Center for the literary arts in New York State
THE CREATIVE LIFE: A CONVERSATION SERIES AT UALBANY
Susanna Hoffs
7 p.m. Thursday, November 9, 2023, moderated by WAMC's Joe Donahue
Page Hall, 135 Western Avenue, UAlbany Downtown Campus
135 Western Avenue, Albany NY 12208 See map.
Susanna Hoffs rose to fame as the founder, lead singer and guitarist of 1980s “hit machine,” The Bangles, a band known for "Manic Monday" (1986), "Walk Like an Egyptian" (1986), "In Your Room" (1988), and "Eternal Flame" (1989).
New this year, Hoffs is also the author of a bestselling debut novel, This Bird Has Flown (2023)— the sad, joyful, sexy, and laugh-out-loud funny tale of Jane Start, a broke thirty-something singer who once had a big hit. The New York Times reviewer called it, "a total knockout" and "the smart, ferocious rock-star redemption romance you didn’t know you needed."
Universal Pictures has acquired the movie adaptation rights to This Bird Has Flown, with Liza Chasin and Bruna Papandrea on board to produce. Read more
About the book
“Bangles frontwoman Susanna Hoffs demonstrates her range. . . . Hoffs hits the familiar beats of romantic comedy with such panache and gusto, every note feels fresh. Clutch your pearls as Jane swears, boozes, masturbates and indulges, but just try to measure the size of her heart with any ordinary ruler. Ditto the writing. There is not a spare, bare sentence to be found. Instead, the pages are packed with wit and sly allusion and dialogue that strikes the ear just so.” — Beatriz Williams, New York Times Book Review
"Hoffs' immense writing talent isn't just confined to songs. . . .This Bird Has Flown is a love story, a sweet and tender romance, but not just one between Jane and Tom - it's Hoffs' valentine to music." —NPR
“This book is a blast . . . about art and new beginnings and love and friendship and taking risks, it’s such a fun read.” ―Jasmine Guillory
"In this sexy, page-turning treat of a debut novel, Susanna Hoffs writes as engagingly as she sings."
—Helen Fielding, author of the bestselling phenomenon Bridget Jones's Diary
“A clever and entertaining debut novel about the nagging ambivalence of love, missed connections and the transcendent power of a great two-minute pop song. . . . Hoffs spins the gears of her antic narrative with sharp, sardonic wit and an insider’s feel for the mixed blessings of pop fame and a fickle public. But just as the wheels start to fall off, grace arrives . . . such is the power of music; it can give us the key to ourselves at those times when we need it the most. Hoffs understands this acutely, which is why This Bird Has Flown rings so true. Read it with the radio on.”— Los Angeles Times
About The Creative Life:
Created and produced by the New York State Writers Institute, University Art Museum, and UAlbany Performing Arts Center in collaboration with WAMC Northeast Public Radio, this series features leading figures from a variety of artistic disciplines in conversation with WAMC’s “Roundtable” host Joe Donahue about creative inspiration, craft, and career.
Major support for The Creative Life is provided by the University at Albany Foundation and University Auxiliary Services.