Explorations In Reading, Writing, and Publishing
I’ve used a certain sentence, for years, as my online motto:
I’m a writer with roaring flames in my heart…
No gimmick—straight-up truth—always been that way.
Favorite singer?
Annie Lennox.
In fact, back in September of 2011, I did a post called, Can An Author Learn About Writing From A Singer?
Worth reading, even if I say so myself—two videos of Annie, too…
I said, “Most songs are story-like; and, since using words to create new realities is, in all but the most tedious editing, much like performing a song, singers might be good writing instructors…“
Then, I went on to talk about the relationship between this writer and his Muse…
Really needed to listen to Annie today—2:26 am………
Here’s what I’m listening to—as a channel to release the roaring flames in my heart…
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Love love love Annie Lennox, and other personal faves, Cyndy Lauper you just have to love her style, Bjork a gal who makes you believe in Changlings, There’s this Turkish singer I’m a really fan of Tarkan cause, well, cause I’m a gal and man does this boy have the bed room eyes and a really cute but, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOw0obywNf0
Yes, Bjork!!!
Actually I spend a lot of time listening to ‘If It Be Your Will’ by Leonard Cohen – a song (well poem really) about Writer’s Block ;-) Cohen wrote it when he was at a Buddhist mountain retreat trying to rediscover, I believe, his inner writer’s voice. He compares the flow of his writing to a river he prays will flow. You can see the poem written here by Cohen:
http://www.leonardcohen.com/us/music/cohen-live-leonard-cohen-live-concert/if-it-be-your-will-live
But…songwise I prefer Anthony Hegharty’s version because of his soulful voice (but try and ignore his jittery stage manner ;)
Wow, Jane, didn’t know a reader could embed a video—Cool :-)
My favorite stanza:
If it be your will
If there is a choice
Let the rivers fill
Let the hills rejoice
Let your mercy spill
On all these burning hearts in hell
If it be your will
To make us well
Thank you, Jane, for sharing this :-)
I didn’t know either! Somehow my url got turned into a fully embedded video – I don’t *know* how that happened… I touched nothing, I swear. Must have been my muse….:-);-)
That’s it, Jane!! We will blame it on the Muse :-)
Can reveal…and can guide. In my personal writer’s soundtrack, John Adams and Philip Glass inform entire scenes and anchor my recall of the emotions around which the chapter revolves. Radiohead’s “Give Up the Ghost” is my closing credits to The Spiritkeeper. (And Annie Lennox…I always wanted to be her.) Good to see that we have yet one more thing in common….
-Lynn
Lynn,
Adams, Glass, Radiohead—rare sounds for such a rare writer…
I love music….sometimes inspiration hits while I am listening.
Madie,
So good to see you hear <<< not a misspelling :-)
I have always needed music in the background while writing. While I listen to a wide variety of stuff and generally will listen to something based on what I am writing, I do have a penchant for female singers. Annie Lennox is one that does make it into rotation when I am setting my working play list.
Music makes my mind see. I love that. I also love ani defranko when I write.
Aha, John Paul, ani defranko—must investigate…
Great, Jon. What other singers are in your rotation?
I’ve always thought of music as more of an aural storytelling, and have always listened to the best storytellers (Harry Chapin comes to mind). I kind of lost Anne Lennox between her earlier group and her ‘solo’ group, but now I claim her as a favorite. I think that’s what irritates me about Rap (I seldom refer to it as music), It has such a limited message and it is nearly always self-aggrandizing and otherwise selfish, making up words as they go. The best I could say about it is that it is ‘poetry gone astray’ (and that’s giving it lots of credit it doesn’t deserve)
And, wow Alex!! what a reaction to your blog… Music and writing are inherently affixed together…
Ah, yes, Barbara, Harry Chapin—only lived to 39 :-(
And, again, yes, Annie in the Eurythmics—recently listened to one of their albums—so, glad her Soloness appeals to you :-)
I also don’t like Rap—though, it does reflect a symptom of our current culture…
Writers and music—long live the love affair.