Stories I Might Regret Telling You: A Memoir
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- Author：Martha Wainwright
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Summary
The singer-songwriter's heartfelt memoir about growing up in a bohemian musical family and her experiences with love， loss， motherhood， divorce， the music industry， and more。
Born into music royalty， the daughter of folk legends Kate McGarrigle and Loudon Wainwright III and sister to the highly-acclaimed and genre-defying singer Rufus Wainwright， Martha grew up in a world filled with such incomparable folk legends as Leonard Cohen; Suzzy Roche， Anna McGarrigle， Richard and Linda Thompson， Pete Townshend， Donald Fegan， and Emmylou Harris。 It was within this loud， boisterous， carny， musical milieu that Martha came of age， struggling to find her voice until she exploded on the scene with her 2005 debut critically acclaimed album， Martha Wainwright， containing the blistering hit， Bloody Mother F*cking Asshole， which the Sunday Times called one of the best songs of that year。 Her successful debut album and the ones that followed such as Come Home to Mama， I Know You're Married But I've Got Feelings Too， and Goodnight City came to define Martha's searing songwriting style and established her as a powerful voice to be reckoned with。
In her memoir， Stories I Might Regret Telling You， Martha digs into the deep recesses of herself with the same emotional honesty that has come to define her music。 She describes her tumultuous public-facing journey from awkward， earnest， and ultimately rebellious daughter， through her intense competition and ultimate alliance with her brother， Rufus， to the indescribable loss of their mother， Kate， and then， finally， discovering her voice as an artist。 With candor and grace， Martha writes of becoming a mother herself and making peace with her past struggles with Kate and her former self， finally understanding and facing the challenge of being a female artist and a mother。 Ultimately， Stories I Might Regret Telling You offers readers a thoughtful and deeply personal look into the extraordinary life of one of the most talented singer-songwriters in music today。
Born into music royalty， the daughter of folk legends Kate McGarrigle and Loudon Wainwright III and sister to the highly-acclaimed and genre-defying singer Rufus Wainwright， Martha grew up in a world filled with such incomparable folk legends as Leonard Cohen; Suzzy Roche， Anna McGarrigle， Richard and Linda Thompson， Pete Townshend， Donald Fegan， and Emmylou Harris。 It was within this loud， boisterous， carny， musical milieu that Martha came of age， struggling to find her voice until she exploded on the scene with her 2005 debut critically acclaimed album， Martha Wainwright， containing the blistering hit， Bloody Mother F*cking Asshole， which the Sunday Times called one of the best songs of that year。 Her successful debut album and the ones that followed such as Come Home to Mama， I Know You're Married But I've Got Feelings Too， and Goodnight City came to define Martha's searing songwriting style and established her as a powerful voice to be reckoned with。
In her memoir， Stories I Might Regret Telling You， Martha digs into the deep recesses of herself with the same emotional honesty that has come to define her music。 She describes her tumultuous public-facing journey from awkward， earnest， and ultimately rebellious daughter， through her intense competition and ultimate alliance with her brother， Rufus， to the indescribable loss of their mother， Kate， and then， finally， discovering her voice as an artist。 With candor and grace， Martha writes of becoming a mother herself and making peace with her past struggles with Kate and her former self， finally understanding and facing the challenge of being a female artist and a mother。 Ultimately， Stories I Might Regret Telling You offers readers a thoughtful and deeply personal look into the extraordinary life of one of the most talented singer-songwriters in music today。
Reviews
Allan McDougall
，
A brave and revealing story， about parents and children and family。 Thank you
Aiten
，
Interesting life there Martha！ It really is an ode to her mom in a way。 She says in her book that she feels she gave a lot away （about her life and the people in it） but I didn't get that sense。 It was very superficial and matter of fact in a way。 More juice！On another note it would have made it really interesting to read more about the Montreal scene she was a part of in the 90s。 But that could be another book altogether！ Interesting life there Martha！ It really is an ode to her mom in a way。 She says in her book that she feels she gave a lot away （about her life and the people in it） but I didn't get that sense。 It was very superficial and matter of fact in a way。 More juice！On another note it would have made it really interesting to read more about the Montreal scene she was a part of in the 90s。 But that could be another book altogether！ 。。。more
Aaron Badgley
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Very honest memoir。
Chris Organ
，
I think I am going to stop reading autobiographies / memoirs because they are normally by people you admire， revere or are interested in and often when I finish I feel less enamoured 。 They say you should never meet your heroes and I think that is true 。 Form your own opinions and myths and who cares if they are wide of the mark？ I am not even sure I understand the motivation to bare all - perhaps to set the record straight but again what price enigma or mystique？ It is not for me to comment on I think I am going to stop reading autobiographies / memoirs because they are normally by people you admire， revere or are interested in and often when I finish I feel less enamoured 。 They say you should never meet your heroes and I think that is true 。 Form your own opinions and myths and who cares if they are wide of the mark？ I am not even sure I understand the motivation to bare all - perhaps to set the record straight but again what price enigma or mystique？ It is not for me to comment on the content of the book because it is a thumbnail sketch of how someone has chosen to live their life mixed with choices that were forced upon her， warts and all but I was left with the feeling that I would rather just stick to the music and imagine the rest 。 I can only liken It to finding out that Bruce Springsteen can’t drive 。 。。。more
Verity W
，
