Selected Publications
Books
Lauterbach, Preston. Harlem Underworld: A Dope Empire, the Rise of R&B, and the Birth of Rap. New York: Da Capo. Forthcoming March 2027.
———. Before Elvis: The African American Musicians Who Made the King. New York: Da Capo, 2025.
———, and The Blind Boys of Alabama. Spirit of the Century: Our Own Story. New York: Da Capo, 2024.
———, and Howard Grimes. Timekeeper: My Life in Rhythm. Memphis: Devault-Graves Books, 2022.
———, and Annye C. Anderson. Brother Robert: Growing Up with Robert Johnson. New York: Da Capo, 2020.
———. Bluff City: The Secret Life of Photographer Ernest Withers. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2019.
———. Beale Street Dynasty: Sex, Song, and the Struggle for the Soul of Memphis. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2015.
———. The Chitlin' Circuit: And the Road to Rock 'n' Roll. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2011.
Anthologies and Edited Collections
Lauterbach, Preston. "A Cheap Idea." In New Directions 52: An International Anthology of Prose and Poetry, edited by J. Laughlin. New York: New Directions, 2015.
———. "Memphis Burning." In Memphis: 200 Years Together: An Anthology, edited by Jonathan Judaken and Karen B. Golightly. Memphis: Susan Schadt Press, 2019.
Lauterbach, Preston. "Revolutions in American Music’ Review: How a Country Got in Rhythm." The Wall Street Journal, 2024.
———. "‘Arhoolie Records: Down Home Music’ Review: Chasing the Blues." The Wall Street Journal, 2024.
———. "‘Elvis and the Colonel’ Review: Saving Tom Parker." The Wall Street Journal, 2023.
———. "‘King of the Blues’ Review: The Crowning of B.B. King." The Wall Street Journal, 2021.
———. "‘Looking to Get Lost’ Review: The Heart of Rock ’n’ Roll." The Wall Street Journal, 2020.
———. "Capturing Martin Luther King Jr. and Elvis." Lapham's Quarterly, February 2019. https://www.laphamsquarterly.org/roundtable/capturing-martin-luther-king-jr-and-elvis.
———. "Memphis Burning." Places Journal, March 2016. https://placesjournal.org/article/memphis-burning/.
———. "'Dictator of the Lincoln Belt': Meet the Black Political Operative Who Orchestrated One of the Great Upsets in Presidential Election History." Salon, February 29, 2016. https://www.salon.com/2016/02/29/dictator_of_the_lincoln_belt_meet_the_black_political_operative_who_orchestrated_one_of_the_great_upsets_in_presidential_election_history/.
———. "The Center of the Rock Universe." The Wall Street Journal, November 2015.
———. "A Real-Life Lucious Lyon: The Former Slave Who Built a Beale Street 'Empire' and Transformed Memphis." Salon, April 4, 2015. https://www.salon.com/2015/04/04/a_real_life_lucious_lyon_the_former_slave_who_built_a_beale_street_empire_and_transformed_memphis/.
———. "A Cheap Idea." Virginia Quarterly Review, January 2015. http://www.vqronline.org/essays-articles/2015/01/cheap-idea.
———. "Sympathy for the Devil: Don Robey and the Death of Johnny Ace." Oxford American, Issue 87 (Winter 2014), January 16, 2015. https://www.oxfordamerican.org/magazine/item/1040-sympathy-for-the-devil.
———. Review of Empire of Sin, by Gary Krist, and The Great New Orleans Kidnapping, by Michael Ross. The Wall Street Journal, November 2014.
———. "The Collector Rebellion." Oxford American, July 7, 2014.
Selected Journals, Newspapers, Magazines
Selected Lectures, Keynotes, and Panel Discussions
Lauterbach, Preston. "Before Elvis." Panel presentation and literary reading at the Oxford Conference for the Book, Oxford, MS, April 3, 2025.
———. "Bluff City: The Secret Life of Photographer Ernest Withers." Public lecture and book signing at the U.S. National Archives, Washington, D.C., February 26, 2019.
———. "Complicated Lives in the Civil Rights Era." Panel presentation at the Virginia Festival of the Book, Charlottesville, VA, March 23, 2019.
———. "Photography and the Written Word." Panel presentation at the Brooklyn Book Festival, Brooklyn, NY, September 22, 2019.
———. "Communities in Conversation: Beale Street Dynasty." Keynote lecture delivered at the Beale Street Symposium, Rhodes College, Memphis, TN, March 19, 2015.
———. "Beale Street Symposium Roundtable." Academic panel presentation at Hyde Hall, Rhodes College, Memphis, TN, March 20, 2015.
———. "Reading Under the Influence: Blues and Brews." Book launch presentation and live interview at the Virginia Festival of the Book, Charlottesville, VA, March 20, 2015.
———. "The Secret History of America’s Most Iconic Street." Educational site lecture and guided tour for the Curb Institute for Music, Rhodes College, Memphis, TN, March 21, 2015.
———. "The Sutphin Lecture Series." Guest history lecture at the University of Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN, April 12, 2012.
———. "The Chitlin’ Circuit." Interdisciplinary panel presentation at the Bryan Campus Life Center, Rhodes College, Memphis, TN, October 28, 2011.
———. "The Chitlin’ Circuit Author Talk." Public presentation at the Texas Book Festival, Austin, TX, October 23, 2011.
———. "The Chitlin’ Circuit and the Road to Rock ’n’ Roll." Keynote address delivered at the University of Memphis Music Symposium, Memphis, TN, November 4, 2011.