This may just be what they call the "tupee fallacy" or the "no true scotsman fallacy" but I've started noticing certain patterns developing in the people who comment regularly on my work. Though it's only four or five people that comment on every piece I post, I'd say a disproportionate amount of them seem to be big Tom Waits fans.
I find this interesting because I'm a huge Waits fan myself.
Is it a "like attracts like" situation?
Is it that members of this site, most likely being Palahniuk fans, have a natural inclination towards Tom Waits?
Has anyone else noticed patterns in the types of peple that comment more frequently on their work?
Should I not post forum topics after several glasses of wine?
I've never heard of him before.
There are similar lines of thinking that happen here, there is a certain type of writer who comes to Litreactor to service their workshopping/semester/shameless self promotion needs, I mean, the community here is nothing like the one in places like "write.com" "AQConnect" or "The Write Idea Forum" or other places I've hung out in the past, but, I don't know, the dark tendencies here make me feel more at home, I got the workshop membership, I hang out on this forum at least a little because I believe that you guys will understand the sort of thing I am trying to create better and be more helpful in giving me pointers about what's going wrong. This may not be the root cause of the phenomenon you are trying to describe, but it is certainly an exaggerating factor to it.
For real, I have gotten a few critiques and reviews that were as helpful as the ones on this site, but those were all in one on one situations and usually only after people were deep into the book and had figured out the sort of thing I was trying to craft. I have never found a website that litreactors on the level that litreactor litreactors.
Well, as some one who has read every chapter of my novel, I'd suggest Tom Waits. Statistically, there's a fairly good chance you'll like him. That and he's also an amazing musician. Odds are you know of him but don't know you know of him. The Ramones "I Don't Wanna Grow Up" is actually a Tom Waits cover, as is Springsteen's "Jersy Girl".
He also played Renfield in Bram Stoker's Dracula and the Devil in The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus (I have no idea if I spelled that correctly).
I haven't really been to any other writing sites. A few years back a few friends and I started our own that was small but helpful, but fizzled out after a few months.
I doubt there's any way of actually testing this, but I'd be really interested to see a comparison between a person's writing style and the music they listen to. I know that rhythm is a major factor when I write and influences things like word choice, sentence structure, etc. There's times that I've even sacrificed clarity for rhythm.
Incidentally, one of my favorite "short stories" (quotes deliberate) is Crossroad, performed by Tom Waits and written by William S. Burroughs. It's off the album The Black Rider. It's pretty great... less of a song and more of a short narrative set to music.
It's a great example of what you can to with an extended metaphor, in ths case, magic bullets as a metaphor for addiction http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYazKB4Slb4
Another example of a Tom Waits song as a short story http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12qBoy2rhVw
In retrospect, I may have gotten the idea for Skye's "accident" from this song.
I mean, I did Wikipedia the guy, just hadn't heard of him before.
The Ramones? I HATE the Ramones.
I mean, and it's weird that I do hate the Ramones so much, because I like the Sex Pistols, I like the Clash, in fact my main drive in music has always been to "find something so offensive that the cars next to me shudder when I pull up"
So, I went through that Metal phase before deciding that Gangster Rap was waaaaaayyy more offensive, but also, Folk music works, get some Decemberists (Or Carbon Leaf!) and throw that on the turntables after getting everyone worked up about the Gangster Rap and they will leave your party.
But the Ramones make me want... oh Lord, to just get sedated, hopefully to the point of being deaf.
You like what you like... just don't hold the Ramones against Tom Waits.
The range he covers is sort of insane... starting with sort of a parody of night-club jazz, going into crazy, aggressive pirate songs and ballads about prison breaks, songs about tattooed prostitutes and magic bullets crafted by the devil.
He also did an amazing scene with Iggy Pop in the movie Coffee and Cigarettes.
I'll look into it.
I love Tom Waits.
I love Tom Waits!!! He is a lyrical master! Time is one of my favorite songs. The wods in that song are just SO TRUE. I wish I could write stuff like that.
Everyone, go listen to that song. It's your Thanksgiving homework from me!
Maybe Tom Waits is universally understood to people who actually like words. I like him okay, I find it surprising that people find it surprising that people like him. Same with Nick Cave, people seem to talk really excitedly when, yeah, why wouldn't you like em? I do find that when I talk really excitedly about good music, instead of good lyrics, people tend to ignore me.
I do find that when I talk really excitedly about good music, instead of good lyrics, people tend to ignore me.
