i'm obsessed with explorations and extrapolations of music in nonfiction, both under a microscope of a certain band and the broader lens of a genre or culture. all of these books read to me or seem to be reviewed as love letters to the sounds they explore, from the personal to the historical. the digital to the physical (just like the books themselves!) mainly this is inspired by my hero hanif abdurraqib, who does it all with a poet's heart đ§đ
created by beezus
last updated February, 2026

amazing, love a hanif abdurraqib inspired list đЎ


i hope he never stops writing about music!!! đ¤¸đ
Ok so music isn't necessarily the main theme but 'The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales' by Oliver Sacks - I remember being amazed how many of the people mentioned had a connection to music in one or another, and how much music seemed to help them
i'm actually adding a different oliver sacks book that is solely music focused, but good to know for more to read from him!! he's definitely a big lover of music đ tysm for sharing!!
Can i rec Victor Wooten's books? He takes a kind of fictioney approach (inspired specifically by richard bach's illusions) but its good music theory. And WHAT a bass player


ty for this one!! i remember hearing about this one in high school but forgot about it over the years đââď¸