Rainbow Rowell's Blog

Read 'Slow Dance' with Reese's Book Club

this photo makes me feel like one of the designing women. Please notice that i have a ring that says “slow dance.”

Slow Dance was selected by Reese’s Book Club for the month of August, and it’s been a truly magical experience for me.

I actually got to go to Los Angeles to meet the RBC team — they were lovely — and there was a big party to celebrate the book and books in general, with wine and roses. (Sponsored by Decoy Wines.) It’s just really hard for me to imagine a nicer way to bring a book into the world, and I’m so grateful.

If you’re reading Slow Dance, Reese’s Book Club has so much bonus content. I wrote this essay about the book — sort of a letter to readers — along with a video introducing it.

And the Club is posting all kinds of behind-the-scenes good stuff on Instagram. Like, I shared photos of Omaha locations I used in the book. And I gave a tour of my office. And shared scenes from a day in my life as an author.

If you want to join the conversation about the book, here is the official discussion post. I find Reese’s readers to be really friendly and open. It’s a place for people who truly love books.

Just a few days before the music starts …

On Tuesday, my new novel, Slow Dance, will officially enter the world.

I’m nervous. I’m always nervous at this point. I always feel like I’m starting over. I really feel that way this time, after writing a trilogy.

Slow Dance is about a man and a woman -- Cary and Shiloh -- who were best friends in high school but FOR SOME REASON haven't spoken in 14 years. It's set in Omaha, in the real world, in the 1990s and early aughts.

When I finished Slow Dance, I told my husband (and my agent and my therapist) that I felt like I'd written a big juicy cheeseburger of a book. Like, the kind of book I could hand to almost anyone. I think it's the most romantic thing I've ever written, and it feels the most expansive somehow -- maybe because you get to see the characters fall in love at 18 and again at 33. You get to know them in a fundamental way.

If you like my other adult books, I think you'll like Slow Dance. But the vibes are probably closest to Eleanor & Park. I've been thinking of it as E&P's spiritual elder sibling.

You can preorder Slow Dance here. If you want a personalized copy, hit up the Bookworm, my local indie bookstore. 

If you order by Monday, July 29th, at midnight, definitely submit your receipt here and get a cute Slow Dance charm. 

I'll be going on tour next week. So If you're in New York, Boston, Nashville, St. Louis, L.A. or Omaha -- come see me! I'm planning to bring some Simon Snow prints and pins from the DFTBA store, and I think the events will be fun. I feel pretty emotional about it all. These are almost exactly the same cities I visited for the Wayward Son tour, right before Covid. 

I really appreciate you reading my books over the years, and following me from one part of the bookstore (or library) to another. Writing books has brought so many wonderful people into my life.

SLOW DANCE -- NEW BOOK, NEW TOUR

I’m going on tour this summer, to celebrate my new novel, SLOW DANCE, and I hope you’ll come out and say hello!

Slow Dance is my first novel for adults — and my first novel set in the real world — since Landline. (I can hardly believe this is true. I still think of myself as a contemporary writer, but I’ve spent the last ten years with Simon and Baz …) (It was a good ten years 💛 )

Slow Dance is set in Omaha in the 1990s and 2000s, and I think of it as an older sibling to my book Eleanor & Park. Same neighborhood, similar vibe. It’s about a girl and a boy — Shiloh and Cary — who promise each other in high school that their friendship will never change …

… which is the worst thing they could promise. Friendships have to change, or else they break.

Shiloh and Cary break. She goes on to college to study theater, and he goes off to join the Navy. And they don’t speak for fourteen years.

The book begins with Shiloh, now 33 and a divorced mom, getting ready for a mutual friend’s wedding, hoping and worrying that Cary might be there.

Will Cary want to talk to her? Will he want to forgive her? Will they finally work out what it is they’re supposed to be to each other?

I wrote this book listening to Styx and Journey, and I think of it as a power ballad. Like, the last song played at a dance — get all your feelings on the floor, you’ve got one last chance to make a connection.

I really, really hope you like it.

Get tour details here.

All the events are ticketed. A ticket includes a copy of Slow Dance. I’ll sign any/all of my books that you buy in store that night, plus ONE book from home.

Fangirl anniversary edition -- a real looker!

It’s still so hard for me to believe that Fangirl was first published ten years ago, BUT HERE WE ARE. To celebrate, Wednesday Books put together this truly stunning special edition — which is in stores now.

