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Books On Musical Side-Effects And The Punk Rock Life Of Carrie Brownstein

Hunger

Read This is a Scout column that details book selections by authorities, luminaries, institutions, and locals that share deep affections for the written word. These titles come our friends at the Emily Carr University Library…

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We here at the Emily Carr Library love a good summer music festival, spending time relaxing at the beach, and generally enjoying a good time in the (sometimes) sunny city. Library Assistants Sarah Van Snellenberg, Monica Duguid and Cybele Creery picked a few books about music to get in the mood for summer.

1. | A Sound Education | by R. Murray Schaefer
Perusing the stacks for books we may not need in the library anymore (a practice known in libraries as “weeding”, another good summertime activity), we sometimes come across unexpected gems. “A Sound Education” is one such item. Published in 1992, Canadian composer R. Murray Schafer lists “100 Exercises in Listening and Sound-Making.” Conceived as a teaching tool to enable students to “listen more effectively”, I urge you to pick this up and use it with your children, your friends, or on your own as you explore. Some of our favourites include #27: Try to think of some unattractive sounds that come from visually attractive sources, and #99: A Sound Treasure Walk. (MD)

2. | No Such Thing As Silence : John Cage’s 4’33” | by Kyle Gann
This is a very readable treatise on John Cage’s 4 and half minute composition without notes. I approached this book with skepticism, pretty sure that there was no way I could be convinced of the merit of a piece of music that seemed to be a trick or a joke: just a pianist, sitting at the piano for exactly 4 minutes and 33 seconds. But it was thrilling! I found No Such Thing as Silence to be an engaging examination of John Cage’s work and legacy, in a grounded historical context. (CC)

3. | You Should’ve Heard Just What I Seen | edited by Kelly Taxter
How does music affect your life? And if you’re an artist, how does it make itself known in your work? Curator Kelly Taxter credits her interest in music for her introduction into the world of art, because of album covers done by artists like Mike Kelley, Raymond Pettibon, and Gerhard Richter. Each section in the book is an examination of the cross-section between art and music, all by different artists, using essays, poems, images and interviews. So inspiring. (CC)

4. | Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl | by Carrie Brownstein
Even though I’m not well versed in the feminist riot grrrl punk rock scene, I feel like Carrie Brownstein has a really relatable story. Given what I’ve seen of her work on Portlandia, I thought the book would be goofier, but it’s really more of a middle ground between the feminist gender politics and writing she was into with Sleater Kinney, and the sheer hilarity of Portlanida. Take it to the beach and follow Carrie Brownstein’s journey from teen outsider to Pacific Northwest feminist punk rocker. A lot of people feel like outsiders, and so does she, and we can all relate to her as a person. This is really about searching for belonging, and the rock scene was a place for her to belong. This makes for a moving, charming story. (SVS)

Scout Book Club, Vol. 9

We like consuming words on the page almost as much as we like consuming food on the plate. Welcome to the Scout Book Club: a brief and regular rundown of what we're reading, what's staring at us from the bookshelf begging to be read next, and what we've already read and recommend.

Scout Book Club, Vol. 8

We like consuming words on the page almost as much as we like consuming food on the plate. Welcome to the Scout Book Club: a brief and regular rundown of what we're reading, what's staring at us from the bookshelf begging to be read next, and what we've already read and recommend.

Scout Book Club, Vol. 7

We like consuming words on the page almost as much as we like consuming food on the plate. Welcome to the Scout Book Club: a brief and regular rundown of what we're reading, what's staring at us from the bookshelf begging to be read next, and what we've already read and recommend.

Scout Book Club, Vol. 6

Welcome to the Scout Book Club: a brief and regular rundown of what we're reading, what's staring at us from the bookshelf begging to be read next, and what we've already read and recommend.