Bill Hallberg Rock ‘n’ Roll Short Story Contest Spotlight: General Submission Winner Cynthia Swanson Reads Her Winning Story, “A Possibility Nonetheless”
In this episode of Rock is Lit, Cynthia Swanson, winner of the second Bill Hallberg Rock ‘n’ Roll Short Story Contest in the General Submission category, reads her winning story, “A Possibility Nonetheless.”
MUSIC IN THE EPISODE IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE:
Rock is Lit theme music
Sixties 60’s music (free to use)
“The Water is Wide” by Pete Seeger
“Mr. Tambourine Man” by The Byrds
“There But For Fortune” by Joan Baez
Sixties 60’s music (free to use)
Rock is Lit theme music
LINKS:
Leave a rating and
comment for Rock is Lit on Goodpods: https://goodpods.com/podcasts/rock-is-lit-212451
Leave a rating and
comment for Rock is Lit on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rock-is-lit/id1642987350
Cynthia Swanson’s website: https://cynthiaswansonauthor.com/
Cynthia Swanson on Bluesky: @cynswanauthor.bsky.social
Cynthia Swanson on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cynthiaswansonauthor/
Cynthia Swanson on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CynthiaSwanson/
Cynthia Swanson on Instagram: @cynswanauthor
Cynthia Swanson on Substack: https://thewhatifjournal.substack.com/
Rock is Lit on Instagram & Bluesky: @rockislitpodcast
Christy Alexander Hallberg on Instagram and YouTube: @christyhallberg
Christy Alexander Hallberg on Facebook: @ChristyAlexanderHallberg
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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37:40
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37:40
Bill Hallberg Rock ‘n’ Roll Short Story Contest Spotlight: Undergraduate Student Submissions Winner Mavis Wolff Reads Her Winning Story, “Yes, Please”
Congratulations to the winner of the second Bill Hallberg Rock ‘n’ Roll Short Story Contest in the Undergraduate Student Submissions category, Mavis Wolff! Listen to Mavis read her winning story, “Yes, Please,” in this episode.
Mavis Wolff is a Corporate Social Purpose Intern with Volunteer Tennessee, and a Peer Mentor at MTSU's University Writing Center. She has developed a strong skillset in professional mentorship, academic research, and compositional tutoring. She is a published researcher and has received several honors for her academic excellence and creative writing. She hopes to pursue a JD in Fall of 2026, after graduating with a B.A. in English (Writing) and a Minor in Spanish.
MUSIC IN THE EPISODE IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE:
Rock is Lit theme music
Sixties 60’s music (free to use)
“Don’t Forget to Dance” by The Kinks
“Come Dancing” by The Kinks
“State of Confusion” by The Kinks
Sixties 60’s music (free to use)
Rock is Lit theme music
LINKS:
Leave a rating and
comment for Rock is Lit on Goodpods: https://goodpods.com/podcasts/rock-is-lit-212451
Leave a rating and
comment for Rock is Lit on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rock-is-lit/id1642987350
Mavis Wolff’s website: https://maviswolff.com/
Mavis Wolff on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maviswolff/
Rock is Lit on Instagram & Bluesky: @rockislitpodcast
Christy Alexander Hallberg on Instagram and YouTube: @christyhallberg
Christy Alexander Hallberg on Facebook: @ChristyAlexanderHallberg
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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23:44
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23:44
Backstage Pass: Peter McDade & Michael Amos Cody on Rock, Fiction, and Frontmen
Hey, Lit listeners! It’s old home week here at the podcast. Joining me are two Rock is Lit alumni who know a thing or two about chasing musical dreams and writing fiction that grooves with soul and grit: authors and musicians Peter McDade and Michael Amos Cody.
In this special episode we’re talking about their brand-new novels: Peter’s ‘King Cal’ and Michael’s ‘Streets of Nashville’. Both of these fabulous novels ask what music costs, what it gives, and who gets to be heard.
Also in the episode, we’ll get to hear each author read from their books and maybe even settle the question Who makes the best frontman—or frontwoman—in rock history?
*Trigger warning: We talk Taylor Swift in the last part of the episode. Swifties, listen with caution.
