CHOOSE JUST ONE BOOK!

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN:  Macmillan Audio asked me a terrific and thought-provoking question.  They were doing a survey of authors, asking:  "In and around your college years, and especially at graduation time, what was the book that most prepared you for real life?"

I think that's fascinating--because a book you loved might not have been the one that later you realized changed your life.

And I had never thought about it that way.  Shakespeare's plays, of course, I adore, but did that prepare me for the real world? Maybe. All the thrillers like FAILSAFE, yeah, I suppose. And Advise and Consent, I remember, being so intriguing. Maybe--The Great Gatsby? But how? Or  Look Homeward Angel? Yeah, but why? Custom of the Country? Sort of.

And then I got it.  And I sent Macmillan my  "about 100-words-only" reason:

"Character's names? Can’t remember. Plot? Vaguely. But the philosophy Robert Pirsig taught in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is never far from my consciousness. I still think about that book. Every day. Yes, it’s cool, and a road trip story, with adventures, chance meetings, obstacles, and triumphs. But what I profoundly remember are the reminders to be present. To do the best you can. To pay attention. To seek quality. (Is that what you meant, Mr. Pirsig? That’s what I decided forty-five years ago.) In one scene, the rider tries to ignore an obviously broken motorcycle. Why live with that? the main character asks. Face your problems, fix them, then go forward with knowledge, serenity, and power. What better lesson could there be?"

So how about you?  What book would you give a graduating senior? As it turned out, was there a book that prepared you for reality?

HALLIE EPHRON: A book that PREPARED me for reality? Through the Looking Glass? Catch-22? Portnoy's Complaint??? Seriously, the books I remember reading and thinking a lot about when I was graduating were novels by Anne Tyler and Barbara Kingsolver. and Toni Morrison. Pick one? Aaaagh. I'll go for "The Bean Trees" which, according to Kingsolver, addresses the question: "What are the many ways, sometimes hidden and underground ways, that people help themselves and each other survive hard times."

DEBORAH CROMBIE:  Hank, not fair to make us think so hard on a Monday! This was really tough. Most of the books that I think of as having had a big impact on my world view were read earlier.  Real life? I'm not sure I've ever been prepared for real life. But I'll throw in two, although I can't swear I read them in college. Anne Morrow Lindberg's Gift from the Sea, and Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen. Both those books made me very aware of the beauty in small, everyday things, and of the fact that people do manage to cope with loss if they can still see that beauty.

LUCY BURDETTE: This is a very hard question Hank! Because I don't really remember reading much fun stuff in college. I was majoring in French literature and art history and reading about poet Paul Eluard and artist Max Ernst and most of that I couldn't begin to remember or explain now...

However, my best friend was a poet and he sent me poems to read, and I still have a lovely book of poems by Denise Levertov called LIFE IN THE FOREST. I was buried deep in late teenage angst and trying to figure out who I'd be and who would travel along with me. I remember being deeply touched by this poem by Sappho:

 Tonight I've watched

the moon and then

the Pleiades

go down

The night is now

half-gone; youth

goes; I am

in bed alone

Sappho

It's beautiful isn't it? But so sad. Still speaks to me about how fast time goes and how important the people in your life are--like you Reds!

HANK: I love this! See? A THEME!  All of these choices are about COPING. Right? ! Amazingly so. And so very personal, and so very revealing. Oh. Fabulous.

 If you are interested in what the other authors in the survey chose--it's fascinating! Click here. But first tell us what you think--As a college age person what book did you realize later best prepared you for real life?

********************

And don't forget Lucy Burdette's  FATAL RESERVATIONS is now ON SALE! Come visit tomorrow, hear all about it, and you could win a prize. (But it will not be her book! So you know what to do....)

What We're Writing: In which Hank Hears Voices

The pilot coming out to tell us all is well

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Book tour is so crazy/wonderful/exhausting/hilarious. I can confess to you—on a plane from Atlanta to St. Louis last week I had a serious moment of having no idea where I was, and I could not feel my fingers. Weird. But, truth be told, it makes a good story, right?  Then from Boston to Indianapolis we had an emergency landing, which was terrifyingly NOT fun, but everything turned out fine. And, truth be told, in retrospect it makes a good story. Thank goodness.

This weekend—with the only travel by car and imagination—I spent at Crime Bake, the wonderful treasure of a crime fiction conference. On a panel with Guest of Honor Craig Johnson (LONG LIVE LONGMIRE!), we talked all about storytelling. Because of course, that’s what we all do. And those who read are just as involved with story telling, right?

w/Craig Johnson, Steve Ulfelder, Sheila Connolly, Brendan DuBois

 And now I have two exciting things to share. Both about storytelling.

First, TRUTH BE TOLD was just chosen as a Library Journal Best Book of 2014. What an honor. (I am still floating—and when I found out, in the security line at the

San Diego airport, I hardly needed a plane to get to my next destination!)

Second, I had an especially profound experience.

Last week, sitting in the Chicago airport waiting area (you can see how my life has been), with my earbuds in, I clicked "play" on the audiobook of TRUTH BE TOLD.  Wow. And again, it made me think about storytelling.

