Questions? Comments? Scathing Rebuttals?

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Where did summer go? About a week ago, we hit ninety degrees (92 to be exact) for the first time all year. Yesterday morning it was in the low 40's, and tomorrow morning is supposed to be in the high 30's. While walking Wally earlier this evening, I counted seventy-three Canada geese in a field near my house. Just before sunset, they all took off, honking and hooting, headed south towards warmer environs.

I continue to pack up everything we own. The first phase of the move takes place this coming weekend. Also, this weekend marks the release of Metallica's latest album, "Death Magnetic." I feel like a kid on the week before Christmas. I've been listening to the band since 1988. I've seen them live 17 times. I've been in the front row half a dozen times, and I've been in the last row of stadium seats more than once. I had a chance to meet all four of them in 2003, and they were just as down to earth as I thought they'd be. The early releases from this album already mark it as the best stuff they've done since "...And Justice For All," and I couldn't be happier. I'm 35, and hearing new music by my favorite band still makes me feel like it's twenty years ago, when I was fifteen and hearing them for the very first time. As Martha Stewart might say, "It's a good thing."

Ren finally put up the interview I did with him a few weeks ago on the website. You can find it under the Extras section of www.scottfalkner.com.

In my previous blog post, I mentioned that I might be organizing some sort of live Q&A in the near future. Well, after thinking about it a bit, it kind of occurred to me that doing it "live" was a bit pointless. After all, in this day and age it's hard enough to schedule time to do anything we might enjoy, (Tivo's and DVR's are incredibly popular for a reason) much less make certain that you're free to sit down and chat with yours truly. Anyway, what I thought I would do instead is just make it ABUNDANTLY clear that you guys, my readers, are MORE THAN WELCOME to ask me questions via a number of ways:

1. You can post them here on The Daily Cave. You don't have to sign up for anything. You can even post anonymously. Below each post where it says 'comments', you can click on that and either leave a comment or question for me.

2. If you're a myspace member, you can post questions or comments on that version of The Daily Cave, or else just send them to me via my myspace account, or post them in the form of a myspace comment.

3. Email us through the website. All you have to do is go to www.scottfalkner.com, go to the Contact section, and click on the Contact icon.

From now on I'll make a point to address any and all questions posed through the above outlets.

And lo and behold, we've already got one. One of my longtime friends and readers, Tam shot me this question via myspace at the end of my last blog entry:

"I wonder if you write/paint while listening to music and does it inspire you?"

Great question, Tam. And thanks for asking it.

This is a question I've heard asked a lot of writers and artists. Not too long ago, I was listening to an NPR interview with Maurice Sendak. The reporter asked him the above question, and he answered that while writing he needed absolute silence. While doing his initial sketches, he usually listened to music, and while painting/coloring his pieces he watched television. Author, Kealan Patrick Burke has said in the past that he can't have anything on in the background as it provides too much distraction. Brian Keene writes with a variety of different kinds of music playing.

To each his own, I guess.

Personally, when writing I do like to have music on, but it can't be anything with words. Usually, it's classical music, or some soundtrack or another. I feel like the music helps me to detach from the real world; it's almost like an invisible barrier, cutting me off and allowing the imagination to flourish. If the music has words, I likely know them, and the words to the songs get into my head and infect the words I'm trying to write.

Does that make sense?

Painting is a completely different story. I usually paint with a variety of different kinds of music, and when I say variety... My musical tastes vary wildly. Most people who know me are convinced that all I listen to is the heavy stuff: ie. Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, Anthrax and the like. Don't misunderstand, I love all of those bands, but there's a plethora of other types of music that I like, and I'd be doing myself a great disservice to limit myself to only one genre of music.

Let's do a quick experiment. I'll throw my ipod on shuffle, and write down the first ten songs that come up:

1. "You Can't Bring Me Down" by Suicidal Tendencies
2. "Useful Idiot" by Tool
3. "Amor Volat Undique" from Carmina Burana by the Cleveland Orchestra
4. "Enter Sandman" live from Calgary by Metallica
5. "The Map Room - Dawn" from the "Raiders of the Lost Ark" soundtrack by John Williams
6. "Dread and the Fugitive Mind" by Megadeth
7. "Soul Eater" by Danzig
8. "Bad Reputation" by Joan Jett
9. "Caribbean Blue" by Enya
10. "Reason Why" by Rachael Yamagata

So there you have it. Probably not as varied as I would have liked just for the sake of making my point, but varied enough.

As far as inspiration goes...

There was a point several years ago where I considered writing a volume of short stories all based on individual songs. That idea never came to fruition, but the possibility is always there. In a more general sense, of course I'm inspired by music. In my mind, that's the reason I listen to it. When it comes to classical music, the moods and feelings it incurs are definitely appreciated and remembered. Those same feelings and moods are then tapped into when applying the same to my own pieces of art - that being either with words or with paint. As far as 'popular' music goes (for lack of a better word) often the lyrics and/or the aggression of a lot of the music I listen to spurs me on. The majority of the popular music I listen to deals with some pretty heavy themes - as in it's not just about scamming on some skank "in da club". Not that there's anything wrong with that type of music if you're into it, it's just that I'm more drawn to music and lyrics that address bigger issues in personal lives and the world at large, and I constantly draw inspiration from music such as that.

Does that answer your question? I hope so, and thanks again for posing it, Tam.

So, now it's up to the rest of you. Feel free to fire off anything on your mind about writing, painting, music, or anything else. The only thing that I'd ask is that if you're inquiring about a certain part of a book that I've written, and the question might spoil details for someone who hasn't read it, then ask the question via the Contact button at the website, or send me a private message through myspace. Thanks in advance.