Why Karen Carpenter Matters

A PITCHFORK MUSIC BOOK OF THE YEAR

A radical, literary and intimate insight into one of the twentieth century¿s most vital vocalists.

''Tongson serves up a number of astute observations about fantasy, projection, longing, normalcy, and aberrance.''
MAGGIE NELSON

''Deftly weaves memoir, history, and cultural criticism to highlight the dynamic relationship between artists and listeners.''
PITCHFORK

In the ''60s and ''70s, America''s music scene was marked by raucous excess, reflected in the tragic overdoses of young superstars such as Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin. At the same time, the uplifting harmonies and sunny lyrics that propelled Karen Carpenter and her brother, Richard, to international fame belied a different sort of tragedy ¿ the underconsumption that led to Karen''s death at age thirty-two from the effects of an eating disorder.

In Why Karen Carpenter Matters,