Tell me a story. How many times have you said that? How many times have you heard that? From the moment we understand what storytelling means, having someone say "Once upon a time" can transport you to a new world.

And it didn't even matter than my plane was delayed. On that audiobook, I heard my story come to life. I almost burst into tears.

The banker turned Robin Hood who manipulates mortgage records. The skeevy guy who confesses to the unsolved Lilac Sunday murder. Reporter Jane Ryland on the trail of murder victims in foreclosed homes. And Detective Jake Brogan working to solve the case that's baffled Boston police for 20 years. The reporter who makes stuff up.

It's all fully realized though the amazing voice of Xe Sands, who reads TRUTH BE TOLD so brilliantly on Macmillan Audio.

Even if you don't read audiobooks, even if you're planning to read the book-book, listen to this excerpt. Just click:

https://soundcloud.com/macaudio-2/truth-be-told-by-hank-phillippi-ryan-chapter-1 

From the very beginning, when Jane says, "I know it's legal, but it's terrible..." it's exactly the way I heard the book in my head as I was writing it.

But—very important, writers!--here’s what I learned from it. I learned a different way of writing from this different way of reading.  When you "read” an audiobook, it’s very difficult to go back and check on a fact or a character or an action. Right? You either get it, or you don’t. And if you don’t, you’re lost.

And if, at the beginning of a scene, you are confused about who is talking and where they are, you can’t go back and make sure. The minute you say “HUH?” Whose head am I in?” Or “WHOA—where am I?” You’re lost, right? And as the audio voice goes on and on, you begin to think—“I don’t get this. I’m done.”

And you give up. On to the next book. 

That was a life-changing realization for me. When you hear your book out loud, it shines a spotlight on the parts that don’t make sense, on the parts where the reader is confused, on the parts that lack clarity in time and space and geography.

When I start my revisions of my new Jane and Jake book next week—it's called WHAT YOU SEE, and you’ll hear more about that soon!—I’m going to keep in mind the lessons of the audiobook. At the beginning of every scene, I must ground the reader. Make sure they’re on the train and safely seated before the scene leaves the station.

My goal for readers–whether they read with eyes or ears—is to have them think: “OH! I can just envision that!” 

So now? Just take three minutes. Click.  And let Xe Sands tell you the "once upon a time" of TRUTH BE TOLD:

https://soundcloud.com/macaudio-2/truth-be-told-by-hank-phillippi-ryan-chapter-1 

And Darling Reds—do you “read” audio books? Let me know in the comments! What makes you love them—or not?   A fabulous prize to one lucky commenter.

And with much love gratitude and admiration to our veterans.

PS: As I said,  I'm on tour! Click here to see if I'll be in your city!
http://cts.vresp.com/c/?HankPhillippiRyan/7c7b615fd4/1ecea090f5/0113bdf8cf/HankPhillippiRyan/7c7b615fd4/TEST/0113bdf8cf

I hear Music but there's..

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN:  Okay, am I old? I mean, I'm not old. I worked for Rolling Stone Magazine in the 70's, and yes it was the political unit, not the music unit, but hey, I knew ALL about music. At that time, I swore I would always stay current with the latest "hits" (are they still called that?) But alas, that did not happen.

We just got a new car, and the salesperson said--let me pre-set your radio stations. What stations do you listen to?  I said, uh, well, NPR, whatever that is. And uh, um, well. (Jonathan and don't really listen to the radio, we talk to each other. When I'm driving by myself, I look at it as a time to think in silence. I didn't tell the salesperson that.).

 No problem, she said. Here's your satellite radio. What music programs do you want? Um, I said. Is there a Paul Simon Station?

Then she said--there's a wonderful station with music from the forties.

Ah. Oh dear.

So the other night we were watching the Grammys. Some of it was terrific, even though I'd never heard a lot of the songs before--are they still called songs? Talent is talent, and there was a lot of that there.

Questions I have: Was Pink actually singing while she was doing that act? Was Beyonce actually singing while she was doing that act? Taylor Swift's dress was fabulous, but can she sing without doing that with her hair? How come the men all had on lots of clothes, but the women didn't?

I confess we turned it off to watch Downton Abbey, then turned back at 11 (in time to see the robots and the guy in the hat) because we knew we'd fall asleep in Sherlock and will watch that today.

::Shaking head.::  Something's happening here, what it is ain't exactly clear...  (Please tell me you get that allusion.)

How about you, Reds? Music? Grammys? Radio?

HALLIE EPHRON: Oh, Hank, I am so happy to hear you say this. Pink??? I do know who Beyonce is. Ditto Taylor Swift. But that's how big they have to be to penetrate my consciousness.

Our radio is tuned to 3 NPR stations -- 2 that are mostly talk and news and wonderful weekend game shows (Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me!) and the other one is classical music. That is IT. When, in desperation and I need something to listen to, I find a country and western station or even folk. I never know who I'm listening to but I love bopping around in the driver's seat.

