We are thrilled to welcome Kevin Dettmar to Skylark on Monday, October 5, as part of our ongoing Get The Scoop series. These are ticketed talks which are designed to offer smaller, more intimate conversations with authors. For the regular price of the book you receive (a) a signed copy of the book, (b) a scoop of Sparky's Ice Cream, and (c) an evening of stimulating and entertaining conversation and community! Kevin will be discussing his brand new book, Punk in 50 Pieces. Come and join us for what is going to be an entertaining and fascinating discussion - and, for those of us (ahem) old enough to remember, a glorious trip down memory lane.

Availability is strictly limited and on a first-come-first-served basis, so be sure to reserve yours early by clicking here!

Fifty years ago punk crashed on the scene, redefining music and popular culture. In celebration of that historic event comes this cultural history exploring fifty iconic alternative songs and unforgettable moments that destroyed and redefined rock ‘n’ roll.

Once upon a time—November 26, 1976, to be precise—a band named the Sex Pistols kicked their way into cultural consciousness with “Anarchy in the U.K.” It was the public launch of punk rock, raucous music with a snarling in-your-face attitude, aggressive style, and a riotous political sensibility that came, saw, and conquered.

Fifty years later, the question remains: What the hell was that?

Punk in 50 Pieces retells the story of punk’s cultural earthquake. Kevin Dettmar traces the evolution of this rock ‘n’ roll revolution, revealing how classic early punk (The Ramones, Patti Smith, Iggy Pop) gave birth to both post-punk (Joy Division, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Gang of Four) and New Wave (Talking Heads, Blondie, Devo).

Standing beside classic works such as Please Kill Me, Lipstick Traces, Rip It Up and Start Again, and England’s Dreaming, Punk in 50 Pieces paints a vivid portrait of an era, a sound, and the artists and attitude that made it unforgettable. It’s the perfect introduction for a new generation of rebels without a cause and a master playlist for die-hards who may no longer be slam-dancing in the mosh pit but have never forgotten the music.

Kevin Dettmar is W. M. Keck Professor of English at Pomona College. He is the author of Is Rock Dead?, the editor of the Cambridge Companion to Bob Dylan, and with Jonathan Lethem, Shake It Up: Great American Writing on Rock and Pop from Elvis to Jay Z. He published the volume in the Continuum/Bloomsbury series 33⅓ on Gang of Four’s 1979 debut album, Entertainment!, and for two years served as co-editor of the series. His literary and cultural journalism has appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and other magazines and newspapers. His latest book, Punk in 50 Pieces: Punk Rock, Post-Punk, New Wave, and the Five Years That Changed Pop Music Forever, was published by Harper/HarperCollins in Fall 2026.