Endpapers – genderqueer book conservator discovers a hidden love letter that leads to their own inner discovery

posted Monday, March 13, 2023

by: Bryen Dunn in Books

Endpapers is a character-driven story set in 2003 New York City about a genderqueer book conservator who feels trapped by her gender presentation, her ill-fitting relationship, and her artistic block, as she discovers a decades-old hidden queer love letter and becomes obsessed with tracking down its author. Bookbinder Dawn Levit works in conservation at the […]

Read more

The Islander – Island Records founder Chris Blackwell’s memoir showcases his musical genius within the world of reggae

posted Sunday, March 12, 2023

by: Bryen Dunn in Books

The Islander is a lyrical memoir from Chris Blackwell, the founder of one of the greatest music labels of all time, Island Records. it tells the story of his astonishing life and career, helping to bring reggae music to the world stage and working with many international music icons, , including Bob Marley, U2, Cat […]

Read more

Rebellious Reads From Johnny Cash and Shane MacGowan

posted Wednesday, March 1, 2023

by: Bryen Dunn in Books

Rebellion has played a factor in many a musicians life, whether through their lyrics, or the often hard lifestyle that comes with the territory of being on the road, and being surrounded by fame and fortune. Some are more known than others for their debauchery. Below are two great reads on the rebellious country singing […]

Read more

The Story of Us – new novel from Toronto’s Catherine Hernandez explores themes of community and found family

posted Tuesday, February 28, 2023

by: Bryen Dunn in Books

The Story of Us is the new novel from Toronto queer award-winning author, screenwriter, artist, and activist, Catherine Hernandez, that explores themes of community and found family, and the unbreakable bond that can happen when we meet in the middle Like many Overseas Filipino Workers, Mary Grace Concepcion has lived a life of sacrifices. First, […]

Read more

Another Dimension Of Us – queer sci-fi trans-dimensional travel novel that takes place in both 1986 and 2044

posted Saturday, February 25, 2023

by: Bryen Dunn in Books

Another Dimension Of Us begins in 1986, Tommy Gaye is in love with his best friend, budding teen poet Renaldo Calabasas. But at the height of the AIDS crisis and amidst the homophobia running rampant across America, Tommy can never share his feelings. Then, one terrible night, Renaldo is struck by lightning. And he emerges […]

Read more

Rebel Soul: Musings, Music and Magic – Bebe Buell’s rock and roll memories from backstage and onstage

posted Sunday, February 12, 2023

by: Bryen Dunn in Books

Rebel Soul isn’t so much a “sequel” to Bebe Buell’s 2001 New York Times best-selling memoir Rebel Heart, but more of an impressionistic scrapbook about becoming and being Bebe Buell, tracing her trajectory from being a rock “It Girl” to a pop culture icon, through a collection of essays that explore what it was like to be at the […]

Read more

Catboat Road – a lesbian May to December romance in small town Massachusetts

posted Tuesday, January 31, 2023

by: Bryen Dunn in Books

The backdrop for Catboat Road is the Massachusetts seaside town of Horton, cut off from the world. For Candace “Ace” Ragsdale, Mrs. Forest is an irresistible force of nature: luscious, tantalizing—and maybe not completely out of reach. On the surface, boats sway on their moorings, while below bubbles a primal brew of salt and sea life—much […]

Read more

Punk: The Definitive Guide to the Blank Generation and Beyond

posted Monday, January 30, 2023

by: Bryen Dunn in Books

Infused with a raw and energetic sound that stripped rock ‘n’ roll to the bone, punk rock transformed rock’s landscape in the 1970s, deconstructing bloated arena rock and leaving a lasting influence on the music and cultural scene in the United States and overseas. Punk was all about extending a middle finger to the status […]

Read more

The New Life – challenging traditional marriage, sexual freedom, and queer love in 19th century London

posted Tuesday, January 24, 2023

by: Bryen Dunn in Books

The New Life is a brilliant and captivating debut novel, in the tradition of Alan Hollinghurst and Colm Tóibín, about two marriages, two forbidden love affairs, and the passionate search for social and sexual freedom in late 19th-century London. In this powerful, visceral novel about love, sex, and the struggle for a better world, two […]

Read more

The Philosophy of Modern Song – Bob Dylan muses on musicians, with essays focusing on songs by other artists

posted Friday, January 20, 2023

by: Bryen Dunn in Books

The Philosophy of Modern Song is Bob Dylan’s first book of new writing since 2004’s Chronicles: Volume One—and since winning the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2016. Dylan, who began working on the book in 2010, offers his extraordinary insight into the nature of popular music. He writes over sixty essays focusing on songs by other artists, […]

Read more