tom waits on his work

This bit is from an author, Jim Krusoe, who recently published a novel, “Erased.” He was asked for a list of songs that relate to his work. One of them is a Tom Waits tune. I love the story that goes with it.

“Black Wings” by Tom Waits

Not surprisingly, I’m inclined to favor the mordant sounds of Tom Waits, poet of things closing and of hopelessness, and certainly Erased is about things shutting down, as well as opening onto unexpected vistas. This cut also makes me think of a time back in my youth where one night during an open poetry workshop we were visited by an improbably scruffy (even compared to us), odd-sounding guy. He read his poem, and afterwards I opined that it was good, but maybe not quite complicated enough to stand alone. “Maybe you should try writing song lyrics,” I told him. Waits looked me up and down, considering. “Well, man,” he rasped. “I’m working on it.”

paul graham on writing

This essay on writing from Paul Graham could be an outline for a great book. Instead, it says what it needs to, and stops.