Martha Wainwright is a singer songwriter who has had a special place in my heart for a long time now。 In the book she describes her self as a "child of。。。 twice over" as both of her parents are well known musicians， and added to that her brother Rufus had mainstream success at a time when she was also trying to make it in the music business。 This memoir looks back at her life and the decisions she's made and the people she knows。 She comes from a fiercely competitive family， with lot of competin Martha Wainwright is a singer songwriter who has had a special place in my heart for a long time now。 In the book she describes her self as a "child of。。。 twice over" as both of her parents are well known musicians， and added to that her brother Rufus had mainstream success at a time when she was also trying to make it in the music business。 This memoir looks back at her life and the decisions she's made and the people she knows。 She comes from a fiercely competitive family， with lot of competing egos and careers and it is very， very interesting to get the inside scoop on all that - from her point of view at least。And the title isn't joking - she's probably already regretted some of this， as an earlier manuscript of the book was used in her divorce。 It's probably the most honest and unvarnished memoir I've read since Viv Albertine's first book。 Wainwright is fairly self aware and with the benefit of time， can see patterns in her own life and how things have affected her。 And of course her music has always been the same way - but there's a difference between a three minute song and a 200 page piece of extended writing。 As well as the career and her relationships with her siblings and parents， it also looks at the pressures of juggling a career and motherhood - which is not exactly new， but it does feel a bit different because the arrival of her oldest son was unexpected and traumatic and came at a really difficult time in her life - as her mother was dying of cancer - and when she was in the UK rather than at home in Canada。 All in all， a really interesting read for a fan like me - and I suspect there's enough here for people who aren't fans too。 。。。more
Shannon
，
A great collection of stories from Canadian singer/songwriter Martha Wainwright。 In this book Martha covers growing up in the shadow of famous musician parents， life as a child of divorced parents and cracking into the music business in the wake of her brother's success。 She also covers in detail relationship disasters and her drug and alcohol abuse in her teens and 20s。 For me the best parts of the book were the stories about her journey with motherhood （her first son came early）， her mother's A great collection of stories from Canadian singer/songwriter Martha Wainwright。 In this book Martha covers growing up in the shadow of famous musician parents， life as a child of divorced parents and cracking into the music business in the wake of her brother's success。 She also covers in detail relationship disasters and her drug and alcohol abuse in her teens and 20s。 For me the best parts of the book were the stories about her journey with motherhood （her first son came early）， her mother's death from cancer and the breakup of her marriage。 The author isn't afraid to get very vulnerable and honest and for that made the stories that much more relatable。 Great on audio read by the author herself。 If you're a fan of Wainwright you definitely don't want to miss this one！ 。。。more
Jude
，
Martha Wainwright’s music is a torrential force in my life， and so I am happy to finally see her spirit expressed in prose， as it is my own medium， and not song （for anyone who knows me knows my family and what they do）。 It was a good book and I read it all in one sitting。 Many better memoirs have been written， but Martha wrote this one。 I just want to swallow it whole。 And she has even made me miss Montreal。 Remember the day she sang from a balcony in the Mile End？ We crouched on the roof and s Martha Wainwright’s music is a torrential force in my life， and so I am happy to finally see her spirit expressed in prose， as it is my own medium， and not song （for anyone who knows me knows my family and what they do）。 It was a good book and I read it all in one sitting。 Many better memoirs have been written， but Martha wrote this one。 I just want to swallow it whole。 And she has even made me miss Montreal。 Remember the day she sang from a balcony in the Mile End？ We crouched on the roof and strained to hear her voice over the wind。 。。。more
Ann
，
This book turned me into a Martha Wainwright fan。 I'd never really heard her music other than seeing her sing backup with her brother Rufus at Spaceland in Silver Lake in the mid-late 1990's。 Then she was a young， shy performer but I was already a fan of her mother and aunt， Kate and Anna McGarrigle。 The first few chapters are a little slow but the rest of the book takes off and it's a great - if sometimes heartbreaking - ride。 There was a moment， deep into the story when I found myself bawling， This book turned me into a Martha Wainwright fan。 I'd never really heard her music other than seeing her sing backup with her brother Rufus at Spaceland in Silver Lake in the mid-late 1990's。 Then she was a young， shy performer but I was already a fan of her mother and aunt， Kate and Anna McGarrigle。 The first few chapters are a little slow but the rest of the book takes off and it's a great - if sometimes heartbreaking - ride。 There was a moment， deep into the story when I found myself bawling， but more often I was laughing at the freewheeling antics and raucous lifestyle of a musician who is often on the road。 Few people manage to write in a way that is at once deeply honest and compelling。 Martha Wainwright does it with ease and humor。 I loved hearing her talk about particular songs which made me want to hear them and now her first album has become one of my favorites。 。。。more
Adrienne
，
