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"With plenty to say and ample musical gifts
with which to say it, Boston newcomer Jennifer Trynin is poised to join the upper ranks of GenX alternative rock queendom . . . One of the year's best debuts. A revelation." —Billboard It was 1994—post-Liz Phair, mid-Courtney Love, just shy of Alanis Morissette. After seven years of slogging it out in the Boston music scene, Jen Trynin took a hard look at herself and gave "making it" one last shot. It worked. Suddenly Trynin sparked one of the most heated bidding wars of the year. Major labels vied for her, to the tune of multiple millions of dollars in deals. Lawyers, managers, and booking agents clamored for her attention. Rolling Stone photographed her, Billboard put her on the cover. Everyone knew she was the Next Big Thing. And then, just as suddenly, she wasn't. In a series of dizzying, hilarious, heartbreaking snapshots, Trynin captures what it's like to be catapulted to the edge of stardom, only to plummet back down to earth. Everything I'm Cracked Up to Be is the story of a girl who got what she wished for—and lived happily ever after anyway. “Trynin's terse, hilarious, you-are-there prose is as strong as her songwriting was, and this will remain an excellent primer for any rockers considering signing with a major label . . . for however many months said labels continue to exist. A-” —Entertainment Weekly (Editor’s Choice)
“Jen’s passions and insecurities are totally relatable." —Jane
“Outstanding . . . The book has elements of tragedy . . . but that just makes it all the more addictive . . . It helps that Trynin is not just a good writer but an exceptional one . . . Trynin's memoir is an essential document of the time, and a strong (and often hilarious) warning to anyone who shares her ambitions, regardless of the era.” —Long Island Press
“Trynin's label chewed her up and spit her out, but she enacts stealthy, delayed revenge with this ingratiating, winningly candid book, emerging from her flirtation with pop stardom older, wiser, and blessed with one hell of a story.” —The Onion
“What happens when you get what you want? The question haunts this funny, ultimately poignant memoir of a rock-and-roll fairy tale becoming a rock-and-roll nightmare . . . Terrific reading for anyone interested in rock and the music industry.” —Booklist
“A brilliant, blast-ass chronicle of a dreamy rock nightmare. Jen Trynin gets right to the heart of the modern absurdist comedy called the music business. The wonderful thing is that Trynin survived 'rock stardom with her own head and heart intact. To anyone with her own dreams of hitting it big in the scene: First read this book.” —Brad Watson, author of The Heaven of Mercury and Last Days of the Dog-Men
“WARNING: Writing a batch of good songs in one's apartment may lead to having one's ass kissed by numerous multinational corporations for an indeterminate period of time. This may in turn cause one to lose one's sense of self, become unable to differentiate between fantasy and reality, develop eating disorders, chain smoke, enter into inadvisable relationships, suffer from depression, and ultimately even quit writing songs. See Jen Trynin's completely brilliant Everything I'm Cracked Up To Be for more information, or consult your entertainment physician.” —Adam Schlesinger, of the band Fountains of Wayne
“Anyone who has ever dreamed of being famous, particularly in the realm of rock'n'roll, should read this candid account . . . [Trynin] analyzes her personal reactions and judgments throughout with clarity and honesty . . . Trynin's story is absorbing.” —Library Journal
“Trynin takes readers along on her wild ride up and down the cutthroat, fad-driven pop music machine - but her trip is more of a wacky nightmare than a fairy tale . . . Trynin is charming: ingenuous but intelligent, whimsical but savvy.” —Publishers Weekly
“With humor and heart, Jen Trynin's Everything I'm Cracked Up to Be perfectly captures the utter surreality of the here-today-gone-tomorrow swirling vortex that is The Music Business, while also revealing the inner world of someone caught in its wake. I loved it.” —Aimee Mann
“Jen Trynin got sideswiped by rock stardom, and all she came home with was the material for this amazing memoir. Everything I'm Cracked Up to Be is a funny, honest, occasionally heartbreaking, and beautifully written account of a dream-come-true gone badly awry. This isn't just a terrific book about rock and roll, it's a terrific book, period.” —Tom Perrotta, author of Little Children
Crowd photograph ©2006 by Ebet Roberts Photography Author photograph by Danny Clinch |
JEN TRYNIN lives in Boston with her husband and daughter. This is her first book. She still rocks, when she feels like it. Listen to Jen's music and hear her read from her book at www.JenTrynin.com. |
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