PLAYLIST:
Rock is Lit theme music
Sixties 60’s music (free to use)
Acoustic Guitar instrumental [Non Copyrighted] \ Guitar arrangement for song
“Funky Drummer” by James Brown
“My Best Friend’s Girl” by The Cars
“Drive-Thru” by Tenacious D
“Fast Food” by Jesse Welles
“The Entertainer” by Billy Joel
“Pop Singer” by John Mellencamp
“Soulmates” by Michael Amos Cody
“My Dear Friend, Mr. Heineken” by One Four Three/‘King Cal’ soundtrack
“Drowning in Mayo” by Lords of the Living/‘King Cal’ soundtrack
“Cover Me Up” by Jason Isbell
“Game On!” by Aqours
“Blank Space” by Taylor Swift
“Free Man in Paris” by Joni Mitchell
“Watching Mary Sleep” by King Cal/‘King Cal’ soundtrack
“Landscapes” by Michael Amos Cody
Sixties 60’s music (free to use)
Rock is Lit theme music
LINKS:
Leave a rating and comment for Rock is Lit on Goodpods: https://goodpods.com/podcasts/rock-is-lit-212451
Leave a rating and comment for Rock is Lit on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rock-is-lit/id1642987350
Peter McDade’s website: peterjmcdade.com
‘King Cal’ soundtrack on Bandcamp
Peter McDade on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/peter.j.mcdade
Peter McDade on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peterjmc33/
Michael Amos Cody’s website: michaelamoscody.com
Michael Amos Cody on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaelamoscody/
Michael Amos Cody on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michaelamoscody
Michael Amos Cody on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/michaelamoscody.bsky.social
Peter on Rock is Lit EP15 and Peter on Rock is Lit EP36
Michael on Rock is Lit
Christy Alexander Hallberg’s website: www.christyalexanderhallberg.com
Rock is Lit on Instagram & Bluesky: @rockislitpodcast
Christy Alexander Hallberg on Instagram and YouTube: @christyhallberg
Christy Alexander Hallberg on Facebook: @ChristyAlexanderHallberg
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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1:51:03
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1:51:03
Rock ‘n Roll, Military Life, and Coming of Age During the Cold War: Constance Squires on Her Novel ‘Along the Watchtower’
Author Constance Squires returns to Rock is Lit to discuss her debut novel, ‘Along the Watchtower’, a powerful coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of military life, Cold War Germany, and rock ‘n roll.
‘Along the Watchtower’ follows thirteen-year-old Lucinda Collins as she arrives at a U.S. military base in Grafenwoehr, West Germany, in 1983. She knows the drill—setting up new quarters, navigating her parents' tensions, and keeping fellow Army brats at arm’s length, knowing friendships won’t last. She longs for a true home, but her father is haunted by Vietnam, and her mother is growing weary of Army life. As her family fractures, Lucinda finds solace in rock ‘n roll and begins to forge her own path to adulthood. Set against the ever-changing backdrop of military life, ‘Along the Watchtower’ is a story of belonging, resilience, and the ghosts—both real and remembered—that shape us.
Constance Squires teaches creative writing at the University of Central Oklahoma. In addition to ‘Along the Watchtower’, she is the author of ‘Live From Medicine Park’ and the short story collection ‘Hit Your Brights’, with work published in ‘The Atlantic’, ‘Guernica’, ‘The Dublin Quarterly’, ‘Shenandoah’, ‘Identity Theory’, ‘The Rolling Stone 500’, and more. Her brand-new novel, ‘Low April Sun’, was published by the University of Oklahoma Press on Feb 11, 2025!
