From New York Times bestselling author Liz Moore, featuring an intricate web of characters in the vein of her blockbuster hit The God of the Woods, The Words of Every Song has been praised as a clever puzzle-weaving masterclass set in the cutthroat world of the 90s music industry.
“Sweet, wistful, artfully arranged: like the best mix tape anyone ever made for you. . . . [Moore is] a writer capable of capturing a character or scene with one or two luminous details.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“Lyrical and powerful . . . These beautifully rendered characters are melodies that echo in your head, chords that reverberate in your heart, and long after you’ve turned the last page, you can still hear the audience calling for an encore.”—Bret Anthony Johnston, author of Corpus Christi
Set in the sleek offices, high-tech recording studios, and downtown clubs of New York just after the turn of the millennium, The Words of Every Song draws on Liz Moore’s own experiences as a musician and songwriter to offer an authentic portrait of the music industry and the people who inhabit it. From the arrogantly hip record-label scout whose deep unhappiness leads him to make impulsive career choices to the rising young singer-songwriter in love with Kurt Cobain; from the established, arena-filling rock star on the verge of a midlife crisis to the type-A executive with an exhausting social calendar and an ex she can’t stop thinking about, each character comes vibrantly to life.
As their paths intersect, Moore explores artistic identity, relationships, disappointment, and the compromises people make in pursuit of success.
“Sweet, wistful, artfully arranged: like the best mix tape anyone ever made for you. . . . [Moore is] a writer capable of capturing a character or scene with one or two luminous details.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“Lyrical and powerful . . . These beautifully rendered characters are melodies that echo in your head, chords that reverberate in your heart, and long after you’ve turned the last page, you can still hear the audience calling for an encore.”—Bret Anthony Johnston, author of Corpus Christi
Set in the sleek offices, high-tech recording studios, and downtown clubs of New York just after the turn of the millennium, The Words of Every Song draws on Liz Moore’s own experiences as a musician and songwriter to offer an authentic portrait of the music industry and the people who inhabit it. From the arrogantly hip record-label scout whose deep unhappiness leads him to make impulsive career choices to the rising young singer-songwriter in love with Kurt Cobain; from the established, arena-filling rock star on the verge of a midlife crisis to the type-A executive with an exhausting social calendar and an ex she can’t stop thinking about, each character comes vibrantly to life.
As their paths intersect, Moore explores artistic identity, relationships, disappointment, and the compromises people make in pursuit of success.
Author
Liz Moore
Liz Moore is the author of the New York Times bestsellers The God of the Woods and Long Bright River, as well as the acclaimed novels Heft and The Unseen World. A winner of the Rome Prize in Literature, she lives in Philadelphia.
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