Matt O’Connor is the founder of Worry Bead Records and the lead singer of Tuxis Giant.
On the launch of the True Names benefit compilation for trans youth, Matt described the origins of the title as such:
The title, ‘True Names,’ was inspired by Ursula K. Le Guin’s Earthsea series. In the world of Earthsea, True Names are sacred, holding incredible and transformative power. To know your True Name is to know yourself. And to share your True Name is an extreme act of vulnerability and courage.
What a lovely thing.
Someone very close to me is transgender, and I know that deciding to change their name was really difficult, and some people had a harder time adopting their new name than their new pronouns.
I haven’t read the Earthsea books since I was very young, and I recall very little about them, but I’m going to seek them out again.
In that spirit, I figured I’d ask Matt if they had any other book recommendations that we could share. I love getting book recommendations from others more than even music recommendations.
Even in the insanity of the week of the launch of the True Names benefit compilation, Matt was generous enough to throw together five more books they think are all-timers.
Of all of these, the only one I’ve read is Blindness, and I agree with Matt’s assessment. Expect to see the rest on the site in due time.
Matt O’Connor’s Backstory
Tehanu by Ursula K. Le Guin
The original Earthsea trilogy is near and dear to me, but this fourth installment may be my favorite. It flips the original lore on its head, injecting the world with a darker, more adult air. Don’t worry: there are still dragons.
The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro
A vibey, hazy tale set in Arthurian England. My partner wishes she could read it again for the first time. Me too.
Blindness by Jose Saramago
Saramago, as usual, shows us as we are: animals capable of both debased cruelty and transcendent kindness. Reading this was oddly soothing.
Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson
A family saga about feeling lost. Robinson is a magician. Read it.
Actual Air by David Berman
Every David Berman poem feels like a long, shotgun-style apartment; each line opens a door to a new, unknown room. Real good stuff.
Special thanks to Matt for taking the time in launch week to put this together.
