Katherine Reeds New Book on Todd Haynes Velvet Goldmine Adds Depth to BFI Film Classics Series

Katherine Reed, an associate professor of music, has published a new scholarly book on Todd Haynes’ 1998 film Velvet Goldmine. The book, titled Velvet Goldmine, is part of the British Film Institute’s Film Classics series, a collection that has included works by Salman Rushdie, Mark Kermode, Laura Mulvey and other prominent writers.

Velvet Goldmine was released in 1998 and is a musical drama that follows the fictional bisexual pop star Brian Slade, played by Christian Bale, as he returns to the stage after a long absence. The film is set in Britain during the early 1970s glam‑rock era and features a cast that includes Ewan McGregor, Jonathan Rhys‑Meyers and Toni Collette. It was nominated for the Palme d’Or at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival and won the award for Best Artistic Contribution. The film is known for its non‑linear storytelling, its use of period music, and its status as a queer cult classic.

Reed’s book draws on new interviews with the film’s director Todd Haynes, the music supervisor, the costume designer and other key crew members. It combines these conversations with close readings of the film’s cinematic references, its soundtrack and its visual style. Rather than presenting a straightforward chronology of the film’s production, the book follows a thematic structure that mirrors the film’s own fragmented narrative. The result is an exploration of how Velvet Goldmine encourages viewers to think about the process of creation and the possibility of reinventing oneself.

The book is published by the British Film Institute and is available in both paperback and e‑book formats. It is listed on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and the BFI website. The BFI describes the volume as a “must‑read” for fans of the film and for scholars of film and music. The book’s placement in the Film Classics series positions it alongside other authoritative studies of cinema, providing a scholarly lens on a film that has continued to influence musicians and filmmakers.

Reed’s academic background as an associate professor of music informs the book’s focus on the film’s musical elements. The Velvet Goldmine soundtrack includes songs by Roxy Music, Brian Eno and other artists from the 1970s, and the film’s score was composed by John Lydon. The book examines how the soundtrack and the film’s visual style work together to create a nostalgic yet subversive portrait of the glam‑rock era.

The release of the book comes at a time when interest in 1990s queer cinema is resurging. The Velvet Goldmine film has been re‑watched by new audiences and has been the subject of academic conferences and retrospectives. Reed’s book adds a fresh perspective to the scholarly conversation, offering new primary source material and a detailed analysis that had not been previously published.

In summary, Katherine Reed’s Velvet Goldmine is a new addition to the British Film Institute’s Film Classics series that provides a non‑linear, thematic study of Todd Haynes’ 1998 film. The book draws on fresh interviews and close readings of the film’s music and style, and it is available for purchase in paperback and e‑book formats through major retailers and the BFI website.