Greta Morgan is known for her solo project Springtime Carnivore, as well as for playing in indie-pop band the Hush Sound and performing with Vampire Weekend. In 2020, she was diagnosed with spasmodic dysphonia, leaving her unable to sing. Today, she announced that she explored the struggle in a book titled The Lost Voice, which arrives in May.

The synopsis reads that The Lost Voice is a “poignant, tenacious memoir by musician Greta Morgan chronicling how she rediscovered her artistic voice after losing her ability to sing.” It continues:

In 2019, Greta Morgan was on the rise. She had toured with Vampire Weekend, accompanied Jenny Lewis, and garnered critical acclaim with her own musical projects. But in March 2020, after contracting Covid-19, she was diagnosed with spasmodic dysphonia, a neurological disorder with no known cure that left her unable to sing. Her once crystalline voice now reduced to a hush, she saw her career come to an abrupt standstill.

Beyond the physical ramifications, what does it mean to cultivate a true voice? Morgan’s loss launches her into a journey of grief and self-discovery, forcing her to broaden her artistic horizons and reconstruct her sense of self. Her narrative takes us on a whirlwind tour of music studios, band buses, and celebrity-filled backstage parties, but it also takes us to the red canyons of Utah and the spacious wilderness of the American Southwest. In these vast landscapes, Morgan finds unexpected community. In the silence, she learns how to listen to parts of herself she has neglected.

Questioning the purpose of creativity and what defines artistic passion, The Lost Voice is a raw and intimate portrait of grief, self-discovery, and the choice to keep living and creating.

 

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The Lost Voice is out 5/20 on HarperOne. Pre-order it here.