It’s so tricked out. It features: an embossed cover, stained edges, a letter from me, really cute endpapers, decorative illustrations on some chapter heads, and deleted scenes from the book, including some spare Simon and Baz.

Art director Olga Grlic and designer/illustrator Jim Tierney were inspired by the colors of the original edition. (You might recognize Jim’s work from the illustrations in the Simon Snow Trilogy.) We wanted it to look like a classic cloth book.

Michelle McMillian took charge of the design of the book’s interior — which includes these spectacular page edges. (I’ve honestly never seen cooler stained edges.)

As I said, the book is on sale now. You can find it or order it at U.S. bookstores — or online, of course. The ISBN is 1250907136. If you want a signed and personalized copy, order from the Bookworm, my local independent bookstore in Omaha, Nebraska.

‘SCATTERED SHOWERS’ ACROSS THE MIDWEST

Please join me as I celebrate the release of my new short story collection, Scattered Showers! This is my first tour in three years, and I’m really excited to talk to readers again. Most of my events are in the Midwest this time (demonstrating my obvious Central Time Zone bias). Come out and say hi!

VIRTUAL LAUNCH

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8 at 7 P.M. EST 
IN CONVERSATION WITH STEPHANIE PERKINS
HOSTED BY BARNES & NOBLE

Thrilled that Stephanie Perkins has agreed to help me welcome this book into the world. Stephanie is the author of Anna and the French Kiss, and she’s the reason I started writing short stories.
Admission includes a signed copy of Scattered Showers.
Tickets here.

IN-PERSON EVENTS

All in person-events have the same admission and signing guidelines:

Tickets are required and include a copy of Scattered Showers. I will sign and personalize all books purchased in the store. (This includes ANY of my books or comics.) I will also sign one book per person brought from home.

I will have copies of the Simon Snow bonus story “My Rosebud Boy” — one per ticket-holder.

Masks will be required at all events — though be advised, I may remove my mask while on stage.

NEW YORK CITY
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, AT 7 P.M.
POWERHOUSE Arena
28 Adams Street, Brooklyn
Tickets here.


NAPERVILLE, ILLINOIS
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11, AT 6:30 P.M.
Anderson’s Bookshop
123 W. Jefferson Ave.
Tickets here.

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, AT 7 P.M.
Boswell Books
2559 N. Downer Ave.
Tickets here.

IOWA CITY, IOWA
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 13, AT 2 P.M.
Prairie Lights Books
15 S. Dubuque St.
Tickets here.

Guide to ‘Scattered Showers’ editions and offers

My new collection of short stories comes out Nov. 8, and I put together this guide to help you choose which edition you like best — and to make sure you don’t miss out on all the preorder bonuses!

Scattered Showers includes all four of my previously published short stories — some of them in print for the first time — plus five brand new ones.

They're all love stories of a sort ... Boy meets girl. Prince meets troll. Boy takes boy home for Christmas for the first time. A few of the stories feature characters from my previous novels. Don't miss this collection if you want to catch up with Beth and Jennifer from Attachments, Reagan from Fangirl, or Simon and Baz.

Standard U.S. Edition

This is the hardcover edition you’ll find in most American bookstores and online at Amazon. It’s seriously the prettiest book with my name on it. Cover design by Jim Tierney and art direction by Olga Grlic. Featuring lush duotone illustrations in plummy wine and minty teal inks, also by Jim Tierney. The edges are sprayed sky blue, and there's a white satin ribbon bookmark. We wanted this book to feel like a present, and it does!

Publisher: Wednesday Books
Release Date: November 8, 2022
ISBN: 9781250855411

Barnes & Noble | IndieBound | Book Depository | Amazon

Signed Copies:
The Bookworm in Omaha, Nebraska
This my local indie bookshop. It’s the only place to order signed and personalized books (where I write your name in them). The Bookworm will ship internationally, but it can be expensive.

 

Preorder Bonuses

Umbrellas and stickers for all retailers in the U.S. and Canada:

Submit your receipt here for any preorder in the U.S. or Canada (except Quebec, unfortunately). The first 1,000 entries will receive this adorable Scattered Showers umbrella, and everyone will get a themed sticker sheet.

You can combine this offer with any of the other events or incentives.

