Another Trite Rant
by Derick Varn

"Except for Music, everything is a lie," E.M. Cioran says. Until the rise of pop culture, Cioran was right. Now music is even subject to a cynic's eye. Records are no longer records of the event of people making music, but quite often cross marketing attempts. Still, without music, I don't think I would have entered the "arts."

I started writing as a music reviewer of underground bands when I was fourteen years old. Underage drinking, Nirvana-esque guitar riffs, and the out of control punk scene led me to want to be a poet. I tried to write lyrics; however, I found musical rhythm and coherence limiting. That led to writing poems. The two are related, I think.

"We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams." Arthur W. E. O'Shaughnessy is right. Even at it's most trite, music can pull emotions out of you. It's not logical at all; music is pure emotional communication.

As a writer it's easy to get bogged down in words. Abstractions can creep into your work and thwart your best intentions to be solid. Listening and understanding music can help that. Sometimes, the only thing you need to set the mood is simplicity and sound. Tom Waits's wails have helped me get the right feel for a story on more than one occasion.

Derick Varn is a poet and longstanding contributor to Unlikely Stories. Check out his literary works at this site.