ABOUT BEN’S MEMOIR

Ben will be the first to tell you he's an unconventional icon, more normcore than hardcore. Now, in his first book, which debuted as a New York Times Best Seller, he looks back at his life so far in a charming and wise chronicle of his artistic coming of age, infused with the wry observations of a natural storyteller. Ben opens up about finding his voice as a musician, become a rock antihero, and hauling a baby grand piano on and off stage for every performance.

In his inimitable voice, both relatable and thought-provoking, Ben digs deep into the life experiences that shaped him, imparting hard-earned wisdom about both art and life. Collectively, these stories embody the message he has been singing about for years: Smile like you’ve got nothing to prove, because it hurts to grow up, but everybody does, and life flies by in seconds.

"His new memoir is an insightful, touching and often hilarious look back at his life and career, told with wit and good old-fashioned Southern warmth — like Truman Capote, but with more F- bombs."—People Magazine

“Even the title bespeaks Folds’s disarming self-deprecation, which makes the book so pleasurable and uncontrived..the lessons, of course, are not cheap — they are costly learnings from innumerable tribulations, relayed with unselfconscious sincerity and ample humor; they are the un-autotuned record of hard-earned, messy triumphs of maturity and artistic integrity.”—Brainpickings.org

“Delightful…Singer-songwriter Folds explores the ways in which music shaped his life and offers glimpses into the process of making music.…Folds’s fans will take great pleasure in this charming and insightful memoir.”—Publishers Weekly

“A Dream About Lightning Bugs offers a glimpse inside the head of another musical genius while also being one of the best-written, most interesting musical memoirs of the rock era.”—Pittsburgh Post Gazette

“A Dream About Lightning Bugs reads like its author: intelligent, curious, unapologetically punk, and funny as hell. This intimate look at his life from his own unique perspective is a rare and unforgettable gift that does what Ben Folds always has done for me as an artist and a friend: encourages me to be more myself, with a lot of swear words.”—Sara Bareilles

“Besides being super talented, and an incredibly poignant and multifaceted musician, Ben Folds is a fantastic author. I couldn’t put this book down—and not just because I taped it to my hand. Ben takes us into his mind and into his process from the very beginnings of his childhood to where he is today—one of the greatest musicians and writers that has ever graced the art.”—Bob Saget