Rock Is Lit

Hello, Lit listeners. As you know, Rock is Lit is a podcast about rock novels. Well, in this episode, we’re going rogue. Melissa Ragsly is here to talk about the music-related stories in her short story collection, ‘We Know This Will All Disappear’. We’ll be name dropping folks like The Beatles, Metallica, FTD, Patti Smith, and Guns N Roses.  Speaking of Guns N Roses, their song “Rocket Queen” is...

Hello, Lit Listeners! Here’s another news flash from the Rock is Lit Vault. On Thursday, February 2, 2023, Season Two launches with Melissa Ragsly, who wrote the short story collection ‘We Know All This Will All Disappear’, and AAron Camaro, co-host of Decibel Geek podcast, another proud member of the Pantheon family. Melissa and I talk about a few of the more music-centric stories in her book, th...

Episode 14 of Rock is Lit features Michael Amos Cody’s novel ‘Gabriel’s Songbook’, a story that follows starry-eyed Gabriel Tanner on his quest to strike it big as a singer-songwriter in Nashville in the 1980s. In the final segment of that episode, Peter Cooper and Frye Gaillard join me to talk about the real Nashville music scene in the 1980s to add real-world context to Michael's novel. Frye is...

Enjoy the coming attractions of Rock is Lit Season Two in this Vault bonus short. You'll hear what's new, Season One recap, and fun bloopers. For more info on Rock is Lit, see my website at https://www.christyalexanderhallberg.com/rockislit. Find me on Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube @christyhallberg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We said goodbye to 2022 and Season One of Rock is Lit last week. To celebrate the coming of Season Two, here's a brief recap of Season One, a thank you to all the folks who helped make the podcast happen, intro to Season Two, and an intro to the full video interview I conducted with legendary groupie Pamela Des Barres for the Season One Finale/Episode 17. Use the link below to view the YouTube vid...

Hello, Lit Listeners. I hope you’re all geared up to party with the bands in this episode’s rock novel, because you’ve got a backstage pass and VIP access. Sarah Priscus is here to talk about her new novel, ‘Groupies’, a story that shines a light on the grungy yet glittery world of 1970s Los Angeles rock 'n roll and the women—the groupies—who unapologetically love too much in a world that doesn’t...

Hello, Lit Listeners. If you dig the crazy, down-and-dirty (and deafening), let-it-all-hang out, have-a-nice-day, far out 1970s, you’re in for a treat. Music journalist-cum-rock novelist Robert Duncan is here doing double duty as both author and music guru—because why wouldn’t he?—and he dishes on some folks whose records are in your collection. You DON’T want to miss this episode!   EPISODE HIGHL...

Hello, Lit listeners. In this episode, Peter McDade is here to talk about his novel ‘The Weight of Sound’, about aspiring rock musician Spider Webb, who at 18 announces to his parents that he will skip high school graduation and move to Athens, Georgia, to launch his career in the birthplace of R.E.M. and the B-52s. Through rotating points of view and covering a span of over twenty years, the book...

In this episode we’re venturing inside the complicated world of the Nashville music biz. Michael Amos Cody joins me to talk about his novel ‘Gabriel’s Songbook’, which follows starry-eyed Gabriel Tanner on his quest to strike it big as a singer-songwriter in the Music City in the 1980s.  In the final segment, Frye Gaillard and Peter Cooper drop by to talk about the real Nashville music scene in th...

In this episode of Rock is Lit, Richard Fulco, author of the new novel ‘We Are All Together’, is here to take us on a rockin’ jaunt through the late 1960s, where we’ll encounter several iconic players on the music and literature scene from that era. If you’re a fan of the Summer of Love and all the trimmings that go with it, you’ll love his novel and this episode. Later, Elliott Landy drops by to...

On this episode of Rock is Lit . . . Michael Gaspeny and I talk about  Our experiences launching debut novels and the advice we’d give new authors who are about to launch their first books The backstory that inspired Michael to write the novel ‘A Postcard From the Delta’ Blues as the main character in the novel’s religion and what the Blues means to Michael When the Blues first grabbed Michael How...

Zeena Schreck, formerly LaVey, is an interdisciplinary visual and musical artist based in Berlin, Germany. Raised within the Church of Satan, she came to international prominence early in life as the organization's High Priestess and first public spokesperson, defending the Church in the 1980s during the infamous media-fuelled U.S. Satanic Panic. She resigned her position in 1990, severed ties wit...

Michael and I talk about  the genius of Mick Taylor and Taylor’s short stint with the Rolling Stones North Carolina barbecue vs. Texas barbecue the image Michael saw one day while swimming that inspired his novel ‘I Am the Light of This World’ why the early 1970s was such an interesting time culturally and why Michael chose it as the backdrop for a big part of the story the significance of the tit...