I’ve been a fan of Martha Wainwright’s since 2007。 Her first two albums were the anthems to my 20s。 I’ve never cared too much about her famous musical family background; Loudon Wainwright， Rufus Wainwright， and Kate McGarrigle’s music were never truly on my radar。 I discovered Martha’s music somewhat randomly and never considered her level of fame as part of my enjoyment of her music。 The comparisons to her family that she has received throughout her career seem irremovably interwoven with her s I’ve been a fan of Martha Wainwright’s since 2007。 Her first two albums were the anthems to my 20s。 I’ve never cared too much about her famous musical family background; Loudon Wainwright， Rufus Wainwright， and Kate McGarrigle’s music were never truly on my radar。 I discovered Martha’s music somewhat randomly and never considered her level of fame as part of my enjoyment of her music。 The comparisons to her family that she has received throughout her career seem irremovably interwoven with her story and yet I never consumed her art with any comparisons in mind。 I feel lucky to have had such a personal and private interaction with her music。This memoir was interesting to read。 I was fascinated by all of the aspects of her life and career that I had no previous awareness of。 This memoir is really an ode to her mother and I found that aspect of it to be incredibly moving。 The way Martha brought her mother’s personality to life on the page was beautiful。 The complicated relationship she had with Kate was so real and flawed， but loving。Her insistence on claiming that her career has been a failure was difficult to read， the multiple times she stated it didn’t make it any more true for me。 。。。more
Erin Chandler
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Loved it and related to this memoir an uncomfortable amount， we are certainly cut from similar cloth。 I could be in worse company！ Cheers to growing past the insecurities， boy craziness， searching for validation while still being doggedly determined to do it your way or the highway… screaming through the pain on stage until you arrive at a place you can breathe。 Bravo。
Anne-Marie
，
Heartbreaking and heartwarming。 Interesting and frustrating。 I sympathize with Martha and am also a bit angry with her。 I do not regret reading this book， I was in fact quite captivated by it， and it made me think and feel a lot of different things。 But I understand why Martha chose this title。。。
chantel nouseforaname
，
Martha Wainwright， daughter of legendary Canadian， Kate McGarrigle， of the duo Kate and Anna McGarrigle， spilled her guts with this memoir。 She took us deep into her world filled with love， heartbreak， jealousy， despair， loss， self-actualization and music — lots of it。 Some aspects of Stories I Might Regret Telling You were hard to engage with。 The drug use and the ways that people seek to cope with the pain they feel by hurting others is never an easy experience to contend with。 However， it’s n Martha Wainwright， daughter of legendary Canadian， Kate McGarrigle， of the duo Kate and Anna McGarrigle， spilled her guts with this memoir。 She took us deep into her world filled with love， heartbreak， jealousy， despair， loss， self-actualization and music — lots of it。 Some aspects of Stories I Might Regret Telling You were hard to engage with。 The drug use and the ways that people seek to cope with the pain they feel by hurting others is never an easy experience to contend with。 However， it’s not meant to be easy or pretty or perfect and that’s real life。 Martha shared that it was no easy feat to write this memoir and that it took her 7 years， with numerous restarts， and various parts of it used against her in custody and divorce disputes with her ex-husband。 That didn’t deter her from sharing her story and I respect that she specifically shared her story， while giving the necessary respect， where reasonable， to her family members。 She was dually forthcoming and reserved with personal family details in areas where it didn’t coalesce with her or her reaction to various events or particular experiences — specifically with said ex-husband。 Cutting out your own successful existence when you come from a famous family can have its challenges。 The feeling of never feeling “good enough” is one of them。 The feeling of disconnection you have from the more successful members can also feel particularly ugly。 Sometimes you have to fight your way to your own personhood， especially when you’re standing in the shadows of everyone around you。 A lot of her complicated moments， felt like watching someone run around in the dark。 It’s satisfying the loving relationship her brother， the effortlessly talented Rufus Wainwright， and her are able to maintain。 Her brother was always overshadowed （to me） by Jeff Buckley， and her speaking on Jeff Buckley addressed the comparisons to some degree， while also paying respects to Jeff Buckley’s influence on the singer-songwriters of NYC in the mid-late 90s。 The photo section of Stories was a wonderful retrospective of family and family ties， but more specifically of a woman growing， maturing and standing on her own two feet。 I’ve been a fan of Martha’s emotiveness， her raspiness and outspoken nature for years。 Experiencing this audiobook in her own voice was amazing。 Not everyone will enjoy this， but I found it intriguing！ I’m grateful that I could tie up both the audio and digital copies from the Toronto Public Library and that they got it so fast and let me borrow them so fast， as it is a new release！ Big up the TPL！ 。。。more
Ml Lalonde
，
Generations of Canadian children grew up with the fierce harmonies of Kate & Anna McGarrigle’s “Log Driver’s Waltz” burned into our brains thanks to one of the National Film Board’s most requested cartoons， so I guess our interest in Kate’s progeny has the deepest of roots。 This family is to Canada what maple syrup is to pancakes。 Essential。 Martha Wainright （sister to Rufus， daughter of London Wainright III and stepsister of Lucy Roche） is arguably more talented than all of them - with one of t Generations of Canadian children grew up with the fierce harmonies of Kate & Anna McGarrigle’s “Log Driver’s Waltz” burned into our brains thanks to one of the National Film Board’s most requested cartoons， so I guess our interest in Kate’s progeny has the deepest of roots。 This family is to Canada what maple syrup is to pancakes。 Essential。 Martha Wainright （sister to Rufus， daughter of London Wainright III and stepsister of Lucy Roche） is arguably more talented than all of them - with one of the most soulful and distinctive voices I’ve ever heard。 She doesn’t just sing， she channels the underworld。 This book is her first foray into memoir， and I bought it before seeing her perform at New York’s City Winery。 She writes like she speaks - with humour and honesty and quite a lot of disgressiin。 You can’t help but love her and root for her， even when it’s clear to the reader - and to her - that she’s often self-sabotaging。 。。。more
Trina
，
I pretty much had no idea who the author was so went into the audiobook without and preconceptions。 I thought it was a pretty average memoir， that meandered a bit at times。 I'm sure a fan of her music would find it more interesting。 I pretty much had no idea who the author was so went into the audiobook without and preconceptions。 I thought it was a pretty average memoir， that meandered a bit at times。 I'm sure a fan of her music would find it more interesting。 。。。more
