Fictional Blues: Narrative Self-Invention from Bessie Smith to Jack White – Author Kimberly Mack in Conversation with Emily J. Lordi

'Kimberly Mack and Emily J. Lordi in conversation about Mack’s book, Fictional Blues: Narrative Self-Invention from Bessie Smith to Jack White (University of Massachusetts Press, December 2020). They talk about multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches to writing about music, with a specific focus on music and literature. Within the context of Fictional Blues, Mack and Lordi have a larger conversation about the importance and usefulness of narrative, particularly of the autobiographical variety, in popular music. How does fictionalized autobiographical storytelling function in blues song lyrics, vocalization, performance, and oral history? And why does it matter?'