Books/Music/Movies/Events that changed you.

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

We all have had required reading in school. Dry tomes of long dead writers on subjects that are suppose to be incredible, which at that phase of our lives, being forced to read these novels, read so without enjoyment or imagary. Most of these books ( music, movies) have been long forgotten.

I have found that it is the books, movies or music that I have discovered (by chance or by recommendation) that have transformed me from what I call my self absorbed single person me, me, me phase, to this emerging nice (Funny and intelligent) adult person that I aspire to be.

I probably will not win a Nobel Prize or Pulitzer in my life. But I am a parent and one day, when my kids are old enough to think and act on their own, and they realize that I’m not just a Mom, they will see that I have a personality, a history, secrets, hopes, crushed dreams and aspirations.

Like all of us, books, music and movies are a vital part of my emotional DNA. They leave indelible imprints and change how we think, act, feel and believe. ( I like music, but for the most part, I am not fiendish over it like I am with the other two subjects at hand.)

I am starting a pile of books ( well, they were already a pile of books in my basement that I will not part with) to save for my kids to read if they want to get a glimmer of a segment what has shaped me because books are such a huge part of my life. So My children can pick up a tome of “Cather In the Rye” read it and we can discuss why it was worthy of being on my shelf for twenty, thirty years.

I know only another bibliophile can understand shelving a book for so long. Explaining to someone who doesn’t read voraciously the comfort going to a bookshelf and just picking up a dog eared copy of something that touched the heart so much is beyond words. Books are friends that will never crap on you.

We all read crappy books whatever the genre. But a well written book (or movie or music), for whatever reason, that hits you in the solar plexus at that particular time in your life and just knocks your breath away, and the same time, breaths new life into you is worth more than gold.

I know everyone else out there has their own, what I call My Required Reading. Please list and give a brief summary of why it moved you so. Maybe it can move others. ( I prolytize more about a good book or movie than about religion.)

I have a list, but I can only put one down right now because the kids need to be attended to.

Books:

Night By Elie Wiesel.
A very slim and horryifying personal account of a 15 year old boy’s experience during the death camps during the holocaust. ( I just finished this book last night-quick read, surprising considering the subject matter) and was crying my eyes out at the inhumanity that I cannot fathom and the lost innocence of this young boy.

2

Yes, I do have a book that changed my life. It’s not a very inspirational choice, and I doubt it would have the same effect on anyone else, but it made a major difference to me.

It’s Titan by John Varley. A better-than-averge science fiction adventure novel.

Before reading it, I was a science fiction fan who fantasized about being a writer. After reading it, I became a science fiction writer (see http://www.strangehorizons.com/20001009/arroyo_de_buho.shtml or http://www.electricwine.com).

3

When I first heard Schillers words for Ode and die Freude, the finale to Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, I knew that no matter what, there will always be hope for humanity.

Sheer beauty. And I guess it qualifies as poetry AND music.

Freude, schöner Götterfunken,
Tochter aus Elysium!
Wir betreten feuertrunken,
Himmlische, Dein Heiligtum.
Deine Zauber binden wieder,
was die Mode streng geteilt,
alle Menschen werden Brüder,
wo Dein sanfter Flügel weilt.

I’m not even religious, but these words are just plain magic.

4

Coldy, I am not even going to attempt babelfish to translate what moved you,…oh wait…yes I am…
Joy, beautiful God sparks, daughter from Elysium! We entered feuertrunken, Himmli, your Heiligtum. Your charms bind again, which the mode strictly divided, all humans become brothers,where your gentle wing stays.

Naturally, I will ask for a second opinion.

5

Metallica’s “Master of Puppets” album.

The speed and accuracy with which those guys play their instruments is incredible. Their time and tempo changes are incredible. Their live shows are incredible. Their versatility is incredible.

Unfortunately, they turned out to be money-grubbing bastards …

6

Also, don’t be embarrassed of what you have read. I use to be mortified to tell people I read (whisper) Romance Novels.There is such a stigma attached to it.

Then I talked with my husbands best friend. A Doctor. A PhD. Professor. A genius. A great drinking buddy. Some how I managed to impress him with some trivial bit of history and he asked how I knew it and I replied meekly, " I read it in a romance novel." He told me to never apologize for reading and that you would be very surprised how many people do not read. He is right, I am floored by the amount of people who don’t read. It scares me.

