Local Music Journalist With New Book Took Inspiration In Summit

SUMMIT, NJ — Is there one song that means more to you than any other — perhaps because it reminds you of a certain person or time, or because the lyrics ring true?

Maplewood resident and music journalist Mike Ayers pondered this question for years. He decided to interview dozens of famed musicians to talk about the topic for his new book, which comes out Tuesday.

The book is a product of 10 years of work, including much writing last year early in the morning at Boxwood Coffee in Summit, as well as Liv Breads in Millburn and his local Starbucks.

"I wrote a lot of the first parts of this book at Boxwood — I love their coffee and the sleek vibe of the space is great," he said. "I had trouble writing there when I was close to being finished because it was always super packed! With good reason."

Ayers will host an event Tuesday at Maplewood's Words bookstore to talk about "In One Last Song: Conversations on Life, Death, and Music" (Abrams Image; Oct. 13, harcover, $24.99).

According to the publisher, "Throughout the book, he weaves together their explanations with fun and beautiful illustrations that bring their words to life. Three special collaborations in the book include: Shea Serrano, bestselling author of Movies (and Other Things) and The Rap Year Book, rescoring ten iconic film deaths with better music; a Genius.com analysis about death euphemisms in song; and a heartfelt, ultra-personal foreword by My Morning Jacket frontman Jim James."

The book also has "interludes" about what song selection says about a person, scores for memorable television deaths; and more.

Contributors include Jeff Tweedy, Lucinda Williams, Regina Spektor, Andre 3000, and dozens of others.

Ayers has been an arts and entertainment journalist and editor for outlets like the Wall Street Journal, Time, Rolling Stone, GQ, Esquire, Billboard, and the Village Voice. He has been an editor at MTV, Rolling Stone, and the Wall Street Journal, and is currently the executive editor of Money.

Ayers has lived in Maplewood since 2011. He had graduated with a degree in sociology from Virginia Tech and got his masters from the New School in New York City.

The event takes place at 8:30 and he'll be joined by best selling author Shea Serrano. Admission is $15 if you don't order a book, or free if you do. Register here: https://store.wordsbookstore.com/virtual-event-mike-ayers

For more information (and to tell Mike your last song!), please visit www.mike-ayers.com.

Words book store is located at 179 Maplewood Ave.

More about writers and books in Maplewood

• To read a story about the autism friendly Words bookstore, click here.
• To read a story from last week about another Maplewood author, who just published a book for young adults about emotional abuse, click here.

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