Overview of Key Change: Emma Straub
In this Key Change conversation, host Hrishikesh Hirway talks with novelist and Books Are Magic co-owner Emma Straub about the music that shaped her life, especially the Magnetic Fields. Straub traces her fandom from skeptical college student to devoted listener, then to personal assistant, tour merch seller, and longtime archivist of Stephen Merritt’s work. The episode explores how the band’s mix of wit, sadness, and literary intelligence influenced her identity, her marriage, her bookstore, and her writing.
How Emma Straub Found the Magnetic Fields
Early skepticism turned into obsession
- Straub first heard about the Magnetic Fields while at Oberlin in 1999, where the band had a major reputation.
- As a contrarian college student, she initially resisted the hype, assuming they were too “smart” or intimidating.
- Her opinion changed in New York while working an internship and spending evenings at the bar Siberia, where the jukebox had all three discs of 69 Love Songs.
What hooked her
- She immediately responded to Stephen Merritt’s lyrics:
- clever
- funny
- full of wordplay and language jokes
- emotionally sharp and sad
- She says the humor was especially revelatory because she didn’t usually listen to music that was funny.
Becoming Part of the Magnetic Fields World
Touring and merch work
- After college, Straub was introduced to an opportunity to work for Merritt as a personal assistant.
- One of her major early tasks was compiling a complete lyric book from scattered notebooks.
- She later toured with the Magnetic Fields for about 10 years, mostly running merch with her husband, Michael Fusco.
- Their roles naturally split:
- Michael handled logistics and inventory
- Emma handled people and fan interaction
The experience of touring
- She loved being close to the performances and watching how the songs evolved over time.
- She also documented the experience with photos and a tour blog, which she describes as a kind of informal archive.
- A recurring memory is knowing the set was ending when “Grand Canyon” began.
Why the Magnetic Fields Mattered to Her Personally
Music, identity, and friendship
- Straub describes the band’s music as important, meaningful, and profound.
- Her relationship with the band became intertwined with her adult life:
- her job
- her creative identity
- her marriage
- her family life
A family connection
- Her father, horror writer Peter Straub, knew people in Merritt’s circle.
- At one point, her parents attended a Magnetic Fields show with her, and she watched her father fall in love with the band too.
- The interview includes a funny, affectionate story about a backstage visit and her embarrassment at her dad’s enthusiastic fan behavior.
Influence on Straub’s Writing
Humor as a turning point
- Straub says her early fiction was too serious and not especially funny.
- The Vacationers felt like a breakthrough because it sounded more like her own voice.
- She credits the Magnetic Fields with showing her that literature and music can be both emotionally serious and funny.
Ongoing literary influence
- She uses Stephen Merritt lyrics as epigraphs for most of her novels, including American Fantasy.
- She particularly likes how Merritt combines heartbreak with comedy rather than writing “just jokes.”
Lasting Relationship to 69 Love Songs
The album as a life soundtrack
- Straub says 69 Love Songs is probably the record she knows best of any album, not just by the Magnetic Fields.
- She still listens to it regularly.
- Her children even recognize the band when it comes on at home and refer to Stephen Merritt as “Uncle Steven.”
Main Takeaways
- Emma Straub’s fandom evolved from skeptical curiosity into a deep personal and professional connection.
- The Magnetic Fields shaped her sense of humor, language, and creative voice.
- Working with the band gave her practical confidence that later helped her and her husband open Books Are Magic.
- For Straub, the Magnetic Fields represent a rare blend of intelligence, sadness, and wit that continues to matter in both her life and writing.