ROCK ON! – NONFICTION

EVELYN MCDONNELL is a professor of journalism and an expert on music, gender, and politics. She has written or co-edited eight books, from Rock She Wrote: Women Write about Rock, Pop and Rap to The World According to Joan Didion. A longtime journalist, she has been a pop culture writer at the Miami Herald and a senior editor at The Village Voice. Her award-winning writing on music, poetry, theater, and culture has appeared in publications and anthologies including The New York Times, The Guardian, the Los Angeles Times, Ms., Rolling Stone, Los Angeles Review of Books, Travel & Leisure, Billboard, Interview, and Option.

PETER WOLF, best known as the frontman of the J. Geils Band, wanted to become a painter. Instead, he became a rock 'n’ roll convert at the age of 11 after attending an Alan Freed revue that included performances by Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, and others. His encyclopedic musical knowledge came in handy when he and some like-minded Boston players formed the J. Geils Band, much of whose early repertoire was drawn from Wolf’s vast record collection. In 1970, the group was signed by Jerry Wexler to Atlantic Records, where it went on to release nine influential albums. In 1979, the band was signed to EMI America, topping the charts worldwide with hit songs “Freeze Frame,” “Love Stinks,” and “Centerfold.” In 1984, Wolf began his career as a solo artist and collaborated with Aretha Franklin, Merle Haggard, John Lee Hooker, and Mick Jagger, among others. His album "Sleepless" was voted one of the top 500 albums of all time by Rolling Stone. He currently tours with his band The Midnight Travelers, and will be releasing his ninth solo album in 2025.