It’s the kind of local event that reminds you why we love this town. On Tuesday, August 5, something special is happening at Little City Books in Hoboken. Author David Levithan and musician Jens Lekman will be there to share their latest project, Songs for Other People’s Weddings. They’ll read from the book, talk about the story behind it, and even sing a bit—yes, really.
The book is inspired by Jens’s real-life part-time job as a wedding singer. It tells the story of J, a musician who’s had a tough time with love but makes a living writing custom songs for couples to be played at their weddings. He meets with each couple to hear their stories—how they met, what makes them work—and turns that into a song. But while he’s great at capturing love for other people, he’s having a hard time making sense of his own relationship. As things get complicated, J has to figure out whether love can survive all the ups and downs. It’s sweet, it’s sad, it’s funny, and it’s honest—just like real love. And if you’ve read Levithan before, you know he has a way of making you feel seen.
David Levithan is the author of popular books like Every Day, Boy Meets Boy, The Lover’s Dictionary, and more. He’s also co-written Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist with Rachel Cohn and Will Grayson, Will Grayson with John Green. He loves music—but don’t expect to see him behind a mic at a wedding anytime soon.
Jens Lekman, on the other hand, has actually done that. He’s a singer and songwriter from Sweden, known for albums like Life Will See You Now, Night Falls Over Kortedala, and Oh You’re So Silent Jens. Fun fact: he was once ranked the fifteenth-sexiest man in Sweden by ELLE. He later dropped to number thirty-three and hasn’t been on the list since. These days, he works part-time singing at weddings.
The event will be held at Little City Books, located at 100 Bloomfield Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030.
There are two types of tickets:
- One ticket costs $13.27 and includes a seat plus a $10 gift card to the store.
- The other is $33.73 and includes a seat and a signed copy of the book.
It all starts at 7:00 PM and will last for one hour, ending at 8:00 PM EDT. Come for the story, stay for the songs—it’s a perfect way to spend a summer evening.
