On Jesse Malin (and My Personal Imaginary Soundtrack)

Jesse Malin at Drew's While I was writing my novel Catherine , I listened obsessively to the music of Jesse Malin. At first, my interest in the guy was casual; I'd seen him play a couple of times at Light of Day, a yearly concert that benefits research against Parkinson's Disease. Also, he had recorded a song--"Broken Radio"--with Bruce Springsteen, and as a huge Springsteen fan, I always pay at least passing attention to musicians who interest Bruce. But over time, my appreciation of Jesse became more intense. For one thing, he's a vibrant performer. For another, he writes the kind of song that's all too rare these days--rock and roll that manages to be smart and edgy yet unironically, full-heartedly romantic. And then there were the parallels between Jesse's life and that of Hence, one of the key characters in Catherine --Heathcliff in my retelling of Wuthering Heights. Like Hence, Jesse Malin had a first act as