The Happy Booker: If I Only Had an iPod...

It's been well over a month since we've run our favorite feature— If I only had an iPod. Thankfully, author Michelle Herman has stopped by to help us get our groove back. Herman is the author of the newly released short novel, Dog, and as well as the poignant memoir, The Middle of Everything. Two books in one year, plus she still has time to share her musical selections with us. Wow. Color us impressed. And we think you will be too, after you get to know her. So settle back and take a listen, you won't be sorry you stopped by ... (Did we also mention she was a stylish dresser?)

iPod Playlist, by Michelle Herman

Telling you what to listen to is right up my alley, because although I somehow ended up a writer, what I love most in the world is songs, and what I love second-most is introducing other people to the songs I’m most wildly in love with. My memoir, The Middle of Everything, is full of references to songs I love—from “Superstar” (don’t think Karen Carpenter—not that there’s anything wrong with that version—or Ruben Studdard; think Leon Russell and Bonnie Bramlett, who wrote it—Bonnie of the late, great Delaney and Bonnie [and who, by the way, some people blame for the breakup of another late, even greater group, Blind Faith ], who finally released her own version of “Superstar” in 2002 on I’m Still the Same)—to “It Might As Well Be Spring,” the Dead’s “Box of Rain” to Belle and Sebastian’s “The State I Am In.” Actually, “Box of Rain” and “The State I Am In” didn’t end up getting named—just the bands—because eventually the song name-checking seemed to be just too much, even to me. The other thing that got to be too much was all the lyrics I quoted in the original version of the manuscript. In the end, given what the permissions to reprint them cost, and the fact that half the rights-holders never bothered to respond to my question about what it would cost, I ended up paraphrasing almost all of them (so that the Beatles’ “Love You To” was just described as that song with “George Harrison’s mournful lyrics about how quickly time passes” and out went the two lines I’d planned to use from it, and “Close To You” (the Carpenters again!) is mentioned as being about “birds suddenly appearing and stars falling out of the sky every time my beloved was near.”

But this isn’t what I meant to talk about. I meant to tell you what songs I would love most to put on your ipod.

Start with “The State I Am In,” just because it’s so beautiful. Then at least two Laura Nyro songs—because they are some of the most wonderful songs anyone has ever made; I’d go for “Save the Country” and “Timer” (but it’s hard to pass up “Sweet Lovin’ Baby” and “Time and Love” (hell, just download all of New York Tendaberry and Eli and the Thirteenth Confession if you’ve got the space. If you don’t know Laura Nyro—and the young folks just don’t seem to, which breaks my heart—you’ll fall in love, I promise).

Then Janis Joplin’s “Try” and “I Need A Man to Love.” Lucinda Williams’ “Passionate Kisses” from her first album, to cheer you up after Janis. From Brian Wilson’s Smile, “Heroes and Villains.” The Magnetic Fields’ “All I Want to Know.” The Beatles doing “Besame Mucho.” Elvis Costello’s “She,” because I’m getting kind of sappy and sweet-minded now. And maybe his version of “The Very Thought of You” for good measure. Then, to perk you back up, his “What’s So Funny ‘bout Peace Love and Understanding?”

And while you’re thinking about words, you’ll want Tom Tom Club’s “Wordy Rappinghood” with its typewriter clacking, and “Genius of Love.” And speaking of genius, although you probably have it in your ipod already, Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Goin’ On,” one of my very favorite songs ever, which I can listen to over and over and over and never get tired of. And Sam & Dave’s “Hold On! I’m A’Comin,” about which I can only say ditto. Finally, Nelly Furtado’s “I’m Like A Bird,” which has become one of my favorite songs, just when I thought I had no room left in my heart for favorites.

And if you’d like to round things off with something that is pure glorious fun, that will make you laugh and dance at the same time, even if you’re fifty years old and walking down the gray flat streets of Columbus, Ohio where you can’t figure out how you could possibly have ended up living, and how can you possibly be FIFTY when you are still just a girl who loves pop music beyond all reason, add this one: Kid Creole and the Coconuts', “Don’t Take My Coconuts.”