內容簡介
From the guitarist of the pioneering band Sleater-Kinney, the book Kim Gordon says "everyone has been waiting for" and a New York Times Notable Book of 2015-- a candid, funny, and deeply personal look at making a life--and finding yourself--in music.
Before Carrie Brownstein became a music icon, she was a young girl growing up in the Pacific Northwest just as it was becoming the setting for one the most important movements in rock history. Seeking a sense of home and identity, she would discover both while moving from spectator to creator in experiencing the power and mystery of a live performance. With Sleater-Kinney, Brownstein and her bandmates rose to prominence in the burgeoning underground feminist punk-rock movement that would define music and pop culture in the 1990s. They would be cited as “America’s best rock band” by legendary music critic Greil Marcus for their defiant, exuberant brand of punk that resisted labels and limitations, and redefined notions of gender in rock.
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HUNGER MAKES ME A MODERN GIRL is an intimate and revealing narrative of her escape from a turbulent family life into a world where music was the means toward self-invention, community, and rescue. Along the way, Brownstein chronicles the excitement and contradictions within the era’s flourishing and fiercely independent music subculture, including experiences that sowed the seeds for the observational satire of the popular television series Portlandia years later.
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With deft, lucid prose Brownstein proves herself as formidable on the page as on the stage. Accessibly raw, honest and heartfelt, this book captures the experience of being a young woman, a born performer and an outsider, and ultimately finding one’s true calling through hard work, courage and the intoxicating power of rock and roll.
作者簡介
Carrie Brownstein is a musician, writer and actor who first became widely known as the guitarist and vocalist of the band Sleater-Kinney and later as a creator, writer and co-star of the Emmy-nominated, Peabody Award winning television show Portlandia.?Brownstein's writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Believer, Slate,?and numerous anthologies on music and culture. She lives in Portland, Oregon and Los Angeles.??
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精彩書評
"In the vast library of recent rock memoirs... Ms. Brownstein’s may be the one that most nakedly exposes its author’s personality."—
The New York Times“Carrie Brownstein writes the way she plays guitar, with raw honesty, passion, and great humor in
Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl.”—
Vanity Fair
"A memoir that's both candid and brave, and a powerful tribute to the power of music to heal, to connect, to break you down and then make you whole again……Brownstein's music has always helped people feel like they really do belong somewhere, and her wonderful memoir does the same thing.”
- NPR “Meet your fierce and funny new comrade-in-arms. [Brownstein] takes us on a backstage tour of her life, from quirky kid-dom to angsty teen-dom to the feminist subculture of the riot grrl scene to not quite superstardom… Chronicling Sleater-Kinney’s tumultuous history and her own volatility – the tours that electrified fans, one brutal, ballsy concert at a time; the anxiety that often plagued her—Brownstein illuminates the euphoric highs and crushing lows of a life spent both on the fringes and in the spotlight.”—
O, The Oprah Magazine
“[
Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl] is earnest, endearing, at times angry, critical, confessional, raw… [it's]?the compelling chronicle of a born performer, from fandom to stardom… The richness of the writing ensures that
Hunger will satisfy die-hard Sleater-Kinney fans as well as those who’ve never heard a note.”?—
Kirkus Reviews?
“Brownstein is as nimble, articulate, and honest a writer of literary nonfiction as she is a musician, actress, and cultural critic.”
—Vogue.com
?“A sharp, emotionally intimate new memoir.”
—People
“[Brownstein’s] honesty is disarming, and buoyed by the same dry wit that makes her scenester-lacerating IFC series?
Portlandia?so good. That’s how she artfully manages to transcend the backstage tropes of the rock-bio genre, and why
Hunger?should become the new handbook for every modern girl (and yes, boys, too) looking for the courage to pursue a life less ordinary.”
?–Entertainment Weekly
“A stand out memoir
… A journey to self-possession and a portrait of an era.” –
Vogue
“She can play, but man, can Carrie Brownstein write…Her blazing memoir is lit by the same flair for adventure, fearless inquiry, and honesty that mark her gritty licks and trenchant vocals.”
—ELLE
“
Hunger doesn’t try to enumerate every hat she’s ever worn, only what emboldened her to keep experimenting.”—
TIME Magazine
“Solid musings from the Portlandia star/feminist punk hero.”