An exclusive short story for Bookworm preorders:

Preorder from the Bookworm in Omaha, and we'll send you a bonus short story about Simon Snow. This will be a zine-style booklet, printed out and stapled and mailed with your book. You don't have to ask for it! We'll include one copy for every copy of Scattered Showers that you order.

All Bookworm orders are signed, and I'll personalize them, too, at your request. (I'll sign any of my books that you order.)

The Bookworm does ship internationally, but you have to call or email for a shipping quote. It can be expensive.

A huge prize pack from Barnes & Noble:

Preorder from Barnes & Noble and you will be automatically entered to win a huge Scattered Showers-themed prize pack! It includes signed copies of my previous books, a Simon Snow patch and Watford enamel pin, a Rainbow Rowell tote, a rainbow-themed umbrella and bookmark, custom Simon and Baz Funko pops, and an engraved "Simon & Baz" necklace!

If you attend the Barnes & Noble virtual launch event, not only are you entered to win the prize pack, but you also get a signed copy of Scattered Showers included in the price of the ticket. Check the link for details and limitations.

Standard UK Edition

This is the hardcover edition that will be sold in most bookstores in the UK. It's just like the American edition but with red sprayed edges and rainbow endpapers. No ribbon bookmark.

Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Release Date: November 8, 2022
ISBN: 9781529099119

Waterstones | Amazon UK | Book Depository

 

Waterstones UK Signed Special Edition

Signed hardcover edition, offered exclusively by Waterstones in the United Kingdom -- with a special nighttime take on the cover and shiny metallic raindrops. The rainbow-striped edges are the real showstopper here. The endpapers are a dark reddish-orange. This edition is limited. When they're gone, they're gone!

Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Release Date: November 8, 2022
ISBN: 2928377091002
Exclusively at Waterstones !

 

UK International Edition

This hardcover edition may be available in bookstores that sell English books in places where English is not the first language (France, Singapore, the Netherlands, Italy, Denmark, Hong Kong, etc.) It's just like the standard UK edition, but there’s a cloud-and-raindrop pattern on the edges. Unfortunately, all the UK standard editions have the same ISBN -- and some international shops may offer the U.S. edition -- so the only way to know which edition you're ordering is to call the store and ask.

No one meant for this edition to become a white whale; they were just trying to make every edition as cool as possible.

Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Release Date: November 8, 2022
ISBN: 9781529099119

 

How to find and buy my new She-Hulk comic

Comic book shopping for beginners!

A lot of the information here is copied from my How To Read Runaways guide. I wrote a separate post, all about getting to know She-Hulk as a character — find it here .

Are you considering a dive into comics to read my new She-Hulk series for Marvel?

THIS WOULD MAKE ME SO HAPPY. First, because I’m grateful that people want to read the things I write. And second, because COMICS ARE GREAT, AND I WANT YOU TO HAVE GREAT THINGS.

But I understand that you might not know where or how to start…

"I can't wait to read your new comic book! How does one ... acquire such a thing?"

THIS IS NOT A STUPID QUESTION. Comics can be really confusing and intimidating. (Even for people who have been reading comics for 30 years and now work in comics.)

The goal of this post is to make it REALLY EASY for you to find and read She-Hulk. I don't want you to have any Cath-avoiding-the-dining-hall feelings. (And I also don't want the book to get canceled before all the big surprises we have planned!)

ONE BENEFIT TO BUYING SHE-HULK: GORGEOUS COVERS BY JEN BARTEL

So let’s start with some comic book basics...

I've been asked if I’m writing for the new Disney+ She-Hulk show. Nope, this is a monthly comic book. I’m the writer, and Rogê Antônio is the artist. It kicks off January 19th.

A comic book works sort of like a TV show. Companies like Marvel commit to a certain number of monthly issues. And if the series sells well, they keep making them. Like TV shows, comics get canceled if numbers are low, sometimes before they’ve found their audience.

Comics read like a TV show, too – long story arcs told over multiple issues. It’s an exciting way to read: lots of cliffhangers, lots of looking forward to the next installment. When a comic book plot pays off after six months, it’s deeply satisfying.

"Do I need to learn 500 years of Marvel history to understand She-Hulk?"

Heck no. I wrote a separate post with an introduction to the character, and with specific comics recommendations. But everyone who starts reading Marvel comics jumps in midstream. The books are written for new and old readers. Our first issue is a good place to start.

"Yes, but how do I actually purchase  this comic book?"

