About the author
Natalie Hodges has performed as a classical violinist throughout Colorado and in New York, Boston, Paris, and the Italian Piedmont, as well as at the Aspen Music Festival and the Stowe Tango Music Festival. She is a graduate of Harvard University, where she studied English and music, and currently lives in Boulder, Colorado. Her first book, Uncommon Measure: A Journey Through Music, Performance, and the Science of Time, was longlisted for the National Book Award, shortlisted for the Saroyan Prize, and named a New York Times “Editors’ Choice.”
Uncommon Measure
by Natalie Hodges
Korean-American author, mental health/burnout, music and science
A virtuosic debut from a gifted violinist searching for a new mode of artistic becoming.
How does time shape consciousness and consciousness, time? Do we live in time, or does time live in us? And how does music, with its patterns of rhythm and harmony, inform our experience of time?
Uncommon Measure explores these questions from the perspective of a young Korean American who dedicated herself to perfecting her art until performance anxiety forced her to give up the dream of becoming a concert solo violinist. Anchoring her story in illuminating research in neuroscience and quantum physics, Hodges traces her own passage through difficult family dynamics, prejudice, and enormous personal expectations to come to terms with the meaning of a life reimagined—one still shaped by classical music but moving toward the freedom of improvisation.
Free Author Q&A event, May 30, 12 PM EST
Join us live for a special Big Library Read event featuring Natalie Hodges, author of Uncommon Measure: A Journey Through Music, Performance, and the Science of Time. In this exclusive Q&A, Natalie will be interviewed by Leah Miller, Director of Book Publishing at AARP, for a conversation that explores the profound connections between music, neuroscience, and the nature of time
Enter to win!
Enter the world of Uncommon Measure with Beats Solo 4 Headphones, a Victrola Portable Record Player, a Thelonius Monk & John Coltrane Vinyl, and a signed copy of Uncommon Measure! To enter: share how you’re celebrating Big Library Read on social media (Bluesky/Threads/Facebook/Instagram)! Like a post about Big Library Read and tagging someone in the post comments on any Libby social media page, or by making your own post using the hashtag #BigLibraryRead.
Author letter and Discussion guide
Author letter
Discussion guide
