Boys in the Trees by Carly Simon Summary
Overview of Boys in the Trees
Carly Simon's intimate memoir unveils her journey from stuttering child to iconic musician, revealing encounters with Mick Jagger, Hendrix, and Einstein. "Impressionistic and boy-crazy" (Publishers Weekly), it exposes the real stories behind her legendary songs. What secrets inspired "You're So Vain"?
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When a Three-Year-Old Leapt onto a Coffee Table and Changed Everything
What happens when a shy girl discovers she can become someone else entirely-just by performing? Picture young Carly Simon at three years old, watching a prospective nurse interview for her baby brother. Suddenly, she springs onto the coffee table, drops to one knee like a vaudeville star, and belts out a brassy "HI!" That single moment contained everything about her future: the hunger to be seen wrestling with crippling insecurity, the transformation that happens when performance becomes survival. Growing up in a six-story Greenwich Village townhouse felt like living inside a music box. Her father Richard-co-founder of Simon & Schuster-played Liszt and Brahms with raw emotion each night, technique be damned. The extended family practically embodied the music industry: Uncle George founded Downbeat magazine, Uncle Alfie directed music for WQXR. Yet beneath this creative abundance lurked something darker. Richard struggled to show affection to his youngest daughter. "Darling, remember to kiss Carly, too," her mother would remind him at bedtime-a small sentence that echoed through decades. Then came Ronny, a nineteen-year-old hired as her brother's companion who became her forty-two-year-old mother's lover. When he was drafted and stationed in Germany, her mother made a suspicious European trip. Her father suffered a heart attack shortly after. The family's unspoken rule became clear: insist nothing's wrong when everything is. This early education in beautiful lies and hidden truths would become the bedrock of her songwriting-the ability to see what people desperately try to hide, especially from themselves.
The Girl Who Sang to Speak and the Island Where Everything Begins
London, Love, and the First Great Heartbreak
Breaking Through the Sound Barrier
The Song That Became a Cultural Mystery
Sweet Baby James and the Marriage of Two Troubled Souls
When the Music Stops But the Love Remains
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"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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