Recs if you like Maud Martha...

Books recommended by musician Lucy Dacus, a solo artist and member of the band boygenius. Pulled from her goodreads list.

novels, poetry, literary criticism, and history books by Black authors referenced in Farah Jasmine Griffin’s Read Until You Understand; The Profound Wisdom of Black Life and Literature — forming a type of Black literary canon

Introspective books by people who observe a lot, ponder a lot, feel a lot, and write about it. Creative memoir, self-indulgent navel-gazing, or "wan little husks" (as Joyce Carol Oates once put it)... whatever you personally think about autofiction, including whether or not it really is a genre, this somewhat experimental form of writing most definitely gives both writers and readers a chance to engage in narratives in a different way.

Inspired by some comments I saw regarding classics being too straight white male oriented. There are lots of classics that aren't, but unfortunately don't always get as much recognition. Hoping this list might help those interested expand their range of classics. Non-exhaustive and taking suggestions!

Every book recommended by members of the band (except for the one that must not be named). Most of these were recommended by Lucy Dacus. If you are sitting on more books which any member of the band recommended, please hit me up and I will update the list!

This is the list from The Atlantic. "In 1868, a little-known writer by the name of John William DeForest proposed a new type of literature, a collective artistic project for a nation just emerging from an existential conflict: a work of fiction that accomplished “the task of painting the American soul.” It would be called the Great American Novel, and no one had written it yet, DeForest admitted. Maybe soon."