If it was a John Grisham novel that made you go “Hmmm” or a Snoop Doggy Dog CD that made you go, “Wow, that was refreshing, I like rap music.”

Put it here.

7

Shirley, there is an official English translation of the poem. However, it does lose a lot in the translation, IMHO. Still powerful stuff though.

8

It didn’t change me immediately, but I really see the meaning now that I’m in the grown up world. It reminds me of every workplace that has no leadership- someone is always Piggy, someone is always hogging the conch shell.

Also, the Mayo Clinic’s Guide to Chronic Pain. It helped me realize that I’m not crazy and that it’s normal to have problems when faced with a lifelong illness/pain.

Oh, and for events it has GOT to be the Tienneman Square killings. Until that point in my life (I was around 18, I guess) I had heard about injustice in the world. The day I saw that horror I FELT it deep down, and I cried for the souls of the people who died, and more for the people who still had to live in that kind of place.

One more. The Little Engine that Could. I’ll never forget “I think I can, I think I can.” I don’t care if it IS corny, it’s the truth :slight_smile:

Zette

9

Shirley, I wouldn’t take history that you read in a romance novel as fact. Please verify it in a standard reference first! I say this because occasionally I copyedit romance novels – and I’ve seen more than one author twist basic facts of history to fit the plot, despite my clear notations about why it’s incorrect and suggestions on how to make it right and preserve the integrity of the plot.

Case in point – an author once had General “Custard” (no humor intended – that’s how she thought it was spelled) fighting at the battle of Wounded Knee, which was actually waged in retribution for his death 14 years earlier. She fixed that one, but left in egregious errors about white attitudes toward and knowledge about the battle.

10

Seeing the Broadway musical “RENT” 2 years ago honestly did change my life. For those who don’t know, it is based on the opera “La Boheme” and follows the lives of several young people who are struggling with AIDS, drug habits, poverty, art, and of course the eternal themes of love and sex.

I will never ever look at homeless people/poor people the same again.

11

Well, when I read Goethe’s Faust in college, it finally brought home for me the importance and power of translation, and how much can be changed or compromised depending on the translator’s own ideas, perspectives, and word choices. That may sound obvious (or even trivial) but it was a reminder for me to be extremely cautious about translated material. That would include the bible (not that I read it literally, anyway…)

Margaret Atwood’s “Cats Eyes” blew me away by how well she captured children’s capacity to be cruel. Every time someone posts about their miserable school years or references the Columbine thing, I recall this book. I read it a long time ago but it really has stuck with me, and I’ve kept a commitment to do what little I can to try to make children kinder and their social worlds less hostile.

Reading “And The Band Played On” was an extremely powerful awakening for me. I had very naive ideas about how “causes” come to be at the forefront of our agenda and how science identifies what’s important – until I read this. I strongly recommend this book to anyone.

The Berlin Wall coming down stunned me. I thought history was permanent, I guess. Sure, borders changed in the PAST but I never thought they’d change in my lifetime. I never thought the cold war would take on a different flavor, either.

When I was in Jr. High they had a miniseries with Jason Robards about nuclear war. That had me depressed and anxious for a good decade.

Also in junior high, I went to Geek Camp (camp for gifted and talented kids). It was only two summers, both sessions being a short 10 days or so, but man-oh-man it was life changing to be amongst other kids who thought it was cool, not threatening, that I had some brains. I was even, for the first time in my life, popular. Pursued by boys, even. That had NEVER happened before, and gave me a confidence boost that probably still contributes to my worldview today. I wasn’t exactly socially ostracized at school before then, but I’d never been so accepted as I was during camp. Never underestimate the power of one good experience on a kid.

And while it sounds unbelievably trite and cliched, having a baby completely changed my worldview. I didn’t think I had much of a mommy gene and I was highly skeptical that motherhood would alter me as much as schmaltzy poems suggest. Yet I do look at the world differently now. It’s getting better, but for a while there in his first year of life, I found it too upsetting to even watch the news.

12

Oh, it would have to be 1984.

I have my high school English teacher to thank for it, I probably wouldn’t have read it otherwise.

It makes me wonder about the two dichotomous reactions i have to it every time i read it

  1. I am so lucky! I can whistle when i walk down the street and taxiderm rats and say what i think and wear whatever I want and i don’t have to drink Victory Gin…What a wonderful world this is!

  2. Wait a second…I am really that lucky. This world has a lot of subtle similarities to…OH my GOD!