Strange Highways Music & Publishing

  • Starr Love Audiobook Round 2: The Patel Motel

    Starr Love Audiobook Round 2: The Patel Motel

    Stack 15

    In this episode, Jeff writes live from a cheap, slightly sketchy roadside stop on I-20 in Texas where he holed up for three days to record the audiobook version of Starr Love. He talks about why the dogs made the first attempt impossible, why he chose a fifty-dollar motel over a proper studio, the MacGyver-level problem solving required just to get the gear running, and why John Waters is the reason he decided to narrate this one himself.

    Click here for the full article on Substack

    Jeff Elder Isn’t Real is a Substack by writer and musician Jeff Elder, a place where the curtain is half open. Part memoir, part creative process, part cultural observation. Warm, honest, and a little strange. Just like life.

    Subscribe to Jeff Elder Isn’t Real on Substack for free, new posts every week, including audio versions of most every essay. Jeff Elder Isn’t Real also broadcasts as a podcast available on most major providers.

  • Welcome to the 90s (Apparently, I Have a Podcast Now)

    Welcome to the 90s (Apparently, I Have a Podcast Now)

    Welcome to the 90s (Yes, I Have a Podcast Now)

    I’ve started a podcast.
    Well… let me back that up.

    A month or so ago, I started recording audio versions of my Substack articles — Jeff Elder Isn’t Real. It was simple: I wrote a thing, posted the thing, then I read the thing into a microphone. Easy.

    But now?
    Now I’ve expanded distribution so it hits most of the major podcast platforms.
    (Except Apple Music. More on that later. Let’s just say: headache – not worth the effort.)

    So yes. I guess I have a podcast. Welcome to the 90s. Or the 2000s. Or whenever podcasts became a thing. Time isn’t real.

    Why I’m Doing This (Even Though I Write Books)

    The reason is embarrassingly simple:
    I prefer listening over reading.

    What?
    Yeah, I know — I write books. I write essays. I write all the time.

    But I also stare at text on a screen for most of my waking hours. So, when I want to actually enjoy a story, I prefer listening to it. Because while my eyes are tired, my brain may not be. Follow me?

    So if you’re like me — someone who loves stories but occasionally wants to give your eyeballs a break — this podcast is for you.

    What the Podcast Actually Is

    The podcast is called Jeff Elder Isn’t Real, and it mirrors the Substack of the same name. Most weeks, I post a new essay on Substack, and now you can listen to me read it wherever you prefer to listen to things.

    It’s still free.
    It’s still me.
    It’s just… portable.

    You can now listen on Spotify, YouTube Podcasts, Amazon Music, Pocket Casts, and all the smaller apps those platforms feed into. And of course, you can still listen on Substack or through the Substack app if you like to keep everything in one place.

    Apple Music will happen eventually. Probably. Maybe. We’ll see.

    Where We Are Now

    I started recording audio at Episode 9. We’re on Episode 13 now. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be backfilling Episodes 1–8 so the whole archive is available in audio form.

    Each episode is around 10 minutes or less.
    Short enough to listen while making coffee, walking to your car, hiding from your responsibilities, or pretending to fold laundry.

    Or, if you’re a binger, you can listen once a month and play them back‑to‑back. That’s the beauty of podcasts — you can digest them however you want.

    What This Thing Is

    Jeff Elder Isn’t Real is a Substack podcast written and read by me — a writer of sorts, musician, and general DIY creative hermit. It’s a place where the curtain is half open. Part memoir, part creative process, part cultural observation.

    Warm, honest, and a little strange.
    Just like life.

    Where to Follow

    Follow wherever you listen, or subscribe on Substack to get everything in one place.

    As the ambulance chaser on TV says, call me right now! Well, here are the podcast links – Don’t get caught in an accident – CLICK ME RIGHT NOW!!! – You, too, could be missing out on thousands owed to you – FOLLOW ME RIGHT NOW!!!!

    Amazon Music

    Spotify

    YouTube Podcasts

    Pocket Casts

    Substack (podcast)

    Substack (main article page)

    New episode arrives tomorrow.

