Anne Tyler, Rock Fan?

 Anne Tyler references two beloved rock bands in her upcoming novel. The Pulitzer Prize-winning author mentions both Pavement and local legendsCrack the Sky in Noah's Compass, which we've excerpted in this month's Baltimore.

Tyler tells us it's the "hardest book I've ever written," which we're certain had nothing to do with the fleeting rock references. Rather, it's due to the effort it took to create Liam, her aging male protagonist."Who wants to spend any time with a man whose life is basically over?" says Tyler. "But he turned out to be so full of surprises, and I grew so fond of him. Now that the book is finished, I miss him."

You can meet Liam on January 5, when the book is released.

Here's a video for Pavement's "Spit on a Stranger," a tune Tyler mentions in the book.

And here's a Crack the Sky clip.