You actually have a few options here …

1. Pre-order from your local comic book store.
This helps the series the most. It lets comic stores know the book is in demand, so they can order more copies – which keeps a book from being cancelled. You can even set up a “pull file,” which is like an in-store subscription. You can do this right now! Pre-orders can make or break a comic book before it even hits shelves. (Here's a Vox story that breaks this down more dramatically.) 

2. Buy a digital copy.
You can buy and read She-Hulk (2022) online on Comixology. Comixology is a good choice if you think you might like to read other digital comics, too. 

3. Through the mail.
Marvel still sells monthly comics subscriptions! This is a good option if you don’t have a comic book store near you, you hate leaving the house, or you love getting mail. (Or all three!) (It will not surprise you to hear that I used to buy my comics this way.) Subscribe to She-Hulk through Marvel here. Also, some comic book shops offer pull lists through the mail. Here's how to order through Midtown Comics in New York City. 

4. Wait for the trade paperback.
Comic books are collected in five- or six-issue collections that are sold wherever books are sold. I read a lot of comics like this. The downside of this option is that a title can be canceled while you wait for the trade. It’s kind of like expressing support after the fact. THAT SAID, this is a fun way to read comics; it’s how comics get into libraries; and I’ll take your eyeballs anyway I can get them. 💛

 

My (very) unofficial guide to She-Hulk

What you need to know to enjoy my new Marvel comic

Another reason to pick up she-Hulk — stunning covers by artist jen bartel

I’m pretty excited about writing the new She-Hulk comic book, and I want to make it as easy possible for people who are new to comics – or new to She-Hulk – to pick it up and love it.

So I’ve put together this two-part guide. First I’m going to give you an overview of She-Hulk as a character and recommend a few great She-Hulk comics. And then I’m going to explain how to buy and read the new series. (You can skip ahead to that blog entry by clicking here.)

Let’s start with the basics:

Who is She-Hulk?

Her real name is Jennifer Walters, and she’s the Hulk’s cousin. Way back when, Jen was shot by a mobster*, and her cousin Bruce Banner gave her a blood transfusion to save her life. His gamma-radiated blood turned her into a big green Hulk, like him.

But not just like him, which is what makes Jen so interesting. Over the years, Jen has mostly had control over her Hulk form. She doesn’t transform when she’s angry; she transforms when she wants to. And she wants to be in Hulk form pretty much all the time.

Bruce has felt cursed by being the Hulk. Jen chooses it. Being She-Hulk makes her feel strong, secure, confident, sexy, and better able to help people.

One thing I love about She-Hulk is that she likes being a superhero. She’s not reluctant. She generally doesn’t have to be talked into it. She’s an attorney with a real love for the law and justice. Becoming a hero was a natural extension of herself.

Jen is good – but she’s also interesting. And she’s very, very funny.

Funny is rare for comic book heroes, especially for the women. But She-Hulk has been funny almost from the beginning. She was one of the first Marvel characters to break the fourth wall (though she hasn’t done that in her more recent appearances). And she’s one of the few characters who dependably crack jokes. I think that’s one reason she’s appeared in so many different books – writers love her.

You might be wondering where the conflict is. She-Hulk is beautiful, strong, smart, funny, everybody loves her… What makes her interesting?

A LOT.

One of Jen’s problems is that she’ll always be seen as the Hulk’s girl cousin. He’s such a dominant and destructive character in Marvel comics, Jen often gets dragged into his messes – or dragged behind him.

One time, a bunch of other heroes tested a weapon on her that took away her powers, just to see if it would work on the Hulk. (I have not forgiven these guys – you’re not good with me, Tony Stark!)

She’s often the person who gets sent to talk to Hulk when he’s in a bad place. Jen loves Bruce and wants what’s best for him. But she can’t save him.

The other problem Jen has – and this is related – is she’s a classic B-lister. Her life gets rebooted and uprooted a lot. Some characters, like Spider-Man and Hulk, drive big Marvel stories. Some, like She-Hulk, are usually supporting players. That actually makes for an interesting character dynamic – She-Hulk continually struggles to reconcile her own identity and needs with the greater good. She’s a great team player, but when she steps into the spotlight, she’s complicated and fascinating.

Speaking of teams, Jen has been on just about every big Marvel team… She’s been a Defender, an Avenger and a member of the Fantastic Four. And because of that, she knows everyone in the Marvel Universe. And almost everyone likes her. She-Hulk is who Marvel characters call if they need a lawyer or a shoulder to cry on – or if they want to have fun. She gets invited to every Marvel bachelorette party.

