JT LeRoy

Circulated copies of LeRoy's handwritten notebook pages brought early attention to the then unpublished author. In print for the first time, these loosely connected autobiographical stories describe the harrowing experiences of a young boy's life on the run. From the heartbreaking "Meteor," where he struggles for the attention of his wandering mother, to the paranoia of "Coal"-'Whenever things feel out of control I know the black coal is doing it, and I know what to do, my mom taught me'-to living on the streets of San Francisco in "Natoma Street," JT LeRoy's voice is as lyrical and nuanced as the readers of his acclaimed debut novel Sarah have come to expect. Fresh, raw, and absolutely unforgettable, The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things is sure to establish LeRoy as one of the most compelling voices in contemporary fiction.

Maggie May (1981) / Lester Bangs, inspired by the music and lyrics from "Maggie May" by Rod Stewart and Martin Quittenton -- The National Anthem / Jonathan Lethem, inspired by the music and lyrics from "Speeding motorcycle" by Daniel Johnston as performed by Yo La Tengo -- Blue guitar / Amanda Davis, inspired by the music and lyrics from "Blue guitar" by the Cowboy Junkies -- Untitled / JT LeRoy, inspired by the music and lyrics from "Everlong" by the Foo Fighters -- Dirty mouth / Tom Perrotta, inspired by the music and lyrics from "I won't back down" by Tom Petty -- Hallelujah / Tanker Dane, inspired by the music and lyrics from "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen as performed by Jeff Buckley -- Why go / Lisa Tucker, inspired by the music and lyrics from "Why go" by Pearl Jam -- All the security guards by name / Aimee Bender, inspired by the music and lyrics from "The lobby" by Jane Siberry -- She once had me / Anthony DeCurtis, inspired by the music and lyrics from "Norwegian wood (This bird has flown)" by the Beatles -- Milestones / Hannah Tinti, inspired by the music and lyrics from "Milestones" by Miles Davis -- Death in the alt-country / Neal Pollack, inspired by the music and lyrics from "Mama tried" by Merle Haggard -- I shot the sheriff / Touré, inspired by the music and lyrics from "I shot the sheriff" by Bob Marley -- A simple explanation of the afterlife / Victor LaValle, inspired by the music and lyrics from "Aluminum" by the White Stripes -- The eternal Helen / Heidi Julavits, inspired by the music and lyrics from "I found a reason" by the Velvet Underground as performed by Cat Power -- Swampthroat / Arthur Bradford, inspired by the music and lyrics from "Highway to hell" by AC/DC -- Bouncing / Jennifer Belle, inspired by the music and lyrics from "Graceland" by Paul Simon -- Graffiti monk / Ernesto Quiñonez, inspired by the music and lyrics from "The message" by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five -- Smoking inside / Darin Strauss, inspired by the music and lyrics from "Remedy" by the Black Crowes -- The system / Judy Budnitz, inspired by the music and lyrics from "Way down in the hole" by Tom Waits -- Four last songs / David Ebershoff, inspired by the music and lyrics from "Four last songs" by Herman Hesse and composer Richard Strauss -- Dying on the vine / Elissa Shappell, inspired by the music and lyrics from "Dying on the vine" by John Cale -- Rio / Zev Borow, inspired by the music and lyrics from "Rio" by Duran Duran -- King Heroin / Nelson George, inspired by the music and lyrics from "King Heroin" by James Brown -- The bodies of boys / Julianna Baggott, inspired by the music and lyrics from "Spirit in the night" by Bruce Springsteen.

Sarah's story begins in the cradle of civilization: the Sumerian city-state of Ur, a land of desert heat, towering gardens, and immense wealth. The daughter of a powerful lord, Sarah balks at the marriage her father has planned for her. On her wedding day, she impulsively flees to the vast, empty marshes outside the city walls, where she meets a young man named Abram, son of a tribe of outsiders. Drawn to this exotic stranger, Sarah spends one night with him and reluctantly returns to her father's house. But on her return, she secretly drinks a poisonous potion that will make her barren and thus unfit for marriage. Many years later, Abram returns to Ur and discovers that the lost, rebellious girl from the marsh has been transformed into a splendid woman, the high priestess of the goddess Ishtar. But Sarah gives up her exalted life to join Abram's tribe and follow the one true God, an invisible deity who speaks only to Abram. It is then that her journey truly begins. From the great ziggurat of Ishtar to the fertile valleys of Canaan to the bedchamber of the mighty Pharaoh himself, Sarah's story reveals an ancient world full of beauty, intrigue, and miracles.