"Lover, Beloved: Songs from an Evening with Carson McCullers" is the ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega. The album was released on October 14, 2016. This album is inspired by the Southern-Gothic novelist Carson McCullers, with 10 songs about McCullers' life and work.
The album was born from a play, "Lover, Beloved: An Evening with Carson McCullers," which was co-written by Suzanne Vega and Tony-winning composer Duncan Sheik. This is a continuation of Vega's fascination with the novelist, who she read and admired growing up. The album utilizes elements of jazz, folk, and pop music to engage with McCullers' own literary voice.
Suzanne Vega is known for her highly literate lyrics and soft-spoken delivery, and this project is no different, as it explores the life of a writer who shared Vega's penchant for observing human behaviour. Vega's songs bring McCullers' grotesque Southerners to life and examine the recurring theme of the divided self, which McCullers often wrote about. This album illustrates Suzanne Vega's distinctive narrative songwriting and brings a fresh perspective to the biographical album genre.
