Singing Books Trivia Quiz

Answer: J. D. Salinger

Jerome David Salinger was born in New York City in 1919 and first rose to fame when his 1948 short story, 'A Perfect Day for Bananafish', was published in 'The New Yorker' magazine. Three years later Salinger published the novel which was to become his defining work, 'The Catcher in the Rye', a novel which follows the experiences of teenage protagonist Holden Caulfield as he runs away from his exclusive boarding school and endeavours to make sense of the world and his place in it. The novel has become a twentieth century classic and is still regularly read by people of all ages, though it continues to hold a particular fascination for teenage readers. Salinger struggled with the fame that his literary success had brought and, following the publication of his 1965 novella 'Hapworth 16, 1924', he largely retired from writing and from the public eye, spending the rest of his long life in relative seclusion.

Given the formative role that 'The Catcher in the Rye' has played in the lives of many young adults, it is unsurprising that it has inspired a number of songs. The examples referred to in the question are 'The Catcher in the Rye', a track from Guns N' Roses' 2008 album 'Chinese Democracy', 'Who Wrote Holden Caulfield' by Green Day and 'Le Pastie de la Bourgeoisie' from Belle & Sebastian's 1997 EP '3.. 6.. 9 Seconds of Light', whose lyrics reference multiple American authors and novels including 'The Catcher in the Rye'. The opening track of Belle & Sebastian's 2000 album 'Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like A Peasant', 'I Fought in a War', was partially inspired by Salinger's 1950 short story 'For Esme - With Love and Squalor'. 'Michael's Song', by Wirral-based band The Coral, was inspired by the band's love of J. D. Salinger and is an attempt to capture the feelings invoked by 'A Perfect Day for Bananafish'.

Answer: Jean Genet

Jean Genet was born in Paris in 1910 and spent most of his young adult years in and out of prison for numerous minor offenses. While imprisoned Genet produced many of his most celebrated works, including probably his best known novel, 'Our Lady of the Flowers'. Much of his early work was inspired by his own experiences as a gay man and as a prisoner and explore the issues of being an 'outsider' and living on the fringes of society. In his later life Genet took up various international political causes and much of his later work was based on his experiences as part of those movements. Genet's work was highly regarded by many of his contemporaries, with both Jean-Paul Sartre and Jacques Derrida writing books about the significance of Genet's work.

David Bowie has stated that his 1972 hit single 'The Jean Genie' takes its title from a 'clumsy pun' on Jean Genet's name. Jean Genet were an English queercore duo, active in the early 2000s, whose music combined insightful political commentary on LGBT issues, irreverent and funny lyrics and outrageous stage shows. The songs referred to in the question as being inspired by 'Our Lady of the Flowers' are 'Life After Life' by The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, 'Hell's Ditch' by The Pogues, 'Beautiful Boys' by Cocorosie, 'Lady of the Flowers' by Placebo and ''Dolls (sweet Rock 'n' Roll)' by Primal Scream.

Answer: Angela Carter

Born Angela Olive Stalker in Eastbourne in 1940, Angela Carter died in 1992 at the age of just fifty-one, leaving an impressive body of work behind her. Carter is best known for her works in the magical realism genre, in which she combines themes of feminism and sexual empowerment with vivid and colourful settings. As well as her fictional novels and short stories, Carter was a respected journalist who published a number of articles focusing on literature, feminism and sexuality. Many of Carter's works are included on the syllabi at numerous British universities and several of her novels and short stories have been turned into films, television dramas, radio plays and stage shows.

Experimental British pop artist, Bishi, named her debut album after Angela Carter's celebrated 1984 novel 'Nights at the Circus'. British indie rock band, Wolf Alice, took their name from the short story of the same name which is an alternative telling of the 'Little Red Riding Hood' story. Scottish indie rock duo Honeyblood's 2014 song 'Choker' is inspired by the short story 'The Bloody Chamber' which is based on the gruesome fairytale 'Bluebeard'.

Answer: William S. Burroughs

William S. Burroughs was born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1914 and is primarily known for his novels and short stories in the 'paranoid fiction' genre. He was a key member of the 'Beat Generation', a collective of authors and artists united by a common aesthetic who had a considerable influence on contemporary and future American literature. Burroughs was particularly close to other founding members of the 'Beat Generation', Allen Ginsburg and Jack Kerouac, with whom he enjoyed a long personal and professional relationship. Many of Burroughs' works are semi-autobiographical, with novels such as 'Naked Lunch' and 'Junkie' dealing with the author's long-term heroin addiction and his experiences as a gay man. 'Naked Lunch' gained notoriety when it became the subject of an obscenity trial.