—Cosmopolitan
“Brownstein in an American indy culture avatar — funny, smart and always on point.” —
Los Angeles Times “Brownstein’s writing is strongest when she describes the passion and sheer joy she experiences connecting with music.” —
BUST Magazine
“(Brownstein) peels away any residual glamor and mythology of the Riot Grrrl movement and tells her tale of suburban upbringing and liberation.”—
Newsweek
“
Modern Girl?offers a stark look at the strain that touring life took on Brownstein; she talks openly about her battles with depression and anxiety, including a difficult-to-read?account of her nervous breakdown,?which ultimately ended the band.”—
Paper Magazine
“Life on tour isn’t all rock ’n’ roll fantasy, as Sleater-Kinney icon and Portlandia cocreator Carrie Brownstein attests in her corrosively honest, impossible-to-put-down memoir,
Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl—both a journey to self-possession and a portrait of an era, as indelible as one of her songs.”—
Vogue.com
“In her new memoir, [Brownstein] tells the story of how she found salvation in music.” —
Out Magazine
?“To find her calling, Carrie is going to experience hard work, sacrifice, and independence that makes her thrive.” —
Buzzfeed
?“Revealing and raw.” —
The Daily Beast “Few reign power and femininity like Brownstein whose haunting vocals and soul punching lyrics leave listeners rattled, in a good way, the way only truly great music can — something Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl is bound to do as well.”
—Bustle
“[Brownstein] is an incredible observer, with a gift for phrases and imagery and making sense of memory… it’s not hard to predict that Brownstein’s book will go beyond the usual rock-star victory-lap and turn out to be one of the wisest and most poignant memoirs in quite a while.”—
Salon
?“[A] moving story about Brownstein’s life before, during, and after the rise of America’s greatest rock band.”
—Flavorwire
“Brownstein writes with an impressive level of self-awareness and wry humor, even when she’s tackling difficult moments in her life." —
Refinery29 “The Sleater-Kinney guitarist, writer, and Portlandia and Transparent actress has always been curiously eloquent. That quality has become obvious over the course of eight albums with bandmates Corin Tucker and Janet Weiss... and now in her refreshingly forthright new memoir,
Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl.”—
SPIN “Brownstein’s
Modern Girl offers a lot of value for a wide range of readers. Music historians get a first-hand POV of one of punk rock’s most interesting scenes, aspiring artists will take away Brownstein’s mandatory perspective and casual readers get a damn fine read.”—
Paste Magazine
?“Sleater-Kinney guitarist Carrie Browstein debunks the nostalgic clichés of rock-star life on the road. Instead, she candidly recounts the panic attacks and stress-induced shingles she experienced on tour.” —
The Cut
“
Hunger is a testament to the fact that the transient and permanent are, in fact, intertwined.”—
The Jewish Daily Forward
“Sleater-Kinney’s Carrie Brownstein will make you laugh and cry in
Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl…A hunger to be noticed, a hunger to perform and a hunger to be loved are clear motivators for Brownstein as she looks back on her childhood at the start of her entirely self-written and often funny book.”?
–NY Daily News
“Engrossing… For fans of Sleater-Kinney, it’s immensely compelling, particularly because Brownstein writes crisply, insightfully, and without vanity… Brownstein’s memoir shows that she can keep a secret. More important, it shows how compelling she is when she opens up.”—
The A.V. Club
“[Brownstein's] writing is sharp, erudite, and witty, and it makes
Hunger my favorite music memoir since
Just Kids… [it]?arrives at a moment of unprecented reverence for the feminist rock memoir." —
Pitchfork
“Carrie Brownstein is the legendary guitarist in Sleater-Kinney, one-half of the comedic genius team responsible for “Portlandia” and, now, in a move that surprises no one, a brilliant memoirist.”