Gemma
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Loved the heart felt honesty and warmth in this book。 Read it in one sitting。
Lolly K Dandeneau
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via my blog: https://bookstalkerblog。wordpress。com/𝑰𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒊𝒔𝒕， 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒌𝒊𝒅𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒆𝒏𝒅 𝒖𝒑 𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒔， 𝒕𝒐𝒐。 𝑻𝒐 𝒑𝒖𝒕 𝒊𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒂𝒚， 𝒐𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒊𝒓𝒄𝒖𝒔， 𝒊𝒕’𝒔 𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒐𝒖𝒕。Born to folk singers/songwriters， Kate McGarrigle and Loudon Wainwright III， Canadian singer Martha and her brother Rufus certainly remained in the circus。 In Stories I Might Regret Telling You， there is plenty of family drama， personal struggles and music。 Both siblings are gifted artists， with Rufus being a bi via my blog: https://bookstalkerblog。wordpress。com/𝑰𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒊𝒔𝒕， 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒌𝒊𝒅𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒆𝒏𝒅 𝒖𝒑 𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒔， 𝒕𝒐𝒐。 𝑻𝒐 𝒑𝒖𝒕 𝒊𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒂𝒚， 𝒐𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒊𝒓𝒄𝒖𝒔， 𝒊𝒕’𝒔 𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒐𝒖𝒕。Born to folk singers/songwriters， Kate McGarrigle and Loudon Wainwright III， Canadian singer Martha and her brother Rufus certainly remained in the circus。 In Stories I Might Regret Telling You， there is plenty of family drama， personal struggles and music。 Both siblings are gifted artists， with Rufus being a bit more well known here in the USA。 I actually enjoyed the honest insight into Martha’s life and the sibling rivalry， admiration of her famous older brother， the need to find her way out of his shadow but the real story was her upbringing， the relationship with each parent， and her own future love life。 After a rocky marriage， her parents divorced， and Martha lived mostly with her mother in their native Montreal， visiting her father in New York， sometimes in London。 There was a distance， emotionally， between she and her father， Loudon， but when it came to her mother， she says ‘there were scenes’。 Certainly， Martha and Rufus grew up in an unconventional household。 Oversharing， breaking parenting rules， a much more bohemian upbringing that while frustrating and hurtful could also be magical。 No doubt the people who came and went influenced her future career。Martha holds her own， and while she and Rufus work together in the industry， the biggest influence seems to be her mother Kate， on both of them but in completely different ways。 Growing up， she often felt mediocre in her mother’s eyes but she didn’t seem to have the big， hungry ambition that came naturally to Rufus。 Rufus seemed to be adored by their mother Kate， leaving Martha to feel like an outsider at times。 Certainly， as business goes， she wasn’t one to mold herself into what commercial success requires and as a daughter of famous musicians， her journey seems to be a lot harder than sons of rock royalty。 Her father， ‘often retreated when he was most needed’， and the pain of such neglect and often cold comments， certainly comes across in this memoir。 Loudon， as a songwriter， certainly expressed himself in his art， painful words in his song lyrics， exposing how he feels about his children， how could a heart not harden against such mean， raw honesty， and be left reeling in agony？ It isn’t a book of whining， more a purging of past hurts。 She certainly admits her own faults and weaknesses while sharing the rise of her own star， choosing not to be eclipsed by her brother， whom she absolutely loves。 There are stories of her performances， sacrifices， her friendship with Lorca Cohen （Leonard’s daughter） that soured， deaths， births， drugs， marriage， building a family， and a stream of heartbreak。 All the life experiences that make for good songs。Martha is a force herself， sharing her journey of self-discovery， and the devastation of losing her mother; a moment that taught her how much she loved and needed Kate， despite their differences。 The timing was incredibly hard， as at the time she was coping with pregnancy and the birth of a child who had serious health struggles。 This memoir is a reckoning with the past， and a dream for the future， one filled with her children and blooming love， while still untangling herself from her own broken marriage to her sons’ father。 As the books comes to the end， we find Martha growing older， accepting herself more， and coming to terms with the distance between she and her father。 There is so much she learned from her mother， things meant， likely， to toughen her up for the life she has chosen。 Her father has left her with advice too， even if he and his children struggle to connect， heal。 Always there will be music- it is in her blood， it is how she communicates to the world and her story certainly isn’t over。 This memoir is an engaging read about the rise of talented Martha Wainwright， who has released critically acclaimed albums and is a star in her own right！Publication Date: March 29， 2022Hachette Books 。。。more
Anne Logan
，
Picture yourself in a dark basement club in downtown Montreal， small votive candles burning away on each little table。 Across from you is a woman with a raspy voice smoking a cigarette， telling you her life story in between sets on stage。 She is surprisingly forthcoming considering you’ve never met， but she seems have this urge to tell you everything about her life， even the shocking fact that she was almost aborted save for a doctor speaking out minutes before the procedure was to begin。 Storie Picture yourself in a dark basement club in downtown Montreal， small votive candles burning away on each little table。 Across from you is a woman with a raspy voice smoking a cigarette， telling you her life story in between sets on stage。 She is surprisingly forthcoming considering you’ve never met， but she seems have this urge to tell you everything about her life， even the shocking fact that she was almost aborted save for a doctor speaking out minutes before the procedure was to begin。 