Songs of No Provenance

Songs of No Provenance is a bold, electrifying debut about a troubled indie folksinger, set in a seductive music underworld reminiscent of Patti Smith or Viv Albertine. It is a must-read for fans of Torrey Peters and Melissa Broder.

A suspenseful, wildly engaging novel, it follows a musician spiraling in self-doubt and self-searching after a night—and a relationship—gone wrong.

"A raw, emphatic novel of exceptional power" — Carmen Maria Machado

"Takes your breath away" — Katie Kitamura

Songs of No Provenance tells the story of Joan Vole, an indie folk singer forever teetering on the edge of fame. After committing a shocking sexual act onstage, she flees New York, seeking refuge at a writing camp for teenagers in rural Virginia. Here, Joan is forced to question her own toxic relationship with artmaking—and her complicated history with a friend and mentee—while finding new hope in her students and a deepening intimacy with a nonbinary artist and fellow camp staff member.

Lydi Conklin boldly explores themes of kink, shame, queer appropriation, fame hunger, cancel culture, trans nonbinary identity, and how to make art without ego. Throughout, the narrative questions how Joan might forge a new future for herself.

Suffused with flashbacks to a musical underworld as seductive as it is seedy, Songs of No Provenance is a visceral, gutsy, and profound debut novel about love, self-acceptance, and clawing oneself to safety.