Beyond the Song is the new and fresh offer from Carol Selick, who uses it as a period piece to introduce and explore the music business throughout the sixties and seventies, as well as tell her coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of a time of turmoil and development.
Beyond the Song follows Carol Marks, an alter-ego of the novelist and musician Carol Selick. It includes not only the story but makes use of real lyrics that she wrote and still performs regularly to add more depth to the tale and immerse the reader fully.
Carol goes to school in Washington and then takes a trip to Berkeley, and then moves to New York, trying to make it in the music industry. She goes from city to city and wavers between the calling of her career and the seductive voice of romance. As she pursues her dream, Carol has to grow and pass through all the trials life has for her. From California during the time of the Manson family murders to violent anti-war demonstrations to drug raids, Marks’s life takes her through some thrilling places and through the wild, dangerous ages of American history. As the character rebuffs her suburban and strict background, she dives in fully into counter-culture with all its ups and downs, pursuing a new life and a dream of music and lyrics. Carol hitchhikes through the risky world that is waking up to new possibilities, and the tale is told in a warm and relatable voice that does not shy away from the zaniness of her experiences. She is not alone in her journey, as her guides are fictionalized versions of real people: Rose, as inspired by famed and innovative songwriter Rose Marie McCoy and Bruce Pasternak, a fictionally styled psychoanalyst who guides the character on her journey.
The novel is sure to provide an excellent experience for anyone fond of autobiographical fiction and especially those interested in the 60s and the 70s in the U.S. The center of the novel is the music and Carol’s journey toward her dream. It is a multifaceted portrayal of a coming-of-age story that features many fascinating characters and details that draw from real life to create something memorable. As Carol comes into her own in a world that is not the friendliest in regards to female songwriters, the reader will also have an emotional journey that explores the complicated world of the music scene and everything adjacent to it.
Carol Selick is a songwriter. She won the 2022 Firebird Book Award in Biographical Fiction and Women’s Fiction. As a songwriter, she has released various pieces throughout the years, such as Life is Believing in You and Just Gonna Think About Today. In addition, she performs and composes her own songs as well as a variety of genre classics. Her husband is Gordon James, a jazz musician, and a trumpeter.
Discover the literary and musical work of Carol Selick to see everything she has to offer.
