Your Inner Caveman

I was fascinated by the news last week that Neanderthals had mated with modern humans.  I think my first response was probably the typical reaction that most people had:  Hubba hubba!

Then I thought that Neanderthals, presumed to have gone extinct about 30,000 years ago, had never really died out--at least not genetically.  If you're descended from ancestors who lived in pre-historic Europe or Asia, chances are that up to 4% of your genetic makeup is Neanderthal in origin.  When I thought back to the first time I met my wife--how I clubbed her over the head and dragged her home by her hair--I perceived the essential truth of this.

Being a book flack, musing about the fate of the Neanderthal ultimately led me to a novel:  William Golding's The Inheritors, published in 1955.  (This was his second novel, the followup to his classic Lord of the Flies.)  The Inheritors is about the last surviving group of Neanderthals and what happens when they encounter Homo sapiens.  As you might imagine, it doesn't go real well for the Neanderthals.

But it seems that Golding didn't get it quite right.  Turns out before modern humans drove Neanderthals to extinction, we mated with them.  In retrospect, this shouldn't be surprising.  After all, it's so easy even a caveman could do it.

I was also delighted to find that Golding's novel inspired a Genesis song called "A Trick of the Tail"--perfect fodder for my Classics Rock! blog.  You'll find the details posted there, along with my theory that lyricist Tony Banks may have been influenced as much by the book's cover art as by its themes.  See what you think.

A Song Book Publicists Can Embrace

While this blog was napping (picture it yawning and stretching in its feety pajamas), my other blog, Classics Rock!, passed an important milestone:  Its one-year anniversary.

I observed this milestone with a song that touched on both my background in book publicity and my interest in the intersection of music and literature:  "Lady Writer" by Dire Straits.  Mark Knopfler saw an author interviewed on television and wrote a song about it ( Lady writer on the TV is the opening line).

Knopfler never identified the author (as far as I can determine) but clues in the lyrics have led to a consensus that the song was inspired by one author in particular.  (Check out the post to find out who that is.)

The lady writer in question blushingly acknowledges that she is the inspiration behind the song and says, "I wish I could claim something of more distinction in terms of popular culture, but I don't know that I can."  First of all:  Way to dis Dire Straits!  Second (and I may be biased here), credit really goes to the unknown publicist who booked you on that TV show.  They may not even be aware that they affected the course of rock and roll history.

More Things I'd Like to See This Weekend on C-SPAN's Book TV

For a while I did a feature here called "Things I'd Like to See This Weekend on C-SPAN's Book TV," which offered a take on recent publishing news.  Then I stopped doing it because I got lazy.

Yesterday I wasn't lazy for a while so I did another one, only this one's on The Huffington Post.  It looks at:

The London Book Fair (sparsely populated)

A notorious Australian cookbook (offensive recipes)

Danielle Steel (apparently her larcenous assistant thought it was spelled "steal"), and

A "Jersey Shore" book tie-in (those people have never even read a book so why are they writing one?)

Hope you'll take a look.

Song of the Volcano

The giant ash cloud caused by the eruption of the Icelandic volcano led to all kinds of chaos throughout Europe, but for the publishing industry it specifically impacted the London Book Fair, which took place earlier this week.  Because of travel restrictions and canceled flights, attendance at the fair was down dramatically this year.  Most Americans planning to attend never got off the ground and spent the week at the office as usual.

This event is a disaster by any measure and has had serious ramifications for a lot of people, but there have also been some lighter takes on the situation--like the diagram by Information is Beautiful comparing the daily CO2 output of the volcano vs. the European airline industry.  Or this image posted by Miss Daisy Frost showing the London Book Fair as a volcano.

My own contribution, over on Classics Rock!, was a consideration of volcano-related songs.  But in keeping with the mission of Classics Rock!--songs based on books--these are songs inspired by literary volcanoes.  There are compositions based on Under the Volcano, The Last Days of Pompeii, Mount Doom in Lord of the Rings, Journey to the Center of the Earth...

I hope you'll check it out (and alert me to any I missed).  Also:  A thank you to Shelf Awareness for the shout-out.

Diet & Fitness Books of the Bible

At this holiest time of the year, ask yourself:  Do I exercise religiously?  Or do I indulge in sinful desserts? 

Either way, you should be aware of the many weight-loss and exercise books that are appropriate to the season.  Books like Psweatin' to the Psalms, Pontius Pilates, and Take and Eat This, Not That.  Books designed to help you maintain the corporal while you're focusing on the spiritual.

You'll find a complete list of Diet & Fitness Books of the Bible on McSweeney's.

Remember to keep the faith!  And keep trim while you're doing it.