Black Clock

At the risk of flogging a dead horse I haven’t ridden, I’ll relay some recent news. Beyond how bad or boring (or potentially great) Fifty Shades of Grey is, inside one will find myriad references to classical composers. Or so I’ve heard. Also, I’ve read that EMI Classics, in an obviously gluttonous but altogether wise move, is releasing a reading soundtrack. Something to enjoy sonically while you relish E L James’s Twilight fan-fiction adapted book. This all got me thinking, what music do we listen to while we read?  What do we hear when reading? Does it make any difference?

When I asked my sister what she listens to while reading she responded, “I listen to the Wicked soundtrack while I’m reading Wicked. And you should listen to classical music while you’re doing the Sunday crossword puzzle because you need to listen to smarty-pants stuff for that.” …

There are some places in the world whose lore and history spark our imaginations and minds before we ever have a chance to see and experience them for ourselves. Yes, there is the Taj Mahal, the Eiffel Tower, the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Colosseum. But for those of us who love the written word, there are also bookstores that glow with a magical lure rivaling that of the Statue of Liberty or the Great Wall of China.

Editorial assistants Eleni Demetriou and Chris Black unequivocally agree that L.A.’s Book Soup is one of these literary meccas. For Eleni, it was an online find better than the ideal Match.com profile; for Chris, the homing beacon to his road trip from New York City. Their separate accounts on their first encounters with Book Soup read almost like love letters; fortunately for all of us, it’s a love that’s meant to be shared.

-Kyoung Kim

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