A Screaming Life by Kim Thayil

A Screaming Life: Into the Superunknown

with Soundgarden and Beyond by Kim Thayil

I love a good celebrity memoir, especially from rock stars because I’m fascinated by the art of making music. Thayil’s book is probably going to be one of my favorites. He’s so intelligent that it’s a smooth read (thanks to Tepedelen too, of course, but Thayil’s personality comes through strongly) and he’s really thoughtful about fame while being honest about what he wanted and experienced.

Most of the book focuses on Soundgarden’s rise to fame, which is understandable - that’s the most interesting part of many musician’s lives. But what makes this rank so highly for me is how Thayil addresses the band breaking up and how that came to be - based on fame, disconnect, and more. I think he really honestly dives into how bands are like marriages, complicated in different ways, and therefore those relationships aren’t meant to last over the years without any interruption, separation, growth, etc.

Soundgarden's reunion is cut short (I mean, of course it was, but it also feels a bit crammed in at the end of the book) but that said, I feel like Cornell's death is still recent enough to be painful, especially considering that Thayil found out by seeing it online despite his closeness with Cornell. I can't imagine how hard that must be to experience, and then have to relive for the book, so it's understandable.

I like that the ending is as hopeful as it can be with Soundgarden getting their music back and potentially putting one more album out. I do wish there was some insight into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction considering it brought them back with Jim Carrey (and the SNL experience is touched on previously) and seemed like an incredibly emotional night just watching it, so I would have loved to hear how it impacted Thayil personally, especially considering the book ends with several other honors he's received.

Overall, this is an incredibly honest memoir that really focuses on Soundgarden rather than getting bogged down in drama or even too much of Thayil's personal life. I think he strikes a perfect balance of sharing what most fans want to know without putting so much of himself out there that he loses privacy. Highly recommended for any music fan!

Beverly Cleary Author Study: My Own Two Feet

This is the second installment of Cleary's autobiography, from college to the publication of Henry Huggins. Her life was so interesting. After working her way through junior college and college during the Depression, she puts herself through graduate school studying library science. Cleary works for a year as a children's librarian, then works for several years as an Army librarian during World War II. She wrote Henry Huggins when she was 33!

I would have loved a third installment all about her writing, fame, motherhood, and awards because she's so fascinating. Her writing style was always matter-of-fact and humorous, which gave great insight into her personality while making every book a joy to read. What a treasure.

Beverly Cleary Author Study: A Girl From Yamhill

 

Beverly Cleary shares her childhood up through high school graduation in the first installment of her autobiography. She includes a lot of historical information about her pioneer ancestors. When she wrote about her early childhood on the farm, I could see where a lot of Emily's Runaway Imagination came from. 

These memories reminded me a lot of my maternal grandmother, too. She grew up on a farm and was close to the same age as Cleary. We had read some Cleary books together, including Emily's Runaway Imagination, so I had my grandmother's memories going through my head as I read this book. It made for a very cozy experience.

Cleary's story is touching and real and interesting. She is very honest about her childhood and her relationship with her mother. As she grew into a teenager, I could see where some of the subject matter for her YA books came from as well. Her writing style in this book is just as natural as it is in her fiction books. 

Fun Home on Stage

I was excited to see the Fun Home play because I wanted to see how a graphic memoir would translate to stage. I've see picture books as plays, and other "classics" like Peter Pan and Lord of the Flies. But for some reason it wrinkled my brain to imagine the little boxes of a graphic memoir on stage.

It wasn't until after I saw the play that I broke it down further in my mind and thought about how it was a graphic memoir - based on real life, so of course it would easily transfer to a play, because the action was done by real people in the first place.

I did love how it was done, though. The artist Alison Bechdel stood at her art table and watched the action of younger Alisons interacting with her family. After something happened, she would say "Caption..." and brainstorm possible explanations to put with her drawings.

I wasn't a huge fan of the songs. They were gorgeous but I think there was so much action and emotion to explore in the story itself without it being turned into a musical. That being said, the kids' song about the funeral home was definitely my favorite part of the night!