Lila Naimark

A memoir by Lila Naimark

Every life has a

soundtrack.

A story of rock ’n roll, religion, family expectations, and the long road toward becoming your real self.

A life remembered through the songs that shaped it.

1959–1971

A life told across defining years

19 chapters

Memories, turning points, and songs

Memoir

Faith, family, identity, and freedom

Playlist

The music behind the story

The featured book

A story of music, faith, and becoming.

Duke of Earl follows Lila Naimark from a Pentecostal childhood in Indianapolis through the cultural shifts of the 1960s and early 1970s. Told with warmth, humor, and a vivid sense of time and place, it explores family, religion, rebellion, popular music, and the gradual discovery of an authentic self.

Genre

Memoir

Timeline

1959–1971

Setting

Indianapolis, Tennessee & beyond

Themes

Identity, religion, family, music

At the heart of the memoir

The forces that shaped her story.

Three threads run through every chapter—music, belief, and the difficult but liberating journey toward authenticity.

01 Rock ’n Roll

Music becomes rhythm, comfort, joy, rebellion, and a window into a wider world.

02 Religion

A childhood shaped by Pentecostal traditions, expectations, devotion, rules, and fear.

03 The Real Me

A personal road toward independence, self-understanding, freedom, and authenticity.

From chapter one

Tuning through the years.

Drag through a timeline inspired by an old radio dial. Every year carries a story—and often a song.

WLN 59.0 — Memory Radio

1959—1971

1959

The Bobbed Foretop

Sin at the Cut ’n’ Curl.

1961

Stand By Me

A new rhythm takes hold.

1962

The Duke of Earl

The song behind the title.

1964

I Get Around

The wider world appears.

1968

Some Kind of Wonderful

Change becomes personal.

1971

White Bird

A longing for freedom.

1971

I Am… I Said

Finding her own voice.

1971

I Am… I Said

The journey turns inward, toward self-recognition, honesty, and the difficult work of claiming one’s own voice.

From chapter one

“Lila Ruth, it looks like you been bobbin’ your foretop!”

A seemingly small haircut opens a vivid story about religion, family, shame, humor, and the first signs of rebellion.

Chapter 1 — The Bobbed Foretop, 1959

The Duke of Earl playlist

The soundtrack behind the memories.

Songs from the 1950s, 1960s, and early 1970s give rhythm, comfort, joy, and meaning to Lila’s journey.

Duke of Earl

Playlist preview

1962

Stand By Me

Playlist preview

1961

Daydream Believer

Playlist preview

1967

I Am… I Said

Playlist preview

1971

About the author

Meet Lila Naimark.

Lila Naimark grew up in Indianapolis, loving Top 40 hits and idyllic summer vacations on her family’s Tennessee farm

After retiring from a high-tech career, Lila made her home in San Jose and devoted more time to writing, photography, travel, her grandchildren, and music from across the decades. Her short stories have appeared in Fallen Leaf Anthology, Volume 2 and The Portland Leader in Portland, Tennessee.

Her writing explores memory, identity, family, belief, and the moments that gradually reveal who we are.

Lila Naimark

Beyond the memoir

More writing by Lila.

Short stories rooted in memory, place, people, and the details that stay with us.

Published work

Fallen Leaf Anthology, Volume 2

Short stories by Lila Naimark.

Published work

The Portland Leader

Portland, Tennessee.

A note from Lila

Stay in the story.

Receive occasional reflections on writing, memories, photography, travel,
music, and the journey behind Duke of Earl.

Contact

Let’s talk about stories.

For reader messages, book clubs, speaking requests, media enquiries, and literary opportunities.