Waiting on the Moon

Artists, Poets, Drifters, Grifters, and Goddesses

By: Peter Wolf

Narrated by: Peter Wolf

In the tradition of classic collections of observations and musings such as Christopher Isherwood’s I Am a Camera and Truman Capote’s The Dogs Bark, Waiting on the Moon is a treasure trove of vignettes from a legendary musical figure whose career spans more than six decades and is still going strong.

Peter Wolf grew up in the Bronx, a child of “fellow travelers” whose artistic inclinations influenced both his love of music and his initial desire to become a painter. Stories of his loving and sometimes eccentric parents complement scenes depicting a very young Bob Dylan as he arrived on the Greenwich Village folk scene. Reflections on Wolf’s studies in Boston—where he shared an apartment with David Lynch—are braided with accounts of first love, an untraditional literary education, and early musical influences such as Muddy Waters.

After Wolf joined the J. Geils Band as their front man and his musical fame grew, he rubbed shoulders with other notables who left significant impressions on him, including members of the Rolling Stones, Sly Stone, Tennessee Williams, Alfred Hitchcock, and Van Morrison. Wolf’s marriage to Faye Dunaway is presented in a clear yet balanced and nuanced light.

Told with gentle humor and often heart-rending poignancy, the word portraits in Waiting on the Moon provide a revealing glimpse of artists, writers, actors, and musicians as they work—the creative forces that drive them to achievement; the demons they battle; the patterns of their human relationships. They are meant to inspire not only empathy but also admiration. Like Isherwood, Wolf remains “a camera with its shutter open.”

Critic reviews

“Waiting on the Moon is the page-turner of the decade. It’s as if my three favorite memoirs—The Kid Stays in the Picture, Running With Scissors, and Permanent Midnight—all got together and made a big, healthy, hilariously fucked-up kid who somehow managed to outdo them all.”—Peter Farrelly, Academy Award winning director and writer

"Arriving home from my 114th tour date, Peter's book has kept me wonderful company. As the eastern sun rises through my airplane window, the warmth of its rays reminds me of the love of life and living so beautifully expressed in his writing."—Bruce Springsteen

“This is the book I’ve been hoping Peter would write since we walked the streets of Paris together, back in the 20th Century. A true account of his life, love and music told with unique humor and rare humility.”—Elvis Costello

"Waiting on the Moon is a five-star memoir, and Peter Wolf is a solid gold storyteller. His eye for detail is exquisite, I felt like I was living these stories alongside him. A rarity in a rock star memoir, Wolf does not center himself, he lets the players in his extraordinary life take centerstage and shine. I loved every single minute."—Lisa Jewell, #1 New York Times bestselling author of None of This Is True

“Elegant, eloquent vignettes from a star-studded life . . . Recollections of a rock ’n’ roll life, charmingly related.”

—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

One of the best audio books ever!

This book is beautifully written and was exactly how an audio book should be “performed”. Mr. Wolf didn’t just read his book but painted a picture in my mind with his perfectly chosen words and his wonderful renditions of the voices he channeled. Such a delight to hear! I want to hear it again and I will be sharing with everyone I know! Bravo Mr Wolf! What a life you have lived! Thank you for sharing.

Always been a fan!

Loved listening to Peter Wolf tell his story. I have seen the JGeils perform once in my life that was with Prince and the Rolling Stones in LA yes that time! Anyways great listen !! Thanks Peter ! Good job!

WHO KNEW?!

What a surprising invention of a life. Intensely lived and beautifully conveyed.
Just inspiring. Well done Mr. Wolf!

Truthful

He's a more interesting man than I ever knew. I felt like I kind of knew him by the end of the book.

Great writer. Great story.

When authors like Wolf read their own books you do pick up their odd affectations. Wolf’s is that he pronounces the word “film” as “fill-em.” Better that than Nucular!