Showing posts with label Eternal Curse. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Eternal Curse. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 21, 2018

Gardens of Good and Evil: Part 2 - Rappaccini's Daughter

Image altered from Pexels.com
Welcome back. See part 1 of this series here.

I don’t consider myself to be obsessive even with things I geek-out over. However, my love for all things Batman, Winnie the Pooh, Betty Boop, and Gardens does sometimes border on the line of obsessive. I mean, I have an entire Pinterest Board dedicated to images of gardens. The crazy thing is, I’m highly allergic to nature; still, I’ve never let that stop me from adoring it. I guess that’s why I’ve always been drawn to stories featuring gardens, whether magical or malevolent. I like being able to have the garden experience without all the sneezing and watery eyes. And, of course, I’ve found ways to sneak nature and gardens into my own writing. In this series, I’ll be writing about some of the most influential or creative stories featuring gardens that I’ve come across.

Today, I’ll be talking about the story that helped me grasp the concept of science fantasy as a genre and solidified my obsess- I mean, my interest in fictional gardens. I give to you, Rappaccini's Daughter by Nathaniel Hawthorne.

Goodreads.com
I first encountered the story of Rappaccini's Daughter in a college English Lit course. Being the fiction and book lover that I am, I was taking the class for basic credits and simply because I thought it would be fun; BTW- it was. This story caught me off guard. Despite not being a huge fan of the style in which it is written, the overall plot and theme captivated me. The subtle blend of science fiction, with fantasy elements, into an otherwise classic literature medium, was surprisingly impactful. It reminded me of the first time I read The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Without giving too much of the story away, for those who don’t know, Rappaccini is more than a gardener, he’s a scientist dabbling in things some might consider taboo, and he brings his daughter along for the ride. Enter, Giovanni, the man who discovers the secrets of both Rappaccini’s garden and his daughter. If you don’t know anything about my Eternal Curse Series (currently undergoing a rewrite, but available to my email subscribers for free) you should understand that this story influenced me so much so that my main character is named Giovanni. 

Back in college, I was tasked with writing a critical and literary analysis of this story for a grade. I was very shocked and proud of myself to receive an ‘A+’ on the assignment, in which I did a comparison to the Fall of Man story in Genesis, which takes place in the Garden of Eden. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get my hands on my old paper to see some of the points I made to earn my ‘A’, but I definitely know exactly where I’ve stowed it away. 

Since it’s been so long since I’ve read the story, and even though it’s left such an impression, I’ve decided to read it again. I’ve downloaded an ebook copy and plan to read it over my holiday break. I also found this nifty video for anyone interested in a free audio version of the story (FYI-I haven’t vetted this).

In any case, I’m comforted to know that this story has also impacted the lives of other writers as well. I’ve recently purchased the book, The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter, where Beatrice Rappaccini is said to make an appearance. I’m also looking forward to diving into that sometime soon.
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Find out more about me, my work, and my inspiration at the following links:
Amazon | Goodreads The ToiBox of Words | YouTube | See a list of my other posts here.
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Click here to read more posts at our Blog Post Gallery

COMMENTS

nicola L Osguthorpe

2 months ago  -  Shared publicly
It looks interesting Toi, not a book I know one which obviously had a huge impact on your life.
 
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Tricia Drammeh

2 months ago  -  Shared publicly
I've never read this book, so I must add it to my reading list. After your first post in the series, I immediately downloaded and re-read The Secret Garden. There is definitely something magical about gardens!
 
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Joe Bonadonna

2 months ago  -  Shared publicly
Interesting post, Toi. This is a new one on me. I'll have to look into this one.
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It really made an impact when I was younger. Let's see how the re-read goes.


Joe Bonadonna via Google+

2 months ago  -  Shared publicly
Today on #OurAuthorGang, author Toinette Thomas brings us Part 2 of her "Gardens of Good and Evil," and discusses "Rappaccini's Daughter," by Nathaniel Hawthorne.
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Ruth de Jauregui

2 months ago  -  Shared publicly
Sweet!! I need to check out this book! Thank you for sharing Toi!
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Hope you find it interesting.


Ruth de Jauregui via Google+

2 months ago  -  Shared publicly
Toi Thomas continues her series on gardens and literature, featuring Hawthorne's Rappaccini's Daughter. Stop by #OurAuthorGang and say "Hi!"
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P. J. Mann shared this via Google+

2 months ago  -  Shared publicly
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Lorraine Carey

2 months ago  -  Shared publicly
Great enlightenment here, Toi. You do see the enchantment and allure in those classic literature pieces. Now you have me wanting to dig these up myself.
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It's definitely an interesting story.

+Toi Thomas You have piqued my curiosity.