“Rainbow, this sounds complicated …”

I know. It sort of is.

But trust me when I say this:

You do not need to know everything about She-Hulk to enjoy a She-Hulk comic.

I think you can read the new series – by artist Rogê Antônio and me – without doing any homework.

But if you like a little homework (I like a little homework – I actually did read every She-Hulk appearance), you only have to read one series:

The first 12 issues of She-Hulk (2004) written by Dan Slott, with Juan Bobillo, Paul Pelletier and a bunch of other great artists. Slott wrote about 40 issues of She-Hulk total, and I enjoyed them all.

But this series of 12 gives you a really good picture of who Jen is as a character. You see her at work… You see her struggling with her identity... (Jen loves being green, but the men in her life aren’t always on board.) You meet a few of her friends… I think this series is probably also a good primer for the new She-Hulk show on Disney+

The story arcs are called Single Green Female (1-6) and Superhuman Law (7-12), and you can read them in several ways:

All of Slott’s 40+ issues are grouped together in two volumes (1 and 2) that are for sale on Comixology. Volume 1 is a good start.

Or you can track down the individual story arcs. These paperback collections are six issues long, and you might be able to find them at the library. Here’s Single Green Female. And here’s Superhuman Law.

If you’re a Marvel Unlimited subscriber, you can find the full run there.

If you finish those comics and want more Jen, I’d recommend:

She-Hulk (2005) (Same links as above.) This is the rest of Slott’s run. Peter David took over as writer at issue 32, and he’s great, too.

She-Hulk (2014) by Charles Soule and Javier Pulido. (With covers by Simon Snow cover artist Kevin Wada!) More courtroom antics and good stories about Jen trying to make her way in the world.

She-Hulk (2017) (link is for first volume) by Mariko Tamaki and Nico Leon. A look at Jen as she struggles to recover from major trauma.

And then, if you really want to dig into She-Hulk’s history, The Sensational She-Hulk by John Byrne is the book where Jen took shape as a character. It started in 1989, around the time I first started reading comics.

If you want to see how Jen interacts with other Marvel characters, my favorite of her team-ups is FF by Matt Fraction, Mike Allred and Lee Allred. (Volume 1 and Volume 2.) This series is full of weird Marvel characters and references, so you probably don’t want to start here. But it’s really smart and fun, and probably has the most romantic She-Hulk scene ever.

If you decide you have to read every She-Hulk appearance ever, this is a pretty good reading list.

Again, you don’t have to read any of this to enjoy our new series. But I think She-Hulk is the best of the best in the Marvel Universe. You can tell when a character is beloved by Marvel editors, artists and writers – She-Hulk gets better and better over time.

*I had this wrong when I first posted it, and just caught my mistake. Maybe I shouldn’t have written a character history from memory 🙃

A new short story about Reagan -- from FANGIRL

Do you remember Reagan? From Fangirl? Cath’s no-nonsense, secretly soft roommate?

Reagan has always been one of my favorite supporting characters — so this year, for the holidays, I decided to give her her very own story … with her very own romance.

IF THE FATES ALLOW is available today, exclusively in ebook and audiobook. Read or listen here.

The story takes place last year, on Christmas. Reagan is all grown-up, heading home to Arnold, Nebraska, with a pan full of green Jell-O salad for her grandpa. Before the night is out, she’ll have a few run-ins (literal and otherwise) with the boy next door.

I wanted this story to feel romantic and festive, even as it tells a story set over a very hard year.

Last year, at this time, I wrote a short story called The Prince and the Troll. I really liked that story, but I felt bad that some readers assumed from the timing that it was a holiday story. (And not a mildly disturbing fairy tale!)

If the Fates Allow is DEFINITELY a holiday story. And DEFINITELY a romance. (Though it takes place in 2020, so it’s also mildly disturbing…)

Anyway, I really hope you like it. Reagan is my literary agent’s all-time favorite, of all my characters. He’s always wanted me to write more about her. At first I didn’t think I could pull it off… She’s such a tough cookie, I wasn’t sure I could climb into her head.

But once I got in there, I never wanted to leave. It was so much fun thinking about what sort of guy Reagan might like… And what her relationship might be like now with Cath and Levi…

I had so much fun doing this, if people end up liking it, I might revisit characters from my books, too.

