If you’ve ever wondered what your favorite literary characters might be listening to while they save the world/contemplate existence/get into trouble, or hallucinated a soundtrack to go along with your favorite novels, well, us too. But wonder no more! Here, we sneak a look at the hypothetical iPods of some of literature’s most interesting characters. What would be on the personal playlists of Holden Caulfield or Elizabeth Bennett, Huck Finn or Harry Potter, Tintin or Humbert Humbert? Something revealing, we bet. Or at least something danceable. Read on for a cozy reading soundtrack, character study, or yet another way to emulate your favorite literary hero. This week: the tyrannical sea captain of all our dreams, Captain Ahab.
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The world of celebrity baby-naming is an odd and occasionally alarming one. But we have to say, the latest trend is one we can get down with: Both Neil Patrick Harris and the Beckhams named their baby daughters Harper, after the author of To Kill a Mockingbird. And it got us thinking about other literature-inspired names that might be sweeping the ranks soon. Maybe Eudora will make a comeback in homage to Miss Welty? Perhaps Huck will sweep the naming registers? After all, the current number one names — Isabella and Jacob — have the Twilight series to thank. Below, our abridged list of literary baby names and what they mean.
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Earlier this week, we read about plans to turn Moat Brae, the Georgian townhouse in Scotland that inspired JM Barrie’s Peter Pan into a center for children’s literature, which we think sounds like a wonderful idea. It also doesn’t hurt that Absolutely Fabulous actress Joanna Lumley is the primary advocate and fundraiser behind the project. But more importantly, the project got us thinking about all the real-life places that have inspired some of our favorite works of literature. We’re not talking big cities like New York and LA and their numerous pleasures, which figure in thousands of books, but houses and moors, caves and farmlands hidden away in authors’ hometowns or childhood vacation spots. Of course, some of the mythology of inspiration is always guesswork, but we can’t deny that we feel a little literary tingle when we look at these places. Click through to see our list of ten real life places that inspired literary classics, and let us know any we’ve missed in the comments!
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Today at Flavorpill, we transported back in time thanks to a few of the titles on BuzzFeed’s list of 35 VHS tapes that your parents wouldn’t let you rent when you were a kid. We watched alternative opening credits for some of our favorite TV shows. We felt sorry for Bjork’s TV — to be taken apart under such scrutiny! We surprised by some of the names in Mental Floss’s roundup of five artists reportedly held at gunpoint by Phil Spector. We couldn’t wait to print out this Ron Swanson paper doll and dress it up in outfits. We imagined that if MTV was having a 30th birthday party, then Justin Vernon would not be getting an invite. We hoped to spot iPad head girl walking the streets of New York City. We read some competing accounts of who invented the high five. We wished Herman Melville a happy birthday. And finally, we felt like Lars Von Trier’s latest project — which is about “the erotic life of a woman from the age of zero to the age of 50″ — has to be some kind of self parody. Right?
A couple weeks ago, we read a wonderful essay over at The Millions in which the author dissected the feeling of reading a Great Big Important Novel — versus, say, a Slim Prestige Novel — suggesting that part of what we love about a GBIN comes from a sort of literary Stockholm Syndrome, a somewhat sick scrounging for brief moments of kindness between hundreds of punishing pages. This may be so, though there is something inherently satisfying and unrelated to prestige about sinking into a novel that is long enough to become your companion for weeks or months, and we’ve always been sorry when a wonderful (and wonderfully long) book is finally over. Fair warning: your author is one who cannot bear to leave a book (any book) unfinished after reaching the point of no return at about page twenty, and considering this, it seems helpful to dissect the merits of the long versus the short in the oeuvres of particular authors, so we can all make informed decisions whether to imprison ourselves within the pages of a doorstop or breezily choose the shorter version. Click through to see our picks for the long versus the short of some of our favorite authors, and let us know whether you agree in the comments!
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Today at Flavorpill, we were surprised to discover that Napoleon’s brother Joseph spent part of his life in New Jersey. We liked Moviefone’s list of five sequels that are pretty much the same as the originals, which was inspired by The Hangover Part II. We were shocked by the total cost of all of Oprah’s favorite things: $23.8 million. We streamed the new Mark Ronson-produced Black Lips LP. We read an excerpt from Mindy Kaling’s forthcoming book of essays, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me. We realized how much Barack Obama’s signature resembles “a cartoon baby Tyrannosaurus playing with a ball of yarn.” We were terrified by these GIFs of American Idol finalist Scott McCreery. We were impressed by this Chewbacca bento box. We enjoyed reading Herman Melville’s description of himself in this passport application. We came across a totally adorable photo of Jason Sudeikis as a little kid. And finally, we wondered if Guy Fieri realizes that Melissa McCarthy based her Bridesmaids character on him. Looking back at her performance now, we totally see it.
How would your expectations differ when picking up a book entitled Lord Chatterly’s Lover, as opposed to the Lady Chatterly we all know and love? Would you be as interested in the story of Beauty and the Beast if it was about a handsome man falling for a beastly woman who had entrapped him? Jacket Copy points us to an ongoing exhibit at L.A’s Charlie James Gallery, wherein German artist Daniela Comani reimagines classic book covers if their genders had been switched. Though she doesn’t delve into the implications on the story, her work invites the viewer to speculate on her behalf, imagining skewed stories and often uncovering hidden gender bias and more than a few cultural blind spots. Or maybe that was just us. Click through to see some stills of her work, and if you’re in the L.A. area, catch her show until June 4th.
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Food and wine pairings are old hat. Sure, there are some sommeliers that agonize over whether which notes go best with which sauces, and while our tummies sure appreciate their work, all we know is that fish goes with white wine and fava beans go with a nice chianti. But we think food and books go pretty well together. At least all of this writer’s childhood books are full of crumbs from a decade of eating and reading, the right hand pages tucked underneath the plate for safekeeping. And if you’re going to snack during storytime, you should probably eat something that goes with your reading material, whether it enhances the experience or just helps you make it through to the end. Click through for our expert list of essential food and literature pairings, perfect for your next nerdy themed dinner party – or just your average Sunday night at home.
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Watch Man Vs. Food before bed and you go to sleep craving French dipped sandwiches and face-sized burgers with cheese injected into the middle of the meat. (Adam Richman, what a charmer.) Certain scenes from fiction can get your belly growling, too. When food is done right in writing, you experience it with all your senses and strange cravings are inspired. Below, some of the most memorable food moments in fiction.
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Drink, ye harpooners! Marine archaeologists have found the sunken 19th-century whaling ship that was once captained by the man whose adventures served as the inspiration for Herman Melville’s classic Moby Dick. The ship, christened “Two Brothers,” went down in 1823, was helmed by Captain George Pollard, whose previous ship, “The Essex,” had been rammed by a sperm whale and sank in the South Pacific two years prior. This story famously served as the inspiration for Melville’s 1851 novel. ”To find the physical remains of something that seems to have been lost to time is pretty amazing,” said Nathaniel Philbrick, an author and historian specializing in George Pollard and his ships. ”It just makes you realize these stories are more than stories. They’re about real lives.” Amen to that, matey. [via BBC]