Stories I Might Regret Telling You by Martha Wainwright instantly transported me to this （fictitious） place in my mind because I was at turns enthralled， surprised， and weary of the life I was learning about。 It’s impossible for me to imagine what it would be like to be born into a family of musicians， but Wainwright offers us a glimpse into this often hard-to-believe world in her memoir。Book SummaryMartha Wainwright is a Canadian folk musician and the sister of better-known Rufus Wainwright; her father was Loudon Wainwright III and mother was Kate McGarrigle。 Not being a big music person （books are quite obviously all I have the bandwidth for）， none of these names really rang a bell for me， but the lack of familiarity actually worked in Martha’s favour， as I was much more likely to believe anything she tells me considering I don’t know any different。 Martha lived through a somewhat challenging childhood – her mother travelled a bit for her work and was eccentric in her own right， plus her father was largely absent， even when she moved to New York to live with him。 She struggled to differentiate herself from her family’s musical reputation and blaze her own trail， but she also did a lot of drugs and partook in many drinking binges while on tour herself， so she readily admits she self-sabotaged more often than not。 The book also focuses on the death of her mother Kate， the birth of Martha’s two sons， and then her eventual divorce， so she is no stranger to grief， although it seems to fuel her creativity and artistry。 There’s even some juicy little celebrity gossip， including the fact that Van Morrison hit on her in a “uninteresting and sad” way （p。 230 of ARC）。My ThoughtsThe feeling of intimacy is woven throughout this book is various ways; as I said， it feels like Martha is speaking directly to you， and only you， as the writing is very conversational in style – she throws in quips， self-deprecating jokes， and at times can jump back and forth from inner musings to the continuation of a story， so we get the feeling that she is learning about herself as she moves through these memories。So much of her book takes place in the aforementioned clubs I was imagining; nothing too big because she’s not a huge superstar， but nice enough that the musical acts are taken seriously and people have paid to see just her perform。 She happily writes about her debaucheries on the road with her crew and ex-lovers， but her thoughts on her family are the most honest， and interesting to read。 Being born into a family of artists intent on growing their own careers can be a lonely place at times， and although she gives her father credit wherever she can in able to understand his distant manner， it’s hard not to see him as anything but a narcissistic jerk。 She jokes about Rufus’ selfishness too， but being her brother， he is much less responsible for the obvious feelings of inadequacy Martha is fighting against， those which are so clearly rooted in her father’s apparent disinterest。Even though it appears as though writing this book could be considered an act of catharsis for Martha， it’s clear that she’s had time and space to consider these major life events from a safe enough distance that now offers her a better perspective。 She herself admits to self-sabotage when it comes to the partying she did on the road， and well before her divorce， she sees the signs of how destructive her marriage and relationship was on her mental health。 But she also looks back on these times that she initially believed as heartbreaking， were actually incredibly joyful， unbeknownst to the pain ahead of her; death， divorce， and precarious childbirths were all in her future， but she was blissfully unaware of it all at that time， just focused on a difficult relationship and a blooming career with all its starts and stops。 This book invites us to revel in the joy and despair of her life， all with some entertainment thrown in for good measure。To read the rest of my reviews， please visit my blog:https://ivereadthis。com/Sign up for my newsletter here: https://ivereadthis。com/subscribe/Or follow me on social media！Facebook: https://www。facebook。com/Ivereadthis/Twitter: https://twitter。com/ivereadthisblogInstagram: https://www。instagram。com/ivereadthisYouTube: https://www。youtube。com/channel/UCD6E。。。 。。。more
Chantal Côté
，
Before I start。 I must admit I know who Martha is but don’t know her music， nor her brother’s or even her mother ´s but I live in the Montreal area。Although it is filled with stories about her career and the music world， I felt it was primarily a story about motherhood， her complicated relationship with her mother and then how she became one and what it means to her。。There are some stories where she bares all and some where she completely shuts off。 I felt I was reading an unfinished book。 So wh Before I start。 I must admit I know who Martha is but don’t know her music， nor her brother’s or even her mother ´s but I live in the Montreal area。Although it is filled with stories about her career and the music world， I felt it was primarily a story about motherhood， her complicated relationship with her mother and then how she became one and what it means to her。。There are some stories where she bares all and some where she completely shuts off。 I felt I was reading an unfinished book。 So what happen with Lorca Cohen？ She does’ t say a word about her divorce。 I understand she probably wants to protect her children but if you are not ready to bare it all， you might want to rethink writing a biography。 I was looking for more dept。 She had relationships with Leonard Cohen， Emmylou Harris， etc but she does not tell much about them。If you are not a fa;n， you might not enjoy。Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me á complimentary e-arc in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Jerry
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Love Martha's songwriting and singing， and there were some great insights in this personal book。 But I decided to listen to the audiobook and wish she had been able to incorporate more of her music into that format。 After experiencing Brandi Carlile's recent memoir， which was punctuated with songs as interstitials， I realize how much it adds to the experience。 Especially as Martha is mentioning music her father， mother， brother and she wrote and why it's so important to the overall narrative。 （A Love Martha's songwriting and singing， and there were some great insights in this personal book。 But I decided to listen to the audiobook and wish she had been able to incorporate more of her music into that format。 After experiencing Brandi Carlile's recent memoir， which was punctuated with songs as interstitials， I realize how much it adds to the experience。 Especially as Martha is mentioning music her father， mother， brother and she wrote and why it's so important to the overall narrative。 （Also， too many cliches snuck into the final draft of this）。 But I'm impressed she finally finished and published this book （she mentions that she's been working on it for 7 years and that she even had part of one draft used against her in her nasty divorce battle。） Bravo， Martha！ 。。。more
