Join ZE Books at Mass MoCA’s Research & Development Store on July 11 for a captivating conversation with Denise Markonish, MASS MoCA Chief Curator, and author Jonathan Lethem as they venture into a discussion of Lethem’s latest book Cellophane Bricks: A Life in Visual Culture

Many know Jonathan Lethem as one of our most celebrated and eclectic writers, whose iconic novels—Motherless Brooklyn, The Fortress of Solitude, Chronic City, among many others—play with genres and storytelling modes like a DJ mixing music. But Lethem grew up in his father’s studio, went to art school, and, in his own words, “made hundreds if not thousands of drawings, collages, paintings, hand-drawn comics, and even two animated shorts” before diverting, at nineteen, to prose.

We’re excited to launch Cellophane Bricks, which gathers a lifetime of Lethem’s art-writing, along with stunning, full-color images collected by the author. Here we tour Lethem’s fictions in response to (and in exchange for) artworks by his friends; his meditations on comics and graffiti art; his collaborations with artists and interventions into visual culture, and his portrait of the museum that was and continues to be his home, untethered from geography. Cellophane Bricks comprises a stealth memoir of Jonathan Lethem’s parallel life in visual culture.

For all press inquiries please contact Alexander Galan, ag@vidoun.com or Thora Siemsen, tds@vidoun.com

Jonathan Lethem is the author of Brooklyn Crime Novel and twelve other novels. His stories and essays have been collected in five volumes, and his work translated into over thirty languages. He has been recipient of The National Book Critics Circle Award, The World Fantasy Award, The Berlin Prize, and a MacArthur Fellowship.

Adele Bertei reads from her memoir Twist: Takes of a Queer Girlhood — In conversation with director Mary Harron and Guinevere Turner

Jul 10, 7 PM EST • New York, NY: Bluestockings Bookstore • 116 Suffolk Street

Adele Bertei is a singer, actor, performer and author. She appeared as a lead character in Lizzie Borden's Born in Flames and was lead singer in the first out lesbian rock band the Bloods. She has sung/performed/written songs for Sophie B. Hawkins, Tears for Fears, Whitney Houston, Culture Club, Thomas Dolby and Sandra Bernhard. Her books include Peter and the Wolves, Why Labelle Matters, and Twist: Tales of a Queer Girlhood.

Mary Harron is a screenwriter and director, and was one of the first women music journalists, writing for Punk Magazine in the mid-1970s. Her films include I Shot Andy Warhol, American Psycho, The Notorious Bettie Page, Charlie Says, Dalíland, and Alias Grace.

Guinevere Turner is an actress, screenwriter and director. Her breakout role was playing Max in the lesbian dramedy Go Fish, and she played Gabby Deveaux on The L Word. She co-wrote the screenplays for the following films with Mary Harron: American Psycho, The Notorious Bettie Page, and Charlie Says. Her memoir about growing up in a cult with the Lyman family— When the World Didn't End— is out now.

Adele Bertei began playing music in Cleveland with Pere Ubu’s legendary Peter Laughner, and as an original member of the Contortions, produced by Brian Eno on No New York. She was the pioneering creator of  The Bloods—the first out, queer, all-women-rock band. Her singing and songwriting career includes recording, performing live, and writing for such diverse acts as Thomas Dolby, Tears for Fears, Culture Club, Whitney Houston, Scritti Politti, Sheena Easton, Jellybean Benitez, Lydia Lunch, Jamaaladeen Tacuma, the Pointer Sisters, and John Lurie. Bertei played a lead role in Lizzie Borden’s seminal feminist sci-fi film Born in Flames. She is the author of two previous books: Peter and the Wolves (a memoir) and Why Labelle Matters, a finalist for the 2022 Lambda Literary Awards. Twist: An American Girl is her origin story.

Jonathan Wells and Michael Zilkha in Conversation at Jeffrey Deitch

Nov 7, 6 PM EST • New York, NY: Jeffrey Deitch • 18 Wooster St, New York, NY 10013

Jeffrey Deitch and ZE Books publisher Michael Zilkha invite you to join Jonathan Wells to celebrate the publication of his debut novel The Sterns Are Listening. A reading and conversation between Jonathan and Michael will begin at 6:30, followed by a wine reception and book signing. Book sales courtesy of McNally Jackson.

For all press inquiries please contact Alexander Galan, ag@vidoun.com or Tasha Saravia, ts@vidoun.com

Jonathan Wells’s memoir The Skinny was published in 2021 by ZE Books. He has also published three collections of poems: Debris (2021), The Man with Many Pens (2015), and Train Dance (2011). His poems have been published or are forthcoming in The New Yorker, The New Republic, AGNI and the Bennington Review. The Sterns Are Listening is his first work of fiction.

