Music

This collection brings together texts that explore the beauty and often redemptive power of music, from classical compositions in Peter Shaffer's Amadeus and Haruki Murakami's Kafka on the Shore, to gospel songs and spirituals in Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun.

Trainspotting

by Irvine Welsh

Publication year 1993

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Music, Fame

Trainspotting is Scottish novelist Irvine Welsh’s 1993 work of fiction. Set in the late 1980s, the novel follows the “Skag Boys,” who are involved in Edinburgh, Scotland’s heroin scene, particularly in the neighborhood of Leith. Most of the novel portrays a Scottish English dialect, though some portions are in British English. Separated into seven parts, the 43 chapters are from different character’s perspectives, and some are in third person, making for a disjointed narrative that... Read Trainspotting Summary

Trampoline

by Robert Gipe

Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Music

Tags Realistic Fiction, Women`s Studies, Modern Classic Fiction

Trampoline is an illustrated novel written by Robert Gipe. Ohio University Press published the novel in 2015. The story takes place in the fictional Canard County, located in the Appalachian Mountains of Kentucky. The narrator, Dawn Jewell, tells the story of the holiday season when she was 15 years old. Dawn is intelligent, creative, and thoughtful. She lives with her grandmother, whom she calls Mamaw, because her own mother, Momma, is too addicted to drugs... Read Trampoline Summary

Trumpet

by Jackie Kay

Publication year 1998

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Gender Identity, Grief, Race, Love, Family, Music, Sexual Identity

Tags Historical Fiction, LGBTQ+, Music, Grief & Death, Race & Racism, Love & Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction

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Turtle in Paradise

by Jennifer L. Holm

Publication year 2010

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Conflict, Perseverance, Forgiveness, Gratitude, Fear, Apathy, Memory, Regret, Childhood & Youth, Environment, Plants, Food, Community, Economics, Appearance & Reality, Social Class, Literature, Art, Music, Loyalty & Betrayal, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Daughters & Sons, Fathers, Friendship, Grandparents, Mothers

Tags Historical Fiction, Action & Adventure, Children`s Literature, Great Depression, Animals, Realistic Fiction, World History

Turtle in Paradise is a 2010 historical fiction children’s novel by Jennifer L. Holm. Set in the Florida Keys during the Great Depression, the novel follows an 11-year-old girl’s struggles and successes as she visits her aunt and cousins in the town where her mother grew up. The novel won the Golden Kite Award and is a Newbery Honor Book as well as a Junior Library Guild selection. Other works by this author include The... Read Turtle in Paradise Summary

Ubu Roi

by Alfred Jarry

Publication year 1896

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Music

Tags Humor, Comedy & Satire, Absurdism, French Literature, Education, Education, Dramatic Literature, World History, Classic Fiction

Ubu Roi, a play by Alfred Jarry, debuted in Paris in December 1896. The play’s opening night at the Théâtrede l’Oeuvre was also its closing night, as a commotion—often described as a “riot”—broke out amongst the audience, who were accustomed to naturalist theatre and were horrified by the play’s shocking and crude nature. Nonetheless, the play has gone on to be seen as a deeply-influential work of theatre, and is cited as one of the precursors to modernism and... Read Ubu Roi Summary

Vietgone

by Qui Nguyen

Publication year 2015

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Hope, Love, Memory, Regret, Language, Race, Future, The Past, Family, Friendship, Self Discovery, Community, Education, Immigration, Nation, War, Fate, Justice, Music, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt

Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, Drama, Comedy & Satire, Education, Education, World History, Dramatic Literature, Humor

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Waiting on the Moon

by Peter Wolf

Publication year 2025

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Love, Fame, Aging, Conflict, Fear, Gratitude, Hope, Family, Friendship, Marriage, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Art, Beauty, Loyalty & Betrayal, Music, Order & Chaos

Tags Memoir & Autobiography, Music, Grief & Death

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We Beat the Street

by George Jenkins, Rameck Hunt, Sampson Davis, Sharon M. Draper

Publication year 2005

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Friendship, Music

Tags Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Inspirational, Biography

We Beat the Street: How A Friendship Pact Led to Success is a New York Times best-selling nonfiction work published in 2005 that examines the lives and choices of three friends and now-doctors Sampson Davis, Rameck Hunt, and George Jenkins. The book was co-authored with the help of award-winning children's author Sharon M. Draper. Plot SummarySampson, Rameck, and George hail from dangerous and underprivileged neighborhoods in Newark, NJ. Though the boys come from loving families... Read We Beat the Street Summary

We Were the Lucky Ones

by Georgia Hunter

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Music

Tags Historical Fiction, World War II, Military & War, World History

We Were the Lucky Ones, written by Georgia Hunter and published in 2017, is a historical novel based on the actual experiences of the author’s family during World War II. Hunter’s grandfather, Addy Kurc, came from a family of Jews in Radom, Poland. The book follows the story of Addy, his parents Nechuma and Sol, and his siblings Genek, Mila, Jakob, and Halina, along with their spouses, as they struggle to survive the Holocaust and... Read We Were the Lucky Ones Summary

When I Was Puerto Rican

by Esmeralda Santiago

Publication year 1993

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Music, Family, Coming of Age

Tags Immigration & Refugeeism, American Literature, Race & Racism, Education, Education, Biography

The memoir When I Was Puerto Rican recounts author Esmeralda Santiago’s early years. It is the first of her three memoirs chronicling her childhood in Puerto Rico to her eventual residence in the United States. It is a coming-of-age story centered on questions of identity—national identity, hereditary identity, familial identity, female identity, spiritual identity, and semantic labels. Other work by this author includes the autobiography/memoir, Almost a Woman.Content Warning: The source material and guide feature... Read When I Was Puerto Rican Summary

You've Reached Sam

by Dustin Thao

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Grief, Guilt, Love, Hope, Memory, Nostalgia, Revenge, Loneliness, Regret, Death, Coming of Age, The Past, Friendship, Appearance & Reality, Music, Trust & Doubt, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Romance, Magical Realism, Dramatic Literature, Grief & Death, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Religion & Spirituality

... Read You've Reached Sam Summary