Liz Riggs’ ‘Lo Fi’ Novel Inspired by Nashville Music | Nashville Cream

Nashville’s diverse music scene has played a significant role in the lives of many people, and not just musicians. East Nashville resident Liz Riggs is one of those people, having attended tons and tons of concerts in the city around 2010 and 2011, a time when famous independent musicians began visiting our fair city more frequently and a burst of local music activity allowed more Nashville musicians to gain exposure far and wide. With an MFA from New York University, Riggs has written about education, culture, and (naturally) music for publications as diverse as Atlantic, Enjoy your foodMTV and American singer-songwriterIt’s no surprise that his first novel also draws heavily on his formative period in Nashville music.

Lo-Fiwhich will be released Tuesday, July 9th by Riverhead, mixes mystery and romance. The story follows Alison Hunter, better known as Al, who works as a doorwoman at a club called The Venue. Various types of personal turmoil—including the return of her ex in the middle of a devastating storm and her preoccupation with a missing musician—frame Al’s questions about her creative ambitions, thwarted years earlier by an ill-fated attempt at performing. As the drama swirls, Al grapples with the underlying question “What do you want to do with your life?”—namely, “How do you know what you want to do with your life?”

Riggs will read and sign copies of Lo-Fi at a launch event Tuesday night at The Basement, presented in partnership with The Bookshop. There’s no cover, but seating is limited, so registration is required. The event runs from 6 to 8 p.m. and features performances by songwriters Chris Housman and Vinnie Paolizzi. Riggs will be visiting other independent bookstores to support the book, and if you miss tomorrow’s party, you’ll have another chance on Wednesday, July 31. Riggs will join Lindsay Lynch for a reading, signing, and discussion at Parnassus Books. That event starts at 6:30 p.m.; like the launch party, it’s free but registration is required.