Summary: A great and hilarious sketchbook with smaller literary forms, but I wish that story subjects were treated more thoroughly.
Recommended if you like: Borges, Yourgrau, Calvino, Kundera
Monterroso’s Complete Works and Other Stories contain two volumes of stories in a single book. The stories are compressed, satirical and chiefly about bookish subjects. In some stories the style is frenetic and a series of jarring images and exclamations. Many of the stories seem essayistic; the second volume Perpetual Motion contains a series of short themes — some of which are not fictional at all. Most of the narratives are self-conscious; in the penultimate story Brevity the narrator says,
The truth is that the writer of short pieces wants nothing more in this world than to write long texts, interminably long texts in which the imagination does not have to work, in which facts, things, animals and men meet, seek each other out, exist, live together, love, or shed their blood freely without being subjected to the semicolon or the period." (From “Brevity”)
The final story "Errata and Final Notice" points out alleged errors earlier in the book, adding that the book ends on page 152, this "does not mean it could not also begin here in a backward motion as useless and irrational as the one undertaken by the reader to reach this point."
Clever stuff. My favorite story Leopoldo (His labors) describes a man who considers himself a writer and is regarded as one by friends and family, and yet does little of what may be called writing. Instead, he cogitates at great length about writing, goes through several drafts and spends months agonizing about whether a porcupine or dog should win in a fight in one of his stories. Other story themes include: the vagaries of literary reputation and publishing world, the vanities of the artist and the art appreciator, The title story Complete Works is about a timid critic who longingly hangs around other more distinguished critics until he discovers a narrow field of literary specialization which suffices to gain him entrance into the club.
Other stories cover general themes with characters to illustrate the points: the tallest man in the world, the wife of a ruler who likes to put on charity events involving poetry, a man who deals in shrunken heads, a jealous man. But most of the chapters are either simple little allegories or one paragraph observations about life and art. The book totals 150 pages, and yet it took a long time for me to read. Almost all the pieces were delightful: short and elegantly told (and rendered by Edith Grossman). Yet I wonder if nonartists would find these pieces as enjoyable as I did. One of the more successful pieces, Solemnity and Eccentricity, reads more like an essay than a story; a group of artists proclaim a war against solemnity, and Monterroso reflects on the futility of such a campaign:
those who were not solemn (I hastened to place myself among those) laughed more than ever, wherever they were, pointing the finger at things and people.Those who thought themselves solemn declared with a forced smile that they were not, or at least were only when there was no need to be.
The rest of the piece reflects on solemnity, false solemnity and ultimately eccentricity, cataloguing historical accounts of eccentrics over the the centuries.
Monterroso’s previous collection Black Sheep (which I have not read) tells simple fable-like tales about animals, and this book also displays the author’s talent in working within miniature forms. Complete Works has many elements found in shorter fiction: the fairy tale realism of Buzatti, the elegant impudence of Baudelaire, the promiscuous surrealism of Yourgrau, the absurdist obscurantism of Kafka and the otherworldly pedanticism of Borges. At the same time, Monterroso’s pieces have a friendly conversational tone; they are more down-to-earth, lush with symbolism but not allegorical, more designed to enthrall with wit than to engage the imagination, more geared to social commentary than suggesting an aesthetic. Most of the pieces seem borderline ridiculous – but never implausible.
Microfiction can be hard to read, even for a remarkable book like this. As much as I enjoy the book’s paradoxes and aphorisms, at the end, I found myself longing for longer pieces and a sustained perspective at characters. This is not an impossible feat. Kundera organized various essays and mini-episodes into sections to simulate the effect of a novel’s spaciousness. In Blue Flower, Penelope Fitzgerald assembled a series of short imaginary incidents from the the life of a German writer poet and produced a coherent narrative direction — even though every chapter was 1-3 pages long. I know: Different author, different ambitions, different styles. Monterroso’s extraordinary fiction is what it is, but for me they never rise above being impish sketches. For the Perpetual Motion collection of stories (in the 2nd half of the book), "flies" are the unifying motif – but this association via literary quotes at the top of each story didn’t help me or even make much sense. Out of all the characters, only one – Leopoldo the writer – stood out in my memory. I can’t help wondering if such a memorable character could be enhanced with additional chapters. This brilliant story provided an initial condition without necessarily adding a complication or a potential for change. Let me ask: would Don Quixote be better if it were only one chapter?
To my astonishment and dismay, while looking at Google Reader I noticed on my blog’s RSS feed an essay which I had not yet made live. Wow, how did that happen?
Frankly, when I’m still working on a draft, things can look awfully ugly. By the time I click PUBLISH, I’ve gotten rid of most of the ugly bits, but a few still slip by.
So if you have already read the offending essay and told yourself – how dull! – please wipe that essay out of your mind and wait patiently. (Soon, I promise!).
The odd thing is, I do a lot of writing and reading and yet no time to blog. But don’t worry; things end up here eventually.
After watching it, I asked myself, who is this blonde girl? Is she famous? Does she have a name? And was this stupidity just an act or was she truly as ignorant about geography that the show portrayed?
Googling a little, I see she was an American Idol contestant.
She did a great and spunky American Idol audition here. I can’t really judge her musical talent, but she was pretty and had a strong and striking voice. It’s no surprise that she would make it to Hollywood – although it’s also no surprise that she wouldn’t win – these things are popularity contests anyway.
I’m not really a fan of country music – although I can listen to it in small amounts. I guess my problem is not so much country music as the packaged country music which always sounds jingoistic, overproduced and bland. The music videos are even worse. At least with rap, you had clever lyrics and visual puns. But given her North Carolina background, it’s no surprise that Pickler would be attracted to that genre.
These are great – and these are classic TV moments, and yet I realize that I barely had listened to her sing. One of her most famous songs, I Wonder, was sung with tears at the CMA awards – a moving performance reminiscent of one of my alltime tear-jerkers, Jennifer Lopez’s singing of Selena’s I could fall in love with you ). Reading through the notes, I discover that Pickler has a sad family history. The song was about her estrangement from her mother; apparently her father was an abusive criminal who drove her mother to run away and leave Kellie with her grandparents. Kellie’s mother had engaged in some small criminal activity herself, and after her father was put in prison, the mother returned to take custody again. That lasted for two years, after which both Kellie and her grandparents claim the mother was physically and verbally abusive. A court released her to the grandparents once again, resulting in a permanent estrangement between mother and daughter.
Now of course, Pickler is famous and probably rich, and so her biography probably becomes more of an issue than it would be for most people. Her mother (Cynthia Malone) came forward and gave some interviews. In this news interview, she describes the turbulent marriage:
She said her mother gave her an ultimatum.
"To have an abortion or leave,” Malone said.
So she left and married Clyde Pickler. She said it didn’t take long before she was being beaten again.
"It started with the alcohol, and then it went into other drugs, and the further along I got the worse it got,” she said. “In my pregnancy I was being hit. I about miscarried several times."
"I went to my baby shower with a busted lip and a black eye,” she said.
Malone claims many people were aware of the abuse but did nothing to stop it. She said when she realized her life was at risk, she had to go.
"When I thought I was going to be killed, I knew it was coming down to it was going to be me or him,” she said.
What was the worst thing that happened – the worst that you’ve felt?" Bryant asked.
“Leaving my baby, leaving my baby — that was the hardest decision I had to make,” Malone said.
(Here are two video clips here and here). On camera the mother seems like a level-headed woman. She seems like a genuine victim with remorse. At the same time, in an uncharacteristically angry TV interview, Kellie Pickler accuses her mother of lying, of doing a good acting job for the camera and warns her mother never to return to her again. In fact, when Pickler gave a concert in Raleigh, NC, she had police officers at the concert had photos of the mother to prevent her from making contact. (By the way, great job to the local TV journalists for such a balanced and sensitive portrayal of this human drama). The TV report makes clear that Kellie Pickler’s version of events is a lot more complicated than it first appears. The mother may have made bad decisions and had her problems, but for now it seems drowned out by the Pickler publicity machine. My hope is that they can have a (private) reconciliation, and that Kellie can see her mother with different eyes later.
It is a great drama with many tragic dimensions. For the daughter, the pain is too real, and yet her fame brought her the power and independence to detach herself from it. She is using her music to work through the pain of growing up while at the same time exploiting it for her show business career. All artists have a shtick, and I guess there’s dignity in trying to make your music or art about something real. (Country performers have that knack, it seems).
Celebrities have to create a personality brand, and I guess it’s better to turn yourself into a ditzy country belle than a victim of a Southern family trauma. Maybe some individuals prefer hiding their personality and focusing just on performance or art; actually, that’s pretty easy to do if you’re not a megastar. But even some megastars like Sheryl Crow, for example, doesn’t seem to have any colorful persona during her TV concerts or talk show appearances; she is there just to sing. Maybe Crow makes a few asides in between songs, but she’s not really trying to weave a biographical narrative. She doesn’t try to be funny; she just doesn’t need to. Sheryl Crow belongs to my personal pantheon of great singers, and her music videos have always been bold and expressive (though I suspect this is more a result of Crow’s publicity team than artistic muse).
But Pickler seems to have an insane need to be liked. She is needy but funny. Her upbringing might account for it; the need to be funny can mask all kinds of insecurities. Talk to any comedian on tour, and you’ll find someone with a drinking problem, a history of failed relationships and a caustic attitude towards life. Ok, I am generalizing, but this is true more often that we’d care to admit; what kind of person would try to make a living out of being funny – no matter how hard? I once had a teacher who was the funniest and most clever person I’d ever met. Her wit was on a par with Oscar Wilde. I got to know her rather well; she had a very prominent and visible role in her community, but later I began to feel that her public eloquence was a ruse to misdirect her audience from her actual personality. I actually had no idea what this woman was like inside. I had no idea if she were insecure or distraught or happy. Her wit was not only intimidating and distracting, it drowned out any kind of semi-ordinary conversation.
Actors are like that, as are many writers. I find – if I want to — I can offer scintillating wit in conversation .. and at the same time say nothing of importance! Even when I seem to be talking about myself or confessing something sincerely, most of it is for entertainment purposes only. As much as I like to gab, I’ve also learned to turn it off, or else it would drive people crazy…not to mention myself.
