A Dream About Lightning Bugs by Ben Folds

I’m not the type of person who reads memoirs normally; I think it takes a certain level of hubris to assume that your life is so novel or fascinating that others should take pause, and it often makes its way onto the page. But, as a devoted Ben Folds fan, I picked up a copy of A Dream About Lightning Bugs - A Life of Music and Other Cheap Lessons and I’m so very glad I did.

As someone who grew up listening to piano rock and appreciated Ben’s transition to orchestral collaborations and arts advocacy, the book was full of nostalgia. Familiar song lyrics and the anecdotes that drove them are at the core of why this book is a funny, quick read.

Any band kid who remembers the struggle of practicing and learning an instrument will gobble up this recognizable content. But the stories delve deeper, into Ben’s personal life and attempt to balance career and home, popular music and being true to oneself, love and marriage. Familiar tropes for sure, but the undercurrent of music and song - art imitating life - are what make this narrative unique.

This memoir has heart and I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of writing, but I shouldn’t have been. Folds has always been good with a pen.