Barry, Brad, Beluga, and me

Dunn, now 40, grew up in suburban New Jersey where most of her friends dreamed of marrying their high-school sweethearts and settling down. She, however, was obsessed with music, and one day in 1989 walked into the offices of Rolling Stone. Despite a bad perm and a lack of street cred, her detailed knowledge of new and old bands got her a job as an editorial assistant.

Dunn says her job has evoked “equal parts self-loathing and excitement” and in her book writes with bravado about her experiences: “On rare occasions, celebs will veer from their carefully bland, publicist-approved sound bites and make a blundering comment that exposes them as vapid or foolish. If this happens, do not examine your conscience. Print their transgression…” —Melissa Whitworth —Barry, Brad, Beluga, and me (Telegraph)