Songs of No Provenance

By Lydi Conklin

Book Overview

Longlisted for Center for Fiction's First Novel Prize

A suspenseful, wildly engaging debut novel by the award-winning author of Rainbow Rainbow, following a musician spiraling in self-doubt and self-searching after a night--and a relationship--gone wrong

Songs of No Provenance tells the story of Joan Vole, an indie folk singer forever teetering on the edge of fame, who flees New York after committing a shocking sexual act onstage that she fears will doom her career. Joan seeks refuge at a writing camp for teenagers in rural Virginia, where she's forced to question her own toxic relationship to artmaking--and her complicated history with a friend and mentee--while finding new hope in her students and a deepening intimacy with a nonbinary artist and fellow camp staff member.

A propulsive character study of a flawed and fascinating artist, Songs of No Provenance explores issues of trans nonbinary identity, queer baiting and appropriation, kink, fame hunger, secrecy and survival, and the question of whether a work of art can exist separately from its artist.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1646222512
• ISBN13: 9781646222513
• Release Date: June 2025
• Publisher: Catapult
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 0.66 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.0" x 8.5"