The Last Playlist: What Is It?
Thank you for clicking over here and thank you for considering my book.
The Last Playlist: A Sonic Epitaph (TLP) is unique in the realm of memoir writing. It combines a music playlist with personal essays for a trans-dimensional reading experience that is sometimes fun, sometimes uplifting, sometimes heartbreaking. In addition to touching all those human pressure points, TLP is also thoughtful and entertaining.
Still, you might be asking—who are you to write a memoir? The short answer, of course, is nobody. But it’s more complicated than that. Writing this book was motivated by the death of my mom. Even though I was in my thirties when she passed I found that I didn’t know her beyond a typical mother/son relationship, which greatly saddened me. I didn’t want that for my own children and since we always bonded over music I thought to write some stories about my life linked to songs I found meaningful. Combined into one package these songs and their corresponding essays make up TLP. Also, when I pass from this world, this playlist—the last playlist—is to be the music at my funeral party. So, it’s music, it’s memoir, but more than that—it’s a love letter to my kids.
TLP is broken up into three sections: Preface, Introduction and Essays (the actual playlist):
In the Preface I give a little history and how to on playlists, which I have been making since the early 80’s when they were called mixtapes. Yes, I’m that guy at a party who drops in his mixtape or hits up the bluetooth speaker and you’re like, “I never heard any of these songs, but OMG, this mix is altering the essence of my being. Please, P.A.Kane, take me home.” To which I’ll respond with a smile, “Thank you sir, but I’m spoken for.” Point is, I know a fair amount of music and know how to put it together into a good mix. So, it’s a little background information.
In the Introduction I give a brief account of my life starting from just after high school to present day. As stated I explain how I was motivated to write the book after my mom passed. Also included is a discussion about the necessity of planning your own death along with instructions about what should occur at my funeral party upon my demise—(*hint* no white wine or white claw). And, finally, I share some of my personal history, mystery and bewitchery as well as my dreams, schemes and a whole lot of other things. More background information—see a trend?
The Essays—and the actual playlist make up the bulk of the book. Here’s where I detail all the episodes that shaped my life. While the songs and the corresponding essays have a “deep track” feel they are mostly made up of familiar artists from the rock era such as: Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young. The most popular song included in the playlist is the 1973 top ten hit by Stevie Wonder—“Living For The City,” which presents some of the bone chilling realities people of color faced in the early seventies. I use the song to explain what I knew about race growing up in my all white neighborhood and what I learned about race when I actually met some black people entering high school in 1976. I use “Cut My Hair,” by The Who to detail my troubled life at home when I was a teen and I employ the song “There’s Always Someone Cooler Than You,” by Ben Folds to mark those moments of grace where no one was cooler than me.
While TLP is set to music it is not necessary to know or like these songs. The essays speak for themselves with the music being an added feature—it’s like a two for Tuesday on your local rock station. But if you are interested in the music you can listen to TLP at my YouTube channel by clicking the link below.
In closing—though I’m not the type of person who would normally write a memoir, I nevertheless think the experience of delving into myself was incredibly valuable. Sitting here, inch by inch writing out events from my life has given me great perspective and understanding of who I am. It has made me respect my experience and not be ashamed or be afraid of the person I am. I worked really hard on TLP and I’m very proud of how it turned out. And, I think it would be of great benefit to everyone to sit down with pen and paper and jump into themselves a little. With careful, honest thought you’d be surprised at all the treasures you’d find.
Again, thank you for considering my book.
P.A.Kane
November, 2020
