“An emotional map of musical Memphis. If you don’t know these characters, let Robert Gordon introduce you.”
-Elvis Costello

Memphis: the birthplace of rock ’n’ roll, soul music capital, and home of the blues, this fabled city has played a major role in American music history. In his new book MEMPHIS RENT PARTY: The Blues, Rock & Soul in

Music’s Hometown, celebrated writer and documentary filmmaker Robert Gordon taps into the lesser-known characters of Memphis who have inspired and influenced popular music, from the 1970s into the present. With interwoven stories and profiles, MEMPHIS RENT PARTY begins where the greatest hits end. Gordon’s march through the city’s famed recording studios and juke joints captures the spirit of Memphis and illuminates its musical legacy that lives on today.

As with the rent parties from which the book takes its name—people gathering to hear live music, dance, and chip in to help a friend in hard times—MEMPHIS RENT PARTY offers moments of celebration in the face of

tragedy, optimism when the wolf is at the door. Gordon finds inspiration in life’s bleakness, art in the shadows of society, and revels in the individualism of these music legends.

Robert Gordon has been writing about Memphis music and history for thirty years and is the author of It Came from Memphis, Can’t Be Satisfied, The King on the Road, The Elvis Treasures, and Respect Yourself. He won a Grammy in 2011 for his liner notes to the Big Star box set Keep an Eye on the Sky. His film work includes producing and directing the documentary Respect Yourself: The Stax Records Story and the Emmy-winning Best of Enemies. Gordon lives in

Memphis. Follow him at www.TheRobertGordon.com

This event is the first in a series of readings in partnership with The Ivy Bookshop, a family-owned independent bookstore located in Mount Washington. The Ivy will have copies of MEMPHIS RENT PARTY available for sale and signing.