When the start-up
Booktrack first introduced its
soundtracked e-book concept last year, it was generally received as
a pretty terrible idea. Traditionalists argued that
soundtracks only distract readers from immersing themselves in a narrative. Experiments with matching audio to the written word have persisted nonetheless, though the latest attempts seek a more measured approach to finding sounds that truly complement the meaning, or even the appearance, of text.
Literary Jukebox: Maria Popova, the cross-disciplinary curator behind discovery engine
Brain Pickings and co-author of the
Curator’s Code, recently unveiled
Literary Jukebox as an experiment in “cross-pollinating the arts.” For this Brain Pickings side project, Popova chooses a passage from a book each day, then pairs the quote with a song that is related conceptually, thematically, or according to some other “creative intersection.” Some song-and-text pairings can be
understood on sight; others benefit from
a closer listen. But all suggest the complex interplay between word and sound, and remind readers and listeners to pay equal mind to the lyrical complexity of written words and the significance of sung lyrics.
Voices of Fonts: Readers may already feel a certain familiarity with the (projected) persona of
Comic “Because I’m Fun” Sans. But the “voices” of the myriad other preprogrammed fonts in our repertoire—your Arials, Copperplates, and Times New Romans—have remained buried. Now, with a nod to
typography enthusiasts everywhere, The
Minute vlogger Jonathan Garcia has proposed voices, replete with personality, for many common fonts. Some of the imagined voices in
Voices of Fonts are sure to align with font fanatics’ expectations. The
much-respected Helvetica sounds like a plaintive hipster, and Arial Narrow evokes the refined-yet-laid-back accent of Michael Cain. And, as usual, controversial Comic Sans
takes a bit of heat.
Fifty Shades of Grey Soundtrack: Despite its
questionable literary merit, bestseller
Fifty Shades of Grey seems poised to
rejuvenate the publishing industry (and its
e-book counterpart). Now, the much-hyped erotic series-turned-
film franchise may be turning its audience on to the charms of classical music. Author E.L. James has curated a
soundtrack to serve as a listening companion to the books. The album features 15 compositions which are mentioned in the trilogy—some of which have already experienced a
resurgence on the charts in light of protagonist Christian Grey’s affinity for classical works. The companion album, set to be released on September 11, features pieces by titanic composers such as Bach, Chopin, and Rachmaninoff.
