From Lilith to Lilith Fair : The Authorized Story (Paperback)

by Buffy Childerhose (Author), Sarah McClachlan (Foreword)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Lilith, the mythological character from whom the Lilith Fair takes its name, had the audacity to defy God. The force that Sarah McLachlan defied in 1997 by proposing a real alternative to the summer music festival--the belligerent, male-dominated radio and record industry--is only slightly less frightening. In From Lilith to Lilith Fair, Buffy Childerhose chronicles the festival--a girlapalooza that quickly overshadowed its predecessors--from its seedling stages to full bloom with insights from most of Lilith's 1997 artists, including Paula Cole, Indigo Girls, and Sarah herself. Most chapters begin with a portrait of a pioneering woman, from 16th-century Italian artist Artemisia Gentileschi to Canadian suffragette Nellie McClung. The historical stories point most frequently to women's struggles to be heard, honored, and even considered through the ages. The Lilith Fair artists relate more contemporary stories of discrimination and prejudice, and ultimately of triumph. Much of the book details the media's initial, negative response to the tour and how Sarah and company battled through press conferences with insensitive journalists before every show. Rolling Stone portrayed Lilith participants as "utterly lacking in community" and competitive. Salon decried "the second-grade sensibility of the pseudo-feminist Lilith Fair," and Ms. magazine scolded Sarah for her reluctance to use the word feminist. But once things got started, Sarah's utopian vision won out over its detractors: shows sold out, audiences left happy, and magazines like Entertainment Weekly and Time ran favorable cover stories on the tour. From Lilith to Lilith Fair captures the bumpy road to success for the women of Lilith, led by the unwavering persistence and undeniable talent of Sarah McLachlan, who--appropriately enough--writes the forward for this officially sanctioned book. --Shawn Stewart

Review
"The book champions the tour without being cloying, allowing McLachlan to respond to some of the harsh criticism Lilith received from some members of the media." -- The Record

...reads more like a souvenir concert program with uninspiring photos than a serious work of journalism. -- Entertainment Weekly, Lori L. Tharps

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; 1st edition (July 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312201737
• ISBN-13: 978-0312201739
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,795,946 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Call me Nostalgic, September 10, 1999

By A Customer

Lilith Fair is over over over and I for one am really going to miss it. This book is a pretty good placebo for those of us who wish the fair was continuing for at least two more years. It's well written, nice to look at, and interesting. Now excuse me while I go put on my Lilith Cds, grab my Lilith book, slap on a Biore nose strip for effect and sob into my Starbucks. Thanks Sarah for three great years!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars From Lilith to Lilith Fair: An incredibly, inspiring book, December 7, 1999

By A Customer

How anyone could rate this book anything below five stars is beyond me. I believe this book to be inspiring to women of all ages. I am unbelievably upset that Lilith Fair won't be returning next summer. I went to the final Lilith Fair, it being my very first concert. The feeling you get standing there and listening to Sarah sing is indescribable. You don't want the concert to end at all, let alone Lilith Fair entirely. This is a great book for any Sarah fans, or women who believe in being acknowledged, and heard.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Really enjoyed it!, July 13, 1999

By A Customer

I thought this was a pretty good book. Not only did I enjoy reading it, but I've loaned it out to several friends who also liked it. My favorite parts were the biographies of the illustrious women of the past. If you like Lilith Fair, you should like this book, as well.