No, thankfully, I am not offering up a shoebox of poorly constructed mix tapes from my 31 flavors of previous relationships, though that isn’t a bad idea… Wait, yes it is.
I’m talking about Cassette From My Ex, the book written by FOUND Magazine, um, co-founder Jason Bitner. Along with FOUND, he managed (now defunct) CassetteFromMyEx.com, which shared the mix tapes of several people whose stories of heartbreak and true love accompany each cassette.
The book, released in 2009, does much of the same, but this time features the stories of many influential and inspiriting musicians and performers from all walks of life. Some stories actually include scans of original mix tapes, as well as playlists and embarrassing confessions.
I love these kinds of books as coffee table books because they are inherently intriguing, not to mention the cover of the book is awesome. They’re one of a kind books that don’t serve an educational purpose as much as an imaginative one.
As a child of 1985, I nearly missed the boat on cassette tapes. Thankfully, I was able to secure Flaming Lips Transmissions From the Satellite Heart
I have a 96-disc case full of mix CDs I’ve made over the last 15 years. I wouldn’t part with them for a second, and there are only a handful I’d be willing to share the story behind. That’s exactly what makes Cassette From My Ex so enjoyable. It’s salacious, and it’s super invasive – just the way I like it.
Oh, and it’s on sale at Nordstrom.