See Andrew Chan and Lynnée Denise on Book Tour!

We are so proud of our Music Matters series and recent publications like Allyson McCabe’s Why Sinéad O’Connor Matters and Steacy Easton’s Why Tammy Wynette Matters. This week, we’re celebrating two brand new additions to the series: Lynnée Denise’s queer, Black “biography in essays” in Why Willie Mae Thornton Matters, and Andrew Chan’s critical examination of the legacy of a pop superstar in Why Mariah Carey Matters, and both authors have incredible book tours!

This stellar little series brings concise books to bookshelves that make outsize arguments for the meaning and legacy of a wide range of popular artists like Stephanie Phillips’ Why Solange Matters, Caryn Rose’s Why Patti Smith Matters, and Why Bushwick Bill Matters by Charles L. Hughes. These short, sharp polemics make the musical, cultural, experiential, and personal case for the artists we love, all filtered through the consciousness of writers of distinction working in music criticism, journalism, academia, and literature.

Check out where authors Andrew Chan and Lynnée Denise will be discussing their books across the U.S. and around the world this fall! Both brand new books in the Music Matters series publish today, September 12! Grab your copy from any of the wonderful event hosts below, or wherever you get your books!

Why Willie Mae Thornton Matters Book Tour Dates

In Why Willie Mae Thornton Matters, Lynnée Denise “samples” elements of Thornton’s art—and, occasionally, her own story—to create “a biography in essays” that explores the life of its subject as a DJ might dig through a crate of records.

Lynnée Denise is an artist, writer, and DJ. She was the Sterling Brown ’22 Distinguished Visiting Professor of Africana Studies at Williams College, and she is currently a doctoral student in the Department of Visual Culture at Goldsmiths, University of London. You can catch her on her global book tour on the dates below!

Why Mariah Carey Matters Book Tour Dates

Why Mariah Carey Matters examines the creative evolution and complicated biography of a true diva, making the case that, despite her celebrity, Carey’s musicianship and influence are insufficiently appreciated.

Andrew Chan writes regularly about music, film, and books for 4Columns. His work has also been published by the Criterion Collection, Film Comment, NPR, the New Yorker, and Reverse Shot. You can catch him on book tour at the cities below!