The Strange Tools of Human Communication by Ruth Finnegan centers on communication as a multimodal phenomenon of voice, writing, and music. She traces alphabetic writing to Semitic proto-alphabets derived from Egyptian hieroglyphs, distinguishing it from pictographic systems that convey meaning visually across languages. Finnegan teaches...

The Rock And Roll Almanac by Andrew Craneman is a detailed, date-specific chronology of significant events in rock music history spanning over 70 years. It catalogs landmark album releases, band milestones, artist activities, legal issues, births, and deaths, covering influential moments such as Johnny Cash’s...

Kristofferson: 67 Astounding Songs by Richard Somma is a comprehensive analysis of Kris Kristofferson’s early songwriting, focusing on thematic content, lyrical techniques, and vocal delivery. The book examines songs such as “Viet Nam Blues,” which critiques U.S. politics, and “Help Me Make It Through the...

Do you like pop music? What if you got the opportunity to witness a singer/songwriter in the process of writing an album? If the answer to these two questions is a resounding yes, you will love this book. Words to think. Or to sing. features...

Life Thoughts: Profoundly Wise and Marginally Silly Reflections by Hovig Nassanian presents a collection of musings, quotes, and anecdotal stories interwoven with music recommendations. Nassanian addresses themes such as parenthood’s emotional spectrum, comparing creative processes to childbirth, and recounts personal family experiences, including his grandmother...

Made In Italy: Strings Attached, Four Seasons of an Italian Violin by Thomas Walter Kelley traces the “mia visione," or imagined early history of a Ceruti violin crafted around 1810 in Cremona, Italy, and its journey to the United States by 1901. Kelley draws on...

Circle of Sawdust, penned by Rob Mermin, is a circus performer’s memoir about a life lived under the big top. Beginning in the late 1960s, Rob chronicles his experiences in many different circuses through visual and written snapshots. For Rob, being a circus performer is...

The Hipster’s Legacy is a vividly personal memoir by Lorraine Gibson Cohen, who blends memory, family history, and artistic reflection into a heartfelt portrait of mid-century life in Southern California. Told with humor and candor, the narrative centers on the author's return to Culper Court,...

Stagehand: A Backstage Pass to My Life Stories by David H. Aretsky is a memoir that talks about the author's experiences as a stagehand, revealing the highs, lows, and rewards of the profession. Aretsky speaks on the demanding nature of the job, including long hours,...

Dancing on Coals: A Memoir of an Overperformer by Cynthia Moore is a candid and heartfelt exploration of a woman’s journey through a tumultuous life marked by intense ambition, emotional struggles, and the relentless quest for authenticity. The memoir traces Cynthia’s evolution from a childhood...