In the Book Notes series, authors create and discuss a music playlist that relates in some way to their recently published book.
Jacqueline Faber’s novel The Department is an enthralling dark academic thriller.
Publishers Weekly wrote of the book:
“Faber’s crackling debut centers on a philosophy professor who gets entangled in the case of a missing student. Nuanced characterizations and the author’s gift for evoking the rhythms of campus life are sure to delight fans of Peter Swanson. Readers will be eager to see what Faber does next.”
In her own words, here is Jacqueline Faber’s Book Notes music playlist for her novel The Department:
Truth be told, if you follow the music in my atmospheric thriller, The Department, you unravel the twist. On the surface, the novel is about a college girl who goes missing and a jaded philosophy professor who becomes increasingly enmeshed in her disappearance. But at the beating heart of this story is a percussive question: What does it mean to be a bystander? What can we offer one another by way of love, truth, and bearing witness? Or are we, in the end, always destined to fail?
In the very first scene, we hear a song in the background. “The Guns of Brixton” by The Clash. And it’s the perfect place to kick off this 16-track playlist.
Guns of Brixton, The Clash (1979)
This politically-charged anthem about social upheaval and resistance sets the tone for everything that follows. “When they kick at your front door, how you gonna come? With your hands on your head or on the trigger of your gun.” The song presents the listener with a choice in the form of a question: are you a bystander or an agent in your own life? It is the propulsive force of my novel as well.
ATLiens, Outkast (1996)
While not explicitly set in Atlanta, The Department draws heavily upon my years as a Ph.D. student at Emory. The laid-back flow of this bass-driven song belies a much deeper angst about being out-of-place even when you belong. Both my protagonists–Neil and Lucia–are shaped by these feelings of being an outsider.
Je t’aime moi non plus, Serge Gainsbourg (1969)
Erotic, controversial, and banned, this song, which translates as “I love you…me neither” captures the ambivalent, tumultuous nature of love. Neil is caught in the vice grips of this very push-and-pull.
Fuck and Run, Liz Phair (1993)
The delight of this song lies in the unpolished, raw aspect of Liz Phair’s voice, bluntly stating, “I want all that stupid old shit like letters and sodas.” It’s such an unvarnished need, one that both Neil and Lucia experience viscerally.
Best Friend, Saweetie, Doja Cat (2021)
This perfect song is a celebratory vibe about female friendship. I picture it playing in the background as Lucia and her BFF Michelle get dressed to look for trouble in the city, seeking entrance to a sex club that remains out of reach.
All Night, Parov Stelar (2012)
This song is a bender. I imagine Lucia and Michelle dancing at a club, sweating, doing coke in the bathroom, letting loose in this last bastion of their friendship.
Every Time the Sun Comes Up, Sharon Van Etten (2014)
The right version of this song is the one that cuts in with Sharon Van Etten’s crystal-clear voice, lingering on the word “trouble,” and we sense Lucia creeping toward the edge of a cliff that she’s powerless to stop herself from going over.
La Cienega Just Smiled, Ryan Adams (2001)
A song to break your heart. It so perfectly captures that sense of embracing the very thing that will destroy you–be it a relationship, a drug, a desire you chase while it strips you bare. When Ryan Adams sings, “Feels so good but damn it makes me hurt,” I glimpse the most vulnerable versions of both Lucia and Neil.
One Beat, Sleater-Kinney (2003)
The assertive, punk-rock vocals and repetitive guitar riffs are the musical expression of Phaedra, one of the most important characters in the book, who believes that life is most interesting when it’s performative.
Slide, Missy Elliott (2002)
From that relentless first beat, this song grips you by the hips. I hear this music in the background when Lucia finally breaks into the sex club, The Dionysus. Although the lyrics are essentially about being a boss, it has such a sexual cadence to it. “Slide, slide. Dip, dip. Shake / Move it all around, move it all around.”
Oh My God, Ida Maria (2008)
This Norwegian singer serves up feelings of losing control as her voice travels from the words “Find a cure, find a cure for my life,” to its crescendo, “Oh, my God, you think I’m in control. Oh. My. God.” I hear this song in my head as both Lucia and Neil begin to spin out, drifting further away from the people who tether them to reality.
In A Black Out, Hamilton Leithauser + Rostam (2016)
This tune about emotional turmoil and psychological disorientation feels like a hand reaching for something that nonetheless slips away. It’s the last moment things might go otherwise for Neil and Lucia, but don’t.
Ritual Union, Little Dragon (2011)
This atmospheric, entrancing song is the perfect background to a moment where it seems like salvation might be possible. Lucia swims with a whale shark, a transformative moment that almost gives her the strength she needs to surmount a devastating trauma. Almost.
The Killing Moon, Echo & the Bunnymen (1984)
This track earns a mention in the book. It’s got such a lush, ominous quality to it. For Neil and Lucia, the end has been set in motion, all the pieces are stacked, and neither will escape the inevitably of what’s to come.
Fool, Cat Power (2006)
Austere and haunting, Cat Power’s voice closes around your heart. She sings, “It’s not that it’s bad, it’s not that it’s death. It’s just that it’s on the tip of your tongue and you’re so silent.” In many ways, this is a book about whether or not we’re able to surmount our silences.
Guns of Brixton, Nouvelle Vague (2004)
We return at the end to the song that kicked us off, only this time, through the bossa nova rhythms of French girl cover band, Nouvelle Vague. Does Neil become a witness? Does he remain a bystander? You’ll have to read The Department and decide for yourself.
Jacqueline Faber is an author and freelance writer. She has a PhD in Comparative Literature from Emory University and spent years abroad in Italy and Germany. She currently lives in Los Angeles with her family.