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Christy Alexander HallbergAcross the What-If Universe: Paul Levinson On His Novel ‘It’s Real Life: An Alternate History of The Beatles’

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1. Across the What-If Universe: Paul Levinson On His Novel ‘It’s Real Life: An Alternate History of The Beatles’ Christy Alexander Hallberg 49:44

What if The Beatles did reunite—and the world was never the same?

In this special episode, Christy Alexander Hallberg welcomes acclaimed author, media scholar, and musician Paul Levinson to talk about his novel ‘It’s Real Life: An Alternate History of The Beatles’, based on his award-winning short story that reimagines a very different musical timeline.

Set in 1996, the novel follows legendary New York DJ Pete Fornatale as he heads to Grand Central Terminal—only to discover the music world has shifted in strange and unexpected ways. From speculative “what-ifs” to cultural commentary, this episode explores the Legacy of The Beatles through the lens of fiction, nostalgia, and imagination.

Paul also reads a captivating excerpt from the novel, giving listeners a taste of this alternate universe where the Fab Four’s story didn’t end in 1970.

Paul Levinson, Ph.D., is professor of communication and media studies at Fordham University in NYC. His nonfiction books, including ‘The Soft Edge’, ‘Digital McLuhan’, ‘Realspace’, ‘Cellphone’, and ‘New New Media’, have been translated into fifteen languages. His science fiction novels include ‘The Silk Code’ (winner of Locus Award for Best First Science Fiction Novel of 1999), ‘Borrowed Tides’, ‘The Consciousness Plague’, ‘The Pixel Eye’, ‘The Plot to Save Socrates’, ‘Unburning Alexandria’, ‘Chronica’, and ‘It’s Real Life: An Alternate History of The Beatles’. He has appeared on CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, the Discovery Channel, National Geographic, the History Channel, and NPR.

PLAYLIST:

• Rock is Lit theme music
• Sixties 60’s music (free to use)
• “Looking for Sunsets (In the Early Morning)”—lyrics by Paul Levinson (lead vocals), music by Ed Fox
• “Murray the K’s Back in Town”—music and lyrics by Paul Levinson (lead vocals)
• “Samantha”—music and lyrics by Paul Levinson (lead vocals)
• Sixties 60’s music (free to use)
• Rock is Lit theme music

LINKS:

Leave a rating and comment for Rock is Lit on Goodpods: https://goodpods.com/podcasts/rock-is-lit-212451

Leave a rating and comment for Rock is Lit on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rock-is-lit/id1642987350

Paul Levinson’s website: https://paullev.com/

Paul Levinson on YouTube and Facebook: @PaulLevinson

Paul Levinson on Instagram: @paullevins

Christy Alexander Hallberg’s website: www.christyalexanderhallberg.com 

Rock is Lit on Instagram & Bluesky: @rockislitpodcast

Christy Alexander Hallberg on Instagram and YouTube: @christyhallberg

Christy Alexander Hallberg on Facebook: @ChristyAlexanderHallberg

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Christy Alexander Hallberg Podcaster, Author

Christy Alexander Hallberg is the author of the award-winning novel 'Searching for Jimmy Page' (Livingston Press, 2021) and host of Rock is Lit, the first podcast devoted to rock novels. She is a Teaching Professor of English at East Carolina University and serves as Senior Associate Editor of 'North Carolina Literary Review'. Her fiction, creative nonfiction, book reviews, and interviews have appeared in many journals, including 'storySouth', 'Still: The Journal', 'Fiction Southeast', ‘Litro’, ‘STORGY’, ‘Entropy’, and 'Eclectica'.