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Saxophone

Object Lessons is a series of short, beautifully designed books about the hidden lives of ordinary things.

 

The saxophone is a contradictory instrument that has rooted itself in the soil of pop culture. It’s the “devil’s horn,” it’s the voice of jazz — an extension of the player’s soul — it is a character trait of U.S. Presidents, YouTube sensations, and cartoon characters. It has both enhanced and ruined songs, it is sensuous yet abrasive, and it is the only instrument widely excluded from symphonies and orchestras, never quite being taken seriously. As an object that is symbolic of living on the margins of society, the saxophone has never been kind to its players.

 

Blending research, cultural criticism, and personal narrative about her saxophonist father, who lived on the margins until his unexpected death, Saxophone explores more than just the history of this expressive instrument. It illuminates the dark paths that our passions can lead us down. Mollie Hawkins turns the lens around to ask us all: what does it mean to devote your life to such an object — even if it kills you? Can music hold such power over us?

Saxophone

  • Mollie Hawkins

    Blending history, memoir, and pop culture, Saxophone grapples with questions of musical obsession, class, and a lifetime devotion to an object – even if it kills you.

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    Chinese Simplified rights represented by Bardon Agency

  • Book Details

    Imprint: Bloomsbury Academic
    Publication Date: 06-02-2025
    Format: Paperback | 4 3/4 x 6 1/2 | 160 pages

  • About the Author

    Mollie Hawkins has written for The Rumpus, Marie Claire, Salon, Bustle, HelloGiggles, PoemMemoirStory (PMS), among other publications. She holds an MFA from Bennington Writing Seminars. Originally from rural Alabama, she now lives in Los Angeles.

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