Authentic conversation – what is it? Awkward pauses, long stretches of conversation, lots of uhhs and outright misunderstanding of the speaker’s true intentions until days or weeks later. What was the person saying? What were they really saying? Did I say the right thing? Or was it better just to respond spontaneously … no matter how awkward-sounding? Two weeks ago a close friend told me a secret which stunned me. I just didn’t know what to say; it was a really important revelation – and even though we moved onto other subjects, the topic still loomed over the rest of our conversation. She wasn’t a verbal person – but when she tried to articulate something, it was vital to pay attention.
Listen carefully – I’m serious! — the person who is making you laugh might be trying to avoid a full and unvarnished conversation.
Verbiage can be interesting and revealing; they are nice ornaments to personality. I once read a book called “I Know You are Lying” by Mark McLish. McClish trained federal marshals in interviewing suspects. McLish takes public statements of people in scandals (such as Herman Cain and Jerry Sandusky) and calls attention to verbal tics which suggest subterfuge. For writers and readers, this is no great surprise, and indeed that’s what we like about literature – the roundabout clues that are baked inside narratives.
The funny thing is, Pickler strikes me as an open and honest person. She doesn’t lie; she misdirects. Ok, sure she might exaggerate a few details in her stories (we all do that). To have survived a broken household like that and not to be worn down by the relentless celebrity machine says something about her survival skills, her perseverance and her preternatural faith that things will turn out for the best. Sure, we can thank her grandparents for that, but I believe it also has to come within Pickler herself. We can say that good looks explains her success, and that may be true; on the other hand, we could also say that good looks can make you more cynical about all kinds of human relationships. Everyone wants to sleep with you or envies your popularity.
Pickler doesn’t strike me as cynical. Cynicism is a disease which affects mainly teenagers, the retired, and criminals. If you are 30 or 40, you are too busy to be cynical about anything. I’m always cynical after long bouts of unemployment, but once I find a job again, voila! that cynicism is gone. Even when in pain and desperate circumstances, most people don’t become cynical; they still remember how great life used to be; that’s the kind of life they still long for. The longing to recapture a pleasant life can often be the best antidote against cynicism (even if recapturing it turns out to be impossible).
Cynicism is what happens when you feel betrayed by someone. Betrayal doesn’t just mean “cheating” or “lying.” You feel betrayed when what has been implicitly promised to you never materializes or when someone you counted upon has failed to come through. By that definition, I guess we can say that Pickler has the perfect right to be doubly-cynical (because she has been twice-betrayed). She may still be at the stage where the pain is still too close; this pain can interfere with the empathy that would come naturally to someone so kind-hearted. She has spoken publicly about forgiveness, and maybe she has reached this point; regardless she has already found a lot of caring people to restore this trust. I’m sure she will pour this kindness into all kinds of charities.
Talk show ditziness is fine (for a while at least), but eventually Pickler will find that making people laugh is less important than making them care and helping them to resist the terrible sting of cynicism.
Here are some abbreviated book reviews. (The brevity neither reflects on the quality but simply on my inclination to write a thorough review at the time). See also: my index of book reviews which I recently started.
What Philosophy Can Tell You about Your Dog. By Steven D. Hales. A fun and erudite anthology of essays about pets by philosophy teachers. The essays vary in quality, but all are provocative and raise philosophical issues about animals. I’m guessing it was used for class readings in a philosophy class, but intellectually-minded pet owners would find it an enjoyable read as well. Note that there is a “sequel” What Philosophy Can Tell You about Your Cat. which probably are just essays on additional related topics. Note: I plan to write an essay titled, “Can dogs appreciate Beethoven?”
There’s a Hair in My Dirt by Gary Larson. Mischievous and macabre children’s book told by a father worm to his family. The beautifully illustrated images are hilarious, and the story elegantly debunks a prettified view of nature. My 7 year old nephew loved the book, and so did an 11 year old niece who understand what the book was really about. As an adult I could enjoy it on many levels as well.
99 Ways to Tell a Story by Matt Madden depicts how the same short scene could be told using comic book form in 99 different ways. A creative exercise, and it really gets you thinking about the different ways comic book artists convey narrative. Scott McCloud would approve.
Nasty Book by Barry Yourgrau contains more surreal short stories which are geared for younger (male) readers with a definite Charles Addams humor. I raved about another Yourgrau collection, Man Jumps Out of an Airplanewhich were stylistically elegant and compressed and intended for adult readers. Nasty Book (and its sequel Nasty Book 2) have that same unexpected surreal humor, but with more conventional stock characters (delivering pizzas to vampires, etc) and conventional narrative. I don’t fault Yourgrau for trying to tone down the compression of his prose pieces; he instinctively knows the psyche of the impatient 12 year old reader.
The Frugal Book Promoter by Carolyn Howard-Johnson is the revised 2nd edition of her book about promotion. I’m only midway through, but the book is comprehensive in suggesting lots of ways to promote your book (and by book, I think she means “literary work”). Those in publishing world know her as the “woman who runs that weekly book promotion mailing list” (which I highly recommend). I suspect that Ms. Howard-Johnson hasn’t really covered how to promote ebooks too thoroughly (wait for the next edition!), and some the specific tips could easily expire or be no longer valid in this fast-moving market, but there are so many tips here that it’s still worth reading and savoring. BTW, one of her novels has been on my To Read list forever.
Big Book of Hell by Matt Groening gathers some large panel comic strips he did in the 1980s (i.e., before Groening became an institution). Occasionally the humor is off, but the juvenile minimalist jokes provide lots of premonitions of later works such as the Simpsons.
Small Key Opens Big Doors (50 Years of Amazing Peace Corps Stories) is an amazing read for the Peace Corps volunteer or just the international reader. By the way, my essay The Art of Losing Things appears in it.
John T. Gillespie edits a series of indispensable book guides for librarians and parents. Each volume is about 1000 pages and consists of an annotated list of books for that age group divided into about 50 different categories (Biological sciences, Plays, Fiction: Contemporary Lives and Problems). Each annotation is only a sentence or two, and unfortunately he limits the selections to those which seem to be in print, but still this is a useful guide for students and adults. The most recent edition of each volume costs about 60+ dollars, but the previous edition sells for 2 dollars or less –- and has most of the same content! Content for each volume overlaps, and many of the titles sound similar (though they may specify an age range or grade level). This reference guide is a great starting point for exploring rare and out-of-print books on Amazon and Half.com My only regret is that the book doesn’t list award winners or attempt to single out notable works in each genre. I would have loved to see a hand-picked collection of fave titles; that would be a read! (Allison Lurie comes close with her literary criticism about children’s lit: see Don’t Tell the Grown Ups, and Boys and Girls Forever: Children’s Classics from Cinderella to Harry Potter).
Adventures in the Screen Trade by William Goldman is a fat book detailing lots of practical experiences working for Hollywood in the 1980s. Please appreciate the fact that the practical tips are mostly obsolete. The book is useful mainly for entertainment value (it’s hilarious) and detailing the everchanging relationship between director and actor and writer. This book is hailed as a classic by screenwriters (and perhaps it is), but it’s less useful than illustrative of the various quandaries which writers find themselves in.
Invent Your Own Computer Games with Python by Al Sweigart is a creative commons guide to programming which is intended for the younger reader. This highly readable book explains things well, gives good learning examples and helps the reader develop several games ranging from easy to hard. After about page 300, the author introduces you to Pygame, which by then seems like a breeze. You can read the entire book for free online or download the free PDF.
I’ve been blogging for over 10 1/2 years (actually 11 1/2 if you count the pseudonymous Diaryland blog I kept for about a year). But now it’s time to say goodbye. I’m just too beat to do it anymore. My life, priorities, etc. (fill in the blank here). Now I need to focus on my family /health /book/startup/dog/mental sanity, so that is why I am saying my final goodbyes to the blogosphere and my millions thousands dozens of readers. It’s been good knowing you. Goodbye forever.
Just kidding of course. You don’t ever stop blogging – something I always remember when I see some blogger attempting to hang up his boxing gloves for good. Wait 6 months, and he’ll be back. Maybe not as ferociously as before, but it’s hard to walk away for good. The problem comes when a blogger stumbles upon an audience and feels the pressure to keep blogging even at the expense of other activities. I remember reading Cameron Barrett’s now defunct blog and always thinking that Cameron never seemed to go out of his way to blog. Maybe one or two things a week – and sometimes a rant – but it was always low impact blogging – and at the time of my life when I was reading it, it was perfect. He was about 2-3 years ahead of me in technical skills and shared many interests. (We even ran into one another twice at SXSW – and I can report, that both encounters were utterly unremarkable for the both of us).
Cameron has actually stopped blogging in 2008 (and he’d been doing it since 1997 – always a few years ahead of me, that bastard!) He hasn’t tried to do it again – but he has definitely become more family-oriented since that time. (Oddly, the only posts I remember are his audition for the Price is Right and his marriage proposal via scrabble board) But I see he has gone onto Facebook, started a blog for his daughter and stayed in the field of usability – so I suspect he’s on several mailing lists. In other words, not a dead pup – not yet at least.
I have to admit that I enjoy the feeling of letting my blog go dormant for weeks or even months. Then Wham! Shazzam! Gadzoop! 10 quick posts in succession. Hey, that’s what blogging is about, baby – and only those who follow RSS feeds closely enough ever know what is going on.Even during blog hibernation I am still writing things which eventually will end up on my blog – but also that I continue updating old posts such as this one.
When a blogger calls it quits (especially if it is a young female blogger), there will be a veritable outpouring of panic/appreciation/sorrow from lurkers who suddenly materialize in the comment section. Of course, middle-aged D-list bloggers not affiliated with universities or exciting startups are easy to overlook, but then again, obscurity is positively delicious, and I continue to savor it – that is really the point.
