Music Matters Book Series Finds Home at University of Texas Press, Launches First Books

Music Matters, a new book series originally acquired by the University Press of New England’s ForeEdge imprint, will now be published by the University of Texas Press. The first two books in the series, Why the Beach Boys Matter by Tom Smucker, and Why the Ramones Matter by Donna Gaines, are on sale October 2, 2018.

“UT Press is a perfect home for this series; I think it will thrive in the company of their other music titles and series,” said series editor Evelyn McDonnell, who also commented on the “vibrant, diverse group of titles and writers.”

With UPNE’s closure by the end of 2018, McDonnell and UPNE editor Stephen P. Hull sought a publisher to bring the fledgling series into print. The University of Texas Press is known for their American Music Series as well as music titles in general.

“We are thrilled to be working with Evelyn McDonnell, whose music journalism has been required reading for decades, and the group of talented writers she’s already assembled,” UT Press editor Casey Kittrell said.

Music Matters is a series of short, passionate arguments for the importance of a single artist or band by leading international writers. The books offer smart, incisive examinations of the musical, cultural, experiential, and personal impact of their subjects—both major, international icons and underserved artists.

“This series will surprise readers,” says Kittrell. “There’s something unexpected about each book, whether it’s an author’s personal connection to her subject, an unconventional appreciation of the artist, or new research on people we thought we knew.”

The first two titles, Why the Beach Boys Matter and Why The Ramones Matter, look to the music, zeitgeist, generational touchstones, and the authors’ own experiences as fans and writers to evaluate the importance of these formative musicians and their art in creating our culture and identity.

Other books planned for the series include artists such as Karen Carpenter, Rage Against the Machine, Lhasa de Sela, Paul and Linda McCartney, Patti Smith, and Solange.

More information about the series, forthcoming books, and submissions can be found at: https://utpress.utexas.edu/books/series/music-matters.

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Evelyn McDonnell is associate professor at Loyola Marymount University, where she directs the Journalism program. She has been writing about culture and society for more than 25 years. She is the editor of the forthcoming anthology, Women Who Rock, and author of four prior books, including Queens of Noise: The Real Story of the Runaways and Army of She: Icelandic, Iconoclastic, Irrepressible Bjork. She also coedited the anthologies Rock She Wrote: Women Write About Rock, Pop and Rap, and Stars Don’t Stand Still in the Sky: Music and Myth. She has been the editorial director of MOLI.com, pop culture writer at the Miami Herald, senior editor at The Village Voice, and associate editor at SF Weekly.

The University of Texas Press serves knowledge seekers in an information-rich world through the publication of books and journals in a wide range of fields. Our work is a focal point where the life experiences, insights, and specialized knowledge of writers converge to be disseminated in both print and digital formats. Established in 1950, UT Press has published more than 3,000 books over six decades.

Additional Information:

Cameron M. Ludwick | cludwick@utpress.utexas.edu | T: 512.232.7633