Season 4 Reading Series: Chasing Music Dreams in the New Wave Era: Eric Jay Sonnenschein Discusses and Reads From His Novel ‘Rocked and Rolled’

Rock Is Lit
Written By Christy Hallberg

In this installment of the Rock is Lit Season 4 Reading Series, Eric Jay Sonnenschein discusses and reads from his novel ‘Rocked and Rolled’, a story set in New York’s ’70s and ’80s New Wave scene that follows a young writer-turned-musician navigating the cutthroat music industry while balancing ambition with creative integrity.

Eric Jay Sonnenschein

Eric Jay Sonnenschein is a novelist, essayist, poet, journalist and blogger living in New York. He has published five novels: ‘Rocked and Rolled’ (2024), ‘Ad Nomad’ (2012), ‘Mad Nomad’ (2015), ‘Spontaneous Revolution: The Lost Savior and the Bottomless Pit’ (2022), and ‘Spontaneous Revolution 2: The Hall of Phenomena and The Dark Parade’ (2023); four volumes of essays, ‘Making Up For Lost Time’ (2011), ‘All Over the Place: Essays from A to Z’ (2013), ‘Sartre in the Subway’ (2017), and ‘Self Helpless’ (2021); as well as a collection of poetry, ‘The Lost Poem and Others Like it’ (2011). His fifth novel, ‘Rocked and Rolled’, was published August 6, 2024. In addition, Eric Jay Sonnenschein has published more than 50 articles on a variety of topics, including politics and culture in a variety of newspapers and magazines. Since June 2014, he has posted more than 230 essays on politics, fine arts and culture on LinkedIn Pulse.

About the Episode

EPISODE SUMMARY:

In this installment of the Rock is Lit Season 4 Reading Series, Eric Jay Sonnenschein discusses and reads from his novel ‘Rocked and Rolled’, a story set in New York’s ’70s and ’80s New Wave scene that follows a young writer-turned-musician navigating the cutthroat music industry while balancing ambition with creative integrity.

‘Rocked and Rolled’ conveys the perpetual human struggle to express, invent, and reinvent oneself amid scarce opportunities, annihilating competition and a recording industry that raises barriers at every turn to make artists fail.

MUSIC IN THE EPISODE IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE:

  • Rock is Lit theme music

  • [Guitar Instrumental Beat] Sad Rock [Free Use Music] Punch Deck—“I Can’t Stop”

  • “Jump Into the Fire” by Harry Nilsson

  • “Love Will Tear Us Apart” by Joy Division

  • (No Copyright Music) Upbeat Indie Rock [Rock Music] by MokkaMusic/Drive

  • “In the City” by The Jam

  • [Guitar Instrumental Beat] Sad Rock [Free Use Music] Punch Deck—“I Can’t Stop”

  • 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

Eric Jay Sonnenschein’s website: https://www.ericjaysonnenschein.com/

Eric Jay Sonnenschein on Facebook: @EricJaySonnenschein

Eric Jay Sonnenschein on X: @ejsonnenschein

Eric Jay Sonnenschein on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericjaysonnenschein/

Christy Alexander Hallberg’s website: www.christyalexanderhallberg.com

Christy Alexander Hallberg on Twitter, Instagram & YouTube: @ChristyHallberg

Rock is Lit on Instagram: @rockislitpodcast

Christy Hallberg

Christy Alexander Hallberg is the author of the award-winning novel ‘Searching for Jimmy Page’ and host of Rock is Lit, the first and only podcast devoted to rock novels.

https://www.christyalexanderhallberg.com/
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Season 4 Reading Series: Punk Lit Meets Punk Rock: Author and Musician Michael T. Fournier Reads From His Novel ‘Hidden Wheel’ and Talks Punk, Writing, and Rock Lit
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Season 4 Reading Series: Exploring Love, Art, Asheville, and Arcade Fire: Thomas Calder Discusses and Reads From His Novel ‘The Wind Under the Door’