Bill Hallberg Rock ‘n’ Roll Short Story Contest Spotlight: General Submission Winner Cynthia Swanson Reads Her Winning Story, “A Possibility Nonetheless”
In this episode of Rock is Lit, Cynthia Swanson, winner of the second Bill Hallberg Rock ‘n’ Roll Short Story Contest in the General Submission category, reads her winning story, “A Possibility Nonetheless.”
MUSIC IN THE EPISODE IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE:
Rock is Lit theme music
Sixties 60’s music (free to use)
“The Water is Wide” by Pete Seeger
“Mr. Tambourine Man” by The Byrds
“There But For Fortune” by Joan Baez
Sixties 60’s music (free to use)
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
Cynthia Swanson’s website: https://cynthiaswansonauthor.com/
Cynthia Swanson on Bluesky: @cynswanauthor.bsky.social
Cynthia Swanson on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cynthiaswansonauthor/
Cynthia Swanson on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CynthiaSwanson/
Cynthia Swanson on Instagram: @cynswanauthor
Cynthia Swanson on Substack: https://thewhatifjournal.substack.com/
Rock is Lit on Instagram & Bluesky: @rockislitpodcast
Christy Alexander Hallberg on Instagram and YouTube: @christyhallberg
Christy Alexander Hallberg on Facebook: @ChristyAlexanderHallberg
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Bill Hallberg Rock ‘n’ Roll Short Story Contest Spotlight: Undergraduate Student Submissions Winner Mavis Wolff Reads Her Winning Story, “Yes, Please”
Congratulations to the winner of the second Bill Hallberg Rock ‘n’ Roll Short Story Contest in the Undergraduate Student Submissions category, Mavis Wolff! Listen to Mavis read her winning story, “Yes, Please,” in this episode.
Mavis Wolff is a Corporate Social Purpose Intern with Volunteer Tennessee, and a Peer Mentor at MTSU's University Writing Center. She has developed a strong skillset in professional mentorship, academic research, and compositional tutoring. She is a published researcher and has received several honors for her academic excellence and creative writing. She hopes to pursue a JD in Fall of 2026, after graduating with a B.A. in English (Writing) and a Minor in Spanish.
MUSIC IN THE EPISODE IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE:
Rock is Lit theme music
Sixties 60’s music (free to use)
“Don’t Forget to Dance” by The Kinks
“Come Dancing” by The Kinks
“State of Confusion” by The Kinks
Sixties 60’s music (free to use)
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
Mavis Wolff’s website: https://maviswolff.com/
Mavis Wolff on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maviswolff/
Rock is Lit on Instagram & Bluesky: @rockislitpodcast
Christy Alexander Hallberg on Instagram and YouTube: @christyhallberg
Christy Alexander Hallberg on Facebook: @ChristyAlexanderHallberg
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Kim Gottlieb-Walker’s Journey from Rock & Film Photography to Fiction Teaser
In this special Rock is Lit episode—available exclusively on YouTube—legendary rock and film photographer Kim Gottlieb-Walker joins Christy to talk about her novel, ‘Lenswoman in Love’, a love story steeped in the sights and sounds of the 1960s and 1970s music and film scenes. Kim shares behind-the-scenes stories of working with a young Cameron Crowe and shooting icons like Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley, Gram Parsons, and Jim Morrison. She also discusses what it was like to be a film set still photographer on classics like John Carpenter's ‘Halloween’ and TV shows like 'Cheers' and 'Family Ties'. As a bonus, Kim walks us through a visual slideshow of her iconic photography that inspired moments in her novel. This is a rare, can’t-miss episode best experienced with your eyes and
ears.
WATCH HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMiLtXU71l8
For Kim’s full bio, see her website.
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
Kim Gottlieb-Walker’s website: http://lenswoman.com/
Kim on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KimGottliebWalker
Lens Woman in Love Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/938323581755313
Kim on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimgottliebwalker/
Kim on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/kimgottliebwalker.bsky.social
Rock is Lit on Instagram & Bluesky: @rockislitpodcast
Christy Alexander Hallberg on Instagram and YouTube:
@christyhallberg
Christy Alexander Hallberg on Facebook:
@ChristyAlexanderHallberg
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Backstage Pass: Peter McDade & Michael Amos Cody on Rock, Fiction, and Frontmen
Hey, Lit listeners! It’s old home week here at the podcast. Joining me are two Rock is Lit alumni who know a thing or two about chasing musical dreams and writing fiction that grooves with soul and grit: authors and musicians Peter McDade and Michael Amos Cody.
In this special episode we’re talking about their brand-new novels: Peter’s ‘King Cal’ and Michael’s ‘Streets of Nashville’. Both of these fabulous novels ask what music costs, what it gives, and who gets to be heard.
Also in the episode, we’ll get to hear each author read from their books and maybe even settle the question Who makes the best frontman—or frontwoman—in rock history?
*Trigger warning: We talk Taylor Swift in the last part of the episode. Swifties, listen with caution.
