At Asthmatic Kitty we believe that music and literature go hand in hand. Our good friend Adam Gnade (a frequent contributor to ye old side bar) thinks so too! That’s why we wanted to let you know about his book, Hymn California. Adam’s first book, which is being released via Rhode Island’s Dutchmoney Books, is a novel that has just as much to do with music as it does prose. “The only way I could pull off doing both was to integrate them as much as possible; immerse the songs in the books and the books in the songs.”

Hymn California is not for the weak of heart.  It is an intense ride through death, drugs, depression and the sweaty underbelly of this beast America.  Yet despite this darkness, there are glimmers of hope and beauty.  It’s pages voyage through childhood’s innocence and safety to the freedom of living on the most ragged edges of our culture.  It’s simultaneously full of truths and fairy tales, strange cities, suppressing suburbs, and all of the spaces and places between, with the songs to carry you.

Adam’s music will continue as well.  Gnade is currently working on his full-length record, Trailerpark, which will be released with Try Harder Records in Late 2008. His past works include the Collaborative EP with Youthmovies, “Honey Slides,”  and the limited edition 60-page novella Seasons Loving Nothing. Adam’s next tour will be in the UK and Europe in November with Youthmovies.

You can buy Hymn California here for $16.