Oh — if you’re a fan of Rebecca Lowman, who reads most of my audiobooks, you’ll be happy to know that she narrates this story with her usual nuance and perfect timing. I’m so lucky to work with her.

And I’m lucky to work with Micaela Alcaino, who illustrated this cover and The Prince and the Troll.

AWTWB — SIMON'S PLAYLIST, PART 2

It sort of feels like it’s been three years since Any Way the Wind Blows came out. (It’s been a month, I think?)

As promised, here is the rest Simon’s annotated playlist. These are the songs I was listening to as I wrote the book, and what I was thinking about as I listened.

The first half of the book was covered here, in Part 1. This post covers the end of the book — which means there are EVEN MORE SPOILERS. If you haven’t read Any Way the Wind Blows, DO NOT READ ANY FARTHER!

Quick caveats and links:

I never worry too much about what the lyrics actually mean when I choose a song. First of all, I usually can’t figure out what they mean! And secondly, I’m very much using these songs to support my own emotional state and help me through the story I’m writing. My apologies to the songwriters, who would probably be dismayed by my interpretations.

I annotated my Wayward Son playlist here. And my first annotated playlists were for Eleanor & Park.

You can listen to all my book playlists on my Spotify profile. You can listen to Simon’s Any Way the Wind Blows playlist here.

“STATION APPROACH”
ELBOW

“Station Approach” was on my Simon playlist for Carry On, for the beginning of the book, when Simon is on the train back to Watford. It’s a song about homesickness and nostalgia, and listening to it again was nostalgic for me, because it reminded me of a younger, simpler-on-the-surface part of Simon’s story.

This time around, I listened to “Station Approach” as I took Simon and Baz back to Watford. For Simon, in this scene, there are a few new layers of nostalgia and longing – he’s removed from all of magic now, the school gate won’t even open for him. But Watford is still the only home he’s ever known.

I wondered if, on the drive down, Simon was thinking through his list of things he doesn’t let himself think about because missing them hurts so much.

“I haven't been myself of late,
I haven't slept for several days.
But coming home I feel like I,
Designed these buildings I walk by.”

When they arrive, Watford is different. It’s changed – because Simon himself changed it! He misses the Mage, even though he knows he shouldn’t. He misses himself – the version of himself who lived here. (The Chosen One! The hero!) And then (this is a real mindfuck), he misses being at Watford with Baz. He’s re-evaluating all of their interactions and seeing them in a new light. 

“You know you drive me up the wall,
I need to see your face that's all.
You little sod, I love your eyes.
Be everything to me tonight…”

He’s wishing he could go back in time. He’s nostalgic for their shared room, their shared life, and he wishes he could have a different shot at it.

“I never know what I want, but I know when I'm low that I,
I need to be in the town where they know what I'm like and don't mind.”

I love the way this song feels like a train approaching its final station. Like, you can hear the song itself getting excited about coming home.

 

“SOMEWHERE ONLY WE KNOW”
KEANE

Oh, man. Being at Watford again cracks Simon right open. He’s back at Watford! He’s back at Watford with Baz! This is their place!

“This was our place. Watford. Ours like no one else’s. Maybe that sounds arrogant, but it’s true. His, because his mother died here. Mine, because it was mine to protect.”

Watford was their place when they were apart, but now they’re together, and Simon wants to consecrate every room with kisses. Every hallway! 

Even the Catacombs feel like their own. They spent so much time alone there, and no one else knows the way.

This song seems to be about someone trying to save a relationship, but I thought of Simon and Baz being a place that belonged to them, and Simon realizing how big and important this relationship is. How much he wants it.

“Oh simple thing, where have you gone?
I'm getting old and I need something to rely on.
So tell me when, you're gonna let me in.
I'm getting tired, and I need somewhere to begin.”

When the chorus really soars, that’s Simon in the library. Simon in the Catacombs. Simon on the Great Lawn.

“And if you have a minute, why don't we go,
Talk about it somewhere only we know?
This could be the end of everything,
So why don't we go,
So why don’t we go…”

This could be the end.

This could be the beginning.

“OUT OF THE WOODS”
NICKEL CREEK

This is more of Simon feeling tender at Watford – of Simon allowing himself some tenderness at Watford. 

