Rolling Stone columnist on karaoke as cure for heartbreak
Brooklyn BookBeat
Longtime Rolling Stone columnist Rob Sheffield, a Brooklynite whose 2007 debut memoir “Love is a Mix Tape” earned critical raves, will release on Tuesday “Turn Around Bright Eyes: The Rituals of Love and Karaoke” (HarperCollins; August 6, 2013). The author will appear Tuesday evening at DUMBO’s powerHouse Arena for a book launch party. A sequel to Sheffield’s first book, which presented a humorous yet heartbreaking account of his courtship, marriage, and sudden loss of his wife to a pulmonary embolism, “Turn Around Bright Eyes” reveals the widower’s path to moving on – through karaoke.
After the tragic death of his wife, Sheffield relocated from Charlottesville, Virginia, to lower Manhattan. Soon after, the September 11 attacks hit, and his new home was inundated in an entirely different grief.
Though he struggled to endure heartbreak, Sheffield found solace in music – his obsession and life’s work – and allowed that outlet to guide him through an emotional recovery. One night, when he was out with friends, Sheffield discovered karaoke. After an evening of attempting to sing on key and allowing himself to pretend to be someone else for the duration of each song, Sheffield fell in love with the silly activity.