As well as inspiring music by others, Burroughs also befriended a number of rock bands in the '70s and '80s on whose work he occasionally appeared, including Sonic Youth and R.E.M. Steely Dan took their name from an object referenced in the novel 'Naked Lunch' while Soft Machine were inspired by a reference in the novel 'Nova Express'. Duran Duran's hit single 'Wild Boys' was inspired by the 1971 sci-fi novel of the same name while 'Godly Intersex', a track taken from American indie band Of Montreal's album 'False Priest', is based on Burrough's work more generally, particularly the novels 'Junkie' and 'Queer'.

Answer: James Joyce

James Joyce was a modernist poet and novelist who was born in Dublin in 1882 and who is widely considered to be one of the most important writers of the twentieth century. Joyce and his future wife, Nora Barnacle, had moved to Europe together in 1904 when the former was in his early twenties. Joyce continued to set many of his stories in his native Ireland, despite spending the majority of his adult life overseas. Following several rejections from publishers, Joyce's short story collection, 'The Dubliners', was finally published in 1914. Other important works by James Joyce include the novels 'A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man' and 'Finnegans Wake'. However, it is 1922's 'Ulysses' which is widely considered to be Joyce's magnum opus. 'Ulysses' is set during a single day, 16 June 1904, and follows the adventures of Leopold Bloom. The novel is commemorated on the same date every year as 'Bloom's Day'.

Jefferson Airplane's 1967 song 'Rejoyce' was a tribute to the author while Franz Ferdinand's 'Ulysses' is based on the eponymous novel. Kate Bush's song 'The Sensual World', which appeared on her 1989 album of the same name, was inspired by Molly Bloom, a character in 'Ulysses'. Bush had initially asked for permission to use the words of Molly Bloom's soliloquy in the song but this had been refused by Joyce's estate. However, Kate Bush finally received permission to use Joyce's words in the version of 'The Sensual World' which she re-recorded for her 2011 'Director's Cut' album under the title 'Flower of the Mountain'.

Answer: Tove Jansson

Tove Jansson was born in Helsinki in 1914. She was a talented artist as well as a writer and frequently illustrated her own books. After attending art school, Jansson began a successful art career while writing short stories in her spare time. The first book to feature The Moomins, 1945's 'The Moomins and the Great Flood' was not a great commercial success, though the next book in the series, 1946's 'A Comet in Moominland', proved extremely popular and, along with the subsequent books in the series, brought Jansson international fame. During the 1940s Tove Jansson began a relationship with fellow artist Tuulikki Pietila. The two women lived and worked together until Jansson's death in 2001, collaborating on many artistic and literary projects. The stories featuring the Moomin family and friends draw on aspects of Scandinavian folklore while being set in a magical fictional landscape which is very distinctive. The books are filled with colourful and lovable characters and exciting adventures. However, there are certain dark elements to the Moomin books which frequently include frightening creatures such as the icy Groke and deal with issues surrounding environmental disasters. Jansson has also been celebrated for her six books for adults, which include 'Sculptor's Daughter' and 'The Summer Book'.

Bjork's 2010 song 'The Comet Song', was inspired by the book 'A Comet in Moominland' while the Welsh indiepop band Little My are named for the mischievous character from the Moomin books, first appearing in 1950's 'The Exploits of Moominpapa'. Ray Rumours, the side project of Roz Murray from British indie rock band Electrelane, recorded an album entitled 'The Hemulen' in reference to the race of characters who appear in a number of Moomin books and who, although other characters often find them opinionated and annoying, are largely kind and well-intentioned.

Answer: Last Exit to Brooklyn

'Last Exit to Brooklyn' comprises six sections which take the form of short stories which can be read separately, though they are geographically and thematically connected by the novel's over-arching themes. Each section is prefaced with a biblical quote. The novel deals with the lives and travails of a disparate group of people living in Brooklyn on the fringes of society and often suffering through poverty and violence. The novel has been considered as controversial due to its frank depictions of violence and rape as well as formerly taboo subjects such as homosexuality and transvesticism. However, many contemporary and subsequent readers and critics have praised the book's striking literary style and the stark and uncompromising depictions of difficult social issues. The novel is largely written in the language which its protagonists would have used in everyday speech, lending the narratives further authenticity. Despite being set in the 1950s 'Last Exit to Brooklyn' is still considered a seminal work of transgressive literature and can still have the power to shock modern readers.

'The Queen is Dead' is the third studio album by celebrated English indie band The Smiths. It was released in 1986 and takes its name from the title of one of the six parts of 'Last Exit to Brooklyn'. 'Fitzpleasure' was a 2012 single by Mercury Prize-winning British indie band Alt-J and is based on the section of the novel entitled 'Tralala'.

