Rock This Way
A Punk Cinderella Studies the
Elements of Writing by Turning Up the Music
Fictionary recently asked rock and roll memoirist Laurie Lindeen to wax poetic on the relationship between music and writing. Lindeen’s book, Petal Pusher: A Rock and Roll Cinderella Story, charts the author’s own experiences as the guitarist for the now defunct Minneapolis all-girl indie-rock band, Zuzu’s Petals. Her memoir is an honest, at turns humorous, at turns sad, flick-your-Bic-coming-of-age-road-narrative, set amidst the world of cramped rehearsal spaces and dingy music venues. Lindeen charts her rock exploits during the apex of the Minneapolis indie scene that spawned Soul Asylum and the Replacements, to name a few. Along the way, the author explores more personal ground, ruminating on the days of starting a band even as she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, temporarily losing the ability to walk. But as any good Cinderella story must go, Lindeen meets and marries her Prince Charming, in this case Paul Westerberg, founder and driving force behind the Replacements. Today, the couple lives in the Twin Cities with their ten-year-old son. Lindeen earned her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Minnesota. Lindeen appears Tuesday, October 20 at Columbia College’s Film Row Cinema as part of Creative Nonfiction Week.
By Laurie Lindeen
I can’t listen to music while I write, but I try to write music, or something close to it. The rhythm from great lyric writing is tattooed in my brain, and hopefully, on occasion, it rubs off. I’ll pluck some lyrics from five songs off of my favorite albums and point out some examples of great writing techniques.
Character Development
Jesus Christ Superstar (it has to be the original London cast)—book by Tim Rice, from “Trial before Pilate.”
Pontius Pilate: Why do you not speak when I have your life in my hands? How can you stay quiet? I don’t believe you understand.
Jesus: You have nothing in your hands. Every power you have, comes to you from far beyond. Everything is fixed and you can’t change it.
Pontius Pilate: You’re a fool Jesus Christ. You have been brought here, manacled, beaten, by your own people–do you have the first idea why you deserve this?
I like this interpretation of Pilate because we see the humanity and vulnerability in the bad guy as well as how perplexing Jesus must’ve been to a civil servant.
(Best) Dialogue (Ever)
“Isis” by Bob Dylan and Jacques Levy from Bob Dylan’s album Desire:
She said, “Where you been?”
I said, “No place special.”
She said, “You look different.”
I said, “Yeah, I guess.”
She said, “You’ve been gone.”
I said, “That’s only natural.”
She said, “You gonna stay?”
I said, “If you want me to, yes.”
First Person Narration
Joni Mitchell’s “See You Sometime” from the underappreciated poetic masterpiece For the Roses.
Where are you now? Are you in some hotel room; does it have a view? Are you caught in a crowd, or holding some honey who’s come on to you? Why do you have to be so jive? Okay. Hang up the phone. It hurts, but something survives—though it’s undermined. I’d just like to see you sometime.
Narrative Arc/Conclusion
Robyn Hitchcock’s “Uncorrected Personality Traits” from I Often Dream of Trains.
If you give in to them, every time they cry, they will become little tyrants and won’t remember why. Then when they are thwarted by people in later life, they will become psychotic, and won’t make an ideal husband or wife.
The spoiled baby turns into the escapist teenager who’s the adult alcoholic who’s the middle-aged suicide. (Oy.) So, uncorrected personality traits that seem whimsical in a child, can prove to be ugly in a fully-grown adult.
Sound Advice for All Artists
Roxy Music, “Editions of You” from For Your Pleasure.
Learn from your mistakes is my only advise
And
Stay cool’s still the main rule
And
Don’t take yourself for a fool
Elements of Writing by Turning Up the Music
Fictionary recently asked rock and roll memoirist Laurie Lindeen to wax poetic on the relationship between music and writing. Lindeen’s book, Petal Pusher: A Rock and Roll Cinderella Story, charts the author’s own experiences as the guitarist for the now defunct Minneapolis all-girl indie-rock band, Zuzu’s Petals. Her memoir is an honest, at turns humorous, at turns sad, flick-your-Bic-coming-of-age-road-narrative, set amidst the world of cramped rehearsal spaces and dingy music venues. Lindeen charts her rock exploits during the apex of the Minneapolis indie scene that spawned Soul Asylum and the Replacements, to name a few. Along the way, the author explores more personal ground, ruminating on the days of starting a band even as she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, temporarily losing the ability to walk. But as any good Cinderella story must go, Lindeen meets and marries her Prince Charming, in this case Paul Westerberg, founder and driving force behind the Replacements. Today, the couple lives in the Twin Cities with their ten-year-old son. Lindeen earned her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Minnesota. Lindeen appears Tuesday, October 20 at Columbia College’s Film Row Cinema as part of Creative Nonfiction Week.By Laurie Lindeen
I can’t listen to music while I write, but I try to write music, or something close to it. The rhythm from great lyric writing is tattooed in my brain, and hopefully, on occasion, it rubs off. I’ll pluck some lyrics from five songs off of my favorite albums and point out some examples of great writing techniques.
Character Development
Jesus Christ Superstar (it has to be the original London cast)—book by Tim Rice, from “Trial before Pilate.”Pontius Pilate: Why do you not speak when I have your life in my hands? How can you stay quiet? I don’t believe you understand.
Jesus: You have nothing in your hands. Every power you have, comes to you from far beyond. Everything is fixed and you can’t change it.
Pontius Pilate: You’re a fool Jesus Christ. You have been brought here, manacled, beaten, by your own people–do you have the first idea why you deserve this?
I like this interpretation of Pilate because we see the humanity and vulnerability in the bad guy as well as how perplexing Jesus must’ve been to a civil servant.
(Best) Dialogue (Ever)
“Isis” by Bob Dylan and Jacques Levy from Bob Dylan’s album Desire:She said, “Where you been?”
I said, “No place special.”
She said, “You look different.”
I said, “Yeah, I guess.”
She said, “You’ve been gone.”
I said, “That’s only natural.”
She said, “You gonna stay?”
I said, “If you want me to, yes.”
First Person Narration
Joni Mitchell’s “See You Sometime” from the underappreciated poetic masterpiece For the Roses.Where are you now? Are you in some hotel room; does it have a view? Are you caught in a crowd, or holding some honey who’s come on to you? Why do you have to be so jive? Okay. Hang up the phone. It hurts, but something survives—though it’s undermined. I’d just like to see you sometime.
Narrative Arc/Conclusion
Robyn Hitchcock’s “Uncorrected Personality Traits” from I Often Dream of Trains.If you give in to them, every time they cry, they will become little tyrants and won’t remember why. Then when they are thwarted by people in later life, they will become psychotic, and won’t make an ideal husband or wife.
The spoiled baby turns into the escapist teenager who’s the adult alcoholic who’s the middle-aged suicide. (Oy.) So, uncorrected personality traits that seem whimsical in a child, can prove to be ugly in a fully-grown adult.
Sound Advice for All Artists
Roxy Music, “Editions of You” from For Your Pleasure.Learn from your mistakes is my only advise
And
Stay cool’s still the main rule
And
Don’t take yourself for a fool
