Rock music critic to visit public library

Jessica Hopper's music criticism has earned her a reputation as a keen observer and fearless critic not just of music but the culture around it. Her new book, The First Collection of Criticism by a Living Female Rock Critic, spans two decades of album reviews, essays, columns, interviews and oral histories, chronicling what it is to be truly obsessed with music.

With this premiere volume, spanning from her punk fanzine roots to her landmark piece on R. Kelly's past, The First Collection leaves no doubt why the New York Times has called Hopper's work "influential." Not merely a selection of two decades of Hopper's most engaging, thoughtful and humorous writing, this book serves as a document of the last 20 years of American music making and the shifting landscape of music consumption.

Join her at the Arlington Heights Memorial Library from 7-9 p.m. July 14 for a reading, discussion and book signing, plus a chance to win a ticket to Pitchfork Music Festival. This is a free event for adults and teens. Books will be available for sale at the event.

Register for the event at http://ow.ly/ODeSe. For more information, visit ahml.info.

About the Author

Jessica Hopper is a music and culture critic whose work regularly appears in GQ, Rolling Stone, The Village Voice and the Chicago Tribune. She is a senior editor at The Pitchfork Review and the music editor at Rookie. Her essays have appeared in Best Music Writing for 2004, 2005, 2007, 2010 and 2011. Hopper was the longtime music consultant for This American Life. Her book, The Girls' Guide to Rocking was named one of 2009's Notable Books for Young Readers by the American Library Association. She lives in Chicago with her husband and young sons.