published on the internet Aug 28th, 2007
Sometimes I sit in front of the word document that is my novel feeling particularly woebegone and then I put on one of Dragonette’s songs and it’s like being born again a writer, which is all I really ask of the music I listen to.
I’ve been reading up on volcanic winters! They are fascinating things. Did you know that 1816 was a volcanic winter and they called it the Year Without a Summer and the Year Without a Summer was when Mary Shelley had the inspiration for Frankenstein? That means volcanoes are indirectly responsible for great literature.
I would be surprised if I hadn’t suspected it all along.
Okay, so great post title.
Also, how fascinating! Your volcano obsession is making sense. What if it starts catching?
It will not surprise you that I also learnt the same thing about volcanoes and literature from one of my regular podcasts today :)
Still, it’s a bit of a coincidence your writing about it on the same day that I also heard about it on the other side of the world. I do like when that happens.
U2 works the same way for me! Energy transfusion and inspiration.
Volcanoes and Frankenstein–wow. What an interesting observation.
Nova: Hee, I couldn’t resist! And if my volcano obsession becomes contagious then MY WORK HERE IS DONE! *claps hands*
Damon: Did you really?!!! That is so bizarre and SUPER AWESOME. Also it just makes sense to me that you of all people would be the other party of such a coincidence. That is SO COOL. Heh.
Danette: It’s the best having a band that you can sort of fall back on for inspiration!! I don’t know what I would do if I couldn’t write to music!
So true.
I recently read that some actors like to have certain music playing on the set to help them get into the mood for particular scenes. Cameron Crowe said he switched out CDs so many times for one actress that he felt like her personal DJ.
wow, I haven’t been over here in so long!
I just heard an NPR segment about that summer and Mary Shelley writing Frankenstein!
Danette: That’s fascinating. Music has such weight in emotion & I can’t think of anything it doesn’t help, really. Music, setting and as you pointed out, acting. It makes sense to me that some directors are heavily involved in creating the soundtracks to their movies like Zach Braff because it is such a part of creation.
Whitney: It took like, weeks of volcano wikipediaing and then coming across someone mentioning Shelley’s hand in editing Mary’s Frankenstein & wikipediaing IT and then seeing the connection and basically I am just going to listen to NPR from now on. Heh. Way more effecient.
Yes! I thought of Zach Braff during this post, too. I loved Garden State!
I haven’t seen Garden State yet, sadly! His character on Scrubs drives me so far up the wall I’m afraid that’s all I’ll think of if I do. :)
Ha! I know what you mean!
If only he had been nicer to Eliot!! Woe.