Chet
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Martha has long been my favorite of the Wainwright/McGarrigle clan， at least as far as music goes。 I always found Rufus too theatrical for my taste and Loudon and Kate & Anna were just a bit too safe and boring。 Then Martha arrived on my radar around 2005 with the gumption to title her first commercially released EP “Bloody Mother Fucking Asshole”。 Now， this I could get behind。 Rufus is the better songwriter; Loudon is more prolific…but Martha has soul and grit。Often， when the children of famous Martha has long been my favorite of the Wainwright/McGarrigle clan， at least as far as music goes。 I always found Rufus too theatrical for my taste and Loudon and Kate & Anna were just a bit too safe and boring。 Then Martha arrived on my radar around 2005 with the gumption to title her first commercially released EP “Bloody Mother Fucking Asshole”。 Now， this I could get behind。 Rufus is the better songwriter; Loudon is more prolific…but Martha has soul and grit。Often， when the children of famous people write about their lives， it comes across as whining about their horrible upbringing in their giant house， traveling the globe and obtaining possessions and experiences most people could never dream to have。 Wainwright occasionally comes across this way， but for the most part， she escapes this pitfall。 This is accomplished through her writing style， which， while not exactly masterful， works well because reading Stories I Might Regret Telling You comes off more like listening to her tell you about her life over coffee。 The title of this memoir is apt because Martha does tell a lot of stories that are very personal （but anyone who has listened to her music could tell you that would be the case）。 Much contained herein will likely not make some of the characters in her life happy， but it does keep things interesting and makes you care about this dysfunctional family in a way that is rare for memoirs。 Even Loudon， who comes across as a bit of a BMFA here manages to gain some feels from the reader on the rare occasion that he does the right thing。 None in the family escape Martha’s pen here， including Martha herself， who takes herself down a peg or two often enough to seem honest。 Of course， this is one point of view， so now I feel the need to read more from the family to get other perspectives。 If you’re looking for sex， drugs and rock & roll， these things are all here in the pages of Stories I Might Regret Telling You。 But this is not a tale of drunken debauchery found in your average Led Zeppelin biography。 This is a story about life， family and the struggles inherent in both。 Wainwright’s story is funny， tragic at time， interesting and touching。 She tells it in a way that makes you feel like you’d want to have a beer with her in a dark pub and see what comes out of her mouth。 It might make you uncomfortable， but it’s going to keep your attention and you’ll likely be a better person for it。With the release of her memoir at the ripe young age of 45 （only 2 years older than myself）， Martha Wainwright all but ensures another chapter to her story at some point in the future。 I will be picking it up because， while most of the juicy stuff is likely contained here， I’ve become interested in the life of Martha and her family; I want to know what happens next and how they’re doing。 And to be honest， this is exactly what you want from a memoir。 Thanks to Netgalley and Hachette Books for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair review。 。。。more
enjoyingbooksagain
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When I seen this book I was curious to learn more about Martha Wainwright stories。 I didn’t know much about Martha’s life but the thought of reading about a singer life intrigued me so I drove in。This book tells of her relationships， family and her career。 It starts telling about her mom and dad getting divorced and living with her mom in Canada and her dad in New York and how she never felt like she belonged。
Ken Dowell
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Martha Wainwright is the daughter of Loudon Wainwright and Kate McGarrigle。 Both are folk singers who enjoyed some popularity beginning in the 1970’s。 I’ve been a fan of both of them。 Hence my interest in this book。This is a story about growing up and trying to stay on your feet within a family of musicians。 It’s not just Kate and Loudon。 Martha herself is an accomplished songwriter， performer and recording artist， as is her brother Rufus。 Her aunt Anna performed and recorded with Kate。 After Lo Martha Wainwright is the daughter of Loudon Wainwright and Kate McGarrigle。 Both are folk singers who enjoyed some popularity beginning in the 1970’s。 I’ve been a fan of both of them。 Hence my interest in this book。This is a story about growing up and trying to stay on your feet within a family of musicians。 It’s not just Kate and Loudon。 Martha herself is an accomplished songwriter， performer and recording artist， as is her brother Rufus。 Her aunt Anna performed and recorded with Kate。 After Loudon left Kate he took up with Suzzy Roche of the Roches， and they had a daughter， Lucy Wainwright Roche。 That’s not to mention the boyfriends， husbands and cousins in the bands at various times。In a family of musicians some （Kate and Anna） don’t have the career they might have had if it weren’t for their commitment to home and family。 Others （Loudon） might not have the family connections they might have had if they hadn’t always put career first。 And there’s the ever present alcohol and drugs。 Gets blurry just reading about it。 Martha’s life， at least so far， is unsettled。 Consider her wedding day。 Kate paid for a big wedding with a loan， then took out a life insurance policy against the loan， knowing she had cancer and wouldn’t be around long enough to pay it back。 In addition to Kate， Anna， Loudon and Rufus， Emmylou Harris and Jimmy Kimmel performed。 