The Guest List | NoSo
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The Guest List is a regular book column that surveys the reading habits of some of our favorite musicians. For this edition we spoke with singer-songwriter-guitarist Baek Hwong, who performs under the name NoSo. The avant-pop artist just released their swooning debut album, Stay Proud of Me, this month. We caught up with Baek to find out what they’ve been reading lately.
SwR: Are there any particular authors or books that inspired the writing on the new record?
Baek Hwong: I read Ruby Fruit Jungle [by Rita May Browne], and it was one of the first books I’ve read by a queer author. Throughout school (especially in AP English classes and college), I felt obligated to only read “classic” books by cis men in order for it to count as growth for my brain, and that actually sucked the joy out of reading for a long time.
When I began reading for pleasure again post-college graduation, Ruby Fruit Jungle resonated with me (despite some very questionable aspects in the text) and I finished it in one day at 4 am, something I hadn’t done since childhood.
SwR: The album is filled with songs about growing up and finding a sense of community. What are some of the best books you’ve read that deal with this subject?
BH: I’m currently reading Zigzags by Kamala Puligandla. It’s been a very comforting read about a protagonist who returns to her Chicago community for the summer, feeling lost in their early twenties, and constantly comparing themselves to peers who seem further ahead in their careers/relationships. I really enjoy it and can tell I’ll return to it every June when I’m sweaty and eating frozen grapes.
SwR: Stay Proud of Me also explores the experiences of a non-binary person. Are there any transgender books or authors that you recommend?
BH: Pretend We Live Here by Genevieve Hudson! It’s a beautiful collection of queer short stories. I bought it at a small bookstore next to the Lodge Room in LA before I played an NPR show. I was deeply nervous and didn’t know what else to do with myself. The book sat in my guitar case for years because I forgot I bought it, and when I found it, I was blown away. The rhythm of Genevieve’s words reminds me of lyrics, and they describe adolescent gender identity in such a specific and heart-wrenching way.
SwR: What are your favorite books about music?
BH: Honestly, one of the most helpful books I’ve read is All You Need To Know About the Music Business by Donald S. Passman. It definitely made me feel less like a deer in headlights when it comes to music terminology.
SwR: Any bookstores you’d care to shout out?
BH: I love Skylight Books in Los Feliz. There are always hot people sniffing those shelves for Sally Rooney.
SwR: What’s the last really good book you read?
BH: I really liked Pizza Girl by Jean Kyoung Frazier. I’ve been trying to solely read books by women of color and non-binary folks these days, and Pizza Girl scratched an itch in my brain for something weird. I was so frustrated with the protagonist and found her unlikable, but I think that was the point.
Jean Kyoung Frazier also went to USC and we had the same writing professor. I geeked out when I saw that in the acknowledgments!
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