Book Notes At Largehearted Boy
An ongoing feature at Largehearted Boy, an always impressive pop music site, is Book Notes, in which “authors create and discuss a music playlist that is in some way relevant to their recently published books.”
The first entry on the list is Tom Bissell’s God Lives in St. Petersburg and Other Stories, (March 30, 2005). The total number of book notes appears to be approaching 100, each with a brief introduction, the playlist, and links to book reviews, the author’s web site, the book’s website at the publisher, … .
A wide range of authors and books are representative, some familiar, some unknown to me. The quality of the playlist obviously varies by author but many are thoughtful and provocative, describing links between the music and their writing that stimulate ideas and enrich the reader’s experience; only a few have the ring of a publicist’s touch.
And, there is the voyeuristic thrill of watching as a published author reveals something semi-intimate about his or her preferences, predilections, and peccadilloes.
Admit it – aren’t you a bit interested to see what made it on the playlist put together by Susie Bright, who edited Best American Erotica 2006, and some of the contributors to that volume?
Excerpts
As it turns out, this month, two Canadian authors have contributed playlists, both of which include songs by Leonard Cohen. I’ve excerpted the notes dealing with the Leonard Cohen selections to provide the reader a taste of the offerings at Book Notes”
Robert Wiersema: Before I Wake
Joan Of Arc: Leonard Cohen
Joan of Arc is the patron saint of Before I Wake (and is mentioned, fairly early on, in a conversation between Father Peter and Tim when they first meet in the story). The story of a girl who brought glory and happiness to her people, who then turned on her, burning her at the stake, resonates with me, and informs much of what happens to Sherry in the novel. Cohen’s treatment of the story is unusual, and fairly profound.
Hallelujah: Jeff Buckley1
I had to include this song for two very different reasons. First off, it nicely encapsulates a number of the book’s themes, particularly those of failure and redemption. There is an uplifting quality to the song that belies its lyrics, and a rich quietness which can only be described as holy. The second reason is more personal. Despite everything I’ve done, despite everything I bring to the table, I don’t think I’ll ever write anything as immediate, anything as moving, as this song. I don’t think there are any words to rival the sound of an acoustic guitar resonating in an empty room… Ah well. There’s nothing I can do except, as Bob Dylan once said, “keep on keepin’ on”. To quote Browning, “a man’s reach should exceed his grasp, or what’s a heaven for?”
Anosh Irani: The Song of Kahunsha
Take This Waltz: Leonard Cohen
I was in a taxi in North Vancouver, on a dreary rainy night about eight years ago. Being a recent immigrant, my mind was an attic for the mundane: phone bills, health insurance, student loans, social insurance number. Through the speakers, a voice came on. It grabbed me like Death itself, but a life-giving death, a death unsure of its own function. When the song got over, I asked the Persian taxi driver who the singer was. “Leo-nard Co-hen,†came the answer. His words and music ripped apart my phone bills and made me care even less about health insurance. I was not expecting Cohen, but he came anyway, unannounced, and took charge with his haunting, inspiring work.2
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