At the beginning of Carry On, Simon told us how much he hates the Wavering Wood, because he saw Baz there with Agatha. (“Fuck the Wavering Wood.”) But now…

“I wish you out of the woods,
And into a picture with me.
I wish you over the moon.
Come out of the question and be.”

I think this song might not have anything to do with romantic love, as it’s written. It seems to be about talking someone out of a bad place. But I love how intimate it feels — and the way it invites more intimacy. Support. Trust. Acceptance.

After all of their ups and downs at Watford — after everything — Simon is walking the grounds with Baz, hand in hand. They’re talking about their feelings. They’re walking toward the edge of the Wood.

“It's all enchanted and wild.
It's just like my heart said,
It was going to be…”

 

“SOLDIER, POET, KING”
THE OH HELLOS

Still in my Watford feelings, thinking about all the prophecies about Simon and how readily he accepted them. How he still sees himself through the lens of the World of Mages. Maybe Simon is the soldier in this song. And maybe he’s the poet. And maybe he’s the king, too.

“He will tear your city down, oh lei-oh lai-oh Lord.”

  

“LIKE SOLDIERS DO”
BILLY BRAGG

Not sure why Billy Bragg wrote this song about Simon and Baz in 1984. Another prophecy, I guess.  

“Blues eyes fighting the grey eyes, fighting the tears,
Armed to the teeth for a war of words reaching all the years…”

So this is a song about people who are always fighting. It reminded me so much of Simon and Baz at Watford, and Simon and Baz before their break-up — the way they were raised to hate each other and how easy it is for them to fall into their old combativeness when they’re hurt. 

“Our Fathers were all soldiers,
Shall we be soldiers too?
Fighting and falling like soldiers do…”

This song doesn’t really fit in this section of the book, thematically. I put it here because I was already thinking of soldiers after the last song. 

“YOUR FACE”
THE LAKE POETS

(This half of the playlist is so much sappier than the first half!!)

I wrote a lot of scenes where Simon and Baz were alone and talking and trying to get closer to each other. From Simon’s perspective, those interactions feel so difficult. Like he’s straining against a chain he can’t see. Like his ears are full of static.

But there are also these blasts of (unbearable) sweetness.

This song gets at that, for me. The yearning. The sweetness. The unbearable-ness.

“When I see your face,
I feel my heart exploding,
An empty space,
All my contempt and loathing,
Has been replaced…” 

I ended up with a lot of strings on Simon’s playlist. The strings are Baz; they’re Simons’ feelings for Baz. (Baz, the violin solo.) The strings on this song are full of longing and reaching.

“Out here, I try my best to occupy,
My mind with things that I should do.
But in my heart and soul, I recognize,
There's nothing I want more than you.”

 

“MOTHER FALCON”
MARFA

I found that when I was writing these very intimate scenes, I couldn’t listen to music with words. (Which neatly parallels Simon’s inability to process intimacy at the front of his brain.)

This song, for me, is very much Simon trying to stay close to Baz.

You can feel the song yearning (again) and reaching (again) for tenderness. You can feel the tension in it. The way it keeps falling down and then picking itself back up.

It starts with strings and ends with strings, and the strings are always there, grounding the song, and then lifting it up, higher and sweeter.

 

“CELLS, PLANETS”
CHANTICLEER

This is the song I listened to while I wrote all those chapters in the early 60s. It isn’t a very Simon song, but I don’t think Simon feels much like himself in those chapters, at least not a self that he recognizes.

Sometimes when you love someone, when you really love someone, that love breaks your awareness open. You feel like you can maybe contemplate infinity. For just a second.

You see yourself in a cosmic context; it’s very sappy and embarrassing. It makes you feel important but also somehow infinitesimal.  

“Cells, 
Planets,
Same thing…” 

“Is this, is this, is this what people do?”

 

“SHE KEEPS ME WARM”
MARY LAMBERT

Simon Snow has a boyfriend. Ask everybody at Ikea. Ask his grandma.

“I can't change, even if I tried,
Even if I wanted to.
And I can't change, even if I tried
Even if I wanted to.
My love, my love, my love, my love
She keeps me warm…”

 

“I’VE SEEN ALL GOOD PEOPLE”
YES

Back to this Chosen One stuff; Simon Snow still has a job to do.

As he and his friends come together to save the day, I could really feel him rising to the occasion. Simon Snow, lost and confused as he is, is very good at saving the day. 

