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A14 PEOPLE / ARTS
Thursday 20 april 2023
Following stroke, Lucinda Williams back with book and album

By DAVID BAUDER songs that are about Ryan
AP Entertainment Writer Adams and Paul Wester-
NEW YORK (AP) — Lucinda berg. The meat of her sto-
Williams is returning to the ry, however, is of surviving
spotlight this spring with an mental illness.
autobiography, a new al- Williams’ mother was sexu-
bum and concert appear- ally molested as a young
ances around the world. girl and spent years in and
Less than three years ago, out of mental institutions.
there was real worry that Williams’ father would say,
her creative voice would “it’s not her fault, she’s not
be stilled. well.” The singer and two
In November 2020, the younger siblings grew up
singer-songwriter suffered a with a mother who was
stroke while getting ready only half there.
to take a shower in her Her father, poet Miller Wil-
Nashville home. Her hus- liams, was an itinerant col-
band, Tom Overby, discov- lege professor constantly
ered her on the bathroom moving the family to differ-
floor. Williams was rushed to ent towns. He apologized
the hospital. to his daughter when he
Her recovery has been first heard the line about a
grueling and not yet com- young girl in a back seat,
plete. Lucinda Williams poses for a portrait on Friday, March 24, 2023 in New York to promote her book, “little bit of dirt mixed with
“I’m doing really well,” she “Don’t Tell Anybody the Secrets I Told You,” out April 25. tears,” in the song “Car
told The Associated Press in Associated Press Wheels on a Gravel Road.”
a recent interview. “I can and she’s not about to Her autobiography, “Don’t Yet seeing it all outlined in She hadn’t recognized she
walk again, I don’t have let go. The songs haven’t Tell Anybody the Secrets I print is frankly breathtaking. was writing about herself.
to use a cane or anything. stopped flowing. Told You,” was written prior Her taste in men poets on a It wasn’t all bad; Williams
I wasn’t sure about that for Retire? “No,” she said. “The to her stroke, and marks her motorcycle, she describes said the parties her father’s
a while.” thought would kind of flash first time writing a book. it didn’t lend itself to slow literary friends had put rock
She’s fragile and moves through my head and I “It’s partly because so and steady relationships. ‘n’ rollers to shame.
slowly. She’s unable to would think, I’m just not many of my songs tell sto- One can construct a bingo An undergrad in one of her
play the guitar, as contin- ready for that.” ries, and people are always card of past boyfriends, or father’s classes moved into
ued weakness in her left Williams’ singing voice wanting to find out the sto- near boyfriends, and the their home as a “guardian”
side makes it too painful to emerged unscathed from ries behind the songs,” Wil- memorable songs those when she was about 12.
grip the fret. It’s hard not the stroke, as some crit- liams said. “I feel like the personal stories inspired: “I just tried to be as respect-
to wonder if Williams, who ics noticed when she be- book is almost my gift to “Lake Charles,” “Pineola,” ful as possible and ignore
turned 70 in January, is gan performing again last fans.” When Williams met “Joy,” “Passionate Kisses,” the questions turning over
pushing things. summer. “Williams had an and married Overby, there “Still I Long for Your Kiss,” in my head,” she wrote.
Talk to her, and her hus- amazing stage presence, were followers who serious- “Right in Time,” “Those “But it wasn’t easy.”
band-manager, and it’s told wonderful stories about ly wondered if it would hurt Three Days,” “Wakin’ Up,” That’s about when her own
apparent how much she what she was singing and her songwriting, since her “Real Live Bleeding Fingers obsessive-compulsive disor-
needs to be back, how her voice was nothing short trail of failed relationships and Broken Guitar Strings” der emerged. She began
they consider it part of her of magnificent,” Tom Joens and fleeting crushes pro- and so on. playing music, describing
rehabilitation. Music was wrote in American Blues vided uncommon fodder. There’s some bold-face it as “the world I wanted to
once a teenager’s escape Scene following a concert The idea sounded insulting, rock ‘n’ roll names, too. be in, a better world than
from a troubled home life, last September. even sexist. Readers will find out the the one I was in.” q

Liz Cheney memoir ‘Oath and Honor’ coming in November

NEW YORK (AP) — For- which will publish her book over Trump’s false claims
mer Rep. Liz Cheney has November 14. of voting fraud and her
a memoir and a “warn- “It survives only because position as vice chair of
ing” coming out this fall. In of the courage and honor the Congressional com-
“Oath and Honor,” she will of individual Americans. mittee that looked into the
write about her estrange- When history looks back insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021.
ment from former President on this time, each elected Cheney has said she wants
Donald Trump and the Re- official will have to answer to ensure that Trump, who
publican Party in the after- the questions: Did we do has announced his candi-
math of the Jan. 6 siege of our duty? Were we faith- dacy for 2024, will never be
the U.S. Capitol. ful to our oath of office?” president again.
“The last two years have Cheney said. Once a dominant pres-
shown us once again that Cheney, daughter of for- ence in Wyoming politics,
our constitutional repub- mer Vice President Dick she was defeated in the
Vice Chair Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., listens as the House select lic is not self-sustaining,” Cheney, had been a lead- Republican primary last
committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol Cheney said in a statement ing Republican voice for summer by Harriet Hage-
holds its final meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington on Dec. 19,
2022. released Tuesday by Little, years. But she parted with man, who had been en-
Associated Press Brown and Company, many of her colleagues dorsed by Trump.q