What's on your ipod?

Tom Perrotta, author of "The Abstinence Teacher," "Little Children," and "Election"

Perrotta was perplexed by how much classic rock popped up on his iPod shuffle. "I think of myself as being open to the new stuff, and this probably tells me something that I'm not ready to admit. I'm also surprised to see two songs that make me cry, Zevon's and the Springsteen," says Perrotta, who reads and gives the keynote interview tomorrow at the Portsmouth Literary Festival in New Hampshire. "But I'll own up to my collection. Like Nick Hornby, I believe that music reflects someone's character."

1. "Every Moment," Clem Snide

2. "We Shall Overcome," Bruce Springsteen

3. Dvorak's Violin Concerto in A Minor, Sarah Chang

4. "Ballad Z," Jim Hall and Pat Metheny

5. "Daydream Believer," The Monkees

6. "California Sun," The Ramones

7. "City Girl," Tegan & Sara

8. "Keep Me in Your Heart," Warren Zevon

9. "Mannish Boy," Muddy Waters

10. "Oklahoma, U.S.A.," The Kinks

Total songs: 3,152

Glad we missed: "What are those guys called? Something about the T-shirts. ["Hey There Delilah" by the Plain White T's?] Yes, the Plain White T's. My 14-year-old daughter and I share an iTunes account, and sometimes her songs will pop up on mine."

JOAN ANDERMAN