The lyrics of this song are all over the place, but I could imagine it playing as Simon headed back to Watford and prepared to take on Smith. The song really pushes forward. It marches. And it wins.

This is the song that’s playing when Smith looks at Simon and is jealous of his whole package. Good hair! Scarlet wings!

 

“WE HAVE IT ALL”
PIM STONES

This was my Smith Smith-Richards song. And also my Mage song.

I was thinking a lot about how Simon really wants a destiny, and how he’s very susceptible to anyone who offers him one. Twice now, he’s fallen under the spell of someone who wanted to manipulate him for their own gain.

“The print was so small, I didn't understand,
He cut our thumbs and placed a feather in our hands,
Told us we would see all our dreams and plans unfold…”

This song is very dark.

But, then — the Mage is pretty dark, and so is Smith-Richards. (They both get worse the more you think about them.) In the song, corruption ruins a relationship. That doesn’t happen to Simon and Baz, but there’s always the threat of some dark thing spilling into their relationship.  

I needed a dark song to listen to as Simon flew into the White Chapel. This was it.

“IF I EVER STRAY”
FRANK TURNER

I feel like I should have chosen a more baldly sentimental song for Simon discovering his family and celebrating the way his life is coming together. (Like, maybe something from the Tarzan soundtrack.)

But this was my “This is your happy ending, Simon” song. 

“'Cause love is free and life is cheap,
And as long as I've got me a place to sleep,
Some clothes on my back and some food to eat,
Then I can't ask for anything more!”

This song starts happy and gets happier. It gets louder. It’s jubilant.  

“So come on everybody sing it –
One, two, three, four!”

It’s about having people who love you and finding redemption.

“Come on and join me in the water,
Swim for hope,
Sometimes it's hard to remember…
I couldn't do this on my own.” 

I think at this point in my writing, I was really happy to have Simon back at home, especially after everything that happened in Wayward Son. He’s back in England. Back with Baz. Back on good terms with Penny. Back to feeling like himself…

“If ever I stray from the path I follow,
Take me down to the English Channel,
Throw me in where the water is shallow,
And then drag me on back to shore!”

I just want to type out every lyric, because I can hear Simon shouting them. 

“The path I chose isn't straight and narrow,
It wanders 'round like a drunken fellow,
Some days it's hard for me to follow,
But if you've got my back, I'll go on.

If you've got my back, I'll go on.”

“YELLOW”
COLDPLAY 

After Simon’s happy ending, he gets another ending. Alone with Baz. (Well, alone with Baz and the sword.) Everything is settling on Simon. Inside of him. And he still can’t really manage any of it.

I’ve always felt like “Yellow” was about loving someone in a way you don’t have words for. Simon has spent three books now telling us that he doesn’t have the words for things. (And he’s also filled three books up with words.) (Most of them about Baz.)

In the last scene, Simon kind of surrenders to life. Like, to the fact that it’s going to keep happening. It’s going to keep coming at him.  

And he surrenders to Baz. To loving him. To being loved by him. He’s done fighting it.

“And your skin,
Oh yeah, your skin and bones,
Turn into something beautiful,
Do you know,
For you, I'd bleed myself dry.
For you, I'd bleed myself dry.”

“CARRY ON PHENOMENON”
KISHI BASHI

 Can a book have a song that runs over the closing credits?

 I’d been saving this song for the final book. Kishi Bashi feels special to this trilogy because Baz loves his music. And because I love his music.

I wrote the Simon Snow books while feeling sick and scared (Carry On); finding out what was making me sick (Wayward Son); and then recuperating to the best of my ability (Any Way the Wind Blows.)

Somewhere between Wayward Son and Any Way the Wind Blows, I went to see Kishi Bashi in concert. I was worried about making it through the whole concert. It had a been a while since I’d been out late at night, and I was worried about the standing and the noise. (Sick person concerns!) I did make it through though. I was exhausted, but it was wonderful. 

I think I’ve said in various places that I was really worried something would happen to me before I finished this trilogy. That was probably me taking my bigger worries (about my health and my family) and putting them somewhere a little more manageable. (Though still upsetting!) 

I just felt so relieved when I finished Any Way the Wind Blows. Like, so happy that I’d managed to tell Simon’s story. All of it. As I’d imagined it. I wasn’t going to leave him hanging. I’d made it to the end. 

And then, that wasn’t the end. Life kept happening.

I got to carry on, too.