Saxophone

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Mollie Hawkins (Journalist, USA) Dr. Christopher Schaberg (Washington University in St. Louis, USA)

Saxophone

Mollie Hawkins (Journalist, USA), Dr. Christopher Schaberg (Washington University in St. Louis, USA), Professor Ian Bogost (Washington University in St. Louis, USA)

$19.99

Paperback

Forthcoming
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English

Bloomsbury Publishing USA
29 May 2025

Wind instruments; Literary theory; Philosophy: aesthetics; Material culture

Series: Object Lessons

Object Lessons is a series of short, beautifully designed books about the hidden lives of ordinary things.

The saxophone is a contradictory instrument that has rooted itself in the soil of pop culture. It’s the “devil’s horn,” it’s the voice of jazz — an extension of the player’s soul — it is a character trait of U.S. Presidents, YouTube sensations, and cartoon characters. It has both enhanced and ruined songs, it is sensuous yet abrasive, and it is the only instrument widely excluded from symphonies and orchestras, never quite being taken seriously. As an object that is symbolic of living on the margins of society, the saxophone has never been kind to its players.

Blending research, cultural criticism, and personal narrative about her saxophonist father, who lived on the margins until his unexpected death, Mollie Hawkins explores more than just the history of this expressive instrument. She illuminates the dark paths that our passions can lead us down. Saxophone turns the lens around to ask us all: what does it mean to devote your life to such an object — even if it kills you? Can music hold such power over us?

By: Mollie Hawkins (Journalist USA)
Series edited by: Dr. Christopher Schaberg (Washington University in St. Louis USA), Professor Ian Bogost (Washington University in St. Louis, USA)
Imprint: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 164mm, Width: 120mm, Spine: 16mm
Weight: 140g
ISBN: 9798765114773
Series: Object Lessons
Pages: 144
Publication Date: 29 May 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Mollie Hawkins has written for The Rumpus, Marie Claire, Salon, Bustle, HelloGiggles, PoemMemoirStory (PMS), among other publications. She holds an MFA from Bennington Writing Seminars. Originally from rural Alabama, she now lives in Los Angeles.

Reviews for Saxophone

With Saxophone, Mollie Hawkins gives us a thorough and compelling history of the instrument and its creator — and those jazz greats who are eternally linked: Parker, Coltrane, Getz — along with the personal story of her late father’s devotion to the saxophone. Hawkins's devotion to her father and his music adds a vibrant and moving dimension to this already extraordinary history. * Jill McCorkle, author of Old Crimes and Hieroglyphics *