Adele Bertei and Sandra Bernhard in Conversation at The Strand

Jun 15, 7 PM EST • New York, NY: The Strand

Join two legendary badass women at The Strand for a memorable evening of conversation on June 15. Queer rock-and-roll artist and author—and Strand bookselling alum! (1977–78)—Adele Bertei and actress, singer, and author Sandra Bernhard will discuss Adele’s groundbreaking coming-of-age memoir Twist.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Due to dangerous weather conditions, this event has been cancelled. We are grateful for your interest in The War Is Here: Newark 1967 and regret that we are no longer to hold this in-person event in Newark.

Bud Lee (1941-2015) was a self-taught photographer, who first took up a camera professionally in the military and received fine art training at the National Academy in New York. He had an idiosyncratic eye unconstrained by the conventions of documentary photography. Between 1967 and 1974, he worked on assignment for Life, Esquire, Rolling Stone, and many other publications, finding himself at the center of some of the biggest stories of the time. An outsider who got insider access, his work is poetic and painterly, occasionally droll and irreverent. The War Is Here is the first book to collect his photographs.

Chris Campion is a British author, journalist, and editor, and has written for publications that include The Guardian, The Times (UK), Los Angeles Times, Rolling Stone, NME, Dazed & Confused, and Vice. He is an archivist for the Estate of Bud Lee, the editor of The War Is Here, and contributes an essay on Bud Lee and the story behind photographs, entitled “On Avon, Between Badger and Livingston.”

Junius Williams is the Official Historian for the City of Newark, and a history maker in his own right. He is the founding Director of the Abbott Leadership Institute at Rutgers University Newark, and the Youth Media Symposium. Junius is the developer of RiseUpNewark.com, a website that traces the history of Newark through the stories of major ethnic groups that have made their mark on Newark. He is the host on the national podcast “Everything’s Political.”

A lifelong Newark resident, Richard Cammarieri is employed with the New Community Corporation as director for External Affairs/Community Engagement with a focus on Resident Organizing, Civic Engagement and Public Policy Awareness and Advocacy initiatives. He is Chairman of the Board of the New Community Federal Credit Union. He has had extensive experience in Newark grassroots community organizing and neighborhood policy development. He currently serves on the Newark Equitable Growth Advisory Commission and as Chairperson for the Newark Community Development Network and for the Board of the Believe in Newark Foundation. He is an Executive Committee member of the Newark Branch NAACP and is a founding Board member of the Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District in Newark. He graduated from Rutgers University Newark with a Bachelor’s Degree in English.

The Honorable Ras J. Baraka is the 40th Mayor of the City of Newark. Born and raised in Newark, with family who've lived in the city for more than 80 years, Mayor Baraka’s progressive approach to governing has won him accolades from grassroots organizations to the White House. His father, the late Amiri Baraka, a legendary poet, playwright and political activist, was intimately connected with the events that occurred in Newark in 1967.

Adele Bertei and Thurston Moore in Conversation at Rough Trade West

June 6, 8 PM • London: Rough Trade West

130 Talbot Rd, London W11 1JA

Adele Bertei began playing music in Cleveland with Pere Ubu’s legendary Peter Laughner, and as an original member of the Contortions, produced by Brian Eno on No New York. She was the pioneering creator of The Bloods—the first out, queer, all-women-rock band. Her singing and songwriting career includes recording, performing live, and writing for such diverse acts as Thomas Dolby, Whitney Houston, Scritti Politti, Sheena Easton, Jellybean Benitez, Lydia Lunch, the Pointer Sisters, and John Lurie. She is the author of two previous books: Peter and the Wolves (a memoir) and Why Labelle Matters, a finalist for the 2022 Lambda Literary Awards.

Thurston Moore is best known as the guitarist and vocalist of Sonic Youth which he co-founded in 1981. He lived in New York City for most of his music career and was taught guitar by Glenn Branca. He has since relocated to Stoke Newington, in the United Kingdom. In addition to performing music, he also runs the Ecstatic Peace! label.

Adele Bertei in conversation with renowned filmmaker Vivienne Dick and author, musician, and journalist Peter Murphy at Temple Bar Gallery and Studios

May 31, 6 PM • Dublin

5-9 Temple Bar, Dublin 2, D02 AC84, Ireland

Adele Bertei began playing music in Cleveland with Pere Ubu’s legendary Peter Laughner, and as an original member of the Contortions, produced by Brian Eno on No New York. She was the pioneering creator of The Bloods—the first out, queer, all-women-rock band. Her singing and songwriting career includes recording, performing live, and writing for such diverse acts as Thomas Dolby, Whitney Houston, Scritti Politti, Sheena Easton, Jellybean Benitez, Lydia Lunch, the Pointer Sisters, and John Lurie. She is the author of two previous books: Peter and the Wolves (a memoir) and Why Labelle Matters, a finalist for the 2022 Lambda Literary Awards.