SUSAN ELIA MACNEAL: Am I the only Red who listens to Pandora radio? That's how I discover great new stuff. And you can choose any "station" -- so it's Pink for the gym, Tom Waits for brooding, Cole Porter for cooking dinner....

What's great about Pandora is they use an algorithm from songs you like/don't like to play songs from new artists or artists you might not otherwise know. That's how I first heard my current musical obsession, Sara Bariles -- who was at this year's Grammy Awards.

Highly recommend, and if you pay a small fee, you can rid yourself of the commercials.

HANK: Oh, Susan, we have Pandora in the house! We love it. We have Paul Simon station, and Judy Collins station, and Cole Porter station, and one I named Lido Shuffle. And lots more. That'd be good for the car!  Wonder how we could make a "stuff I should know about" station?

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: I do Spotify when I listen on my computer. My thirteen-year-old recommended it, so either I'm even hipper than you Pandora folks, or I'm hopelessly mired in something only middle-schoolers use. Don't tell anyone, but my playlist is 90% Kings College Choir. 

Our car radio is a real amalgam of stations and styles: NPR, of course, and Ross's sports-talk station ("The Big JAB!") and Youngest's two pop and hip-hop stations. Also WBACH, for my classical music, one country and one oldies. Ross and I don't have Sirius - like you, Hank, we generally prefer to talk to each other or, when I'm alone, to have silence - but we've enjoyed having it in rental cars over the years.

 One trip that stands out in family lore was the time we got upgraded to a very posh SUV (we have to fit five, remember) that not only had some sort of super-Sirius system, it was VOICE ACTIVATED.  Once the teens discovered that, it was all over. One would ask for "urban hip-hip" only to be immediately overruled by another shouting "modern jazz!" Evidently, too many voice commands confused the machine, because when Ross finally got them quieted down and asked Sirius for "Local sports" the machine responded, "Seeking...Detroit Metal Crunk." Then blasting the most godawful stuff you could imagine. We went back to poking its buttons after that.

RHYS: I'm a Pandora fan too--often it's the SPA selection and therefore relaxing when I'm rushing around. But here in Phoenix there is a great radio station called KAHM (as in calm) and they play all soothing background music.  So it's either that or NPR.

On long trips I play selections from my iPhone... Mama Mia or the Beatles when I need to stay awake and can sing along, comedy to make me laugh, or even audio books.

I'm sounding like an old fuddy duddy but pop music for the past ten years or more has left me cold. It's boring, repetitive and I hate the screeching that is now applauded as singing.

HANK: Yeah, and I often agree, Rhys, but what worries me is that's what my mother used to say about the Beatles. Just saying.

DEBORAH CROMBIE:  I put Downton and Sherlock on record and watch the entire Grammy show, which I thought was fabulous. (Although I do agree I'm getting tired of female singers as pole-dancers costumes.  And the Beyonce and Jay-Z opening number was definitely not my fave.  So funny--Rick didn't bat an eye at Beyonce in her skimpy-dominatrix outfit, but later on, when she was wearing the white sort of see-through dress, he kept saying, "Wow, she looks great." Sometimes less is not more, girls.

Because for the last couple of years I've been writing about a character (Andy Monahan) who is a rock guitarist, and is now in a duo with a female singer, I do try to keep up with the music scene.  And although I am not a big fan of hip-hop or heavy metal, there is a lot that I LOVE.  I do like Daft Punk (the robots) by the way--they crack me up.  And I think Lorde is very weird and interesting. And Pharrell Williams, in spite of the weird Lone Ranger hat, is really talented.

At least one of my favorite performances from the Grammys was Miranda Lambert and Billy Joe Armstrong's tribute to the Everly Brothers. Here's the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmkZCSK3YOM

(In case you don't have any idea who they are, Miranda Lambert is a huge country star and is married to Blake Shelton, and Billy Joe Armstrong is the lead singer for Greenday.)

I do listen to Pandora, but also lots of my own CDs or downloads.  Funnily enough, I don't usually listen to music when I drive, because I find it too distracting in our heavy Dallas traffic.

But for those of you who think music has gone to the dogs since 1965, you might want to expand your horizons:-)

HANK: Debs, whoa. You are so hip! Maybe you can do a blog on what we should hear? Our own personal Pandora!  And yeah, I agree The Everly Brothers tribute was not the best--so sad, because they had some amazing songs.

LUCY BURDETTE: Yeah, not only is Debs hip, she's scolding us old farts LOL. I'm with the Paul Simon and NPR fans, plus I love the music on the TV show Nashville. Have bought all the CD's. We listen to that and music by Teddy Thompson and Alison Kraus on the way down to Florida. It's funny, I don't like to listen to the radio much when riding with John, but I like the company when alone.

HANK: Wait, wait, don’t tell me. Reds readers, can you be our Pandoras? (In a radio way, not a “letting all the bad stuff out” way.) What should we be listening to? 

(And because we're all about audio--I'll give the fabulous Macmillan audio version (on CD) of THE WRONG GIRL to one lucky commenter!)