Martha showed up with a black eye having gotten so drunk and high she fell off a toilet and hit her head on a sink。 She had second thoughts but assuaged them with the thought she could always get a divorce。 Eventually she did。This is a pretty straightforward memoir。 There’s neither resentment nor narcissism。 Martha seems to be able to take a level-headed view of all involved， including herself， though she is a bit self-deprecating。 “I was a misfit， and often unhappy， but singing and playing made me feel good。 It was a big gamble to commit to it， though， because I wasn’t naturally talented。” Listen to her music。 That’s not true。 There is an especially moving section of the book in which she describes going through the nearly simultaneous birth of her first child and death of her mother。I might have picked up this book because I was interested in Kate and Loudon， but I enjoyed it because I was interested in Martha。 She may not have had as much musical success as Kate or Loudon or Rufus， but she is now the family’s leading author。 。。。more
Jody
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Ms。 Wainwright's memoir is a rock 'n roll tale。 It is the story of a family of famous musicians。 But most importantly， it is the story of a family。 And of a woman trying to find her place - in that family， in her career， in the world。 And Ms。 Wainwright tells it simply。 But her natural， self-effacing charm， her hope and her resilience in the face of knock-downs， set-backs and tragedy made me fall in love with her。 I didn't really know much about her before。 I'm not sure I'd heard her music。 but Ms。 Wainwright's memoir is a rock 'n roll tale。 It is the story of a family of famous musicians。 But most importantly， it is the story of a family。 And of a woman trying to find her place - in that family， in her career， in the world。 And Ms。 Wainwright tells it simply。 But her natural， self-effacing charm， her hope and her resilience in the face of knock-downs， set-backs and tragedy made me fall in love with her。 I didn't really know much about her before。 I'm not sure I'd heard her music。 but I'm a Martha Wainwright fan now。 。。。more
Lindsay
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（I received an ARC of this book from Hachette Books。）I didn't know much about Martha Wainwright or her family， other than knowing they were singers， so I went into this book with no expectations other than my typical love for autobiographies in general。 This book is raw。 The emotions， particularly involving Martha's mother's death， her children， and her divorce， are complicated and real and at times brutal， and it all comes off the page。 I felt for her in ways I didn't expect， and my heart still （I received an ARC of this book from Hachette Books。）I didn't know much about Martha Wainwright or her family， other than knowing they were singers， so I went into this book with no expectations other than my typical love for autobiographies in general。 This book is raw。 The emotions， particularly involving Martha's mother's death， her children， and her divorce， are complicated and real and at times brutal， and it all comes off the page。 I felt for her in ways I didn't expect， and my heart still feels raw having finished the memoir as she's currently （in 2022） dealing with much of what happened in the later pages of her story。The book is somewhat stream-of-consciousness; though the motion is mostly forward there's a lot of time-hopping and a lot of names to keep track of （big family plus the music business--as someone largely ignorant of the intricacies of the music world other than knowing they must be there， I found it difficult to keep track of at times， but that's on me）。 I haven't read many memoirs that end with a life still so much in progress， but I found it satisfying nonetheless。 Heartfelt， open， vulnerable， and perhaps not for the faint of heart， this book and its stories are worth the read。 。。。more
rach
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tStories I Might Regret Telling You is a very candid journey through the life of Canadian artist and performer Martha Wainwright。 This autobiography has a phenomenal first impression， which it consistently follows through on for the rest of the book。 I fell in love with Wainwright’s style really early on， her tone is playful and conversational， she doesn’t hold back really （save some details from a very recently painful part of her life）， and she’s absolutely hysterical - a testament to years of tStories I Might Regret Telling You is a very candid journey through the life of Canadian artist and performer Martha Wainwright。 This autobiography has a phenomenal first impression， which it consistently follows through on for the rest of the book。 I fell in love with Wainwright’s style really early on， her tone is playful and conversational， she doesn’t hold back really （save some details from a very recently painful part of her life）， and she’s absolutely hysterical - a testament to years of maintaining an authentic stage presence。 Wainwright maintains this tone fabulously throughout all 250 pages of her memoir， making it an incredibly easy and lighthearted read， even as she delves into darker and more personal topics。 tWhile the tone of the book is one of its greatest strengths， at some points it is a bit of a weakness as well。 A really strong focus on performing the story took away a bit from the telling of it。 I would have loved to read more details - several times Wainwright said something along the lines of “shenanigans happened，” and then refused to go into detail！ I love shenanigans！！ I want to know about them！ Wainwright loved to tell us who was present （making this a surely exciting book for fans of the who’s who of 90s folk， more on this in a second） but kept what they actually all did there a mystery。 Elaborating more on little vignettes would have made descriptions seem less repetitive - it’s well and fine to know that every man Martha fell in love with was the dirtbag version of some great musician from a generation before， but I felt like I sometimes missed the connection。 In the same vein， Rufus didn’t really feel like a lover of attention until I was told about the mirror placed over his piano at a Montreal bar he once played at。 Delightful！ That all said， every time Wainwright told a story in depth it was captivating （and always hilarious or moving， but usually both）。 tI highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys biographies， but especially fans of 90s folk music， or people looking to get into 90s folk music。 