In an email interview, the Grammy-winning singer and musician credited the manga character Sailor Moon and the flutist James Galway for inspiring her. SCOTT HELLER
Describe your ideal reading experience.
On a plane. Night flight. Blanket on. Good music.
Do you prefer books that reach you emotionally, or intellectually?
I used to prefer emotional fiction. Now I read more about self- improvement.
What kind of reader were you as a child?
Insatiable. I would consume entire books in a single day.
Which childhood books and authors stick with you most?
“Where the Red Fern Grows” was the first book I loved. I also read a lot of fantasy novels, like “Lord of the Rings” and “Wayfarer Redemption.”
What book might people be surprised to find on your shelves?
Probably the fantasy books.
What’s the best book you’ve ever received as a gift?
Recently, “The Molecule of More” and “The Autobiography of a Yogi.” “The Molecule of More” is about the dopaminergic reactions that our brain has and the way we respond to the reward system in our brains. It’s helped me understand my brain chemistry. I have a very analytical mind, and the book has helped me understand why I react and respond the way I do. “The Autobiography of a Yogi” is about Paramahansa Yogananda’s life. It inspires me to dream big.
What books are you embarrassed not to have read yet?
There’s a lot of Ram Dass and Dolores Cannon that I haven’t read.
Who is your favorite fictional hero or heroine?
Sailor Moon. I used to read the manga. She’s one of the most powerful anime characters in the universe, but her weapon is love. Watching her at a young age destroy her enemies and destroy negativity and bad energy with love, and with her best friends, was super inspiring. I feel like I do the same thing as an adult: I fight evil with love.
What book is a guaranteed pick-me-up?
“The Alchemist.” It’s such a simple story about how you can take control of your life, and I think it’s an obligatory first read if you are getting into spirituality or self-help. That’s where you start.
Why did you decide to write a children’s book?
Because I wanted to inspire young people to fall in love with music.
What made you and your illustrator a good team?
I sent hand-drawn sketches of how I wanted Lil Lizzo to look. And he nailed it.
Is there a book that influenced your decision to become a musician?
“The Man With the Golden Flute,” Sir James Galway’s autobiography.
What’s the most interesting thing you learned from a book recently?
How to manifest.
Have you ever gotten in trouble for reading a book?
I never got in trouble, but I definitely used to sneak and read romance novels.
You’re organizing a literary dinner party. Which three writers, dead or alive, do you invite?
Toni Morrison, Maya Angelou and Octavia Butler. I have always wanted to meet Toni Morrison. I think she is one of the coolest authors and people ever. When I was younger, I was obsessed with her technique and her philosophies about the time of day she writes and how she writes. She and Maya would have riveting conversations, and I would just be a fly on the wall listening. Octavia Butler is an incredible sci-fi author and her ability to write about the future just shows how awesome her imagination is.
Toni Morrison understood where we came from, Maya Angelou described the poetry of existing and Octavia Butler understood where we are going. They would cover the past, present, and future and I would learn where we come from, who we are, and where we are going next.
When announcing the new book, you told Gayle King that you’ve “always wanted to write the great American novel.” What would it be about?
My life. Something like “The Vagina Monologues.”
When will we see it?
Not sure. I have to write it first.
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