Lance Olsen’s Book Notes music playlist for his novel An Inventory of Benevolent Butterflies

In the Book Notes series, authors create and discuss a music playlist that relates in some way to their recently published book. Previous contributors include Jesmyn Ward, Lauren Groff, Bret Easton Ellis, Celeste Ng, T.C. Boyle, Dana Spiotta, Hanif Abdurraqib, Andrew Sean Greer, Roxane Gay, and many others. Lance Olsen’s reimagining of the life of artist Henry Darger, An Inventory of Benevolent Butterflies, is at once both tragic and transcendent. Publishers Weekly wrote of the book: “Olsen (Absolute Away) gives voice to outsider artist Henry Darger, who died in 1973, in this admirable narrative…It’s an arresting portrait of a troubled figure.” In his own words, here is Lance Olsen’s Book Notes music playlist for his novel An Inventory of Benevolent Butterflies: Henry Darger (1892-1973) is one of those fascinating, secret-handshake, so-called outsider artists. I’m always startled and made glad how many small pockets of people know about him these days. I’m always startled and forlorn…