Revival is a novel similar to Crazy Heart and A Star is Born that celebrates America's renewed passion for folk music and singer-songwriters as well as a May-December romance with a young female songwriter and older male songwriter. Set in bars, coffeehouses, open mics and recording studios-author was a regular on A Prairie Home Companion and reviews folk music for the Boston Globe. Catie Curtis says, The characters are so believable you want to go hear them in concert. Talented, respected folksinger and songwriter Nathan Warren was well on the way to stardom when a contract dispute reversed his trajectory and with it any notions of commercial success. He now lives quietly in Cambridge, Massachusetts, spending his time at a local bar and folksinger hangout, Dooley’s, managing its talent night and nursing pints of root beer. There he meets very young, very talented musician Kit Palmer, whose debilitating stage fright threatens to railroad her career. As their relationship develops, Nathan works to support Kit, acting as mentor and eventually lover, encouraging her to conquer her nerves. Kit in turn brings a long-lost joy back into Nathan’s life, reminding him of his early days and his deep love for folk music and inspiring him to recapture his zest for music and living. Revival is a quiet, contemplative novel that, though at times slow moving, succinctly examines people reexamining themselves and finding the courage to move forward. It is also a fascinating introduction to folk music and a joyous celebration of folk musicians and their world. -- Carol Gladstein Booklist, 07/22/11 "If I wanted to make someone understand why folk music has been my own greatest passion, I’d be likely to hand them a copy of Revival. . . . Readers who love listening to folk music . . . will enjoy how the story pulls them into that fascinating world. Those of us already immersed in that world will . . . be inspired by Scott’s eloquent description of why folk music moves his characters—and him, and us—so deeply." —Bob Blackman, host of “The Folk Tradition,” WKAR Radio, E. Lansing, MI
"Scott Alarik has done such a masterful job capturing the New England folk scene that, months after finishing the book, I still find myself wondering about the fate of the characters. Revival is a highly entertaining and informative glimpse into the inner workings of the business of folk music. I highly recommend it." -- Alison Brown, Grammy-winning musician and Compass Records founder From the moment I picked up Revival, I couldn't put it down. I relished every page and didn't want the narrative to end. It's a beautifully told and totally believable love story wrapped around the inner workings of the Folk Music business. From the open mikes of Cambridge, MA , to the soul-crushing machine behind the popular folk song on the radio, it's all in there. Scott knows the main streets and back roads of the folk musician's journey better than almost anyone, he's lived it, watched it, and reported on it his whole life. I highly recommend this book, it's a great read. -- Mary Gauthier, singer-songwriter “It's romantic, it’s tragic, it’s funny, it’s sexy––and most importantly, it’s accurate.” (Noel Paul Stookey, Peter, Paul, and Mary) “Much more than a great fictional take on the world of folk music…this love story belongs in the larger world of American music and letters. Like the best folk songs, it should reach many people and travel far.” (John Gorka, songwriter) There has never been a novel like this, a love story set in the subterranean world of modern folk music. Talented, charismatic songwriter Nathan Warren lost his chance at stardom years ago, and now sees his life as waste and ruin. Kit Palmer is young, beautiful, and explosively gifted, but her dreams are also doomed unless she can keep from falling apart on stage. They travel the Boston folk scene as lovers and artists, through basement clubs and funky jam sessions, rowdy open mikes and sprawling festivals, seeking stardom for one and redemption for the other. Scott Alarik covered folk music in the Boston Globe for over 20 years. Pete Seeger calls him “one of the best writers in America,” and the Library Journal called his first book, Deep Community: Adventures in the Modern Folk Underground, “an essential primer of the continuing folk revival.” Alarik is also a singer-songwriter who toured the national folk circuit and performed regularly on A Prairie Home Companion. Used Book in Good Condition
"Scott Alarik has done such a masterful job capturing the New England folk scene that, months after finishing the book, I still find myself wondering about the fate of the characters. Revival is a highly entertaining and informative glimpse into the inner workings of the business of folk music. I highly recommend it." -- Alison Brown, Grammy-winning musician and Compass Records founder From the moment I picked up Revival, I couldn't put it down. I relished every page and didn't want the narrative to end. It's a beautifully told and totally believable love story wrapped around the inner workings of the Folk Music business. From the open mikes of Cambridge, MA , to the soul-crushing machine behind the popular folk song on the radio, it's all in there. Scott knows the main streets and back roads of the folk musician's journey better than almost anyone, he's lived it, watched it, and reported on it his whole life. I highly recommend this book, it's a great read. -- Mary Gauthier, singer-songwriter “It's romantic, it’s tragic, it’s funny, it’s sexy––and most importantly, it’s accurate.” (Noel Paul Stookey, Peter, Paul, and Mary) “Much more than a great fictional take on the world of folk music…this love story belongs in the larger world of American music and letters. Like the best folk songs, it should reach many people and travel far.” (John Gorka, songwriter) There has never been a novel like this, a love story set in the subterranean world of modern folk music. Talented, charismatic songwriter Nathan Warren lost his chance at stardom years ago, and now sees his life as waste and ruin. Kit Palmer is young, beautiful, and explosively gifted, but her dreams are also doomed unless she can keep from falling apart on stage. They travel the Boston folk scene as lovers and artists, through basement clubs and funky jam sessions, rowdy open mikes and sprawling festivals, seeking stardom for one and redemption for the other. Scott Alarik covered folk music in the Boston Globe for over 20 years. Pete Seeger calls him “one of the best writers in America,” and the Library Journal called his first book, Deep Community: Adventures in the Modern Folk Underground, “an essential primer of the continuing folk revival.” Alarik is also a singer-songwriter who toured the national folk circuit and performed regularly on A Prairie Home Companion. Used Book in Good Condition