Regular visitors may have noticed that my blogging has slackened off over the last year. Several reasons account for this, most of which I will not discuss here. Suffice to say that my work schedule and personal obligations make this impossible at the moment. All is not lost though. First, I still post 4 or 5 links on Facebook each week, with commentary. Feel free to friend me or subscribe to my updates (note: they are mainly about climate change). I have been working on several long essays which will make it to this blog eventually. I type them on my ipad on the bus over several days or weeks, and I haven’t had time to transfer them over to here.
For the time being, here are some excellent blogs which I check regularly.
The Story’s Story. Jake Seliger is an academic who writes often about literature and publishing.
The Black Sheep Dances, a good book review blog, with some emphasis on European literature.
Washington Monthly and Reality Chex, 2 good liberal blogs about current events. The commenters on Washington Monthly are crude and hilarious. I follow the thinkprogress site pretty closely as well.
Chamber Four, Books Blog and HTML Giant. All three have excellent book reviews. Sometimes Critical Mass has good articles and reviews, but they also publish a lot of miscellaneous crap having to do with the National Book Awards. (They recently had a good series about comic fiction).
Philosopher’s Stone (retired left-wing philosophy professor) and the Non Sequitur, a blog that analyzes political fallacies by 2 philosophy profs.
Interestingly I have been reading Slate fairly often on my ipad and loving it. Also, love the fact that I read copies of the New Yorker on my Nook device. (Subscriptions are quite low at $3 a month – but this is available only on Nook devices, and not on Nook software on the ipad for example).
Finally, a recommendation for Mr. Reader, a great ipad RSS reader that actually does what it’s supposed to do. Also, I subscribe by email to Long Reads, a compilation of well-written long articles. Mainly from the usual suspects (New Yorker, Rolling Stone, etc), but some surprises as well. Long Reads works great in conjunction with Instapaper ipad app in storing longer articles for easy offline reading.
Also, you may have noticed that I now include an Book/Ebook Review link at the top. For the next year or two I plan to review books a lot more often than before. I’ll try in particular to sort through the indie authors now publishing. I won’t have time to write a lot of reviews, but I want to make it easier for people to learn which ebooks are wowwing me at the moment. I also follow the ebooks being given away at the librarything member giveaway section (not super high quality, but I’ll mention it here if anything jumps out). Finally, I follow the #eprdctn hashtag on twitter pretty religiously,although mainly as a lurker.
Even though I have been blogging rarely, I have been reading a LOT and writing a good bit too. Just not here (not yet anyway).
This list compiles my favorite literary titles I’ve read since 2005. This repeats my capsule review/synopses that I write for my Reading/Writing chronologies (see link at top). I’ll update this list over time, with my most recent recommendations appearing at the bottom. See also my list of favorite novels and a list of writers who have influenced me.
Restless Nights by Dino Buzzati. Italian allegorical writer. Light-hearted brief tales with deeper darker overtones. Update: This book is not only the best thing I’ve read all year, but the best thing I’ve read in 5 years. Good luck finding this rare and amazing book. See also his other collection: The Siren and other Stories
13 Ways of Looking at the Novel by Jane Smiley. Great explanation of why the novel genre is relevant in the 21st century. Jane Smiley writes not with scholarly rigor but an artisan’s practical eye. Nonetheless, she indicates a historical awareness of what her predecessors have done with the novel and what the novel is capable of. Her short essays about 100 novels are nothing special (though they are interesting to browse through).
Fat City by Leonard Gartner. Classic hard-boiled California novel about down-and-out-boxers. Recommended by Neil Pollack and ultimately Denis Johnson–see this article) . Stylistically speaking, the taut sentences remind me of either Raymond Chandler and Raymond Carver. But stories about boxers–ugh! Can’t someone declare a moratorium? Update: Although the ending left me hanging, the writing was sad, compelling and taut. Each paragraph was a work of art, and I like how the book transcends the idiotic genre of boxing. It is about love, failed relationships and disappointed dreams. Favorite scenes: picking the onions, Billy Tully’s return to his ex-wife (how heart-breaking). As I finish, I just don’t know what to make of it, except to appreciate where it took me, what I saw.
Tales from Ovid, tr. by Ted Hughes. Compelling rendering of the Metamorphasis by a great poet. Unfortunately incomplete translation, these poems bring ancient legends to life. Update: An extraordinary retelling that has whetted my appetite for Ovid.
Other Hand Clapping by Marco Vassi. Spiritual/erotic journey by erotic writer Marco Vassi. Taut masterpiece about meditation, introspection and jealousy. Compare to Moravia’s Contempt. (I’m writing a critical essay about Vassi, so I’m reading a lot by him at the moment).
Chris Crawford on Interactive Storytelling, by Chris Crawford. Videogame designer Chris Crawford imagines an immersive videogame for telling stories and speculates how it might be constructed (from a programming point of view). A fascinating work; he’s clearly thought about this subject for a while. I have no doubt that some 15 year old somewhere will pick up this book and write a literary/gaming engine incorporating Crawford’s algorithms that will transform the world.
I’m the Teacher, You’re the Student by Patrick Allitt. Fun personal account by a distinguished history professor about teaching a one semester class. Loaded with insights, anecdotes and suggestions. Things I found intriguing: his total disregard for personal problems of students when accepting excuses (students need to be responsible for their actions, he says), his analysis of why student papers are so poorly constructed (there are many reasons, but it has a lot to do with writing not for a general audience but for the teacher ), why plagiarism is harmful (it prevents the teacher from seeing into the students’ mind). What struck me was how keenly Allitt perceived gaps in understanding and how much material they could digest for a semester class.
America by Alistaire Cooke. Famed Brit writes an engrossing panoramic history lesson for the general reader. Cooke has a jaunty first person style and an eye for unusual details. I listened to his Letter from America for years and was afraid his writing on the page would pale by comparison. Happily, I report this not to be the case.
Red China Blues, by Jan Wong. Amazing 1st person account of a Canadian-Chinese who studied in China during the Cultural Revolution and who revisited China over the decades. Wong is a great writer and dramatically shows how living in China both brainwashed her and made her skeptical about politics. Here’s an interview with her about Tiananmen Square for a pbs documentary http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/tankman/interviews/wong.html
Blue Flower by Penelope Fitzgerald. Remarkable and romantic novel that is philosophical, whimsical, light-hearted, humorous and yes, joyful. Compare to Kundera’s Unbearable Lightness of Being.
The Conversations: Walter Murch and the Art of Editing Film, by Michael Ondaatje. Extended thoughts by Murch on various film projects. Great anecdote about how he reedited Welles’ Touch of Evil to conform with Welles’ original instructions. Update: This book just gets better and better. I’m now calling it one of the most important essays on art and creativity I’ve found. See also: In the Blink of an Eye by Walter Murch.
An Old Wives’ Tale by Arnold Bennett (free, on my ereader). This long book, raved about by Martin-Seymour Smith, is easy to get into and seems to be more of a character study than a plotted novel. (I just started). It’s a bit slow going, although I appreciate Bennett’s fascination with ordinary people and ordinary lives. This is a long book, so I’ll be staying with it a while. Update: This is now one of my alltime favorite books.
A Rebellious Heroine, John Kendrick Bangs. Free download, metafictional comedy. Looks cerebral and light-hearted. And funny. (Upon finishing) I am feeling very positive about what’s going on ontologically here, although the conceit is somewhat cute.
Six Records of a Floating Life (Penguin Classics)by Shen Fu. Short novella/autobiography about an official and his wife. Besides giving an excellent glimpse into aspects of Chinese culture (flower arrangement, filial piety and mythologies), this story is fascinating and lovely to read. At times the story is sad, but you appreciate the ability to go into the world of 18th century China.
Lucian, Satires. A series of Voltairian parodies and sketches. Hilarious.
Pnin by Vladimir Nabokov. Terrific.
Laughing Sutra by Mark Salzman (highly recommended). Update: This book turned out to be the most enjoyable thing I’ve read this year. A picaresque tale of a young Chinese monk wishing to travel to the US to locate some mythical Buddhist scripture. I laughed and laughed some more. I didn’t realize this until after reading, but the book is an homage to Journey to the West.
Three Comrades, by Eric Remarque. Tale of three buddies (who fought together in WW1) mess around, sell cars (in 1936!), deal with growing old, go on dates. It’s easy to forget in Germany between WW2 that normal living went on. See my essay about the book. Highly recommended.
How Proust Can Change Your Life: Not a Novel by Alain De Botton. Idiosyncratic light-hearted biography of Proust’s life. Best read of the year.
The Curtain by Milan Kundera. Outstanding collection of meditations about the novel and its place in history. I loved every page! Highly recommended.
Travels with Lisbeth. by Lars Eighner. Classic tale about being homeless in Texas. I’m enjoying this work a lot, but there’s really nothing typical about his homeless story. One conceit of the memoir is why such an eloquent person would be roaming the streets, but if you forget about that for a moment, you can appreciate Lars Eighner’s insights into life from the point of view of a down-and-outer. Highly recommended.
Contempt by Alberto Moravia. Second time reading. This is one of the most psychologically absorbing novel I’ve ever read. It is sad and tragic, though Moravia has all sorts of insights into relationships and the human heart. It’s funny; I’ve read some other mediocre stuff by Moravia and didn’t expect much here. Oddly, I wasn’t particular enamored by the film when I first saw it (before reading the book). Now that I’ve read the book, I’m tempted to watch it again for curiosity’s sake. Highly recommended.
Writing in the Dark. Essays by David Grossman. This Israeli writer writes about morality and art with the seriousness of a Camus and the introspection of Proust. Highly recommended.
Eureka Street by Robert McLaim Wilson. Really terrific social novel about living in Belfast during the political turbulence of the 1990s. In many ways this is a perfect novel. Lots of subplots and reprises and characters. I’ll be honest; I haven’t been really interested in the internecine squabblings of Belfast, but this book made me care about it. This is a rough bawdy novel with lots of skirmishes, outbursts, silliness and even introspection. Someone compared it to Bonfire of the Vanities or the Corrections; never having read that, I don’t know how apt this comparison is, but I enjoyed being surprised by new characters and situations. The central character is a boorish fellow who is utterly sick of the political nonsense swirling about him; in a way he just lets everything slide over him without caring. By the end, we learn that he has turned into an assertive and active character has started to care (and so do we the readers) Highly recommended.
