Were there stories that people read a certain way because of songs you’ve written that you wanted to correct or elaborate upon with the book?

I didn’t think of it as a chance to revise history so much as a chance to revise people’s perception of me overall. There was a part of me that got minted when I was 25; that part of me was saying a particular thing very strongly and loudly, and that’s what I was remembered for. I personally believe it’s nice when public figures bring you into their life. I think people feel like they know my life because I was autobiographical in my songs. This is my actual self.

In a recent interview for New York magazine, the interviewer wanted to talk about Ryan Adams, with whom you had planned to work, and you seemed like you were frustrated by the question. At the same time, I understood why he was asking. The story condenses a lot about women and men and power and our present moment. What was going on there?

My editor and publisher were very interested in having me talk about Me Too in the book, and I pushed it off. I tried to cover that in the chapter, how I was having my own denial response. I pushed off their request twice, and then when the Ryan Adams story broke, I felt like, this really is happening. I didn’t really have a Ryan Adams story as much as the other women had a Ryan Adams story, so that’s why I get irritated that I have to talk about it. He did not totally destroy my life or break my confidence. But I did feel I needed to say: I could see these things happening. I needed to put my weight behind the women who came forward. I needed to say: I’ve seen enough to say that this probably went on.

The second thing, as my editor pointed out: How am I as Liz Phair not going to talk about the Me Too movement? This book is an encapsulation of the things that haunt me, things that I haven’t been able to resolve. Whereas the Me Too things happened even deeper. I didn’t want to look back, and I didn’t want to think about the amount of things that happened to me. I climbed my way to a safer place. I know where to go; I know what to say; I know how not to be taken advantage of, generally.