Aww. Do you wanna talk really excitedly about sumthin? I promise to pay attention.
Now you're just being facetious.
No, no. REALLY. I'm really interested in the music that makes you really excited.
Follow you like Rain Dogs.
Eu sigo você like a Brazillian robo-twitter account.
If you like Bukowski, you like Tom (and vice-versa). They go hand in hand, I think.
Listen to Kentucky Avenue or just read the lyrics. Then buy Blue Valentine and Small Change and then the Orphans.
Tom Waits is all I've listened to for the past couple of years. His style covers blues, country, jazz, alternative, and about a dozen more definitions.
And if you want to see him really nail a scene, watch his scene with Iggy Pop in Cigarettes and Coffee - which is right here.
Tom Waits could be called a transgressive musician.
Since most of us are into transgressive writing, it stands to reason we would be drawn to musicians that are doing similar things with their music.
One of my favorites (but there are so many):
Sorry, once begun, can't stop.
Georgia Lee, one of my favorites from my favoirte Tom Waits album, Mule Variations:
Now, I'm stopping.
I had a feeling that this is where this thread would go
LOL. @cowboywerewolf: going back to you thread opener. I am intrigued. I have not yet commented on one of your stories, and have not mentioned Tom Waits in any of my critiques for anybody. I like Palahniuk, but I'm not as devoted to his stuff as some people here. And yet I'm a huge fan of Tom Waits. So it doesn't seem to be necessarily Chuck's fiction (or yours) that draws all these Waitsers in. Maybe it's just really liking people who can put cool words to stuff.
Looking a little deeper, most people here write and enjoy pretty dark subject matter. Waits gets down and rolls around in dark subject matter. Could be some linkage there.
Definitely love Tom. My guess is that a large number of creative types (in this case writers) are attracted to his music because it has a really unique sound, on top of his way with words. Just the way he says things draws you in. I mean, not many musicians can write a song about eggs and sausage and make you feel like you have witnessed the birth of Jesus or something. Maybe that's just me, but I can see why he is so well loved.
Also, his new album, so amazing, I can't stop listening to it.
The piano has been drinking.
Also, the Primus tune 'Tommy the Cat' had him on guest vocals.
My mother is a Waits fan. Me not so much. He's done a few good ones. I wouldn't mind seeing him play live.
Fuck Rod Stewart.
Tom Waits is the best lyricist of the twentieth century, hands down.
Well it IS Christmas time afterall...
Christmas Card From A Hooker in Minneapolis
Merry transgressive Christmas Litreactor
edit: double posted .
well might as well not let this space go to waste. How bout Tom at his coolest?
Sweet Little Bullet From a Pretty Blue Gun
one more. Dammit just one more. You want to talk transgressive Tom? Im not sure it gets any more real than this. Would make a spectacular story. Just listen to those words. yowch. He's a fucking genius.
Lyrics:
Daggers of moonlight
Murder the sheets
And the stink of a four dollar room
And Daddy's gone a hunting
For a dime bag of schoolboy
Tied up with a yellow balloon
So hush little baby, Daddy must go
I cover you up with a blanket of snow
By the time I make Jersey
You'll be in heaven
In a pretty blue shoe box I know
So sing a song of ten grand
With a pocket full of dope
And I can't take you to Baltimore
Wake God up in Heaven
Have him look down below
There's a little lost angel
Blooming in the snow
Finally got Bad as Me with a little Xmas money: a bit heavy on the ballads, but Holy Crap! ---> 'Hell Broke Loose,' 'Chicago' and 'Satisfied'
My favorite song on the new one is "Talking At The Same Time" It has some dark David Lynch sitting in a smoky bar drinking single malt feel to it and peep his pure falsetto. But, yeah, Hell Broke Luce is pretty damn hardcore. Great album overall and gets seriously better with the more listens.
I can't find one I don't like on the new album, which makes me extra happy because it's the only disc I've bought in at least a year. I'm pretty partial to 'Pay Me' right now, though.
Austin City Limits from the 70's - the whole episode - http://video.pbs.org/video/2179574410
TW will be on David Letterman tonight and Jimmy Fallon tomorrow night.
Street team is in full effect.
Tom owes me a sawbuck.
I told him he could just paste it to Letterman's desk if he didn't want to spring for the postage.
We'll see.
Tom Waits and Bukowski sitting a tree F. u. C. K. I. N. g. - shit up gloriously.
I tried and failed to decipher the occult meaning behind the lower-case u & g.
Must be bedtime.