Great Voyeur: observations on my sexual history. By MC Radiance. Comic tell-all about a young man’s sexual history. Free & Creative Commmons. This book is both funny and light-hearted and a delight to read (so far). The mulitalented MC Radiance has published a number of fast-paced, imaginative and sexually explicit books on Feedbooks. A critic compared him to Tom Robbins; I would add Garcia Marquez, Salmon Rushie and Terry Southern. I haven’t read enough to know if there is any depth or great themes, but so far it reads very well.
Fiction of Jack Matthews. I’ve been reading a lot of Jack Matthews, and the works are uniformly excellent (and my ebook publishing company is publishing some of his titles). Among my faves: Sassafras. Comic epic tale about a phrenologist in 19th century America. This comic & philosophical tale is like the American Candide. Gambler’s Nephew, A highly readable and historically accurate story about how an accidental killing of a slave in 19th century USA affects various families and communities. A old-fashioned yarn told with cunning and irony. Hanger Stout, Awake, tale of a happy-go-lucky high school student who finds himself the victim of a con job. Crazy Women. Short story collection where a different kind of crazy woman (to use the term loosely) appears in each story. (All the short stories are great though). Booking in the Heartland, wonderful essays about the art of book collecting, plus some investigations into some “found books” with delicious histories. See this interview I did with Matthews.
Haunted Bookshop by Christopher Morley.
Zombification: Stories from National Public Radio by Andrei Codrescu. Highly recommended.
Man Jumps out of an Airplane. Stories by Barry Yourgran. Highly recommended. My Review.
Summary: Spellbinding flash fiction which is silly/fantastic/profound – take your pick.
Rating: 5 Stars.
Recommended if you like: Baudelaire’s Paris Spleen, David Byrne, Erotica Flash Fiction, Rene Magritte art
This collection of short prose pieces (each about a page long) depict seemingly ordinary situations where fantastically absurd things happen. They seem less like like stories than cosmic jokes or Zen fairy tales for Americans. Each prose piece offers surprises and revelations. (“A man comes home and finds his wife in bed with a squirrel”, “A couple of girls are locked up in a big aquarium,” “I have the last pack of cigarettes in the world; but no matches.”) The characters themselves are less interesting than their situations; one page is enough for them to fall in love or meet imaginary creatures or feel some grand feeling. A lot of the prose pieces are sexually explicit but strange (in one a man finds a map of Greenland on the inside of a girl’s thigh). The prose style is compact and exquisite and easy to read (and suitable for being performed publicly). Now that I’m finished, almost none of the pieces have stuck in my head; all I retain is the memory of being dazzled by a rapid series of unreal images and events. On the bright side, I probably could reread these pieces and enjoy them just as much as the first time.
What is the aim of these koan-like stories? Should the reader notice the allegorical resonances or simply enjoy Yourgrau’s marvelous and whimsical sense of the absurd? With Kafka or Buzzati, the initial situation may have been absurd (i.e., turning into a cockroach), but the author spent considerable effort expanding on the idea and giving it an air of plausibility. But Yourgrau’s stories are more playful than plausible. I am unsure whether to call this a profound literary work — you can’t have real character development or serious drama in a form so compact and whimsical. These kinds of stories don’t NEED to be profound — especially when the far-fetched imagery is so metaphorical. In the Soupbone story, the protagonist jumps out of an airplane while emptying a shoebox of letters from his old love; to his surprise he finds a falling dog also in midair helplessly trying to chase after a bone. Why a dog? Why a soupbone? Part of the fun of these stories is trying to relate the imagery to some universal feeling of dismay or anomie – if that is even possible. The stories grab and intrigue me, but they don’t really move me; that is not the point. Yourgrau has written sequels to this collection using this same innovative short form: Sadness of Sex (about sex) and the NastyBook (geared towards younger readers). This form breaks all rules and takes advantage of today’s reader’s short attention span and the magical possibilities of prose. Highly recommended.
Recently I read an analysis by Dr. Dan Wallach on Chuck Kuffner’s blog about how to find the best deal on electricity in Texas. Some areas in Texas allow consumers to choose the provider of electricity to their homes. (But not all – some cities – notably San Antonio and Austin – allow residents to purchase electricity only through a municipal provider. The jury is still out about whether privatizing electricity utilities in Texas has resulted in lower prices. Many analysts have concluded that privatizing actually brings higher prices – but I continue to have hope that privatizing will eventually bring lower prices – and if not, an electrical grid that is more in keeping what Texas citizens want.
When you have to choose an electric provider yourself, you can make mistakes (as Dan Wallach explains). One mistake is trying to comparison-shop by comparing variable rates. When purchasing electricity using the Powertochoose.org website, they mix variable rates with fixed rates. Variable rates always start out low, but increase in price without ever seeming to go down. As a result, it becomes practically impossible to compare these plans – and to do the diligence to monitor the plans actively enough to know when to switch again. Fixed rates are easier-to-compare, and I have found over the years I have found that fixed rate plans lasting 12 months tend to provide the best rates. 6 month rates are a little cheaper, and 24 months tend to be a lot more expensive (I think the 24 month plans factor in market uncertainty – a lot can change in 24 months!). The problem with these fixed rate plans is that after they expire, you are rolled onto a variable rate plan, with its ever-escalating rates. To this date, no electric provider has never sent me a reminder that my plan has expired or is about to expire; from the provider’s perspective, they benefit if you don’t notice that the fixed rate plan has expired, so why should they have to do your homework for you? (Fortunately, there is an easy solution—sign up for an email reminder service and instruct it to email you when the term is about to expire).
I am amazed at how easy it is to make a bad decision about electric providers. A college friend with a PhD in Economics chose an expensive coal-laden TXU plan because he had just moved back to Texas and wasn’t aware that you had the ability to choose your provider – he just went with whatever someone told him about. (In two minutes, I was able to find him a plan which was 10% cheaper and 100% green). Various acquaintances have chosen plans for the most illogical of reasons. One chose “Reliant” because it sounded “reliable” (Reliant-reliable – get it? I guess getting your name on the downtown stadium was good for something). Another signed up for the coal-dirty Reliant because it had balanced-billing – never mind that it was significantly more expensive than the other plans. A friend chose a plan simply because a friend of hers had recommended it – that was also more expensive. Another friend opted not to choose the “renewable” plan because she didn’t want to have to renew it each time the fixed rate expired. There are other not-so-obvious problems. When I had Dynawatt (a company I don’t recommend), I could not make head or tail of the bill (no matter how long I studied it). Everything on the printed bill contradicted what the terms of my contract were, and when I called telephone support several times, each agent quoted me a different rate on my current plan – something which didn’t exactly inspire confidence.
4 Things You Need to Know about Choosing an Electric Provider in Texas
This blogpost is going to ramble, so I’ll summarize for people who are in a hurry and need fast tips.
Texas consumes more fossil fuels than any other state in the US. If Texas were a nation, it would be the 7th largest emitter of greenhouse gases. Electric plants in Texas (population 25 million) emit as much CO2 as electric plants in the COMBINED states of New York, California, Florida, Massachusetts and Oregon (population: 86 million)
1 year Fixed-rate plans for 100% green (renewable) energy plans are on average 5-10% higher than comparable coal/natural gas plans.
Don’t choose an electric provider which has received too many complaints. (Check the complaint scorecards on the PUC site and also Yelp if you want).
There is a fourth point, but let’s save that until the end. First, let’s go over these three points.
Summary: A highly readable and historically accurate story about how an accidental killing of a slave in 19th century USA affects various families and communities. A old-fashioned yarn told with cunning and irony.
Rating: 5 Stars.
Recommended if you like: Mark Twain, books about pre-Civil War and the South, novels that depict a panorama of characters (a la Dickens), John Gardner’s Grendel, William Kennedy, Saul Bellow
I am a fan of this taut and brooding novel about 19th century America. It centers around the accidental killing of a slave by an abolitionist while trying to save him and a murder that occurs as a consequence. Matthews has tackled historical subjects before. His story collection Tales of an Ohio Land dramatizes historical events while his earlier novel, Sassafras, depicts a phrenologist who travels along the wild frontier in the 19th century. Unlike the allegorical and satirical Sassafras, Gambler tackles more social and ethical issues, depicting 19th century morality in ways that would make the modern reader squeamish. Matthews doesn’t pass judgment on beliefs and superstitions which might seem repugnant to the the modern reader. Instead Gambler’s Nephew shows how people lived with such beliefs while still professing themselves to be religious and upstanding. Reading this book, one can’t help wondering what aspects of our behavior will seem barbaric to future generations.
I’ve always enjoyed the short fiction of Jack Matthews, and I’m happy to report that this novel is profound without being ponderous. It’s also a fast read. Even though the action turns around the abolitionist and his brother, neither has much actual “stage time.” Instead the novel is populated with servants, jailers, steamboat captains and slaves. The last third of the novel centers around the journals of Lysander Crenshaw, the “upright” slave owner whose slave was accidentally killed by Dawes. This part is slower and more deliberative (a contrast to the rapid pace of Books One and Two). The key thing, I think, is recognizing the parallels between Nehemiah the abolitionist and the slave owner; both were guided by moral impulses and both were troubled by the guilt of their decisions.
Here are three things I like about this novel. First, a lot of characters are rounded out and treated with sympathy and dignity. There are no villains here: only wounded or misguided people. Second, despite the book’s tragic dimension, there is also a lot of humor: in the dialogue, in the casual observations, in the character descriptions. (I particularly recommend the prison scene where a condemned prisoner named Biddle attempts to bribe his jailer for some alcohol — a scene which is both horrifying and hilarious). Each chapter expands the story by introducing a new character; at the end, the reader has traveled all the way back to the slave owner’s plantation during the slave’s escape … and stumbled upon surprises along the way. Finally, the book is littered with quips and diction and one liners which enliven every page. Example: “Two month old puppies chase their own tails; we don’t have tails to chase, so we chase imponderable questions.”
For 8 days my Internet provider mistakenly shut off my Internet service. It has been hellish.