Catch Constance Squires on Episode 48 of Rock is Lit, discussing her acclaimed novel ‘Live From Medicine Park’: https://www.christyalexanderhallberg.com/rockislitpodcast/constancesquires
PLAYLIST
Rock is Lit theme music
Sixties 60’s music (free to use)
Copyright Free Rock Music—“Grunge Instrumental” by Wayne John Bradley
“All Along the Watchtower” by Bob Dylan
“Peace Frog” by The Doors
“The Man I Used to Be” by Jellyfish
“Heroin” by The Velvet Underground with Nico
“Nazi Punks Fuck Off” by Dead Kennedys
“All Along the Watchtower” by Jimi Hendrix
Sixties 60’s music (free to use)
Rock is Lit theme music
LINKS:
Leave a rating and comment for Rock is Lit on Goodpods: https://goodpods.com/podcasts/rock-is-lit-212451
Leave a rating and comment for Rock is Lit on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rock-is-lit/id1642987350
Constance Squires’ website: https://www.constancesquiresofficial.com/
Constance Squires on X: @ConnieSquires
Constance Squires on Instagram: @conniesquires
Constance Squires on Facebook: @ConstanceSquiresAuthorPage
Constance Squires on Rock is Lit EP48: https://www.christyalexanderhallberg.com/rockislitpodcast/constancesquires
Rock is Lit on Instagram & Bluesky: @rockislitpodcast
Christy Alexander Hallberg on Instagram and YouTube: @christyhallberg
Christy Alexander Hallberg on Facebook: @ChristyAlexanderHallberg
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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1:13:48
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1:13:48
Yoko Ono at 92: Art, Activism & Legacy with Author Madeline Bocaro
In this special episode of Rock is Lit, we celebrate Yoko Ono’s 92nd birthday by honoring her profound impact on art, music, and peace activism. Returning to the podcast is Madeline Bocaro, author of In Your Mind: The Infinite Universe of Yoko Ono, to explore Yoko’s artistic vision, her unwavering commitment to peace, and the ways her influence continues to shape generations. Building on our deep dive in Episode 47, this conversation serves as both an addendum to that episode about Madeline’s book and a tribute to Yoko’s enduring legacy.
PLAYLIST
Rock is Lit theme music
Sixties 60’s music (free to use)
SciFi Music for YouTube videos [No Copyright]
“Don’t Worry Kyoko” by Yoko Ono
“Winter Song” by Yoko Ono
Sixties 60’s music (free to use)
Rock is Lit theme music
LINKS:
Leave a rating and comment for Rock is Lit on Goodpods: https://goodpods.com/podcasts/rock-is-lit-212451
Leave a rating and comment for Rock is Lit on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rock-is-lit/id1642987350
Madeline Bocaro’s website: https://madelinex.com/
Madeline’s book’s website: https://inyourmindbook.com/
Purchase a signed hard or soft cover of Madeline’s book at conceptualbooks.com: https://conceptual-books.myshopify.com/collections/all?sort_by=created-ascending
Madeline on X: @madelinex
Madeline on Instagram: @yoko.ono.in.your.mind and @madeline.bocaro
Listen to Rock is Lit EP47 featuring an in-depth interview with Madeline Bocaro: https://www.christyalexanderhallberg.com/rockislitpodcast/madelinebocaro
Rock is Lit on Instagram & Bluesky: @rockislitpodcast
Christy Alexander Hallberg on Instagram and YouTube: @christyhallberg
Christy Alexander Hallberg on Facebook: @ChristyAlexanderHallberg
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
“I really tried to create a band that I would love, if they were real”— Taylor Jenkins Reid, author of Daisy Jones & The Six
Fiction writers have long been seduced by the anarchy, defiance, and raw power of rock ‘n roll, creating stories about music, the people who make it, and the characters who love it with the same intensity as the most ambitious concept albums. But until Rock is Lit first aired in September 2022, there had never been a podcast devoted to this art form—the rock novel—and the show remains a singularity.
In each episode, host Christy Alexander Hallberg, author of the award-winning rock novel Searching for Jimmy Page (Livingston Press, 2021), interviews authors about craft and the musical inspiration behind their work, then brings in music experts, like legendary groupie Pamela Des Barres, to add real-world context to the bands or musical periods featured in the novels. Hallberg has quickly earned a reputation as a meticulous researcher and creative producer, frequently garnering compliments from guests such as Rex Weiner, author of The (Original) Adventures of Ford Fairlane: “You’re so well versed in what I wrote and, of course, your own rock ‘n roll history is pretty terrific.”
The podcast’s growing roster of rock novels includes: Dana Spiotta’s National Book Award-nominated Eat the Document, works by BIPOC authors like Chris L. Terry’s Black Card, metal-centric novels like John Wray’s Gone to the Wolves, YA LGBTQ debuts like Jessamyn Violet’s Secret Rules to Being a Rockstar, Scifi rock novels like Sarah Pinsker’s Nebula Award-winning A Song For A New Day, rock novels adapted to film like Garth Risk Hallberg’s City on Fire, and celebrity rock novels like the legendary Suzi Quatro’s The Hurricane.
Tune in to Rock is Lit and join the mounting number of Lit Listeners on their quest to find the very best rock novels.
A proud part of Pantheon Podcasts.
Watch the trailer on YouTube.
Find Christy Alexander Hallberg and Rock is Lit on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube: @ChristyHallberg
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