Toi Thomas via Google+

2 months ago  -  Shared publicly
Today, I share a glance at one of the stories that inspire my love of gardens and my writing. #OurAuthorGang
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Wednesday, February 21, 2018

#Music, My Muse: part 5, the finale by Toi Thomas #OurAuthorGang

from Pinterest
So, today, in part 5, the finale, of the Music My Muse series, I’ll be sharing some brief thoughts on musical scores and settings. (see part 1, part 2, part 3, and part 4 here).

While it’s quite possible that not many remember, or ever even knew (I’m guilty), the names of the songs that made up some of the most iconic musical scores in history, the impact of these works is no less important or legendary. When people hear “Also sprach Zarathustra” they automatically think of monoliths, deep space, and killer A.I., aka 2001 Space Odyssey. When people hear “Speak Softly, Love” they imagine large Italian American families, mobsters, and a horse’s head, aka The Godfather.

I think there is a musical score out there for every imaginable setting if you’re willing and open to it. Sometimes, though, it doesn’t have to be a score. There are popular songs that can also help shape the setting or world you’re creating, if you know where to look.

While I admit that my Legend of the Boy story isn’t nearly as sweet, the score for E.T. helped me when I was trying to develop an adult-driven sci-fi world where a boy could save or destroy it. To this day, I haven’t been able to figure out why a good slow waltz helped me carve out the settings for my It’s Like the Full Moon book, but it is what it is. There are so many songs and scores that have helped me develop the world of Eternal Curse that I can’t begin to mention them all now.

Even outside of my writing, I find the right score can set the mood in my life. Sometimes when I’m sad, and it’s a time when it’s okay to be sad and express those feelings, I find myself listening to "La Boheme". When I’m trying to hype myself up, when I’m trying to get into the right mindset to do something a little crazy that might be fun, but could totally end up badly, the Rocky theme usually works. And when I’m preparing a meal for a friend for the first time, I find Disney tunes keep me in high spirits as I toil to delight. I hope you’ve enjoyed this series on music and writing and hope that you’ve maybe found some inspiration along the way.

Good music, creative writing, and happy reading.

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Find out more about me, my work, and my inspiration at the following links:


Amazon | Goodreads The ToiBox of Words | YouTube | See a list of my other posts here.

#themesong #score, #soundtrack, #music, #Pinterest

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For anyone who’s interested, I’m sharing a new short story for the W.E.P. challenge over at The ToiBox of Words.
COMMENTS

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Sherry Ellis

10 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
John Williams is probably my favorite film score composer.
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Trisha F.

11 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Film scores are some of the best, most inspiring music, I agree!
 
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Ruth de Jauregui via Google+

11 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Toi shares her love of music and how it inspires her writing. A fantastic close to her series.
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Ruth de Jauregui

11 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Fantastic. I love music and I do write better when I turn the boob tube off and put on Pandora. Thank you for reminding me.
 
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Joe Bonadonna via Google+

11 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Today on A Small Gang of Authors, Toinette Thomas brings to a conclusion her wonderful 5-part article on music: "Music, My Muse."
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Joe Bonadonna

11 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
This is great, Toi. Sad to see your 5-part series come to an end.
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View all 4 replies
 
+Joe Bonadonna Cool.
 
+Toi Thomas -- thanks. I think you'll like the books i talk about.

Toi Thomas via Google+

11 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
I'm so happy to share part 5, the finale, of my series on music and writing. I hope you've enjoyed Music, My Muse.
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Mary Anne Yarde

11 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Lovely post! I always listen to music when I write!!
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Thank you.

Grace Au

11 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Sorry to see this series of blog posts end. Thanks so much for your take on music and writing, Toi. Brilliant!
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Thank you. Even if it didn't help with my writing, I'd still love music.

Rebecca Tran

11 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
I still remember my dad when I hear certain songs on the radio and he's been gone over 20 years now. But he'd sing them at the top of his lungs and I can see his face clearly with every lyric as if he were right there singing terribly in my ear.
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I love this. What a wonderful memory and testament to just how much music stays with us and even connects us to others.

Rebecca Tran

11 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Find out how music influences your writing and your life with this great post by Toi Thomas on Our Author Gang.
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Erika M Szabo via Google+

11 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
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Erika M Szabo

11 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
It's been a great series Toi, I really enjoyed every part of it :)
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Thank you.

Nikki McDonagh

11 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Great post. Music is a huge part of my life as my husband is a professional musician and composer, so there is always a tune being played whilst I write.
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How cool is that. Two creative people sharing words and tunes together. Love it.

Rich Feitelberg

11 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Interesting post. I recently had to write an elven lullaby for my fantasy series. The words were easy. It was the melody I struggled with.
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As much as I love music, if I had to write it, I'm sure it would be a disaster. That's great that you have the skill to do it.

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