Lit Riffs [Paperback]

Jonathan Lethem (Author), Tom Perrotta (Author), Lester Bangs (Author), Aimee Bender (Author), Amanda Davis (Author), Neal Pollack (Author), J. T. Leroy (Author), Heidi Julavitz (Author), Touré (Author), Matthew Miele (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 15, 2004

Following in the footsteps of the late great Lester Bangs -- the most revered and irreverent of rock 'n' roll critics -- twenty-four celebrated writers have penned stories inspired by great songs. Just as Bangs cast new light on a Rod Stewart classic with his story "Maggie May," about a wholly unexpected connection between an impressionable young man and an aging, alcoholic hooker, the diverse, electrifying stories here use songs as a springboard for a form dubbed the lit riff.

Alongside Bangs's classic work, you'll find stories by J.T. LeRoy, who puts a recovering teenage drug abuser in a dentist's chair with nothing but the Foo Fighters's "Everlong" -- blaring through the P.A. -- to fight the pain; Jonathan Lethem, whose narrator looks back on his lost innocence just as an extramarital affair careens to an end -- this to the tune "Speeding Motorcycle" as recorded by Yo La Tengo; and Jennifer Belle, who envisions a prequel to Paul Simon's "Graceland" -- one that takes place at a children's birthday party replete with a real live kangaroo.

With original contributions from Tom Perrotta, Nelson George, Amanda Davis, Lisa Tucker, Aimee Bender, Darin Strauss, and many more -- riffing on everyone from Tom Waits and Bruce Springsteen to the White Stripes, Cat Power, and Bob Marley -- this is both an astounding collection of short stories and an extraordinary experiment in words and music.

Soundtrack available from Saturation Acres Music & Recording Co.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Adult/High School - This book reinterprets songs, using the words, structure, and/or mood to create works that are influenced by the source but are wholly unique. Lester Bangs, famed critic of '70s and '80s rock music, opens with "Maggie May," a story spun out from the Rod Stewart hit of the same name. Through inflamed Kerouac-tinged prose, this tale of an up-and-coming rock star having a relationship with an older woman is an interesting commentary on the life of a music idol. The anthology continues with many different approaches, 24 in all. Touré's "I Shot the Sheriff" transforms the Bob Marley anthem into a wonderful fable about standing up for oneself. Neal Pollack's "Death in the Alt-Country," inspired by Merle Haggard's "Mama Tried," is about a musician's wake, but also criticizes much of the country and alt-country music of today. "The National Anthem" by Jonathan Lethem is written as a letter to a friend describing a failing love life and is based more on the general mood of Yo La Tengo's "Speeding Motorcycle" than on anything specifically mentioned in the lyrics. This literate, highly readable collection creates wonderful experiences for music lovers. - Matthew L. Moffett, Northern Virginia Community College, Annandale
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Thematic anthologies can be a mixed bag. The short stories collected here, based on popular songs and featuring some of the trendier authors of the day (most of them seem to have some affiliation with Dave Eggers), range from inspired to mediocre and tackle songs by such artists as Jeff Buckley, Tom Waits, and the Foo Fighters. Acclaimed late rock critic Lester Bangs, dead two decades now, launches the compilation with a "found" work that probably should have remained lost. Based on Rod Stewart's "Maggie Mae," this opener leaves a bad taste marring much of the work that follows. Heidi Julavitz sets the bar much higher with her comical take on Cat Power's cover of "I Found a Reason," and Neal Pollack uses Merle Haggard's "Mama Tried" to reveal posers in the alt-country scene. Contributor Zev Borow's comment on this venture hits the nail on the head: "I always thought Dylan songs were short stories, only better." Also included are stories by Jonathan Lethem, Aimee Bender, and J. T. Leroy. Benjamin Segedin
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: MTV Books; Original edition (June 15, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743470265
• ISBN-13: 978-0743470261
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,677,840 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Litt Riffs, July 15, 2011

By 

T. M. McBroom "Tabs" - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Lit Riffs (Paperback)

I had to have this book for a literature class. This came in time for my class and is an excellent book. I still have it and the class has been over. Has some really cool/interesting stories in it. Highly recommend it.

5 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars reversi, June 4, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Lit Riffs (Paperback)

Lit Riffs is a unique concept, one so obvious you'd smack yourself on the forehead for not having considered it: stories based on songs, when the reverse is quite common. The choices of songs to base a tale on is wildly disparate, which is cool. Thankfully this collection didn't go down the route of all easily recognizable pop songs.

More interesting than the book is the companion recording of cover versions of the songs that inspired Lit Riffs, soon to be released by S.A.M. records; My favorite track is the rendering of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah by the band Teenage Girls. Covers of Cohen songs tend toward the slavishly faithful; it's refreshing to hear a group make it seem new.