Sondheim & Me: Revealing a Musical Genius

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A memoir chronicling the relationship between American musical composer Stephen Sondheim and journalist Paul Salsini during the latter's time as the founder and editor of The Sondheim Review, the only publication devoted solely to Sondheim's work during his lifetime. The magazine was begun in 1994 and Salsini shares his unique experiences interviewing, corresponding with, and speaking on the phone with the composer-lyricist through the entire next decade. Sondheim & Me also looks into Sondheim's early work, shares personal letters and interview excerpts, and collects Sondheim's own special insights into his work, often as a reaction to pieces appearing in The Sondheim Review. Salsini describes the musical genius and his working approach in revealing detail, while emphasizing Sondheim's lifelong passion and success in raising the standards of musical theater with innovative, influential, and sometimes provocative new shows.

Author Bio

Paul Salsini was a reporter, editor, and staff development director for The Milwaukee Journal for 37 years and a correspondent for The New York Times for 15 years.

He also taught journalism courses and a musical theater history course at Marquette University.

In 1994, he founded The Sondheim Review, a magazine devoted to the works of the composer/lyricist, and was its editor for ten years.

In recent years, he has been writing fiction, with ten books set in Tuscany.