Answer: The Picture of Dorian Gray

'The Picture of Dorian Gray' was legendary writer Oscar Wilde's only full length novel. It is exquisitely written with rich and beautiful descriptions, fascinating characters and a compelling and memorable plot. Every other line that the characters deliver contains one of Wilde's trademark witticisms making the entire book eminently quotable. The story of Dorian Gray, a beautiful, rich and amoral young man who remains youthful and handsome while his portrait in the attic ages, has entered into modern consciousness to such a degree that people who have never read the novel are likely to have come across several references to it or interpretations of it. 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' caused some controversy on its publication due to allusions to homosexuality and pre-marital sex, leading to later pressings of the book being edited to make them more acceptable. Modern publications of the book tend to recreate the original unexpurgated version.

The songs referred to in the question are 'A Picture of Dorian Gray' by British post punk band Television Personalities which was featured on the band's 1983 album '...And Don't the Kids Just Love it', American rock band Styx's 1978 song 'Sing for the Day', 'The Ocean', a song taken from U2's 1980 album 'Boy' and English gothic rock band Bauhaus' 1980 single 'Dark Entries'.

Answer: Wilhelm Reich

Wilhelm Reich was born in Vienna in 1897. Reich gained his medical degree from the University of Vienna in 1922 and went on to specialise in the treatment of patients through psychoanalysis. Reich is said to have coined the term 'The Sexual Revolution' and published a number of works which laid out his theories about character and sexuality and his ideas for treating neuroses related to these issues. While Reich's ideas proved popular and influential amongst many of his contemporaries, his work often proved controversial. Reich pioneered several radical treatments which were carried out in his clinics. After several complaints from patients, including some young children, his clinics were closed or prevented from offering these treatments. From the early 1930s onwards Reich's work had grown so controversial that he was forced to self-publish his work. Reich moved to New York in 1939, fleeing Nazi persecution, where he continued to practice his pioneering treatments. However, in 1947, the US Food and Drug Administration became concerned that Reich's latest medical innovation, the 'orgone' machine, was a fraud designed to falsely obtain money from patients and the machines, and all related literature, was banned and impounded. In 1956 Reich was sent to prison after failing to comply with the ban on distributing his literature where he died of heart failure the following year. 'The Book of Dreams' recounts young Peter Reich's early years with his father, who died when Peter was twelve or thirteen, and is an extremely moving and intimate portrait of the relationship between a father and son.

'Cloudbusting' is a single taken from Kate Bush's magnificent 1985 album 'Hounds of Love' and closely follows episodes recounted in 'Book of Dreams'. In the accompanying video Bush plays young Peter Reich while Donald Sutherland plays his father Wilhelm. 'Birdland' is a long and atmospheric track from Patti Smith's seminal proto-punk album 'Horses'.

Answer: Sylvia Plath

Sylvia Plath was born in Boston in 1932. Sylvia showed very early talent as a poet, having her first poem published in 'The Boston Herald' when she was just eight years old. During her third year at university Plath was offered a coveted position as guest editor of the magazine 'Mademoiselle', which involved a month's visit to New York City. It was during this visit that Plath's burgeoning depression began to worsen, leading to incidents of self-harm and suicidal ideation. Plath would later draw on her experiences in New York City when writing her semi-autobiographical novel 'The Bell Jar'. Plath moved to England after she was awarded a scholarship to study at Noonham College, Cambridge. It was in Cambridge, in 1956, that she met her future husband and fellow poet Ted Hughes. In 1960 Plath published her first volume of poetry 'The Colossus' and her only novel, 'The Bell Jar', was written the following year. In 1962 Plath and Hughes' marriage ended after she discovered that he had been unfaithful. The months following the separation were to prove some of the most artistically fruitful of Plath's life. During this brief time period she wrote dozens of poems, many of which would appear in her posthumous poetry collection, 'Ariel'. In early 1963 'The Bell Jar' was released to critical indifference. At this time Plath was living with her two infant children in a flat in London. She had attempted suicide previously and was sinking into another serious depressive episode. In February 1963 Plath was found dead of carbon monoxide poisoning, having put her head in a gas oven. She was only thirty years old at the time of her death. The deeply personal and powerfully confessional nature of much of Plath's writing continues to strike a chord with readers and 'The Bell Jar' is considered a seminal 'coming of age' novel.

The songs referred to in the question which are all, at least partially, inspired by Sylvia Plath's life or work are 'Enter Sylvia Plath' by Belle & Sebastian, 'Plath Heart' by Braids, 'Crackle and Drag' by Paul Westerberg, 'Sylvia' by The Antlers, 'Mathematics' by Little Boots, 'Faster' by Manic Street Preachers, 'Bell Jar' by The Bangles, 'Dance in the Dark' by Lady Gaga, 'Sylvia' by Emmy the Great, 'Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams' by Tears for Fears, 'Time to Think' by Kimya Dawson, 'Sylvia Plath' by Ryan Adams and 'So What If I Couldn't Take it' by Jeffrey Lewis.