Adele Bertei and David Keenan in Conversation, with a ZE Records Set by Shopping DJs, Hosted by Monorail Music at the Glad Cafe

May 27, 8 PM • Glasgow

The Glad Cafe, 1006A Pollokshaws Rd, Glasgow G41 2HG

Adele Bertei began playing music in Cleveland with Pere Ubu’s legendary Peter Laughner, and as an original member of the Contortions, produced by Brian Eno on No New York. She was the pioneering creator of The Bloods—the first out, queer, all-women-rock band. Her singing and songwriting career includes recording, performing live, and writing for such diverse acts as Thomas Dolby, Whitney Houston, Scritti Politti, Sheena Easton, Jellybean Benitez, Lydia Lunch, the Pointer Sisters, and John Lurie. She is the author of two previous books: Peter and the Wolves (a memoir) and Why Labelle Matters, a finalist for the 2022 Lambda Literary Awards.

David Keenan has been among the most fascinating new Irish artists of the past ten years. A songwriter and lyricist who has continued to defy categorisation, he has released two previously critically acclaimed albums -"A Beginner's Guide to Bravery" released in 2020, which reached number 1 in the Independent Charts & the 2021 follow up "WHAT THEN?" widely received as a critical triumph. In the making of his new album Crude, he was aiming to return to his roots and embrace a rawer, unflinchingly honest form of songwriting.

Adele Bertei and Angela McRobbie in Conversation at John Marchant Gallery

May 26, 6:30 PM • Brighton

37 Ship St, Brighton, Brighton and Hove, Brighton BN1 1AB

Adele Bertei began playing music in Cleveland with Pere Ubu’s legendary Peter Laughner, and as an original member of the Contortions, produced by Brian Eno on No New York. She was the pioneering creator of The Bloods—the first out, queer, all-women-rock band. Her singing and songwriting career includes recording, performing live, and writing for such diverse acts as Thomas Dolby, Whitney Houston, Scritti Politti, Sheena Easton, Jellybean Benitez, Lydia Lunch, the Pointer Sisters, and John Lurie. She is the author of two previous books: Peter and the Wolves (a memoir) and Why Labelle Matters, a finalist for the 2022 Lambda Literary Awards.

Angela McRobbie is Emeritus Professor at Goldsmiths Department of Media, Communications and Cultural Studies. Angela has recently been appointed as a Visiting Professor at Coventry University, Institute for Creative Cultures and Centre for Postdigital Culture.

Adele Bertei and Ali Millar in Conversation at Foyles

May 25, 7 PM • London

The Auditorium (Level 6) at Foyles, 107 Charing Cross Road

Adele Bertei began playing music in Cleveland with Pere Ubu’s legendary Peter Laughner, and as an original member of the Contortions, produced by Brian Eno on No New York. She was the pioneering creator of The Bloods—the first out, queer, all-women-rock band. Her singing and songwriting career includes recording, performing live, and writing for such diverse acts as Thomas Dolby, Whitney Houston, Scritti Politti, Sheena Easton, Jellybean Benitez, Lydia Lunch, the Pointer Sisters, and John Lurie. She is the author of two previous books: Peter and the Wolves (a memoir) and Why Labelle Matters, a finalist for the 2022 Lambda Literary Awards.

Ali Millar’s debut book, The Last Days: a memoir of faith, desire and freedom was published in 2022. Her journalism has appeared in The Guardian, The Stylist, The Sunday Times and Caught by the River.

Their conversation will be followed by audience Q&A and a book signing. Doors will open from 6:45pm.

Join Adele Bertei at Heights Arts in Cleveland, OH with Amanda Rabinowitz for TWIST

Mar 27, 7:30 PM EST • Cleveland, OH

RSVP & more info at Eventbrite

ADELE BERTEI began playing music in Cleveland with Pere Ubu’s legendary Peter Laughner, and as an original member of the Contortions, produced by Brian Eno on No New York. She was lead singer of the first out, queer, all-women rock band, the Bloods. Her singing and songwriting career includes recording, performing live, and writing for such diverse acts as Thomas Dolby, Tears for Fears, Culture Club, Whitney Houston, Scritti Politti, Sheena Easton, Jellybean Benitez, Lydia Lunch, Jamaaladeen Tacuma, the Pointer Sisters, and John Lurie. Bertei played a lead role in Lizzie Borden’s seminal feminist sci-fi film Born in Flames. She is the author of two previous books: Peter and the Wolves, and Why Labelle Matters, a finalist for the 2022 Lambda Literary Awards. Twist is the story of how it all started.