Facebook has decided that this blog is “abusive,” and so blocked any attempt to link to a blogpost in it. I speculated that a right-winger might have done it as a prank, but honestly, I have no idea.
My bluetooth keyboard died a few days ago, making it impossible to write things on the bus anymore.
I have been busy trying to figure out this. I still haven’t figured it out, but I will by next week. Update:Yes, I did – but it took 2 weeks!
I have been twittering quite a lot, though mainly about ebooky stuff.
I have since bought a Nook Touch and a Kindle 3. I am overflowing with ebook readers. Here is a list of portable reading devices I have owned: ebookwise 1150, Sony Reader 500, Sony Reader 505, Dell Axim (3 copies—I kept buying old copies off ebay), the Bookeen Cybook, Ipad, Nokia 770, Nook Touch and Kindle 3. That’s 10 devices – (actually 12 if you include the extra Dell Axims). The devices which have given me the most pleasure have been 1)ipad, 2)ebookwise 1150 (what a sexy device) , 3)Dell Axim (obviously – except for its flakey wifi) and 4)Nook Touch – which is really a stylish minimal device. (By the way, if you’re in the market for a good ebook reader, the $179 refurbished Nook Color is a phenomenally good deal).
Until my keyboard broke, I have been writing a storm on the bus on the way to work. Most of these pieces should find their way to the blog pretty soon. (These are nonbloggy literary kind of things, but I plan to do an honest-to-god blogpost this weekend – for old time’s sake; it should be wicked!) Update: No, I didn’t write that post, although I did straighten up this, watched this, and this , in addition to testing various Kindle stuff and realizing that I needed to change all my templates. I also almost cleaned my dining room, Almost.
Jack Matthews is a distinguished 86 year old fiction writer. Recently he published an ebook called A Worker’s Writebook. I helped him do the formatting and design for it.
Jack Matthews has not only published more than 15 books of fiction, he taught classes in fiction writing to students at Ohio University for over four decades. This book consists of his teachings, insights, ramblings and ruminations about the art of fiction.
Many books have been written about the craft of fiction writing; how is this one different?
First, a Worker’s Writebook: How Language Makes Stories consists of essays and dialogue (called interludes). These interludes punch holes in the rules and pronouncements made in the essays; they also help the book avoid seeming too dogmatic. The two voices in the interludes are not exactly "characters" but the author and a contrarian voice within the author. The comparison to Platonic dialogues is apt; Matthews received his undergraduate degree in classical Greek literature and has always found echoes of the classical age in contemporary art and life. Still, the "poetics" of Writebook is grounded less in Aristotle than Aristophanes.
Writebook touches upon some practical aspects of writing fiction (such as naming characters and writing speech cues). But Writebook focuses on helping the writer write more boldly and with more attention to the linguistic vehicles of thought. For Matthews, most stories fail through under-invention, not because the rules of narrative have been disregarded.
Chapter 2 (Taxonomies) and 3 (Structural Matters) cover various paradigms for plot and character development. These are worthy subjects and Matthews has interesting things to say (especially when he tries to analyze his story Funeral Plots with these same paradigms). At the same time Matthews recognizes that there is no magic paradigm or archetype capable of explaining what makes all stories successful – these are just guides. At some point you just have to trust writerly intuition. Writebook helps the potential storyteller to cultivate this intuition and be flexible enough to bend rules when necessary. Matthews writes, "Anything can be done if it’s done in the right way: with style, panache and cunning."
Many writing books include a chapter or two listing literary cliches to avoid. For the most part, Writebook doesn’t do that. Instead it goes deeper and analyzes why some metaphors succeed and others do not. The funny Parable of the Indifferent Ear provides a good case study about how linguistic inventiveness doesn’t always translate into effective writing.
Literary insights from Writebook can be applied to drama, novels and poetry; but they are especially applicable to smaller forms like the short story (though Matthews’ claim that a short story of more than 10,000 words rarely succeeds is sure to be controversial). Writebook’s musings on the novel are still interesting (Matthews has written several novels, including Sassafras, a philosophical-satirical work that is every bit as expansive as Dickens or Balzac). But if you are seeking a guide specifically about novel writing, you might check out Jane Smiley’s 13 Ways of Looking at a Novel, Milan Kundera’s Art of the Novel or even (!) Stephen King’s On Writing.
Similarly, although Writebook includes a few writing exercises – Matthews calls them gimmicks – there are probably better books for that (with Josip Novakovich’s Writing Fiction Step by Step being a notable example).
Writebook introduces lots of new ideas and terminology: the non-sequential time opening, the Swamps of Antecedence, pointedness (which, as I understand it, is how stories gain enough momentum to escape the gravitational pull of the author), linguistic vehicles (the actual words which transport the thought) and why flat characters aren’t always bad. Also, the technique of overcoming writer’s block by trying deliberately to write something bad or meaningless actually works (I’ve tried it).
Matthews wrote Writebook in the mid 1990s (and distributed it to his creative writing students throughout the years). Since then, Matthews has retired and kept busy with various writing projects (described in greater detail in his 2009 interview in Chapter 7). At 85 years old, Jack Matthews is still writing fiction and teaching occasional writing classes. For more information about the life and writings of Jack Matthews, see www.ghostlypopulations.com
I almost forgot; Writebook is wickedly funny. I won’t spoil the jokes; suffice to say that one of his former students said Matthews was "so damn witty" in the classroom that he reminded her of Groucho Marx. Writebook has serious and even lofty aims. But this is fun reading. Matthew’s style is playful and pedantic; Matthews enjoys inventing characters on the fly to illustrate his points and adding qualities to them until you begin to wonder if Writebook is going to veer into becoming a novel. After I finished this book, I still remember snarling black-eyed Greta Hutchins; she is still snarling, and I am wondering what she’s going to try next.
Robert Nagle, Personville Press, April 2011.
P.S. Jack Matthews’ new novel Gamber’s Nephew was published in July 2011 by Estruscan Press. The widely-praised 1967 novel Hanger Stout, Awake! will be republished as an ebook by Personville Press in Fall, 2011. If you wish to be informed about future publications by Jack Matthews, go to ghostlypopulations.com and sign up for the mailing list.
Summary: Dialogue-driven & decidedly old-fashioned morality tale about an underdog DC journalist trying to break a government scandal. Sometimes the dialogue slows down the action, but the book raises interesting & unsettling questions about journalism.
Rating: 4 Stars.
Recommended if you like: Henry Adams’ Democracy, Sinclair Lewis, Dashell Hammett, All the President’s Men
Solomon Scandals is a decidedly old-fashioned morality tale which pits an underdog DC journalist in the 1970s against a powerful coterie of politicians. Stone suspects that Solomon, the head of the General Services Administration, has been defrauding the government by building substandard buildings and pocketing the difference. It starts out as a hunch, and Stone must try to talk to various bureaucrats to find the real story. In the meantime, his newspaper editor is convinced that Stone is chasing after a nonstory and making people mad in the process. A society columnist (Wendy Blevin) is somehow involved, but we’re never sure until the end how the pieces fit together. As we follow Stone’s path to hunt down information (remember, this was the 70s before Google and FOIA and even cellphones), we get a sense of how hard genuine reporting was (and still is).
Solomon Scandals is not a mystery or even a political thriller. It is a fast dialogue-driven story between Stone and the various functionaries he interviews, laced with cynical and caustic asides. (Perhaps the book could be subtitled “How low-level bureaucrats hinder and help the lone journalist”). These functionaries don’t serve allegorical purposes in the way they do in a Kafka novel; they are simply people caught in the middle of things. These bureaucrats aren’t exactly hostile to Stone’s mission, but have egotistical and almost petty motives; the wrong kind of leak could cost a person his job. In a way, the low level bureaucrats don’t mind helping out the lowly journalist because their social status is basically the same. This kind of bureaucrat likes feeling important and able to influence media portrayals; a few of them even feel genuine disgust at the corruption they have to turn a blind eye to. One issue not broached by this book (but might have been) is what ethical framework should a journalist adopt when pursuing a story? Is it right to deceive an official about your true intentions? Is it right to flatter or to pretend to be interested in the bureaucrat’s grandstanding in the hopes that he might accidentally reveal a telling detail?
This novel is ostensibly about journalists in the 1970s. Does this kind of intrepid reporter even exist today? Taking the time to uncover such a long and tangled series of improprieties requires dedication, time and resources — increasingly that role is performed by crusading bloggers and amateur citizen journalists instead of professionals (Indeed, although Rothman started out as a professional journalist, over the last decade he has blogged about libraries here and here). Maybe there are enough journalists lying around in Washington D.C. to smell a story out, but what about Austin? Baton Rouge? Columbus? Albany? Even a newspaper with considerable resources and seasoned journalists like the Telegram (presumably modeled after the Washington Post) might have doubts about sending reporters to report things which are still unproven or are likely to ruffle the feathers of important people around town (or worse yet, scare away advertising dollars). Stone is surprised to find that the biggest opponents of his writing the story is the newspaper itself – caught in the frantic and futile attempt to balance news with infotainment. Probably the book’s most intriguing character is society reporter Wendy Blevin –- who writes a popular column of no substance whatsoever. Stone is cynical about her columns though he admits that she is good at what she does. But when newspaper reporting is dominated by who is dating whom and who has the most friends and best parties, journalists become nothing more than paparazzis.
Think for a moment. Would you really want to read a newspaper expose about the GSA? Had you even heard of it before reading this review? A lot of newspaper stories may seem incredibly dry and arcane to casual newspaper readers. They can drown the casual reader in minutiae – especially when it mentions a theoretical harm instead of a real one. Sure, people really care about a story once a disaster happens (witness BP). If anything, Solomon Scandals calls attention to how hard it can be to convince the public (and even media corporations) that an injustice or malfeasance urgently requires public attention. The horrifying thing is that often reporters do get around to writing that expose – and nobody bothers to notice. With BP, reporters were already on the story about BP safety violations and corruption at MMS; do these kinds of scandals only matter when people die and you have good television?
