Throwing Muses frontwoman and critically acclaimed solo artist Kristin Hersh meditates on the future of her craft in this wry, existential and passionate addition to Melville House UK's new series, FUTURES.
Kristin Hersh Book order
Kristin Hersh is an American singer, songwriter, and author whose works often delve into the depths of the human psyche. Her writing, much like her music, is characterized by a raw honesty and a unique perspective on the world. Hersh explores themes of identity, memory, and the complexities of human connection with a poetic urgency. Her prose reads like emotionally charged landscapes, reflecting an unconventional approach to artistry.
- 2024
- 2021
- 2021
A collection of lyrics by celebrated Throwing Muses songwriter Kristin Hersh, author of the widely acclaimed memoir Paradoxical Undressing
- 2018
Nerve Endings: Selected Lyrics
- 224 pages
- 8 hours of reading
Since forming the seminal art rock band Throwing Muses while still in her teens, Kristin Hersh has been at the forefront of alternative music, acclaimed for her raw, visceral and poetic songwriting.
- 2016
Don't Suck, Don't Die
- 200 pages
- 7 hours of reading
“Friend, asshole, angel, mutant,” singer-songwriter Vic Chesnutt “came along and made us gross and broken people seem . . . I dunno, cooler, I guess.” A quadriplegic who could play only simple chords on his guitar, Chesnutt recorded seventeen critically acclaimed albums before his death in 2009, including About to Choke, North Star Deserter, and At the Cut. In 2006, NPR placed him in the top five of the ten best living songwriters, along with Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, Paul McCartney, and Bruce Springsteen. Chesnutt’s songs have also been covered by many prominent artists, including Madonna, the Smashing Pumpkins, R.E.M., Sparklehorse, Fugazi, and Neutral Milk Hotel. Kristin Hersh toured with Chesnutt for nearly a decade and they became close friends, bonding over a love of songwriting and mutual struggles with mental health. In Don’t Suck, Don’t Die, she describes many seemingly small moments they shared, their free-ranging conversations, and his tragic death. More memoir than biography, Hersh’s book plumbs the sources of Chesnutt’s pain and creativity more deeply than any conventional account of his life and recordings ever could. Chesnutt was difficult to understand and frequently difficult to be with, but, as Hersh reveals him, he was also wickedly funny and painfully perceptive. This intimate memoir is essential reading for anyone interested in the music or the artist.
- 2016
The full studio album on CD. Photographs and artwork by Dave Narcizo and Kristin Hersh. Lyrics for each song, stories and essays by Kristin Hersh to accompany each track.
- 2010
The founder of a cult rock band shares her outrageous tale of growing up much faster than planned. In 1985, Kristin Hersh was just starting to find her place in the world. After leaving home at the age of fifteen, the precocious child of unconventional hippies had enrolled in college while her band, Throwing Muses, was getting off the ground amid rumors of a major label deal. Then everything changed: she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and found herself in an emotional tailspin; she started medication, but then discovered she was pregnant. An intensely personal and moving account of that pivotal year, Rat Girl is sure to be greeted eagerly by Hersh's many fans.