Waltz of the Asparagus People: The Further Adventures of Piano Girl

Goldsby's witty sequel to her memoir Piano Girl matches its predecessor's humor and breeziness. The first book recounted her experiences playing piano in New York City hotel lounges before moving to Germany. This collection of more than 20 essays includes episodes from before and after her move, starting slowly with "Mr. President," a tale about how she crossed paths with former president Bill Clinton while recording a segment for National Public Radio. Goldsby hits her stride with the title essay, in which she recounts a bizarre display at the Grand Hyatt of over 200 asparagus stalks arranged to form a village and "hand-painted, shellacked, and dressed in a little outfit." Her trials and tribulations while trying to obtain a driver's license in Germany%E2%80%94complete with a road test on the Autobahn at a speed of 100 miles per hour and a written test with extremely esoteric questions%E2%80%94is another high point. But pride of place must go to "The House on Sorority Row," which describes Goldsby's portrayal of a doomed sorority sister in a 1980s cult slasher film%E2%80%94a role that gained her a degree of celebrity.