AMANDA RABINOWITZ is the host of NPR’s “All Things Considered” on Ideastream Public Media.

Join Adele Bertei at McNally Jackson Seaport in New York City with Nan Goldin for TWIST

Mar 23, 7 PM EST • New York, NY

RSVP & more info TBA at McNally Jackson

ADELE BERTEI began playing music in Cleveland with Pere Ubu’s legendary Peter Laughner, and as an original member of the Contortions, produced by Brian Eno on No New York. She was lead singer of the first out, queer, all-women rock band, the Bloods. Her singing and songwriting career includes recording, performing live, and writing for such diverse acts as Thomas Dolby, Tears for Fears, Culture Club, Whitney Houston, Scritti Politti, Sheena Easton, Jellybean Benitez, Lydia Lunch, Jamaaladeen Tacuma, the Pointer Sisters, and John Lurie. Bertei played a lead role in Lizzie Borden’s seminal feminist sci-fi film Born in Flames. She is the author of two previous books: Peter and the Wolves, and Why Labelle Matters, a finalist for the 2022 Lambda Literary Awards. Twist is the story of how it all started.

NAN GOLDIN is an American photographer and activist. Her work often explores LGBT subcultures, moments of intimacy, the HIV/AIDS crisis, and the opioid epidemic. Her work and life was most recently documented in the film All The Beauty and the Bloodshed (2022) and her most notable work is The Ballad of Sexual Dependency (1985).

Join Adele Bertei in conversation with ZE Books Founder Michael Zilkha at Brazos Bookstore in Houston, TX for TWIST.

Mar 20, 6:30 PM CST • Houston, TX

RSVP & more info at Brazos Bookstore

ADELE BERTEI began playing music in Cleveland with Pere Ubu’s legendary Peter Laughner, and as an original member of the Contortions, produced by Brian Eno on No New York. She was lead singer of the first out, queer, all-women rock band, the Bloods. Her singing and songwriting career includes recording, performing live, and writing for such diverse acts as Thomas Dolby, Tears for Fears, Culture Club, Whitney Houston, Scritti Politti, Sheena Easton, Jellybean Benitez, Lydia Lunch, Jamaaladeen Tacuma, the Pointer Sisters, and John Lurie. Bertei played a lead role in Lizzie Borden’s seminal feminist sci-fi film Born in Flames. She is the author of two previous books: Peter and the Wolves, and Why Labelle Matters, a finalist for the 2022 Lambda Literary Awards. Twist is the story of how it all started.

MICHAEL ZILKHA is the founder of ZE Books and co-founder of ZE Records.

Join Adele Bertei and Nazelah Jamison at Book Passage in San Francisco

Mar 19, 2 PM PST • San Francisco, CA

RSVP & more info at Book Passage

ADELE BERTEI began playing music in Cleveland with Pere Ubu’s legendary Peter Laughner, and as an original member of the Contortions, produced by Brian Eno on No New York. She was lead singer of the first out, queer, all-women rock band, the Bloods. Her singing and songwriting career includes recording, performing live, and writing for such diverse acts as Thomas Dolby, Tears for Fears, Culture Club, Whitney Houston, Scritti Politti, Sheena Easton, Jellybean Benitez, Lydia Lunch, Jamaaladeen Tacuma, the Pointer Sisters, and John Lurie. Bertei played a lead role in Lizzie Borden’s seminal feminist sci-fi film Born in Flames. She is the author of two previous books: Peter and the Wolves, and Why Labelle Matters, a finalist for the 2022 Lambda Literary Awards. Twist is the story of how it all started.

NAZELAH JAMISON is a gifted poet, emcee, and vocalist who has learned from and graced the stage with some of the finest people in entertainment today. She has competed on and/or coached 12 National Slam teams; and has performed poetry & music across 3 continents. Until 2014, she hosted and co-produced The Oakland Poetry Slam & Open Mic, an on-going monthly poetry slam in Oakland, CA, as well as performing at venues around the SF Bay Area and the country. She has collaborated on music recording projects with the Rondo Brothers, and is embarking upon a career as a stand-up comedienne. Her first collection of poetry, evolutionary heart, was released by Nomadic Press in Fall 2016. Nazelah is well-known and beloved for her work with Spearhead and the French music group, Les Nubians, and her love of hip-hop translates onto the stage.