PLAYLIST:
Rock is Lit theme music
Sixties 60’s music (free to use)
Acoustic Guitar instrumental [Non Copyrighted] \ Guitar arrangement for song
“Funky Drummer” by James Brown
“My Best Friend’s Girl” by The Cars
“Drive-Thru” by Tenacious D
“Fast Food” by Jesse Welles
“The Entertainer” by Billy Joel
“Pop Singer” by John Mellencamp
“Soulmates” by Michael Amos Cody
“My Dear Friend, Mr. Heineken” by One Four Three/‘King Cal’ soundtrack
“Drowning in Mayo” by Lords of the Living/‘King Cal’ soundtrack
“Cover Me Up” by Jason Isbell
“Game On!” by Aqours
“Blank Space” by Taylor Swift
“Free Man in Paris” by Joni Mitchell
“Watching Mary Sleep” by King Cal/‘King Cal’ soundtrack
“Landscapes” by Michael Amos Cody
Sixties 60’s music (free to use)
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
Peter McDade’s website: peterjmcdade.com
‘King Cal’ soundtrack on Bandcamp
Peter McDade on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/peter.j.mcdade
Peter McDade on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peterjmc33/
Michael Amos Cody’s website: michaelamoscody.com
Michael Amos Cody on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaelamoscody/
Michael Amos Cody on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michaelamoscody
Michael Amos Cody on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/michaelamoscody.bsky.social
Peter on Rock is Lit EP15 and Peter on Rock is Lit EP36
Michael on Rock is Lit
Christy Alexander Hallberg’s website: www.christyalexanderhallberg.com
Rock is Lit on Instagram & Bluesky: @rockislitpodcast
Christy Alexander Hallberg on Instagram and YouTube: @christyhallberg
Christy Alexander Hallberg on Facebook: @ChristyAlexanderHallberg
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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1:51:03
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1:51:03
Across the What-If Universe: Paul Levinson On His Novel ‘It’s Real Life: An Alternate History of The Beatles’
What if The Beatles did reunite—and the world was never the same?
In this special episode, Christy Alexander Hallberg welcomes acclaimed author, media scholar, and musician Paul Levinson to talk about his novel ‘It’s Real Life: An Alternate History of The Beatles’, based on his award-winning short story that reimagines a very different musical timeline.
Set in 1996, the novel follows legendary New York DJ Pete Fornatale as he heads to Grand Central Terminal—only to discover the music world has shifted in strange and unexpected ways. From speculative “what-ifs” to cultural commentary, this episode explores the legacy of The Beatles through the lens of fiction, nostalgia, and imagination.
Paul also reads a captivating excerpt from the novel, giving listeners a taste of this alternate universe where the Fab Four’s story didn’t end in 1970.
Paul Levinson, Ph.D., is professor of communication and media studies at Fordham University in NYC. His nonfiction books, including ‘The Soft Edge’, ‘Digital McLuhan’, ‘Realspace’, ‘Cellphone’, and ‘New New Media’, have been translated into fifteen languages. His science fiction novels include ‘The Silk Code’ (winner of Locus Award for Best First Science Fiction Novel of 1999), ‘Borrowed Tides’, ‘The Consciousness Plague’, ‘The Pixel Eye’, ‘The Plot to Save Socrates’, ‘Unburning Alexandria’, ‘Chronica’, and ‘It’s Real Life: An Alternate History of The Beatles’. He has appeared on CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, the Discovery Channel, National Geographic, the History Channel, and NPR.
PLAYLIST:
Rock is Lit theme music
Sixties 60’s music (free to use)
“Looking for Sunsets (In the Early Morning)”—lyrics by Paul Levinson (lead vocals), music by Ed Fox
“Murray the K’s Back in Town”—music and lyrics by Paul Levinson (lead vocals)
“Samantha”—music and lyrics by Paul Levinson (lead vocals)
Sixties 60’s music (free to use)
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
Paul Levinson’s website: https://paullev.com/
Paul Levinson on YouTube and Facebook: @PaulLevinson
Paul Levinson on Instagram: @paullevins
Christy Alexander Hallberg’s website: www.christyalexanderhallberg.com
Rock is Lit on Instagram & Bluesky: @rockislitpodcast
Christy Alexander Hallberg on Instagram and YouTube: @christyhallberg
Christy Alexander Hallberg on Facebook: @ChristyAlexanderHallberg
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
“I really tried to create a band that I would love, if they were real”— Taylor Jenkins Reid, author of Daisy Jones & The Six
Fiction writers have long been seduced by the anarchy, defiance, and raw power of rock ‘n roll, creating stories about music, the people who make it, and the characters who love it with the same intensity as the most ambitious concept albums. But until Rock is Lit first aired in September 2022, there had never been a podcast devoted to this art form—the rock novel—and the show remains a singularity.
In each episode, host Christy Alexander Hallberg, author of the award-winning rock novel Searching for Jimmy Page (Livingston Press, 2021), interviews authors about craft and the musical inspiration behind their work, then brings in music experts, like legendary groupie Pamela Des Barres, to add real-world context to the bands or musical periods featured in the novels. Hallberg has quickly earned a reputation as a meticulous researcher and creative producer, frequently garnering compliments from guests such as Rex Weiner, author of The (Original) Adventures of Ford Fairlane: “You’re so well versed in what I wrote and, of course, your own rock ‘n roll history is pretty terrific.”
The podcast’s growing roster of rock novels includes: Dana Spiotta’s National Book Award-nominated Eat the Document, works by BIPOC authors like Chris L. Terry’s Black Card, metal-centric novels like John Wray’s Gone to the Wolves, YA LGBTQ debuts like Jessamyn Violet’s Secret Rules to Being a Rockstar, Scifi rock novels like Sarah Pinsker’s Nebula Award-winning A Song For A New Day, rock novels adapted to film like Garth Risk Hallberg’s City on Fire, and celebrity rock novels like the legendary Suzi Quatro’s The Hurricane.
Tune in to Rock is Lit and join the mounting number of Lit Listeners on their quest to find the very best rock novels.
A proud part of Pantheon Podcasts.
Watch the trailer on YouTube.
Find Christy Alexander Hallberg and Rock is Lit on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube: @ChristyHallberg
USA