Season Two, Episode 6: Jennifer Whiteford

Oh my goodness, this is a good one, a conversation beginning with Jennifer Whiteford expounding on the literary qualities of the mixtape, music (both making it and loving it) being the foundation of her wonderful new novel MAKE ME A MIXTAPE, the perfect book for October, a story that manages to be cozy and edgy at the very same time. And the book Jennifer chose for her BOOKSPO pick? Why, it’s the 2015 memoir HUNGER MAKES ME A MODERN GIRL, by Carrie Brownstein, she of Sleater Kinney fame (and Jennifer recalls hearing “Little Babies” for the first time on CBC Radio’s BRAVE NEW WAVES all those years ago…)

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Jennifer Whiteford reflects on how Sleater Kinney gave her a model for women having confidence in their art, even if some critics didn’t take it seriously, and how she applies that to her own work in the romance genre. She explains what a remarkable and thoughtful book Brownstein’s memoir really is (not your typical rock memoir!), how Brownstein’s book gave her a foundation from which to explore the ways in which bands are such pressure cookers for relationships, and how she was so moved the first time she read it because she and Brownstein are contempories and—twenty years later—the memoir brought her right back to the person she used to be.

A guarded punk-rocker-turned-barista meets a big-hearted sound tech who charms his way into her life and helps her revisit her musical past in this truly charming, cozy fall romance.

Allie Andrews gave up on the music world ten years ago. No wild tours, no late nights, no career-ending inter-band blowouts. Just day after comfortable day of working in her aunt's café in Brooklyn and recording '80s cover songs in her tiny apartment. The last thing she wants, or expects, is to be recognized as former punk rocker Allie Jetski. But a last-minute coffee delivery lands her face-to-face with the big, handsome (and quite possibly number one fan of the Jetskis) Ryan Abernathy.

Ryan isn't about to forget meeting the lead singer of one of his favorite bands. Undeterred by her prickly demeanor, he sets his mind to helping Allie find her wayback to the Jetskis—so she can come to terms with what happened all those years ago. Allie finds Ryan hard to resist, and her quiet life is turned upside down as she is swept up in the hunt for her old bandmates.

But when Aunt Mindy announces that she's decided to sell the café, Allie is faced with a life-altering choice: play it safe and take over the business, or risk opening herself up to a future in music . . . and maybe even love.

JENNIFER WHITEFORD (she/her) lives in Ottawa, Ontario, with her partner, children, dog and record collection. She writes regularly for Razorcake, a long-standing punk publication. She was also a founding member of the "all girl, all rock" band Sophomore Level Psychology. With those rock 'n roll days behind her, she now mostly stays home and reads. Find her on Instagram at @jenniferwhitefordwrites.

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