While reading this novel, I chuckled to myself at how dated it seems – how much it feels like rereading All the President’s Men. Surely, in an age of instantaneous information and Wikileaks data dumps, journalists are better able to influence public understanding. But over time I have decided that the situation has not really changed. Sure, the modern crusading blogger/journalist has easier access to information, and officials are only an email away, but things are neither better or worse – just different. Insiders are still speaking off the record or not speaking at all, and the public generally ignores all but the most egregious of scandals, preferring instead to fill their heads with lurid irrelevancies.
Stylistically, the novel sometimes sounds too preachy (that is Stone’s inner voice after all) and at times it seems too self-aware (in good postmodern form). The book is framed as a historical record found several decades later and published more for curiosity’s sake. This framing device (only a few pages long) was interesting but not really needed because the story speaks for itself. Throughout the book, the narrator seems aware of how later generations may view this campaign to expose Sy’s misdeeds; I confess I sometimes had trouble keeping track of names and details. Also, some of the characters seem too glibly drawn. The mean-spirited Telegraph editor seems too glib a caricature. Still, Stone is an affable guy, and the book does a good job of conveying political vernacular of unknown bureaucrats working for a little-known agency.
I leave the novel wondering which details of the scandal would matter to later generations. How much do politicians or officials really matter? One more scandal, one more fallen official. Eventually they blur together. I am tempted to say that later generations of historians care more about things which appear in the gossip pages(and I suspect that the book’s gossip columnist would be a subject of endless fascination to historians). Or maybe not. Stone believes (correctly, I think) that historians give undue importance to the newspaper’s account of historical events — when in fact the real story never really is told in the newspaper. Perhaps Stone’s mistake was in working for a daily newspaper (those bastards!) Maybe instead he should have just written the story into a novel or screenplay.
Sometimes my reviews may be tainted by various factors – by knowing the author or getting a freebie. I don’t want to exaggerate these things – I can still do a decent review, but I do mention this association at the end of a review..in the interest of full disclosure.
I believe that is perfectly all right to review books by people you know. In fact, your familiarity with their style and their vision may help your review to be more informed.
Are my reviews too positive? Frankly, I don’t want to waste time reviewing mediocre things. It’s almost a given that every review I write is going to be positive.
Here then is a list of potential conflicts of interest in things I review.
Gambler’s Nephew by Jack Matthews. I am writing a collection of essays about Jack Matthews and am helping him to sell ebook versions of some titles (though not this one). I received a free review copy of this book.
Solomon Scandals by David Rothman. I am good friends with David Rothman. I used to work with him in editing and handling backend stuff of Teleread. (My review)
Suppose you were a songwriter and someone asked you to write this song:
I have a serious medical condition and only have minutes to live. However, could you please write a song about a clown riding a unicycle powered exclusively by hate? He’d probably have a fish down his or her pants and should be assaulting people with Seltzer or pies. The clown also needs to go on a retard adventure in which he finds something of importance … a sock — a missing TV remote, God, etc. I know only you could craft such a masterpiece…. (for the Song “Clown”).
Could you write such a song? What about this kind of song:
I’ve been thinking lately about macaroni and cheese from a box. It’s a silly thing really and pitted against most laws of nature even the lovely organic white cheddar cheese kind with shells. But I miss it. It doesn’t exist in Ireland — not even the neon tangerine-colored Kraft kind. I thought you might oblige me and write a song about a girl who misses mac and cheese and the length she is willing to go for it. You might resort to violence, but please avoid reference to white chocolate and Nicolas Cage (as both are heinous). I miss my Wilco double album, so if you could write in the style of Wilco under the influence of Nina Simone… (for the song “Macaroni”).
Impossible, you say? L.A. songwriter and concept album creator Monk Turner enjoys such challenges. He wanted to make an album called Taking Requests (2007) and asked various people to suggest ideas for songs. Then he wrote them. It’s one of those madcap challenges that only a lunatic could accept; the results are inventive and fun. One DJ suggested that Monk write a song about “his nuts,” so Monk wrote a song called Nuts – the legume kind.
I don’t regard Taking Requests as the most notable of Monk Turner’s concept albums (Emergency andLove Story are much more interesting and important). But Taking Requests show the range of Turner’s gifts and the adaptability of his muse to different musical styles. Not all of the songs are brilliant, but some are (Clown is written in a swaying mock-melodramatic fashion, and Macaroni is a brilliant joke song written in a plaintive tone). Purely from a creative point of view, it is fascinating to see how Turner incorporates parts of the request into the song and which musical style he uses. Some use jazzy styles and Overheard in NY turns a series of randomly-heard phrases from subway rides (“Those shorts are chronic” “This isn’t my stuff,” “ That’s it — tomorrow, you’re moving to Egypt” “I can’t get the taste of rubber out my mouth”) into a electronic sound poem. The result is not only funny and hypnotizing, but the chugging style seems reminiscent of the ambient creaks of transit machinery. (I am typing this on a Houston bus and I can attest that mass transit provides an interesting jukebox of hums and rhythms and creaks).
Monk Turner has been creating these kinds of concept albums under creative commons licenses for the last decade now.Despite his unerring ability to write catchy Devo-esque songs like Take Your Vitamin and Company Toad, at about 2006 Turner began to emphasize albums over songs. He dubbed himself “Galactic Defender of the Concept Album.’ His New American Songbook (2006)has a mix of messages and styles ranging from the traditional folk song (I was Born an American) to political fable (Young Politician Who was going to make a change) to upbeat post-consumerism (We’re Going to Take Back America). A little less 1984, A little more 1964 is a fascinating mélange which is really a homage to the sixties both philosophically and stylistically, with reggae beat, electronic sampling and lots of psychedelic effects (reminiscent of Overheard in New York). The lyrics explicitly use the language of protest (revolution, demonstrate, motivate), but in fact the words remain subordinate to the bopping rhythm, and almost sounds muted (a kind of acknowledgement of how distant the 60s spirit feels to us today). Shh the American Dream is Sleeping is a hazy mock-lullaby to a country dazed by its ideals. All American Hippie Girl is a delightful satirical song that tells the story of a boy in love with a “hippie girl” who is talking about political causes but never gives him attention.
She invited me to a protest, and I said, I’d rather not go.
She said, “You’re just a boy who should be saving the world
And don’t be so concerned with this hippie girl.”
So I stood up and told her,
“Why can’t you see that world peace begins with ME?”
Besides being clever and hummable, this song comes with trademark kazoo choruses, slow moments, simple guitar accompaniment plus subtle musical sampling to punctuate the song. Overall, the album has great ambitions; one has to welcome the audacity of trying to write an album about a thing called “America” in an age of 500 cable channels, political polarizations, and cocooned suburban consciousness. Back in the days of Woody Guthrie, I think everyone knew what America was. Now…I am not so sure.
In 2008 Monk Turner released two more albums Calendarand Love Story. Calendar is a grab bag of 12 songs inspired loosely by each month of the year. Sometimes the link is tenuous; the August song Agustus is more about the Roman emperor than the month while the fun and joyous “March in March” is more about marching than the eponymous month. On the other hand, two of the more successful songs, Halloween Night and Turkey Time follow the assignment more literally. Turkey Time is a rapid funk rock celebration of the holiday a la Lenny Kravitz; Halloween Night has the campy spookiness of a haunted house, replete with sound effects and dramatic flourishes. Imagine stripping out the vocals from Halloween Night, and you’ll find that the instrumental part still has a magical, sparkling quality which embodies the adolescent Halloween spirit.
TheLove Story album (2008) presents 10 songs on the nature of love with a structure roughly parallel to a series of 10 Zen poems on self-discovery called 10 bulls. It is a remarkable album and a radical departure for Turner. It features amazing performances by the Christian soul/rap group God’s Will, able tenor sax by Chad Bloom and an ensemble of other people who provide vocals, guitar and other instruments. Each song on the album are pop-song short and have nice memorable melodies, a hopeful attitude towards love and a soulful urban sound. Raise the White Flag (Surrender) is a gentle reminder that the way to win the heart of the beloved is surrender.What makes this song so winning is not only the message, but the amazing soulful vocal riffs by gospel singer Cherdale “Sip” Smith (here’s another song featuring his voice with R.P.M). Easy on the Eyes is a grooving almost soulful duet with a simple message. All the Time is a vintage 50s era doowop duet ballad with a simple innocent skipping beat. Get Up, Do Your Thing is a witty rap conversation about romance; it has attitude and lots of saxophone riffs to keep it fun. Game is an edgy lament with a strong backbeat about modern romance; through voicemail samples, it reveals the little lies people tell while dating. Actually though, this is really the only somber song in the bunch; the rest are full of hope and even joyful. If she gives you her heart offers gentle advice (with a slow jazzy beat) on how to treat your women
If she gives you her heart
don’t let it go
keep her close but take it slow
if she gives you her love
treat it like wine
it will keep you high
all the time
All the songs on Love Story are great and provide unexpected pleasures. This definitely ranks as my favorite album of the bunch.
To be honest, the Coordinates album (2010)didn’t initially grab me, but over time I’ve grown to like it (parts at least). All 11 songs are about an urban location (the hair salon, freeway parking lot, Michael Jackson’s grave, the club, etc.) and some songs tell a story; the rock ballad, Dive Bar off Main Street is a kind of “urban Eleanor Rigby,” (but with an electric guitar). The album has a slower downtempo jazzy sound with lots of Ooh’s and Ahhs and other doo-woppy stuff. I like to call it more lackadaisical and smoother than his usual fare. Unlike Turner’s other albums, it doesn’t have an agenda and isn’t shouting crazy jokes. Fortunately the multiple singers on the tracks provide a lot of harmony and variety and soul; the wistful Hair Salon could easily have been sung by Beyonce – though Lauren Rasmussen and male singer Chris Warrior do it admirably. The duet also sings with fake enthusiasm in New Downtown about the city’s improvements:
Mom, Dad you said you left the city to get away –
too much crime and urban decay
well, we took it back
locked up all those people hooked on crack
’cause this town belongs to us.
We evicted all the welfare moms
Got rid of all the bums
gutted all the buildings
gotta make room for
New Downtown…that’s where I want to be…
from the song New Downtown in Coordinates.
