Three, The Long Way : Santa Barbara Literary Festival

The road is long— if we're lucky— and making art isn't always easy. What does it take to navigate a creative life? A conversation between three artists who’ve all written memoirs— bestselling novelist Joyce Maynard, American singer/songwriter Amy Rigby and British pop legend Wreckless Eric—about risk, identity, and the coming-of-age moments that shape who we become.

Joyce Maynard is the author of eighteen books, including the New York Times bestselling novel, Labor Day and To Die For (both adapted for film), Under the Influence and the memoirs, At Home in the World and The Best of Us. A native of New Hampshire, Joyce Maynard began publishing her stories in magazines when she was thirteen years old. She first came to national attention with the publication of her New York Timescover story, “An Eighteen Year Old Looks Back on Life”, in 1972, when she was a freshman at Yale. Since then, she has been a reporter and columnist for The New York Times, a syndicated newspaper columnist whose “Domestic Affairs” column appeared in over fifty papers nationwide, a regular contributor to NPR and national magazines including Vogue, The New York Times Magazine, and many more. She is a longtime performer with The Moth.

Amy Rigby has established herself as one of America’s enduring underground/cult/indie artists, combining the insight and humor of country and folk with classic rock craftsmanship and punk DIY spirit. Raised in Pittsburgh, schooled in late 70s lower Manhattan, she formed pre-Americana country band Last Roundup and girl group the Shams before launching a solo career with 90s classic album Diary Of A Mod Housewife. Amy’s honest, kinetic songwriting has earned her praise from critics (“pithy wisdom, acerbic pen and sterling American guitar classicism” MOJO) and other artists: “Think Randy Newman and Loudon Wainwright, at their best,” says Steve Earle. She is the author of two memoirs, Girl to City and Girl to Country.

Wreckless Eric/Eric Goulden As Wreckless Eric he wrote and recorded the classic Whole Wide World and had a hit with it in 1977. It’s since been covered by countless other artists including The Monkees, Cage The Elephant and Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day. As Eric Goulden it's a little more complicated - a musician, artist, writer, recording engineer and producer, he didn’t like the music business, the mechanics of fame, or the name he’d been given to hide behind, so he crawled out of the spotlight and went underground, releasing over twenty albums in forty-something years under various names, finally realizing he was stuck with the name Wreckless Eric. His albums encapsulate pop, bubblegum, garage trash and psychedelia. His live performances are sonic journeys incorporating songs from all stages of his career. His 2003 autobiography A Dysfunctional Success was reissued in 2024.

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