Where to Start Reading Debbie Harry
For the most complete and personal understanding of Debbie Harry's life, career, and artistic evolution, the recommended starting point is her official autobiography, Face It. Originally published in 2019 and widely re-released in paperback in 2022, this memoir is written in her own distinctive, conversational voice. It establishes the foundational narrative of her journey from being adopted in New Jersey to becoming a global icon of the New York punk and new wave scenes.
After finishing her memoir, readers should dive into Making Tracks: The Rise of Blondie (1982). Co-authored during the height of the band's initial success, this book serves as an excellent companion piece. It offers a gritty, real-time photographic and interview-based capsule of the band's rise, capturing the raw energy of the late 1970s and early 1980s without the benefit of retrospective hindsight.
Debbie Harry Books in Publication Order
While Debbie Harry's bibliography is focused, it spans several decades and transitions from collaborative band history to deeply personal reflection. Below is the chronological publication order of her primary non-fiction books:
- Making Tracks: The Rise of Blondie (1982) – Co-authored with Chris Stein and Victor Bockris. A fast-paced, documentary-style look at the early years, breakthroughs, and New York club scene that spawned the band.
- Face It: A Memoir (2022 / Originally published in 2019) – Co-authored with music journalist Sylvie Simmons. A comprehensive, multimedia-rich autobiography featuring personal essays, rare photographs, and fan art.
Chronological Reading vs. Publication Order
Because Debbie Harry’s literary output consists of two major non-fiction works published nearly forty years apart, reading them in different sequences offers unique perspectives:
The Retrospective Path (Recommended)
- Face It (2019/2022)
- Making Tracks: The Rise of Blondie (1982)
Why read this way? Reading the memoir first provides the necessary historical context of Debbie Harry's entire life—including her childhood, her early folk band Wind in the Willows, the financial struggles of the mid-1980s, her acting career, and the eventual rebirth of Blondie. Following this with Making Tracks acts as a deep-dive supplement, focusing specifically on the intense, chaotic peak of their early fame through real-time photographs and interviews.
The Time Capsule Path
- Making Tracks: The Rise of Blondie (1982)
- Face It (2019/2022)
Why read this way? This method allows you to experience the story as it unfolded. You start with the youthful, unfiltered optimism and exhaustion of the band in 1982, and then follow it up decades later with Harry's mature, reflective look back at those same events, along with the subsequent decades of her life.
What to Know Before You Start
Debbie Harry's books are highly visual and collaborative. They reflect her identity not just as a writer or singer, but as a visual artist and style icon:
The Visual Element: Neither book is a standard text-only biography. Making Tracks is filled with period photography, primarily shot by Chris Stein, capturing the gritty atmosphere of CBGB and the New York underground. Face It takes this further by styling itself almost like a high-end art book, incorporating fan art, personal photo archives, and custom illustrations alongside the text.
Collaborative Voices: In both projects, Harry collaborated with established writers and creatives to bring the stories to life. Her partner and Blondie co-founder, Chris Stein, is a key creative force in both books, ensuring that the musical history remains accurate and visually striking. In Face It, veteran music journalist Sylvie Simmons helps structure Harry's memories into a cohesive narrative, while retaining Harry's signature cool, detached, yet engaging tone.
Other Literary Contributions and Collaborations
Beyond her main non-fiction books, Debbie Harry has contributed to several other notable publications. In 2016, she wrote the foreword for Allan Tannenbaum's photography book, Grit and Glamour: The Street Style, High Fashion, and Legendary Music of the 1970s, which chronicles the visual culture she helped define. Additionally, in 2023, she teamed up with Chris Stein for Debbie Harry Metamorphosis: Creating the Visual Concept for KooKoo, an art-focused publication detailing her legendary collaboration with Swiss artist H.R. Giger for her debut solo album's visual styling.