A Dream About Lightning Bugs
A Life of Music and Cheap Lessons
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4.5 • 43 Ratings
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- $4.99
Publisher Description
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the genre-defying icon Ben Folds comes a memoir that is as nuanced, witty, and relatable as his cult-classic songs.
“A Dream About Lightning Bugs reads like its author: intelligent, curious, unapologetically punk, and funny as hell.”—Sara Bareilles
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NPR AND PASTE
Ben Folds is a celebrated American singer-songwriter, beloved for songs such as “Brick,” “You Don’t Know Me,” “Rockin’ the Suburbs,” and “The Luckiest,” and is the former frontman of the alternative rock band Ben Folds Five. But Folds will be the first to tell you he’s an unconventional icon, more normcore than hardcore. Now, in his first book, Folds looks back at his life so far in a charming and wise chronicle of his artistic coming of age, infused with the wry observations of a natural storyteller.
In the title chapter, “A Dream About Lightning Bugs,” Folds recalls his earliest childhood dream—and realizes how much it influenced his understanding of what it means to be an artist. In “Measure Twice, Cut Once” he learns to resist the urge to skip steps during the creative process. In “Hall Pass” he recounts his 1970s North Carolina working-class childhood, and in “Cheap Lessons” he returns to the painful life lessons he learned the hard way—but that luckily didn’t kill him.
In his inimitable voice, both relatable and thought-provoking, Folds digs deep into the life experiences that shaped him, imparting hard-earned wisdom about both art and life. Collectively, these stories embody the message Folds has been singing about for years: Smile like you’ve got nothing to prove, because it hurts to grow up, and life flies by in seconds.
Praise for A Dream About Lightning Bugs
“Besides being super talented, and an incredibly poignant and multifaceted musician, Ben Folds is a fantastic author. I couldn’t put this book down—and not just because I taped it to my hand. Ben takes us into his mind and into his process from the very beginnings of his childhood to where he is today—one of the greatest musicians and writers that has ever graced the art.”—Bob Saget
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In these delightful reflections, singer-songwriter Folds explores the ways in which music shaped his life and offers glimpses into the process of making music. At age three, he dreamed of a jar of fireflies; looking back, he realizes that the glowing jar is an image of his view of artistry and art: "making art is about following what's luminous to you and putting it in a jar, to share with others." Folds weaves in autobiography, from growing up in 1970s Greensboro, N.C., and his years at the University of Miami (he dropped out just credits shy of graduation), to his early days of making music in Nashville in the 1990s, and his world tours with the Ben Fold Five and on his own. Along the way, Folds ruminates on songwriting: "often the music fools me into something I'd rather not have revealed lyrically." With self-deprecating humor, he characterizes himself as a singer who was forced to sing: "I had to grow a pair, or lose a pair, whatever it's all so confusing." Folds's fans will take great pleasure in this charming and insightful memoir.
Customer Reviews
A rare glimpse into the mind of true creative
Really enjoyed this. Ben has a humbled view of the world but wasn’t always this way. His stories are great and he shares many “cheap lessons” he’s learned along the way.
My favorite part about this book is hearing Ben describe his creative process over the years. Very inspiring. A new perspective for me.
So glad he wrote this. Would love to read another book by him!
Rock this B*#!h!
Like sitting down for a long conversation with someone you only thought you knew! Full of irreverent insights and other cool stuff. I couldn’t put it down!
Into the creativity
Great read of how an artistic mind struggles to create and survive. Thank you Ben for such inspiring words on musicianship and creativity.