Eidam, Klaus, The True Life of Johann Sebastian Bach, Basic Books, 2001.

Leffland's short story refers to music and includes discussions about the great classical composers. Eidam's biography of Bach has been described as a revitalized account of the composer's life. The author's meticulous research separates the truth from the myth of Bach's life.

Fiedler, Johanna, Molto Agitato: The Mayhem behind the Music at the Metropolitan Opera, Anchor, 2003.

The protagonist in Leffland's short story works for the Opera House and mentions the chaos she encounters on her job. Here is a true-life experience of behind the scenes at another opera house. Fiedler (daughter of famed conductor Arthur Fiedler) worked as the press representative of the Met in New York.

Freeborn, Richard, Dostoevsky: Life and Times, Haus Publishing, 2003.

Dialogues between Leffland's characters include discussions of Russian writers. One of the more important of these writers is Fyodor...