Jennifer Haupt is here to talk about her new novel, ‘Come As You Are’. Set against a backdrop of Seattle in the early '90s, ‘Come As You Are’ is a compelling love story and family drama that addresses the question: Can we alter our dreams and stories from the past to create a better future for our children? In the second half of the show, we’re joined by two giants of the real Seattle grunge world...

Episode 10 of Rock is Lit features Jennifer Haupt’s novel ‘Come As You Are’, a story set against the backdrop of the Seattle grunge scene of the early 1990s. In this outtake from that interview, I talk with Jennifer about lost and deferred dreams—for the characters in her novel and for herself—and the difference in her reaction to publishing her first novel and this one.  Listen to Episode 10, the...

Episode 10 of Rock is Lit features Jennifer Haupt’s novel ‘Come As You Are’, a story set against the backdrop of the Seattle grunge scene of the early 1990s. Nabil Ayers, author of the memoir ‘My Life in the Sunshine’ and co-founder of Seattle’s iconic record store Sonic Boom, shares his memories of that pivotal moment in music history in the full episode. Here are two outtakes from my interview w...

Episode 10 of Rock is Lit features Jennifer Haupt’s novel ‘Come As You Are’, a story set against the backdrop of the Seattle grunge scene of the early 1990s.  Joining Jennifer and me on that episode to share their memories of that pivotal moment in music history to add real-world context to Jennifer’s novel are Nabil Ayers, co-founder of Seattle’s iconic record store Sonic Boom and author of the m...

In this episode of Rock is Lit, Dana Spiotta joins me to talk about her National Book Award-nominated novel ‘Eat the Document’. If your jam is ‘70s and ‘90s radical activism, political fugitives (think The Weather Underground), lost and obscure albums (such as The Beach Boys’ ‘Smile’), bootleg recordings, underground filmmaking, and a ton of classic rock, you’re gonna love this novel. Later, Lucas...

HIGHLIGHTS: Drinks With Tony podcast hostTony DuShane and I talk about his novel ‘Confessions of a Teenage Jesus Jerk’, what it was like for him growing up a Jehovah’s Witness, his worst experience going door to door as a Jehovah’s Witness, how/why Tony left the religion, how music and literature saved his life and the role both play in his novel, Tony’s experience working on the film adaptation (...

HIGHLIGHTS: In this bonus segment from Episode 7 of Rock is Lit, Danny Goldberg, former President of Atlantic Records and manager of Nirvana, as well as PR man for Led Zeppelin then Vice President of Swan Song records at the height of the band’s fame, shares his thoughts about some of the nonfiction books on Led Zeppelin by music journalists, including the infamous ‘Hammer of the Gods’ by Stephen...

HIGHLIGHTS: In this episode of Rock is Lit, some special guests and I celebrate the first book birthday of my rock novel, ‘Searching for Jimmy Page’. First, my close friends and colleagues Margaret Bauer, Randall Martoccia, and Liza Wieland interview me about my novel. Later, former President of Atlantic Records, manager of Nirvana, PR man for Led Zeppelin then Vice President of Swan Song records,...

HIGHLIGHTS: Zachary Lazar and I talk about his extraordinary rock novel ‘Sway’, a story that reimagines the early days of the Rolling Stones, including the romantic triangle of Brian Jones, Anita Pallenberg, and Keith Richards; the life of avant-garde filmmaker Kenneth Anger; and Charles Manson and his followers. We also talk about the Stones at Altamont, Aleister Crowley, the Jewish mystical trad...

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: “It’s all happening!” If it sounds like there’s a party going on, you’re right, and you’re invited to join the fun on this special episode of Rock is Lit. My rock ‘n roll bruthas Mac B. and Action Jackson, from The Ugly American Werewolf in London Rock Podcast, and I talk about what makes a great movie soundtrack and our criteria for choosing the movies/soundtracks that made ea...

HIGHLIGHTS: Pleasant Gehman is a Hollywood rock ‘n’ roll icon. During the 1970s, she was one of the first punks in Los Angeles, documenting the scene she helped create in her fanzine ‘Lobotomy’,which led to writing for many of the top mainstream rock publications.  In this outtake from my interview with Pleasant for the Rock is Lit episode that features Janet Fitch’s rock novel ‘Paint it Black’, P...

HIGHLIGHTS FROM EPISODE 4: Janet Fitch talks about seeing a three-hour concert with Leonard Cohen; Joni Mitchell; what she’d ask Patti Smith, Björk, Neil Young, and Leonard Cohen if she could; creating an “I will survive” music playlist; Amy Winehouse; Janis Joplin; X; Nico; Jackson Brown. Janet and I talk about some of the major themes of her novel ‘Paint it Black’; grief and the aftermath of sui...