Songs that Feature Bits of Literary Texts







Songs about Literary Characters







Songs about Writers







Songs about Writing

 







Book Quote Friday: Dior by Dior

My dear friend Abi recently moved flat and city, prompting an urge to down-size her possessions, including, most shockingly, her books. So round I trotted to her increasingly empty flat, more concerned with sadness that she was moving than anything else, but of the 12 or so books she offered me, I picked up 11 and then went back for the 12th. She really does have excellent literary taste (in fact, as well as being my friend, she was also one of the most vocal members of my book club). Dior by Dior, an Autobiography of Christian Dior, was the first of this pile to reach that hallowed spot on my dressing table where hopes are fulfilled and dashed and literary heroes are made....








What The Water Gave Me and Radioactive

Am I the only one who thinks of Virginia Woolf when they hear this song?

Rarely have I been so excited about an album. Actually, no, there's Marina too. Not sure what literary figure she reminds me of. Thoughts?







Warpaint: Harnessing a Mood

     One day last week I went to see one of my current faves, Warpaint, play, and they were delish. DELISH. Wonderful. Sexy, heady, lo-fi joy. The whole set was an unrelentingly hypnotic and cohesive wonder (as is the album). How/why, I hear you ask? Well, my friends, it is because they have harnessed a mood. That’s how/why.







Literature in Art, Part Two: The Cult of Beauty

     After spending the morning at the V&A exhibit that featured in Literature in Art:, Part One, I spent the afternoon at the V&A’s newest exhibit, The Cult of Beauty. This major collection focuses on the Aestheticism that developed in Britain in the latter half of the 19th century, which featured Keats, William Morris and Dante Gabriel Rossetti, with Oscar Wilde as the poster boy, believing in truth, love and beauty as raison d’etre - in fact, all those lovely, life-affirming things they sing about in Moulin Rouge!. 

     Of course, finding literary inspiration in a movement that contained quite so much actual literature was never going to be hard; especially when it was so coloured by bohemia and decadence, sensuality and romanticism and a deep appreciation of the ephemeral beauty of life. The poetry practically writes itself, doesn’t it? 







Some Things Don’t Get Lost in Translation

     At least, I don't think so. Another thought: never underestimate people, even famous ones. For instance, what do you really think of Carla Bruni? Press play below.







Lessons I Have Learnt From Gaga This Week

• Use your wit to celebrate difference, rather than mock it or demean it. The bad guy with the icy put-downs might be memorable, but is anyone else really singing along? 







Book Quote Friday: Making Your Mother Blush

     If we're really thinking about it (let's do that. Yawn, stretch.), I guess one might liken fiction writing to the laying out of the contents of your mind, experience and imagination on the tablecloth, and then obscuring it from sight by applying layers of narrative, characterisation or style. 

     Ideally this adding of layers generalises it, allowing it to transcend the writer’s individual experience, making it palatable and accessible and, all being well, moving it from the realm of the confessional into the realm of art. Some writers layer thickly, others less so. The thinnest veils come inevitably with biography or memoir, when the writer themself is the story and there is no extra narrative or characterisation added as a disguise. This is known as letting it all hang out*.







Tolstoy's Got A Brand New Look...

     Ta da! Isn’t it beautiful? Isn’t it airier and more eye-catching and easier to read? I hope so anyway. I’ve been very excited about re-designing this blog for a while now and it’s lovely to have it finally done. Thanks to the gorgeous new logo goes to Elaine Tang (@minirice_uk) who draws and designs beautiful things and was awesome through the whole process of me figuring out what I wanted and how exactly I wanted to represent myself and the whole Tolstoy is my Cat brand (of all the narcissistic things you thought you’d never do, Batman…). Incidentally, I think Tolstoy likes it, as he just added a whole line of ‘i’s to the text whilst I turned my back to fetch tea. Bad cat.







Your Song

     Because it's (nearly) Christmas, and because it's beautiful...







Marina – the Burger Queen tour

     Ah, ideas. How I love thee. How I love people who love thee.  *sigh* 







A Tonic: 'Get Better'

     A tonic for any apathy that might be lurking within you on this Monday afternoon. Also, some really good advice; for anybody, really. I love this.








Pensively Planning

     Only a half day at work today, so I'm sat here with a cup of tea and a scarf wrapped around me (how cold is it for August?!) and I'm planning. Rather pensively, in fact. Anyone else wish they had a road map telling them how to navigate life? No, just me then...