Wilson’s memoir chronicles an aspiring artist’s life in the music industry.

The author grew up in Amarillo, Texas, in the 1960s. He got involved in some youthful hijinks, like stealing beer with friends, but he had long set his heart on making music. He eventually settled in Los Angeles in the late 1970s, but how would he survive in such an expensive city overflowing with talented people chasing similar dreams? The answer: piano tuning. Prior to his time in L.A., he attended a six-month program in Cleveland learning piano tuning, and the training paid off—with diligence, he obtained a reputation in L.A. as a dependable technician. When MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) technology came around, he established himself as an installation expert. This work, along with the tuning gigs, brought him into the orbit of mega-stars such as Carole King, Elton John, and Paul McCartney (the book includes photos of the author posing with various musical heavyweights). Despite the success of his efforts, the author still wanted to pursue his own musical career; he put together an album of music described as “folk-meets-Celtic-meets-classical-meets-whatever” and began the meticulous task of building a name for himself. This memoir shines a light on the figure of the entertainment industry technician. Even celebrities need their pianos tuned, and, when something goes wrong, it can be disastrous—Wilson recounts an Elton John performance in which, due to some complications with a MIDI device, Elton was ready to leave the show early. While many of the stories concern famous names (rest assured, McCartney is a “great dude”), the book is at its best in grittier moments; even with the author’s connections, his career as an artist started very much at the bottom, performing and selling CDs in shopping malls. Such hardships help make the book an endearing, well-rounded reflection.

An inviting mix of star-studded encounters and an affirmation of a persevering artistic spirit.

A debut YA novel tells the story of a high school junior trying to get a grip on his basketball game—and his life.

Stevie Kalkannes’ friends call him the “Gym Class Hero” because, despite his skills on the basketball court—“Known as the best three ball shooter in the school, I could rain threes, teardrops from the sky”—he has refused to play for the Jackson High School team. But during his junior year, a new coach comes to town, and Stevie decides he might want to start living up to the legacy of his star older brother, Benny. Stevie makes the cut even though he spends all his free time pining after the new girl at school, Mindy Derosiers. Despite Stevie’s inexperience with romance, he and Mindy manage to hit it off—though she proves to be a more complicated girlfriend than he expected. The stress over Mindy and various unresolved emotions surrounding his family and basketball may be at the root of his new problem: missing key free throws at the ends of games. But help comes from unlikely sources. At first, Stevie thinks the two girls in his Food and Fitness class, Alison Johnson and Jillian, are just health nuts. As it turns out, their ideas about mindfulness might be just what Stevie needs to take back control of his game. Like many teenage narrators, Stevie is jocular and sarcastic. Yet Kalmbach’s prose isn’t one-note, and Stevie’s shtick often takes a back seat to more lyrical passages: “A first period rumor, its wildfire spread by the runners delivering passes from the main office, fanning the flames—a new girl in school and you ought to see her—whole classrooms inquisitive—their fascination displacing the Pythagorean Theorem, Iambic Pentameter.” Because this is a sports book, a passing interest in basketball is probably required to get the most out of Stevie’s arc. The author knows the game and is skilled at capturing its drama on paper, teasing out plays into meaningful encounters. This is not a work of high drama, but it contains that potent combination of forces—friends, family, love, childhood passions, and new ideas—that summon to mind the transitional years of adolescence.

A charming, inquisitive sports tale.