One really beautiful thing about this book was that it came with a natural soundtrack， of which Wainwright’s records were only the beginning。 Every artist that passed through Wainwright’s life was also given a bit of commentary on their music between the pages of her book。 She’s led me to discover a whole genre of music I hadn’t appreciated before。 I’ve listened to all her favourite songs of her friends and family members， and when I recognized someone in the endless flow of name-drops from Wainwright’s fashionable life， I always got a bit excited。 On a similar vein， I recommend this book to people that live in Montreal （or New York or London， but I can’t speak to either of the latter too well）。 As a young person living in Montreal’s lower plateau， much this book felt a bit like home to me - I could visualize the happenings in about a third of the memoir， and I loved reading about the familiar neighborhoods and streets and most especially the 24 along Sherbrooke （which， like Martha， I also once took to terminate a pregnancy）。 tThis memoir didn’t contain many large revelations for me， but not every book will。 The joy that I found in Stories I Might Regret Telling You is the ultimate conclusion that everything will be ok。 Martha and I have wildly different lives， but （I really hope I’m not being too arrogant） similar minds。 Either that or she’s got a very unique power to be universally relatable。 Her contentment at the end of the book sort of feels like it could be mine， giving a chaotic story a sound and peaceful ending。 。。。more
Josee
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Martha Wainwright’s 2005 self-titled album is one of my favourite albums， it’s such a perfect record。 I saw her perform at a festival over 15 years ago and I still remember how I felt at the show， she was commanding， confident and sounded amazing。 Just like her album and live performances， Martha’s autobiography， Stories I Might Regret Telling You is engaging right off the bat。 Martha writes from an honest place and isn’t afraid to show the dark parts of her life as well as her families who have Martha Wainwright’s 2005 self-titled album is one of my favourite albums， it’s such a perfect record。 I saw her perform at a festival over 15 years ago and I still remember how I felt at the show， she was commanding， confident and sounded amazing。 Just like her album and live performances， Martha’s autobiography， Stories I Might Regret Telling You is engaging right off the bat。 Martha writes from an honest place and isn’t afraid to show the dark parts of her life as well as her families who have a rich musical history。 I feel like I was given a tour of the Wainwright’s family album， Martha takes us through her upbringing in Montreal with her mother’s side of the family， Kate McGarrigle and to New York with her father Loudon Wainwright III。 Martha reveals her insecurities and difficulties finding her place amongst such famous siblings， especially her brother Rufus。 Despite being famous， Martha comes off as someone I would know in Montreal。 She talks about her family， career and partying with some fun interesting name drops。 Throughout this bio is the life and death of Martha’s mom which is written in such a humanizing beautiful way。 I know who Kate is in Canadian history， but I got to see her as a mom and a regular person that I could relate to。 This is a very engaging book from Martha Wainwright， hopefully she feels compelled to share more in the future。 。。。more
Jay bookworm
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I knew of the author， Martha Wainwright， from the song Set Fire to the Third Bar with Snow Patrol。 I suppose I might have listened to Rufus first， but it didn’t factor into my appreciation of her ability。 When I saw this book for review on NetGalley， I was curious。 I love memoirs and I was intrigued by the synopsis of her story and the title is， of course， titillating。 The cover photo even more so。 I knew nothing of Martha’s parents or their music， but the promise of insight into growing up in a I knew of the author， Martha Wainwright， from the song Set Fire to the Third Bar with Snow Patrol。 I suppose I might have listened to Rufus first， but it didn’t factor into my appreciation of her ability。 When I saw this book for review on NetGalley， I was curious。 I love memoirs and I was intrigued by the synopsis of her story and the title is， of course， titillating。 The cover photo even more so。 I knew nothing of Martha’s parents or their music， but the promise of insight into growing up in a musical family was appealing。 The book is raw and we’re exploring Martha’s tumultuous relationships with her family。 It’s an exploration in family dynamics， coming of age， growing into your talent and desires， her missteps， her vices， and reconciliations， betrayals， and loads of exploration of self， how one is shaped by parents， sibling rivalries， friendships and loss。 It has all the great elements of a fantastic memoir。 At times， there is self-pity and self-indulgence， but isn’t that part of experience， experimentation and growing？ I loved it。 。。。more
Kat M
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Not quite I was expecting from the title。。。。I should have read the blurb more carefully。 Simple and unsophisticated style of writing that's easy to read， ultimately very sad with a lot about her mother， who was emotionally abusive and also a very unhappy woman。 （Her dad was no prince either， the book begins with him pressuring her mother to get an abortion） There are a few tell-all moments， like you usually find in this genre， especially about her good-for-nothing ex-husband， and a few digs at o Not quite I was expecting from the title。。。。I should have read the blurb more carefully。 Simple and unsophisticated style of writing that's easy to read， ultimately very sad with a lot about her mother， who was emotionally abusive and also a very unhappy woman。 （Her dad was no prince either， the book begins with him pressuring her mother to get an abortion） There are a few tell-all moments， like you usually find in this genre， especially about her good-for-nothing ex-husband， and a few digs at other family members。 Mostly this is a book about her relationship with her mother and trying， and somewhat failing， to escape a family cycle of emotional abuse。 Not a bad read， I didn't get a sense that she is truly at peace now like she says but having read about what she has been through in her life I hope she is able to get there。Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for review。 。。。more
Jennifer
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