Musician John Doe: Reading Noir and More

Cover image from Summerland by Michael Chabon

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John Doe founded the 1980s punk band X.

John Doe founded the 1980s punk band X.

John Doe is the founder and bass player for X, the 1980s punk-rock band. He's also an actor, appearing on such TV shows as Carnivale and Roswell. He kicks off our annual summer "what are you reading" feature with an eclectic list ranging from the L.A.-noirish John Fante to Louise Erdrich and Natsuo Kirino.

John Doe's List:

Ask the Dust, by John Fante. "It's just a beautiful character study, and totally heartbreaking at the end, which is, that makes it my favorite."

Tales of Burning Love, by Louise Erdrich. "Her characters... are on a collision path and... a moment of crisis, that rises and falls."

Out, by Natsuo Kirino. "Murder-mysteries are usually so dumb... a lot of them seem kind of rote by me, but this one is terrific."

Summerland, by Michael Chabon. "It was totally outlandish but it seemed sort of real."

And Doe notes that he's also reading a new translation of another favorite: The Stranger, by Albert Camus.