Apart from a worn-out copy of Dumpster Decorating for Dummies, Gossip Wolf has little use for books. But last year local writer Maryse Meijer carved out an exception to that rule with the short-story collection Heartbreaker, which brims with oddly relatable (and often horny) weirdos seeking connection in an unsympathetic world—including an arsonist who falls in love with his own fires. Songwriter Kenny Childers of Bloomington alt-rockers Gentleman Caller was similarly impressed—he says he read one story “50 times in a row”—and he and his band have since recorded a cycle of response songs called No One’s Daughter. Meijer describes the album as expanding on her book’s moods, feelings, and ideas: “The cool thing about the album for me is getting to hear my characters speak beyond Heartbreaker,” she says. Childers is currently funding a vinyl pressing via Indiegogo; backers can get signed books, T-shirts, and LPs.
Gunslinger by The Clams
