“My Boyfriend’s Back,” “Please Mr. Postman,” “Lollipop” and hundreds of other Doo-wop songs filled the airwaves during the fifties and sixties. Who were these artists that introduced us to these iconic songs?  Poet and author Emily Liebowitz is visiting her Castro Valley childhood home this month promoting her new book, But Will You Love Me Tomorrow? An Oral History of the ‘60s Girl Groups. People Magazine just chose her book as one of the “Must-Read Books” for Fall of 2023. Liebowitz and her co-author Laura Flam will be at the Castro Valley Library (3600 Norbridge Avenue), September 23 at 2:00 to discuss their book and talk about this special time in American musical history. 

But Will You Love Me Tomorrow? features over 300 hours of new interviews, with over 100 artists. Some of the women of the many girl groups featured in this book went on to achieve stardom in their own right. Some had successful careers behind the scenes in the music industry. Most returned to quiet lives beyond the public eye, some empowered, some broken. But all have amazing stories to tell about their experiences and insight to share about the music industry. 

Liebowitz and Flam chronicle harrowing tales of young black singers touring in the Jim Crow South as well as beautiful stories of female friendship and fierce feuds. The girl groups share insider stories about some of the era’s biggest stars including Sam Cooke, Smokey Robinson, Cher and The Beatles as well as fun facts about specific girl groups like “the no-hit Supremes.” 

But Will You Love Me Tomorrow is Liebowitz’s first non-fiction book.  Her first two published works were poetry:  National Park and a Chap Book, In Any Map. Liebowitz grew up in Castro Valley attending Strobridge Elementary School and then the Athenian School for middle school and high school in Danville. She majored in literature and creative writing at UC Santa Cruz and received her MFA with an emphasis in poetry at the Writer’s Workshop at the University of Iowa. 

Liebowitz describes her childhood as “book-heavy.” Her mother, Ninh Wick of Castro Valley read to her constantly and her grandmother recited poetry. Emily readily admits to liking poetry because the books were smaller and the stories shorter. Liebowitz says that poetry gives her a language to express what she sees in the world. “Poetry speaks to the unspeakable.” Liebowitz and Flam make a good duo as they approach writing with a different eye.