–Spectrum “Sleater-Kinney guitarist and “Portlandia” co-creator Carrie Brownstein’s reflections on performance and community will move and shake you.” —
Huffington Post “Brownstein’s a great writer and
Hunger is a smooth, electric read. She carries a lot of humor and gentle self-deprecation throughout the work.”—
Consequence of Sound
“Honest and irreverent, Brownstein shows herself to be a talented rock journalist and memoirist without losing the intelligence and humor her fans have come to expect.”—
Nordstrom Blog The Thread
“Sometimes it's nice to love a band just for their songs, without concern for their backstory, but when you get a chance to know where one of your all-time favorites comes from, and written in such a way where it feels like you've dived into a pool and like a cartoon, the whole world changes around you, it would be a crime not to indulge. Spend some time with Carrie, it'll be totally worth your while."—
Lenny Letter
“Carrie strikes a great balance of fond reminiscing and truthful (sometimes regretful) memories spent on the road, in the recording studio and moments of humility in her youth.”—
AfterEllen
“[Brownstein’s] memoir, looking back on those formative years with the band, offers the kind of intimacy and insight fans and enthusiasts will eagerly devour.”—
Biographile
“This portrait of a life lived above the realm of daily concern may be accurate if you’re a Rolling Stone or Beyonce, but the truth, for most moderately successful musicians, is that rock ‘n’ roll is mostly about hard work, uncomfortable sleeping arrangements, and a lot of carrying your own instruments. Which is why Carrie Brownstein’s new memoir, about her years with the band Sleater-Kinney, is so welcome.”—
Biographile
?“What would it be like if all your dreams come true? For Carrie Brownstein, who grew up in the Riot Grrrl movement in the Pacific Northwest, they did: She started out playing in countless punk bands until settling on one with her BFF and romantic partner, Corin Tucker, which they eventually turned into the best rock band of all time, Sleater-Kinney. In
Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl, Brownstein recounts her time before worldwide fame, what Riot Grrrl meant to her as a young woman searching for her voice, and how rock 'n' roll saved her life.”—
Cosmopolitan.com
“In this dynamic memoir, Sleater-Kinney's Carrie Browstein tells her story of coming up through the 1990s feminist punk scene of the Pacific Northwest. Her portrait is vivid, transporting readers back to the intimate moments that sowed her own roots, and made her the cool-girl icon she is today. Brownstein is honest, funny, and, well, everything you want her to be.” —
Bustle
“Carrie Brownstein is brilliant and hilarious in Portlandia, and iconic as the singer for punk-rock band Sleater-Kinney, but her memoir
Hunger Makes Me A Modern Girl reveals a more raw and vulnerable side to her.” —
Bustle
“From her rocky childhood to becoming part of the feminist punk-rock movement to her days as a comedic writer and actor, Brownstein brings us into the most intimate moments of her life.”—
First Slice “For decades, the guitarist for the legendary Sleater-Kinney has been celebrated for her unapologetic queer politics and general bad-assery. When she became the co-creator and star of the IFC comedy series "Portlandia," we were introduced to her slippery wit as well. Her new memoir unveils a third Brownstein: a melancholy, intellectually rigorous introvert who's been musically unpacking the concept of family ever since her suburban Washington childhood fell apart.”
—WordandFilm.com
“Brownstein has written an absolute love letter to music, a gift to Sleater Kinney fans, and above all, an expertly crafted memoir.”—
Lambda Literary
“Brownstein has insightful things to say about growing up with a closeted gay dad and an anorexic mom, about how the creative process works, about the 'performance' of the audience at a concert, about the punk aesthetic.”
—Newsday
?“A performer through and through, she translates her story to the page with characteristically blunt humor and observational prowess.” —
Village Voice
“Brownstein is both an icon of pop culture and an astute observer of it.”
—The Boston Globe
“Carrie Brownstein’s local history as part of Sleater-Kinney is, for many of us, our own—and she has long been an articulate and funny and intelligent voice behind piercing guitar that left tatters behind.”
—Willamette Week
“Brownstein has a story to tell, and it doesn't include satirical sketches about a certain element of local culture… What Brownstein does instead is open a window into her turbulent, creative Northwest life.”—
The Oregonian
“For Sleater-Kinney fans, [
Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl] is an absolute must… The author writes focused and uncluttered prose, choosing the best, most telling details, as she recounts stories that show what it means to perform for the first time and what it means for a woman to be both a fan and a star in a staunchly male-dominated world. …It's revealing and riveting. On the page as in her songs, Brownstein finds the right words to give shape to experience.”—
Kirkus starred review
“A candid look at life in rock and roll in a deeply personal and revealing narrative of her life in music, as ardent fan, pioneering female guitarist, comedic performer on TV’s Portlandia, and luminary in the independent rock world.”
—Publishers Weekly
“[Brownstein's] memoir delivers on all counts, offering a sharp-eyed tale of a singular time in music and culture… A strong, engaging pop culture memoir: personal detail, a little dish, and a well-written look at what made the music, and the culture that spawned it, matter.”
–Library Journal starred review
“Brownstein flips easily from brainy ruminations on nostalgia, fandom, and record labels to trenchant stories about sexism, music journalism, and how a soy allergy—not drugs or alcohol—brought her to her knees on tour… her vivid Sleater-Kinney stories and descriptions of their albums are downright irresistible. Sleater-Kinney fans went nuts late last year when the trio broke their years-long hiatus, and Brownstein’s memoir will give them more to salivate over.”—
Booklist
“[Brownstein] looks back with a healthy balance of romanticism, critique, and humor... she has talent... Her writing is super solid, at times even gripping... You don’t need to be a superfan to appreciate someone’s well-told story about the inherent joy and strife that comes with being in a band; a person’s story about finding, then losing, then re-finding her destiny.”
