Stories I Might Regret Telling You

A Memoir

By: Martha Wainwright

Narrated by: Martha Wainwright

The singer-songwriter's heartfelt memoir about growing up in a bohemian musical family and her experiences with love, loss, motherhood, divorce, the music industry, and more.

Born into music royalty, the daughter of folk legends Kate McGarrigle and Loudon Wainwright III and sister to the highly acclaimed and genre-defying singer Rufus Wainwright, Martha grew up in a world filled with such incomparable folk legends as Leonard Cohen, Suzy Roche, Anna McGarrigle, Richard and Linda Thompson, Pete Townsend, Donald Fagan, and Emmylou Harris. It was within this loud, boisterous, carny, musical milieu that Martha came of age, struggling to find her voice until she exploded on the scene with her 2005 critically acclaimed debut album, Martha Wainwright, containing the blistering hit "Bloody Mother F--king Asshole", which the Sunday Times called one of the best songs of that year. Her successful debut album and the ones that followed, such as Come Home to Mama, I Know You're Married but I've Got Feelings Too, and Goodnight City came to define Martha's searing songwriting style and established her as a powerful voice to be reckoned with.

In Martha's memoir, Stories I Might Regret Telling You, Martha digs into the deep recesses of herself with the same emotional honesty that has come to define her music. She describes her tumultuous public-facing journey from awkward, earnest, and ultimately rebellious daughter, through her intense competition and ultimate alliance with her brother, Rufus, to the indescribable loss of their mother, Kate, and then, finally, discovering her voice as an artist. With candor and grace, Martha writes of becoming a mother herself and making peace with her past struggles with Kate and her former self, finally understanding and facing the challenge of being a female artist and a mother. Ultimately, Stories I Might Regret Telling You will offer listeners a thoughtful and deeply personal look into the extraordinary life of one of the most talented singer-songwriters in music today.

©2022 Martha Wainwright (P)2022 Hachette Books

Critic reviews

"A beautiful and clear-eyed memoir, full of music, friendship, love and heartache. Somehow at once sizzling and wise, as undeniable as the singer who wrote it.”—SEAN MICHAELS, Scotiabank Giller Prize-winning novelist and founder of Said the Gramophone

“I have been listening to Martha Wainwright for at least twenty years, admiring her from afar. Her new memoir, Stories I Might Regret Telling You, made me feel like I was sitting in a corner of one of her New York apartments, reading her private diaries under a blanket with a flashlight. Martha writes like a soldier in the trenches sending word home, not knowing whether she will live or die, bringing uncomfortable, sometimes unbearable, honesty to bear. I was sucked in from the first page, though occasionally I winced because it was all so relatable. A casual sadness strings itself through her story of becoming herself, taking no prisoners, casting regret aside like a cigarette. I kept rereading certain sentences thinking they would make such wonderful songs. This entire memoir is a song. I turned the last page and felt like I had made a new friend, the kind you wish you were cool enough to have but never had the courage to pursue. My only disappointment? Her memoir wasn’t long enough. I can’t wait for volume two.” —JANN ARDEN, singer, songwriter, TV star, bestselling author

A Treasure

Simply and elegantly written and told, Martha reveals her painful story with ease. Fiercely and relentlessly honest, it’s the story of an artist and her dynasty and the entire royal court. I’ve always loved Martha’s original voice as a songwriter and I love her equally as much now as a writer. What a complete treasure she is!

Divine

Martha shares space with all that is it to be human, a woman and being flaw while being immensely funny, cool and talented. Martha brought me inspiration with this book and new life into renewal after death and trauma.

Naked, raw, and great

Martha Wainwright is a beautiful artist and a brilliant performer. Somewhere along the way I lost track of her. Now I know the reason why. I'm grateful to hear her story and look forward to seeing her up on the stage again, soon.

Touching

Amazing book!!! This book helped bring forth thoughts and feelings I've been missing. I highly recommend it!!

I had a feeling this would be good

but it was even better than I expected. Such a fascinating family. Martha shares her stories with authenticity & rawness, but you get the feeling she is fair and respectful of the people in her life. She’s also a surprisingly natural and engaging narrator (a skill that doesn’t always accompany the ability to sing and perform on stage). I hope she’ll keep writing. I could happily listen to Wainwright family stories all damn day.

Beautiful.

I have been respectfully aware of Martha Wainwright, but have not been really been in tune with her music. This memoir, however, could not have been more beautifully told, vulnerable, sad, ‘funny’ in places and artfully constructed.

I just finished the audiobook and I will miss having her tender, wry voice in my ears. It was a wonderful 7 hours together.