King Cal

Peter J McDade author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Trouser Press Books

Published:16th Apr '25

Should be back in stock very soon

King Cal cover

In this sensitive and smart coming-of-age rock novel, Atlanta fast food worker Calvin loses his girlfriend, his band and his best friend in a single day.

Told with insight, cleverness and deep awareness of the challenges to making a life in music, King Cal brings to life a determined and talented young man who starts with little, aims to earn a little more and ultimately has to decide whether success, or even clinging to his dream, is worth the sacrifice.

"When I am asked by parents of kids who are considering a life in popular music if I would recommend that path, I say that if their child can even imagine doing anything else with their life, they should do that. But if the kid can’t conceive of any future but music, I urge them to offer encouragement. Now, I can just tell them to read this book."

--Elliot Easton, lead guitarist for the Cars and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Member

"Having lived through my own musical coming-of-age, I’m often dismayed by just how wrong most music-themed books get it. Not King Cal. This is one of the few novels about music that have felt utterly real to me. As the book wound its way to a deeply moving end, I was both desperately hoping it would all work out for our unlikely hero and thanking Pete McDade for getting it so right."

--Dan Wilson, Grammy-winning singer (Semisonic) and songwriter (“Closing Time”)

ISBN: 9798989828371

Dimensions: 229mm x 152mm x 16mm

Weight: unknown

250 pages