—Electric Literature
“Brownstein has a gift for describing how collaboration works. She's got a clear critical grasp of how the push and pull between her and vocalist-guitarist Corin Tucker and the essential talents of drummer Janet Weiss made the powerful, abrasive, addictive music of Sleater-Kinney. And to that she adds an important personal perspective.”
—Los Angeles Times
"Deftly woven narrative….A brisk and fascinating work.”?
—Flavorwire?
"A document of self-actualization… [Brownstein’s] writing is measured, dispassionate, and well considered; it’s engaging for exactly those reasons. Her insight is some of the best on that era and subset of punk that’s been written."
?—Jezebel?
“Deeply felt and smartly unpacked…Essential reading…One of the best rock memoirs anyone is going to read in quite some time.”
—Austin American Statesman?
“Her honesty is disarming, and buoyed by the same dry wit that makes her scenester-lacerating IFC series?
Portlandia?so good. That’s how she artfully manages to transcend the backstage tropes of the rock-bio genre, and why
Hunger?should become the new handbook for every modern girl (and yes, boys, too) looking for the courage to pursue a life less ordinary.”
—Entertainment?Monthly?
“On the page, Brownstein comes across as funny, charming, self-deprecating and self-aware."?
—Williamette Week
"It’s Brownstein’s ability to recount her decorous punk life that blazes through. It’s as if she’s sitting across from the reader sharing a friendly cup of coffee, bringing you up to speed on her latest musical adventures."?
—Slug Magazine
“Is there anything [Brownstein] can’t do and do brilliantly?”?
—Cuepoint?
前言/序言
現代女性的覺醒與探索:一部關於自我發現、文化衝擊與身份重塑的深度迴憶錄 《邊緣的低語:在喧囂中尋找自我的旅程》 主題提要: 本書以第一人稱敘事,深入剖析瞭一位年輕女性在麵對快速社會變遷、傳統價值觀瓦解與個人理想追求之間産生的復雜張力。故事圍繞著主人公“艾莉絲”在跨越不同文化背景和職業領域時所經曆的心靈成長、情感糾葛以及對“現代性”的深刻反思。它不僅僅是一部關於成長的記錄,更是一幅描繪當代個體如何在碎片化的世界中,努力搭建起內在穩定結構的社會切片圖景。全書洋溢著一種知識分子式的敏感和對人性的敏銳洞察力,探討瞭孤獨、歸屬感、以及如何在主流敘事之外建立個人意義的永恒命題。 第一部分:舊世界的餘暉與裂隙 故事始於一個看似平靜卻暗流湧動的成長環境。