Melissa Auf der Maur, the former Hole and Smashing Pumpkins bassist’s memoir, Even the Good Girls Will Cry, recounts turbulent times and how she navigated them.
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Part rock memoir, travelogue and photograph album, the book is an interesting and thoughtful boots-on-the-ground (high, custom 1970s platform ones in Auf der Maur’s case) recounting of a transformational decade for youth culture.
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Postmedia News caught up with the Montreal native to ask her a few questions:
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Q: What made you decide to write this book now?
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A: My book is an ode to the decade that defined me and my generation, 1991 to 2001. Simply put, a quarter-of-a-century seems like the perfect amount of time passed to offer a more objective perspective on the personal aspects of my story, and to contribute towards the cultural reflection on the last analog decade. This is my report, contribution if you will, to the history books, of what our generation witnessed through the lens of a zeitgeist moment in counter/youth culture.
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Also, it serves as an apology to my daughter and her generation, that we saw the predatory capitalism corruption take hold of the world, but we could not stop it. Sorry. With this book, I am doing my best to bring awareness and hope to bring back analog life as a remedy.
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Q: Has your teenage daughter read the book? If so, what was her response? Does she think you are cool?
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A: She does not think I am cool, but she loves me and is proud of me. She is only 14, and I would say this book is 17-plus, she can pick it up when she is ready, but so far, she shows no interest in the ’90s, most likely has a healthy act of individuation. I am all for her finding her own world, of her own generation despite the algorithmic holds on young minds. We have strict rules around anything online involving “likes” and she does not have free rein on the internet. We encourage real life for her and her friends, by hosting talent shows at our family art centre, home movie nights and regular social gatherings.
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Q: What do you think about being famous in the last analog decade? How would having social media then change things?
A: I never think of myself as famous, but instead lucky enough to rise to the top of an awesome generation that made gold out of dirt. We were celebrated back then because we made our way out of the underground, with our own hard-working hands and hearts. There was no apathy in the ’90s music and culture explosion — despite the self-deprecating “I don’t want to be famous or sell-out” we all wanted to be great and be noticed for our individuality.
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Being original, raw and authentic was our currency. We were busting our (butts) every day rushing to write, play, perform, connect with our peers and community in real life. I tell my daughter and her friends, that every moment they are passing time on their phone, they are missing the opportunity to learn an instrument, read or write longform (short form content is rotting brains, it’s scientifically proven), and losing the superpower of overcoming boredom with their imaginations.
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Q: Your first gig with Hole was playing for 65,000 people at the Reading Festival on Aug. 26, 1994. What first comes to mind when you think about that experience?
A: Through the Looking Glass is the name of (the book’s) introductory chapter, and that is what I did, I entered a new dimension. It felt just like that. (It was like) landing on a new planet, with a new atmosphere and rules that I would quickly learn. This Lynchian/Alien arrival made it easier, ready to explore and discover a new world. It was a magnificent opportunity to expand as a human, and I knew it all along.