Join Adele Bertei and Lizzie Borden at the TWIST Launch Party at Skylight Books

Mar 14, 7 PM PST • Los Angeles, CA

RSVP and more info at Skylight Books

ADELE BERTEI began playing music in Cleveland with Pere Ubu’s legendary Peter Laughner, and as an original member of the Contortions, produced by Brian Eno on No New York. She was lead singer of the first out, queer, all-women rock band, the Bloods. Her singing and songwriting career includes recording, performing live, and writing for such diverse acts as Thomas Dolby, Tears for Fears, Culture Club, Whitney Houston, Scritti Politti, Sheena Easton, Jellybean Benitez, Lydia Lunch, Jamaaladeen Tacuma, the Pointer Sisters, and John Lurie. Bertei played a lead role in Lizzie Borden’s seminal feminist sci-fi film Born in Flames. She is the author of two previous books: Peter and the Wolves, and Why Labelle Matters, a finalist for the 2022 Lambda Literary Awards. Twist is the story of how it all started.

LIZZIE BORDEN is a writer, director, editor, and script consultant. Her film Born in Flames, named one of “The 50 Most Important Independent Films” by Filmmaker magazine, has been shown at countless festivals and theaters domestically and internationally. It has been taught and written about extensively since its 1983 premiere at the Berlin Film Festival. In 2016 when it was restored by Anthology Film Archives, New Yorker critic Richard Brody called Born in Flames “a feminist masterpiece.” Her latest book, Whorephobia, just released with 7 Stories Press.

Please join us for the release of Roni Horn’s new publication ‘LOG’ from Ze Books and a reading of selections from the book by writer, Jarett Earnest, and artists Mary Manning and Diamond Stingly.

Produced daily over a period of fourteen months, ‘LOG’ is a collection of drawings, quotations, collages, photographs, casual commentaries, notes on news and weather events, and original texts by Roni Horn. Known for her conceptually oriented work in diverse media, ‘LOG,’ continues her exploration of identity and difference.

Signed copies of the book will be available for purchase during the event.

This event is free, however, due to limited space, reservations are required. RSVP here.

About Roni Horn

Roni Horn lives and works in New York. Solo exhibitions include: Tate Modern, London; Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; Centre Pompidou, Paris; Kunsthalle Bregenz; Kunsthalle Hamburg; Kunsthalle Basel; Fundació Joan Miró, Barcelona; Fondation Beyeler, Basel; Glenstone Museum, Potomac, Maryland; Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich; and The Menil Collection, Houston,Texas.

About Jarrett Earnest

Jarrett Earnest is the author of What it Means to Write About Art: Interviews with Art Critics (David Zwirner Books 2018). Recently he curated the exhibitions including The Young and the Evil, Ray Johnson: What a Dump!, and Jesse Murry: Rising (co-curated with Lisa Yuskavage) all at David Zwirner, NY, and Closer as Love: Polaroids 1993–2007: Breyer P-Orridge at Nina Johnson, Miami. Earnest is also the editor of Devotion (Public Books, 2022), Painting is a Supreme Fiction: Jesse Murry Writings, 1980-1993 (Soberscove, 2021) Hot, Cold, Heavy, Light: 100 Art Writings 1988–2017 by Peter Schjeldahl (Abrams, June 2019).

About Mary Manning

Mary Manning (b. 1972, Alton, Illinois) models a method of close looking in carefully arranged juxtapositions of 35mm analog prints. Taking familiar objects and scenes as their subject matter, Manning’s photos picture people, nature, the street, and everything in between. Conceptualizing “paying attention as a practice of being alive,” the artist insists on the importance and meaning of quiet moments and humdrum things. For Manning, photography is an exercise in recording and collecting—often prints are paired with saved mementos such as insect parts, a restaurant napkin, or a plastic bag. The works exemplify both photography and looking as acts of care, tenderly drawing our attention to modest but remarkable moments.

About Diamond Stingily

Diamond Stingily is an artist from Chicago, Illinois living in Brooklyn, NY. She is represented by galleries: Queer Thoughts (NY), Cabinet (London) and Isabella Bortolozzi (Berlin). Her work is in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, New York; The Whitney Museum, New York; The Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami; The National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne; and the Museum Ludwig, Cologne; among others. She hosted poetry radio show The Diamond Stingily Show featuring Special Guest and Friends on KnowWave Radio and Sparkle Nation Bookclub on Montez Press Radio with poets, Gabrielle Rucker and Precious Okoyomon. She recently starred in artist, Martine Syms, first feature film The African Desperate as Palace Bryant.