    Thanks for being here!

    Jeff

  • Are You on the List?

    Are You on the List?

    If you enjoy keeping up with my music, writing, and the strange little creative highways I wander down, you’ll want to be on this mailing list. It’s the one place where everything important lands first — new releases, tour announcements, behind‑the‑scenes updates, contests, and the occasional surprise I don’t share anywhere else.

    I won’t be flooding your inbox or shouting into the void. This list will only reach out when there’s a real reason to — something worth your time, something you’ll actually want to know. If you’d like a simple, reliable way to stay connected without relying on social media algorithms, this is it. I’d love to have you on board.

    Sign up for Strange Highways Music & Publishing!

    /

  • Revealing My Dream Cast for Starr Love

    Revealing My Dream Cast for Starr Love

    When I started Starr Search, it wasn’t really a contest or a vote so much as a playful way to let readers peek inside my head. These characters have lived with me, and so have the actors I’ve pictured playing them. Starr Search simply gave me a fun framework to share those mental snapshots — the faces, voices, and energies that shaped how I wrote each scene.

    Now that the series is wrapped, it feels like the right moment to reveal the full dream cast that has been with me since the beginning.

    ⭐ The Starr Love Dream Cast

    • Stu Starr — Frankie Grande
    • Mariel Starr — Barbara Bel Geddes
    • Steve Starr — Kyle Chandler
    • Sterling Vaughn — Simon Le Bon
    • Rowdy Ranger — Joe Exotic
    • The President — Alec Baldwin
    • Lance Robb — Trae Crowder
    • Stu’s Attorney — Jon Hamm
    • Stacy Perry — Heidi Gardner
    • Judge — Sam Waterston
    • Prosecuting Attorney — Angela Bassett
    • Sherri — Ricki Lake
    • Julian Rainwater — John Waters
    • Vicky — Gabourey Sidibe

    How These Faces Shaped the Story

    Every writer has their own way of building a world. For me, seeing the characters as real people — with specific expressions, mannerisms, and emotional textures — helps me develop how they move through the story. If you read my post on Substack, you’d know that the actual characters weren’t inspired by these actors. But it is a great way to get a visual of what was going on in my mind with them.

    • Frankie Grande has Stu’s chaotic sparkle and delusional charm.
    • Simon Le Bon embodies Sterling’s effortless cool.
    • Joe Exotic captures Rowdy’s unhinged devotion.
    • Trae Crowder grounds Lance with humor, heart and handsomeness.
    • Angela Bassett and Sam Waterston bring weight to the courtroom.
    • Barbara Bel Geddes and Kyle Chandler shaped the Starr family’s emotional core and, come on, if Barbara could handle JR Ewing as a son, Stu would be a breeze.
    • John Waters as Julian Rainwater? That one explains itself.

    These weren’t random choices — they were emotional anchors based on the characters’ personalities.

    Now I’m Curious…

    When you read the book, did any of these actors match the versions you saw in your mind? Or did your imagination cast someone completely different?

    I’d love to hear who you pictured.

    Jeff

  • Starr Search – Round Two – Rowdy Ranger

    Starr Search – Round Two – Rowdy Ranger

    ⭐ THIS WEEK’S CHARACTER: Rowdy Ranger

    A flamboyant media personality with a flair for chaos and self-promotion. Rowdy lives for the spotlight — whether it’s earned, borrowed, or stolen. He’s the kind of man who calls himself a visionary while livestreaming from a hot tub, who sees fame not as a reward but as a birthright. In Starr Love, Rowdy becomes Stu Starr’s loudest fan and most unpredictable ally, blurring the line between hype man, stalker, and self-appointed celebrity guru. He doesn’t just chase attention — he weaponizes it. Who do YOU see as Rowdy? John Waters, Joe Exotic, Russell Brand, Carrot Top, someone else?

    [ays_poll id=”6″]

    Cast your vote above — and check back Thursday for the reveal.
    If you want updates first, follow my page on my Facebook page.