Resistance

February 24, 2020
Musician Amos (Piece by Piece) discusses creating music during turbulent times in this soulful memoir. At age five, Amos began studying music at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, Md., and, in 1977, at 13, was playing piano in bars in Washington, D.C., a city where “supposedly moral men” were “laying the groundwork for a compromised future.” She writes of playing songs such as 1990’s “Little Earthquakes” at recent concerts as a way to help people “process the shock of the Trump presidency,” and describes how she will often rework set lists to accommodate fan requests. A self-described “feminist soldier,” Amos often speaks in exalted terms about her craft and the “Muses” that guided her as she recorded songs including “Girl,” about female oppression, and “Ophelia,” which addresses survivors of sexual trauma. She calls songwriters “sonic hunters” and assigns the pronoun she to her songs (“‘Girl’ had not yet been written, but she was listening from the ether”). A New Agey vibe sometimes surfaces within discussions of contemporary events, as Amos emphasizes the role artists have to play in society: “We must Out-Create destruction.” This memoir and call to action will delight Amos’s many fans.

March 15, 2020
The inimitable musician memorializes her artistic journey through music and activism. With great conviction, Amos believes "we are all confronting dark forces that aim to divide us as a world, as countries, as people, as artists, as creators." This book is rooted in motivated political resistance and the preservation of artistic expressionism. As a 40-year veteran of the music industry, the author acknowledges pivotal moments throughout her career and lets her song lyrics shine at the beginning of each chapter. Amos begins with "Gold Dust," reflecting back on her teenage self and the creative impulses that guided her as a young artist and a rising social and human rights activist. The author discusses how the "weight of processing conflict" fueled the writing of her hit "Little Earthquakes" and how the 2017 song "Bang" was intended to energize advocates of true democracy after Donald Trump's Muslim ban. Never one to shy away from the controversial, complex, or incendiary, Amos expresses past and present frustrations with record label melodrama and the importance of continuing conversations about sexual abuse, female genital mutilation, government oppression, and attacks on LGBTQ rights worldwide. A section on 9/11 comes into vivid focus when Amos describes an eerie walk through a muted Manhattan as "the drums of war had begun beating." She continues, "as I write these words all these years later, we are still at war--in that very same war." In addition to her politically charged thoughts, the author reflects poignantly on the end-of-life care and eventual loss of her mother, which occurred while she was writing this book. The concluding chapters address her grief and how she has been processing this absence by manifesting her beloved mother's influence through prose and music. Though the narrative structure is haphazard, the result, nevertheless, is a dramatically inspired volume of lyrics and legacy presenting Amos as an artist, an activist, and a sharp, thoughtful musician with a commanding voice. A profound autobiographical playlist and radically political call to action primarily for Amos fans.

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April 1, 2020

Singer-songwriter Amos (b. 1963) chronicles her life and work, starting with her experiences at 13 playing on the Georgetown piano bar circuit. She describes events that influenced her songwriting, including the September 11 terrorist attacks and the death of her mother. Amos also details the development of several of her albums and the sources of her inspiration, which she calls her Muses, which guide her and encourage her to listen and construct. Relevant lyrics from Amos's songs are interspersed between chapters. Throughout, she emphasizes the importance of stories, including those of her fans, to her music. Amos devotees will recognize the significance of politics and feminism for her music as she weaves current events and songwriting together; she candidly explores sexual assault, self-worth, imperialism, and patriarchy. Amos closes with thoughts on the boundaries of creating and writer's block. VERDICT A fascinating window into the creative process of an iconic songwriter, this should resonate with lovers of Amos's music and encourage other artists.--Rebekah Kati, Univ. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Copyright 2020 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2020
Singer/songwriter Amos is passionate about the artist's role in society, and her mission to transform crises into promise. In this thoughtful book, Amos shares the inspiration for many of her songs, beginning with her teenage gig playing piano at a gay bar in Washington, DC, and weaving through years of touring, writing, successes, and setbacks. The muses aren't always there to guide her, but the songwriter finds inspiration in interactions with audiences and other people she meets across the country. Major social and political events, including 9/11 and presidential campaigns, along with women's stories of abuse, are woven into the lyrics that accompany each section. Amos also shares private struggles, such as trying to overcome her grief after losing her mother. Amos' songs are complex and often heartrending, and she is honest about the ups and downs artists face and the challenges involved in maintaining artistic integrity in a business that's built on the amassing of money and popularity. Amos' many fans are this book's natural audience, but it will sing to anyone with an artistic soul.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)