Writing Music

Of course, I don't mean writing music. I haven't attempted that since my middle school buddy Beverly and I sat at my piano and pounded out chords to bad verse. But the idea of listening to music while writing, music to write by, is something I'm trying to get my head around. I need quiet spaces for writing.

But if you know Eric Puchner's writing and especially if you are into 80s music, check out this piece on the New York Times blog, on writing his just-published novel, Model Home.

Since my stack of To Be Read Books is taller than a small child, the librarian in me had to return Model Homes to the library yesterday. It was "overdue and others are waiting." But I'll try to get back to it as soon as my book tower shrinks. 80s California might not be my thing, but the writing was terrific and I was smiling a lot as I read. All good things to say about a book.

And in honor of the recent holiday (remember Valentine's Day?), I'll quote a small portion of Puchner's blog entry's song list . You need to click on over to read the rest.

Girlfriend, the Modern Lovers. This is a night of cuddling in the backseat, talking about what to name the kids you’ll have together some day. It’s the precise antithesis of “Pacific Coast Highway,” by Sonic Youth. This song was originally recorded in the 1970s, but I’m including it here because it was rereleased on vinyl in 1986, when I was 16, and played a large part of my first year behind the wheel.