Twelve Secrets of a Lonely Teen

I was recently asked to contribute a story to the Soundtrack Series, in New York City. Run by the incomparable Dana Rossi, the series invites people to share a personal history informed by music. This summer she asked folks to focus on a song from a particular time period, and I chose Billy Joel’s We Didn’t Start the Fire, from 1989. In thinking about how I came to own that song, I realized that I had ordered it through Columbia House. And so, I told a story in which I set up how completely out of it musically I was growing up, and revealed my entire 12 cd lineup from the mail-order house. Here’s an excerpt that highlights the list. It’s a really awful list. Click over and give a listen, then try not judge.