Perhaps the most interesting about the album are the musical arrangements. The reverberating effects in the slow and eerie Trapped in My Head are something you’d find in the next David Lynch movie. First and Central has some radical Nu Jazz saxophone improvisations by Chad Bloom. The slow ballad Rooftop Balcony compliments Rasmussen’s lovely voice. Even Michael Jackson’s grave has the campy theatrical feel of 1980s pop – as fitting a tribute as any to the pop star.
The 2011 album Emergency Songsis the latest and greatest; it’s beautifully polished and unlike Love Songs – where a lot of songs can stand out on their own — you really have to listen to the whole album from start to finish to appreciate the album as a whole. Turner says that Alanna Lin cowrote all the songs on the album; as a vocalist, Lin has a slow, understated way of singing even in the fast jazzy numbers; but her voice has enough range to handle the agitated pace of a rock song like Hold On or Where’s My Horse, the cheerful irony of After Disaster, the jazzy hipness of Trust is Just a Word and the solemnness of O Say Can You See the Future. For several of the songs (Letter to Los Angeleans and Lover Won’t You Hold Me) the musical arrangement is so minimal that it almost feels like Lin is singing a capella (though the gentle guitar strums in Lover Won’t You Hold Me provide a tenderness befitting the song’s subject). Musically, there’s a lot of interesting things going on in this album – pauses, sound effects, abrupt transitions, jazzy piano and sax, crescendos, choruses and a variety of musical styles – even a dollop of country rock.
The songs in Emergency Songs definitely flow easily and naturally into one another, and by the last song, I definitely feel that I have completed an incredible musical journey. Turner adds labels to the song titles (BEFORE, DURING, HOLD ON) to suggest a direction; each song provides a kind of personal snapshot of how people respond to a crisis, how it tears them apart and brings them together, how it awakens fears and longings, how it rescues some and leaves others stranded and helpless. The “emergency” in these songs is presumably an earthquake, but I think it could as easily have been a hurricane, a tornado, a blackout or even a civil war. The real subject seems to be complacency towards life and the all-too-human assumption that our lives are less fluid than they really are. In After Disaster, she sings:
after disaster you changed your name
or changed your mind.
All the same.
after disaster you broke my heart
and never saw the pain.
After disaster everything changes
After disaster, it’s not the same.
There are comic interludes ; Prisoner tells the story of a convicted murderer on his way to prison who manages to escape when the bus crashes after an earthquake. But Prisoner is a slow almost plaintive song, as though the prisoner is more shaken than elated at this strange twist of fate. All the songs are thought-provoking and ironic, especially O Say Can You See the Future (probably the most amazing track on the album) which meditates about life and its desolations. This otherworldly song is slow and eerie and beautifully arranged; in the middle the song crashes into something (but what? that is the question); by the end the flute gently picks the listener up and deposits him in some safe and peaceful place. I can’t help but be struck at the title which combines the first line of the US National Anthem with a question about fate and the possibility of annihilation.
So Monk Turner’s albums have progressed from songs about nuts and macaroni to meditations about life itself. Ironically, the Emergency Album seems not only to be the most fully realized of Monk Turner’s concept album, it also was the most collaborative; in fact, as a creative commons masterpiece, it is likely to be weaved by others into future music fabrics. In an allegedly meaningless world torn apart by all kinds of things, it is reassuring to know that there is still enough collective energy and enthusiasm to bring about such a profound and unsettling album.
How has your biography or geography affected the kind of music you make? What do you think is unique or different about your music?
When I started playing guitar, I learned mostly classic and alternative rock with deep roots in the blues. Then when I did the band thing, my focus became surf, hardcore punk and Latin music. Towards the end of my ‘band’ career I was playing gospel and country music. I had grown up playing in bars since the tender age of 15 and was getting burned out on it. I loved the art of songwriting but I was done playing music for drunk people and making money for alcohol companies. It was at this time I started focusing my efforts on writing and recording.
Geography has also definitely played a huge role in my music. I’ve been doing solo music under my name for 10 years as of 2011. For about 4 of those years I lived in Texas where, as you probably know, the weather sucks and there isn’t much to do. During this time I had the most creative output but a lot of those songs are pretty rough around the edges. Living in LA where the weather is almost always beautiful and there is an abundance of distractions, my output has slowed down quite a bit. I’m lucky to get one album released a year. The flip side is that quality of my music has improved dramatically because of the incredible pool of talented musicians in Los Angeles. Living here is an inspiration unto itself.
As for the music itself, what makes it different is that I’m not restricted by genre, distribution, band members, or money. There aren’t a whole lot of people doing concept albums these days either.
What other musician or musicians have inspired you?
Elvis Costello is a huge influence and is by far my favorite recording artist. Not only do I love his voice and his music, but also I also love his artistic integrity. He’s never compromised and always made the music he wanted to make without worrying about a label liking it. That is such a rarity and thanks to that philosophy he’s got such a deep range of music.
That said, I’ve always considered myself more of a fan of music than a music creator. I just love good music regardless of the genre. I’m constantly inspired by music that is completely opposite from what I do. I’m also inspired by the musicians who play on the albums. The majority of the time when I sit down to write a song, I have a specific person in mind who I think would sound great on it. Duke Ellington did the same thing when he was writing his horn parts.
Can you name someone who is NOT a musician who has provided inspiration for your creativity?
I can think of something that is not music related that constantly inspires me. That would be advertising and the creative process. I studied creative advertising at University of Texas which gave me a strong foundation in conceptualizing. Think of a campaign like the famous ‘Got Milk.’ That is a huge idea that has been executed a ton of different ways but maintains its strong central idea. I also feel the role of the copywriter and art director in advertising is similar to the role of a lyricist and composer. I draw a lot from the ideas of effective mass communication when approaching a concept album.
I keep humming the sung Easy on the Eyes, Who Da Ho Idaho, Nuts, Get Up, Do Your Thing. In fact, I am having trouble getting rid of them! Are there techniques you consciously use to make your songs “catchy”? Or do you just let the songs grow into whatever they turn out to be? Do you consider making a catchy song a primary goal of the songwriter?
Wow! You’re digging through the concept album crates, eh? Those are indeed some catchy tunes and yes it is by design. Like I mentioned earlier, I am obsessed with the craft of songwriting. How does the writer catch someone’s attention, keep them engaged, and have them come back for more? I feel like my older music and the examples you mentioned were very hook based. I’ve been slowly moving away from that. With Emergency Songs, the music is designed to be a bit deeper and a little less catchy. My goal these days is to create music that has deeper hooks that aren’t quite as in your face.
Do you think the music biz tends to squeeze out people who straddle both camps of song writing AND performing?
That’s an interesting question. Back in the day, you had songwriters and performers as two separate entities. The Beatles and Bob Dylan did a really did a lot to change that dynamic. I actually consider myself more of a songwriter than a performer though I do enjoy being on stage. I think these days there are those who perform other’s material and those write their own.
The Creative Process
Mad lib time. Fill in the blanks. To be a great songwriter, _____________________ is not really necessary, but ________________________ is absolutely required.
To be a great songwriter, being able to sing and have proficiency on an instrument is not really necessary, but the ability to communicate an idea that connects with people on an emotional level is absolutely required.
How did the idea for the Taking Requests album get started? Were all these requests from actual people? Were there any song idea requests which you were unable to turn into a song?
I wish I could tell you where I get most of the ideas for my albums. Honestly, they just kind of come to me. All of the requests came from actual people. I was able to get a good amount of the people to read their own request on the album. There were a whole lot of requests that I didn’t get to write songs for and they can be found at the very end of the album. The track is about ten minutes of requests being read simultaneously in the left and right speaker.
You mentioned that you wrote all the songs for your Love Story album in a 2 week period, a feat I find to be incredible. I realize that you’re not taking into account the time to edit, produce, and mix the songs or obtain feedback, but how do you manage to do the writing part so quickly? Do you spend that time cooped up alone in some cabin in the woods?
I never really plan it that way. Since I tend to take such long breaks between albums, I have a lot of creative energy saved up. When it comes time to write, I have a database of little song ideas I’ll use for inspiration. Most come to me while walking down the street or driving around town. Sometimes there will be a music theory concept I just want to try in a song and that will get me started. Sometimes I will just be playing along to music I like and jack a chord progression. However the ideas come, it is definitely my favorite part of the process and it happens very quickly.
Can you talk a little about your creative process? What parts about making music are the easiest for you? What parts are the most difficult?
I learned a lot about the creative process while in advertising school. I’ve since developed a way of writing music that goes through several stages from idea to mp3. It normally starts with me singing a melody into my phone. From there, I’ll record an basic accompaniment with one microphone and save it on my computer. I’ve got a folder full of ideas that I go to when I’m working on an album. Then I’ll record a rough demo and flush out the idea a bit further. Sometimes I’m coming up with lyrics on the spot that will later be revised. The next step is to email the demos out to about 30 people whose opinions I trust to get feedback on what is working and what isn’t. From there I’ll rework the songs and create an arrangement that slowly grows as tracks get laid down. When everything is done, the album goes out into the world!
The easiest part is writing the music. Normally I can write whole album in a little under two weeks. The most taxing part is on the backend. Editing, mixing, and sometimes tracking my own parts can be a real headache.
Emergency Album
As far as I know, the Emergency album was your most significant collaboration effort to date. How did you find Alanna; did you write the songs with her voice in mind? Did Emergency teach you any big lessons about collaboration?
I’ve known Alanna for about 5 years now and before this the extent of our relationship was that we were Facebook friends. We have quite a few mutual friends and would often see each other at the same parties and concerts. I also knew she lived somewhere in my neighborhood. I had no idea that she was a singer until one day she posted a cryptic message on Facebook. I emailed her asking if she’d be interested in doing an album with me without ever actually hearing her sing. After I heard a demo she had done, I not only fell in love with her beautiful voice but also was fascinated by her brilliant lyrics. I had done many collaborations on past albums but never a whole album with one person. My experience in this collaboration and others is that one must know when to compromise and when to stand their ground.
