By Jamie Keebler
Phoebe Bridgers is a singer-songwriter who writes spooky and aching sad songs that make her a favorite in the sad girl music genre. I read Phoebe’s favorite books and gave a song recommendation to go along with each novel.
The Idiot by Elif Batuman
This novel follows Selin, the daughter of Turkish immigrants during her first year at Harvard and the summer that follows. Throughout the year she navigates a complicated relationship with Ivan, an upperclassmen student at Harvard. During the summer she goes to Budapest with other students and continuously tries to dodge her fate of becoming a writer. This book is artfully written and goes into the emotions of facing a new chapter of your life. It explores loneliness and the pressure to create art while also fulfilling the other demands of life. I read this book as a freshman in college and it captured the emotions that I had been feeling every day. I can see how this book can relate to Phoebe’s style of music in the way that it takes dark and challenging feelings but packages them into media that is heartbreaking yet consumable. They are honest which is what makes them so influential, especially to their young adult audience.
Song Recommendation:
While I am biased because “Graceland Too” is my favorite song of all time, I think that it captures the pain of young adulthood that is shown in The Idiot.
Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney
Frances and Bobbi were lovers in college but they broke up and now live together and perform spoken word poetry. A journalist attends one of their readings and has an immediate fascination with the girls. While the journalist, Melissa, becomes closer to Bobbi, Frances grows closer to Melissa’s husband, Nick. Relationships are challenged while others are subsequently formed. Frances also has to handle a complicated home life and figure out how to make money as an artist after college. The four of them are left in a mess of emotions which are constantly left on the edge of implosion. It is no surprise to me that Phoebe loves this book because of the way that she is able to similarly articulate the complexities of relationships between friends and lovers. Like Sally Roony, Phoebe also has a distinct style that doesn’t limit their work but instead elevates it. There’s also a fun connection between Sally Rooney and Phoebe Bridgers. Phoebe is dating actor Paul Mescal, who stars in an adaptation of Rooney’s most famous book, Normal People.
Song Recommendation:
“You Missed My Heart” compliments the love and heartbreak that is created by Rooney.
Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado
This short story collection is made up of fairy tales with elements of modern horror. These aren’t the fairytales that you grew up reading and there is not a prince or princess in sight. Each story has a unique premise and characters that create captivating stories. The horror is psychological and will refuse to leave your mind. It is rare that a short story collection can be gripping from beginning to end, but Machado accomplishes this feat. Phoebe has always made it known that she has a fascination with the spooky parts of life and this book seems to capture that part of her personality. This is no secret to anyone who has listened to her album Punisher or has seen her perform in one of her various skeleton jumpsuits.
Song Recommendation:
If you are looking for something to give you the same chills that come from listening to “I Know the End”, this is the book for you.