Like the circles that you find/In the compost of your mind

[pjthompson]

Quote of the day:

"The Romans would never have had time to conquer the world if they had been obliged to learn Latin first."

—Heinrich Heine


But I'd love to learn Latin.

Writing and reading talk of the day:

❶ ☞ As I lumber through chapter 40 and the epilogue(s) for Night Warrior/Born to Darkness, I find myself looking forward to the next novel. It looks like Charged with Folly has taken the lead in that competition. It's the most complete idea at this point, even if I did write 200 pages of Venus In Transit, and even if Beneath a Hollow Moon has some really juicy character stuff going on. The worldbuilding for Charged has come on strong in the last month.

❷ ☞ Someone reminded me the other day that Anne Rice (who I haven't read for at least a century) used the term, "born to darkness," in her novels to describe someone being made into a vampire. I had completely forgotten that. Yeah, that's right, I'm using the same cryptoamnesia excuse that Kaavya Viswanathan used to explain why she plagiarized huge chunks of Megan McCafferty's books (possibly, as it turns out, egged on by her book packager). (See this post.) However, considering the major angst it caused me to come up with Born to Darkness as an alternate title for NW, I ain't changing it again. Let's just call it an homage, shall we?

❸ ☞ The reading I've been doing lately has mostly gone towards supporting Charged with Folly, so I'd say that's another sign that novel might be next in the queue. I've been reading about the geometry and abstruse symbolism of labyrinths, alchemy, chakras, Paracelsus, and string theory. Although reading about Paracelsus also goes towards supporting the world I created for the 18th century cunning man, Simon Jellicoe, that novel isn't ready to pop yet. The string theory might apply to that one as well. Not to mention the Diane Purkiss book I quoted the other day, At the Bottom of the Garden. It all goes into the compost pile, and hopefully something rich and strange comes out the other side.


Miscellanea: And speaking of the windmills of your mind, I always find myself wanting to sing that lyric:

Keys that jingle in your pocket
Words that jangle in your head
Can analysis be worthwhile?
Is the theatre really dead?

Too much Paul Simon at an impressionable age, yah sure.

Comments

[pjthompson]

I'm the same way--I've got a huge range of music, old and new, passing through my brain (and downloaded onto my iTunes, for that matter. And apparently, I'm someone who completely forgets a lyric, because they pop up in the oddest places. Like you, people look at me funny when I come up with this stuff.

I love those old songs. And Frank Snotra? He may have been a horrible man and I'm glad I didn't know him, but boy oh boy, nobody on earth was a better interpreter of lyrics. IMO.

[cathemery.livejournal.com]

I often grumble (mostly to myself) that it seems to me people used to actually *sing*. As opposed to now, when they just sort of 'style' or screech or whisper hoarsely. I'm sure there are many who still train to sing well and have a good range and can pronounce words understandably---it's just the few bad apples who tried to spoil the whole bunch. (What was that hairy little kid's name? ah, those were the days. .. pre-scandal.)

I adore the way Mahalia Jackson sang O Holy Night. Though I have to admit listening to Mom's recording of Yma Sumac wasn't quite my thing: she had a fantastic range, but all I could think was that it sounded funny and the high notes hurt my ears.

Well, y'know, there's a reason ol' blue eyes was popular. And it probably wasn't just his eyes. :g:

[pjthompson]

I often grumble (mostly to myself) that it seems to me people used to actually *sing*. As opposed to now, when they just sort of 'style' or screech or whisper hoarsely.

Yeah, I like to hear singing. I'm a fan of jazz interpretation, but style over substance is rather boring. And I'm not a fan of show-off singers like Mariah Carey. She's got good pipes, but she insists on taking off like a rocket and sliding up and down the scale and all those boring and overdone pyrotechnics and warbly things. Just sing the damned song.

(On the other hand, I like Shakira, and she does some of the same things, though not as obsessively as La Diva Mariah, I think. Go figure. Taste is a funny thing.)

Yma Sumac wasn't quite my thing:

You've got to admit she was funny, though.

Well, y'know, there's a reason ol' blue eyes was popular. And it probably wasn't just his eyes. :g:

I expect so. Harry Connick Jr. is a version of Frank, but still pretty good, I think.