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August 19, 2022
Michelle Tea's Playlist for Her Memoir "Knocking Myself Up"
In the Book Notes series, authors create and discuss a music playlist that relates in some way to their recently published book.
Previous contributors include Jesmyn Ward, Lauren Groff, Bret Easton Ellis, Celeste Ng, T.C. Boyle, Dana Spiotta, Amy Bloom, Aimee Bender, Roxane Gay, and many others.
Michelle Tea's Knocking Myself Up is a moving and thoughtful memoir about getting pregnant, parenthood, and family from her distinct queer, feminist, and punk perspective.
Library Journal wrote of the book:
"Tea takes readers on a whirlwind ride of a complicated conception and pregnancy. [Her] experience is a uniquely queer and feminist one that is rarely at the forefront of these discussions. For readers learning about the more technical (and sometimes grisly) side effects of fertility treatments and pregnancy for the first time, Tea's exuberance and zest for the experience will hopefully offer solace."
In her own words, here is Michelle Tea's Book Notes music playlist for her memoir Knocking Myself Up:
My book Knocking Myself Up: A memoir of My In/Fertility is an exploration of everything that happened when, at age 40, with no partner or health insurance, I decided to try to get pregnant. There are lot of moods in this book, and so here is a real jukebox of songs to fit every theme!
The Knife ‘She’s Having a Baby’
Sort of more tragic than my vibe but I love this weird piece.
The Beatles ‘I Am The Walrus’
I sort of hate The Beatles, though I approve their psychedelic experimentation, and the mention of an ‘egg man’ just is too perfect a description for a masc genderqueer getting their eggs harvested. Goo goo g’joob!
New Order ‘Temptation’
See page 29.
RuPaul ‘Supermodel’
I mean, my sperm donor is a Drag Queen.
Ovarian Trolley ‘Crocodile Tears’
In the book I reflect upon how ‘hostile mucus’ - the name for the sperm-murdering goo that helps a body not get pregnant – would also be a great name for a queer, feminist band from the '90s, and remember Ovarian Trolley.
The Flying Lizards ‘Money’
If The Beatles sounded like The Flying Lizards I’d love them. Money is a BIG THING when you’re trying to buy yourself a test tube baby.
Screaming Jay Hawkins ‘I Put a Spell on You’
Apparently, my ex did this to me!
The Kinks, ‘Lola’
One of the best songs ever and a love song about a trans woman, in honor of the part of my book where I’m trying to sort through unisex baby names in case my baby is trans someday.
Thompson Twins, ‘Doctor, Doctor’
There are a lot of doctors in this book!
Judas Priest ‘Some Heads are Gonna Roll’
Did you know that every month inside ovary a bunch of eggs start developing, but then one super strong murderous egg rises up and destroys all of them so she can be the egg that gets dropped down the fallopian tubes? Neither did I.
Surfaris ‘Wipe Out’
Because one of the fertility doctors enjoyed surfing metaphors when explaining how babies are made.
Shirley Bassey ‘Diamonds are Forever’
I’ve since pawned it, but I did so love my diamond engagement ring when it first appeared!
In honor of my first zygote which, had they implanted, would have been an Aries.
Ssion ‘Street Jizz’
A really great song about sperm.
New York Dolls ‘Pills’
In honor of Nurse Bullock, the Sandra Bullock look-alike who taught me how to administer my fertility meds.
Sex Pistols, ‘Bodies’
A great anthem for the D+C I needed to get to remove my miscarriage, no?
Gene Loves Jezebel ‘Motion of Love’
My final embryo transfer featured a couple of twins! However, like Mike and Jay Aston, there was some kind of conflict. Two went into the womb, but only one came out.
Berlin, ‘Sex’
I was so horny when I was pregnant.
Hole, ‘Teenage Whore’
The most abrasive song I could think of to blast onto my unborn baby’s head in a futile effort to make him flip out of breech position so I wouldn’t have to have the c-section I secretly wanted all along.
The Flaming Lips ‘Do You Realize??’
Perfect for my psychedelic first days of hormonal motherhood.
The Pretenders ‘Tattooed Love Boys’
For my husband, who helped this whole story have the happiest of endings.
Michelle Tea is the author of over a dozen books, including the cult-classic Valencia, the essay collection Against Memoir, and the speculative memoir Black Wave. She is the recipient of awards from the Guggenheim, Lambda Literary, and Rona Jaffe Foundations, PEN/America, and other institutions. Knocking Myself Up is her latest memoir.
Tea's cultural interventions include brainstorming the international phenomenon Drag Queen Story Hour, co-creating the Sister Spit queer literary performance tours, and occupying the role of Founding Director at RADAR Productions, a Bay Area literary organization, for over a decade. She also helmed the imprints Sister Spit Books at City Lights Publishers, and Amethyst Editions at The Feminist Press. She produces and hosts the Your Magic podcast, wherein which she reads tarot cards for Roxane Gay, Alexander Chee, Phoebe Bridgers and other artists, as well as the live tarot show Ask the Tarot on Spotify Greenroom.
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