Auf der Maur’s memoir is described as "part coming-of-age autobiography, part travel diary, part psychedelic scrapbook,” documenting her life growing up in Montreal, through her big break touring with the Smashing Pumpkins, and joining Hole for the band's 1994 Live Through This world tour, succeeding the group’s former bassist, Kristen Pfaff.
It features rare, behind-the-scenes photos spanning Auf de Maur's career, which began with her first band, the Montreal-based alt-rock group Tinker.
Rolling Stone reports that Auf der Maur’s memoir includes cameos from fellow Canadian Rufus Wainwright, alongside American rock legends Stevie Nicks, Dave Grohl, Michael Stipe and more.
“This book is about the decade that defined me and my generation, 1991-2001, and my life in the rock bands which allowed me to have a front row seat to an incredibly visceral and unforgettable moment in the counterculture,” says Auf der Maur.
“It’s a love letter to the power of music and one-of-a-kind voices that make the world a cooler place; it’s also an ode to the analog, and what magic has been lost. Sharing what our generation witnessed, and what the world once was, in my hope of building a more livable future together.”
Alongside the release of Auf der Maur’s memoir, she’ll be presenting in a new photo exhibit at Toronto’s Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO).
Melissa Auf der Maur: My ‘90s Photographs emphasizes over 200 photographs that illustrate an intimate portrait of the ‘90s. The AGO is calling the exhibit “a time capsule of Generation X,” through the lens of the Canadian musician.
The exhibition will open in September 2026 and be on view through spring 2027.