As for the music itself, it is important to note that she co-wrote all of the songs on the album. While producing and arranging the album, I constantly was making sure I was creating music that complimented her style of singing and the feeling of the song. There were quite a few moments in to process where I thought to myself ‘wow, I never thought I’d be doing a song like this.’
How did you arrive at an earthquake as a subject for an album? Did you have any experience (either first-hand or second-hand) with earthquakes? Were you the type who imagines hypothetical disasters during idle moments?
We spent a few months narrowing in on what the concept of the album would be. Previous to our collaboration, Alanna had been focused on a project known as “Prepare the Ones You Love” which came out of her involvement a near fatal bike accident. This was a life changing event for her that led her to question many of the relationships in her life.
As for quakes, I grew up in Northern California and experienced a few medium-sized shakeups as a kid. I moved to Florida before the Candlestick Park earthquake destroyed my hometown of Santa Cruz, CA. While in LA I’ve been through a very small handful of small quakes but nothing very significant. I figure no matter where you live, you have to worry about some sort of natural disaster. I must say that ever since the Japan quake, I find myself getting little panic attacks when in tall buildings and elevators.
For me, the song that really stood out was O Say Can you see the future. It is brooding, tentative, turbulent, otherworldly, haunting, desolate, mysterious, violent, hazy and even tranquil. So many emotions packed into a single song! I was particularly struck by the musical bridge in the middle which provides a vivid and frightening sound portrait of what it must feel like to live through an earthquake. Yet for the rest of the song the flute solo skips along gently — like a butterfly fluttering above the wreckage. (Alanna does an amazing job there too!)
Can you talk about how you scored & produced that song? Did all the pieces of that puzzle come together easily or was it a long hard struggle?
Interesting you’d pick this song since indeed it was a struggle. Alanna had a large role in the direction of this song. This was one of the first songs we wrote together and the demo I presented to Alanna was completely different from what you hear on the record. Completely different! After we came up with a guitar/vocal version that worked for us, I kept wanting to take it in a jazzy or electronic/industrial direction. There were quite a few drafts that fortunately didn’t see the light of day. Alanna had this vision of the song being heard in the spooky part of a movie and she was also the one who suggested it needed a flute. When Sukari Reid-Glenn laid down her incredible flute part, all of the elements finally seemed to come together in a cohesive manner. That’s the creative process for you; sometimes you’re done in 15 minutes, sometimes you go through a ton of versions before finally landing at the right spot.
I was struck by how every single song in Emergency was in a different musical style and even a different mood. Did you consciously try to compose everything in a different style and mood? Or is that something which inevitably happens when you do a concept album?
I often get the question, “What kind of music do you play?” to which I respond “conceptual music.” And so it is that a concept album can be free of the confinements of fitting a certain categorical mode. That said, I think this album is the most consistent stylistically among songs. Some of my past albums are really all over the place.
As ashamed as I am to admit this, I found parts of Emergency to be hilarious. After Disaster is ostensibly about love and separation, but the ridiculously maudlin lyrics make it clear that the listener shouldn’t take the character’s words too seriously. The Prisoner song — about a prisoner who inadvertently is able to escape during the aftermath of an earthquake — is great ironic fun. Why the humor? Did you worry about injecting too much lightheartedness into this album?
I think the humor comes from what happens when Alanna and I are in a room together. We’re both quite irreverent and knew that in diving into such a serious topic, we’d need places to lighten it up a bit.
Of course, there is the amazing coincidence that the Japan Earthquake happened mere weeks after you release your album. If you embarked on the same album today, how do you think you might have approached the album differently (if at all)?
We were both quite taken by the tragedy in Japan. We stopped all promotional efforts as soon as we heard the news. The “We Love Japan” video was a good reminder that the music could be used for the right purpose. I think the thing to keep in mind is that the album isn’t about what it is about. FMA’s Jason Sigal captured it best when he wrote “the theme seems to be more about transcendence than doom; about appreciating life because it won’t last forever.”
To be more directly answer your question, I would do this album again but I couldn’t see doing it with anyone but Alanna. She is a brilliant writer and her lyrics really do go beyond the basic concept of an earthquake. She is one of the few people I’ve met that understands the concept of ‘a big idea.’
Love and Hippies
One of my favorite songs is the She’s the All American Hippie Girl. Lightly satirical and full of fun (and probably a crowd pleaser too). But it also had a political message (sort of). Are you the kind of person who is eager to tackle social or political themes in your music?
Haha. That tune is about an ex-girlfriend of mine. She had really upset me one day and I sat down and wrote the lyrics as revenge. There are actually quite a few songs I’ve written that are political such as New Downtown, March in March, Hot July, and pretty much every song on New American Songbook. I’m quite passionate about social justice and it definitely can be heard in some of the music I write.
I’d like to know more about your other big collaboration, Love Story and the people who helped make that for you. Did you write these songs knowing who would be performing them?
Yes. I knew ahead of time who I wanted to appear on the album. I love writing for a specific person’s voice. There were also a few songs that came together towards the end and we brought in singers and musicians that I didn’t know would appear on the album. So about half planned, and half fate. Much like love.
How did you meet gospel singer Sherdale “Sip” Smith?
We met while working together at a music program at a community center in South Central.
In your notes, you say that a portion of the Love album has been altered to keep with the Buddhist tradition of human imperfection. Explain.
You’re the first person to notice that! Anytime you visit a Buddhist temple, there are intentional human imperfections in the art. In creating Love Story, there is a place at the end of If She Gives you Her Heart where the flute and the rhodes have a really bad phase issue. I couldn’t figure out how to resolve it no matter how many mixes I did so I just decided to leave it in in honor of the idea of Buddhist imperfection.
What’s the hardest thing about writing a love song?
The love songs that I wrote before Love Story tended to focus on unrequited love and a cynical view of romantic relationships. A love song can often leave the writer vulnerable. The writer also runs the risk of getting into territory of being cheesy or having their song sound like one of the many that has already been written. Paul McCartney’s Silly Love Songs comes to mind. Love Story was my first stab at writing love songs that looked at love in a positive light.
Musicians and their Audience
Are you surprised by which songs turn out to be the most popular by online and live audiences? Do live performances provide an accurate barometer of which songs are succeeding?
Without fail my favorite songs on the album, and the ones I put the most effort into are the least popular. I wish I knew why this happens! That said, the one predictor that always is pretty accurate is the demo critiques. The songs people gravitate towards on those pre-production versions are normally the tunes that will be most popular on the album.
Up to this point, I have not done many live performances for the same reasons that the Beatles stopped performing after “Revolver.” A lot of the songs are hard to pull off live and I am more interested in creating an album that stands on its own as a conceptual piece. On a personal level, think of the albums as audio diaries of where I am in my life and who I’m hanging out at the time of the recording. Each album can only exist in the point in time it was created.
Name a song or album by someone else you wish you’d written.
I’m going to pick an album since I’m an album oriented artist. I wish I could have written preludes and fugues of The Well-Tempered Clavier. Bach invented the rules of music that we all follow, and then he broke all of those rules. I wish I could invent the rules of music. That would be awesome. In fact, sometimes when I get complimented on my music, I feel guilty since all I am doing is following the rules of his system of harmony.
Do you think that your decision to write noncommercial/shareable music has affected what kind of songs you write or how you produce them?
Given that I only make money when people license a track for commercial use, I try to write music that works well with ads, movies, and TV shows. I worked for a music licensing house in Hollywood and learned what people look for when they are looking to license a song. I try to keep this in mind when working on an album and try not to make the lyrics too specific.
In what ways do musical people look at the world differently from nonmusical people?
I often have this conversation about what is unique about musicians with my friends.
The first thing that comes to mind is that musicians have a deeper appreciation for what it takes to create music. It is hard to just listen to music without analyzing it. Your ears become much more sensitive to harmonic structure too. I’ve been in a social situations when music is playing in the background, and I can’t help but name intervals, scales, or chords changes. I’m also not very tolerant of bad and out-of-tune music.
On a deeper level, I think being a musician requires so many personality traits that put musicians in a class of their own. So much of our time is spent doing the same thing over and over again until you have it right. The majority of musicians will also play with a group or ensemble which not only allows them the ability to communicate with others on a different level, but also requires special skill in working with others. I have some friends that if it weren’t for music, we would have nothing in common. Making music is a very special thing.
If you could telephone your 18 year old self and give him some advice about being a musician, what would you say?
18 again? Wow. In three years I would record my first concept album. I really had no idea what I was doing but it was really fun. I wish I had been more open to learning music theory back then. I was too busy trying to be a rock star and I thought I knew it all. I’d also force myself to wear earplugs. I suffer from a condition known as tinitus that is the result of too much loud music. It drives me crazy on a daily basis. In fact, Beethoven had the same condition towards the end of his life when he was going deaf. There are some that suggest you can hear the influence of hearing a constant tone in his 9th Symphony.
So I’d say to my 18 year old self, ‘learn some theory and wear earplugs.’
Monk Turner: Where to Start Listening
Most of Turner’s albums are mirrored and downloadable on several creative commons music sites. Turner’s home base is at Band Camp, and it contains links to all the other mirrors and his blog. However, Archive.org has all the MT albums and Free Music Archive has all the important albums.
Probably the two most polished and “mature” albums are Emergency Songs and Love Story. They are serious, accessible, beautiful, mainstream pop and there’s not a bad song in the bunch.
At the top of this article, I included a playlist of some faves of mine, as well as some songs mentioned in this article. Turner consciously embraces the concept album genre, so perhaps any playlist of his songs might miss how it fits into the album he used it for.
Monk Turner hasn’t indicated a way to show support for his musical efforts, so I don’t see a tipjar for example. But some albums are “for sale” at Bandcamp.
message. All the Time is a vintage 50s era doowop duet ballad with a simple innocent skipping beat. Get Up, Do Your Thing is a witty rap conversation about romance; it has attitude and lots of saxophone riffs to keep it fun. Game is an edgy lament with a strong backbeat about modern romance; through voicemail samples, it reveals the little lies people tell while dating. Actually though, this is really the only somber song in the bunch; the rest are full of hope and even joyful. If she gives you her heart offers gentle advice (with a slow jazzy beat) on how to treat your women