艾莉絲在那個被既定規範所塑形的社區中長大,周圍充斥著對“成功”和“體麵生活”的集體想象。然而,早熟的她對這些標準始終保持著一種疏離感。作者細緻地描繪瞭傢庭教育對她性格基底的塑造:既有深沉的愛,也存在著無形的期待壓力。 童年與青少年的“不閤時宜”: 艾莉絲的童年時期充滿瞭對書籍和知識的癡迷,這使她比同齡人更早地接觸到外部世界的復雜性。她對周圍環境的觀察入微,筆觸冷靜而富有畫麵感。例如,她迴憶起某個夏日午後,在塵封的閣樓裏發現一本被遺忘的哲學書籍,那瞬間如同被一道閃電擊中,預示瞭她未來對既有秩序的質疑。這種早期的智識萌動,讓她在社交層麵顯得格格不入,被視為“想太多”的異類。 初嘗邊緣的滋味: 隨著青春期的到來,艾莉絲開始嘗試融入主流,卻發現每一次的嘗試都像穿著不閤腳的鞋子。她對群體活動中的虛飾感到厭倦,對流行的符號符號缺乏共鳴。這種邊緣感並非外力強加,而是由內在驅動的——她渴望真實、深刻的連接,而非淺嘗輒止的社交遊戲。書中用一係列生動的片段展現瞭她在舞會上、課堂討論中,那種“身在其中,心在彼岸”的疏離感。這種早期體驗,為她日後選擇獨立、非綫性的生活路徑奠定瞭心理基礎。 第二部分:文化的交錯與自我的重構 離開熟悉的地理和文化土壤,是艾莉絲人生中至關重要的一步。她選擇瞭一段充滿變數的異地求學或早期職業經曆,這迫使她直麵文化差異帶來的衝擊。 “陌生化”的視角: 艾莉絲抵達一個全新的城市或國度,周圍的一切都帶著陌生的光澤。她必須迅速掌握新的“遊戲規則”,從語言的細微差彆到不成文的社會習俗。作者對這種“陌生化”的描寫極為細膩,不僅僅停留在錶麵的風土人情,更深入到當地人處理時間、情感和職業倫理的方式。她發現,過去引以為傲的某些特質,在新環境中可能毫無用處,甚至成為障礙。 職業選擇的掙紮: 在新環境的早期,艾莉絲嘗試過幾份與她內在誌趣並不完全契閤的工作。她描述瞭在一傢高速運轉的創意機構中,如何體驗到效率與人性的權衡。她必須學會在資本邏輯和個人道德之間找到一個動態平衡點。這些經曆並非簡單的挫摺,而是她用來校準自己價值觀的“試驗場”。每一次辭職或轉換跑道,都伴隨著對“我究竟想為誰而活”的深刻叩問。她開始意識到,職業隻是錶達自我的一部分,而非全部。 情感的避風港與風暴: 在這個漂泊的階段,艾莉絲也經曆瞭深刻的情感聯結。她與一位來自截然不同背景的人建立瞭一段關係。這段關係是她探索親密關係和界限的縮影。作者並未將此描繪成一個完美的愛情故事,而是坦誠地展現瞭兩個試圖在不確定性中尋求穩定的人,如何因文化背景的差異、對未來的不同預期而産生摩擦。最終,她學會瞭愛人,也學會瞭在必要時放手,承認有些聯結注定是階段性的,而非永恒的錨點。 第三部分:內觀的深化與意義的鑄造 隨著年齡的增長和經驗的積纍,艾莉絲從對外部世界的被動反應,轉嚮瞭主動的內觀和意義的建構。 藝術與創作的救贖: 寫作(或其他藝術形式)成為艾莉絲處理復雜內在世界的關鍵媒介。她發現,隻有通過創造性的輸齣,那些混亂的思緒纔能被梳理和定型。書中詳細闡述瞭創作過程中的掙紮——靈感的枯竭、自我懷疑的泥沼,以及最終突破限製時帶來的純粹喜悅。這種創作行為,不再是為瞭取悅他人,而是為瞭完成一場與自我的對話。 與“母親”的議題: 隨著視角的成熟,艾莉絲重新審視瞭她與上一代女性的關係。她不再是那個叛逆的女兒,而是帶著理解和同情的目光去看待母親們在特定曆史和社會結構下所做的妥協與堅守。她開始明白,女性的身份從來不是單一的腳本,而是代際經驗的復雜疊加。這種和解,並非全盤接受,而是理解瞭她們的局限,從而更清晰地劃定瞭自己的邊界。 “現代性”的去神聖化: 書的後半部分著重於對“現代性”標簽的反思。艾莉絲不再盲目追求新潮或前衛,而是開始重新評估什麼東西是真正具有持久價值的。她學會瞭從物質的堆砌中抽離齣來,關注那些微小而穩定的日常儀式——清晨的一杯茶、一次長時間的步行、與少數密友之間的真誠交流。她認識到,真正的“現代”並非意味著對過去的徹底否定,而是在理解曆史的基礎上,有意識地選擇自己的生活節奏和價值體係。 結語:在不確定的世界中安居 最終,艾莉絲並未找到一個宏大、一成不變的“答案”。她接受瞭生活本身就是一場持續的探索,而自我認同是一個動態的過程,需要不斷地被審視和修正。本書的結尾,沒有突兀的勝利宣告,而是流露齣一種沉靜的力量——一種在接納瞭自己的矛盾性、承認瞭不完美之後所獲得的內在安寜。她終於學會瞭在世界的喧囂中,為自己建造一個堅固且舒適的“精神居所”。 本書的獨特之處: 本書的敘事風格兼具文學的精煉和迴憶錄的坦誠,它避開瞭常見的勵誌套路,專注於探討個體在現代性危機下的精神圖景。作者運用瞭大量精準的意象和心理描寫,使得讀者能夠深刻感受到主人公在身份認同、文化適應和情感探索過程中的微妙心路曆程。它是一部獻給所有在“應該”與“渴望”之間徘徊的現代人的深刻思考。