Tag: #imagine

Books

Top 5 Literary Mash-Ups That Totally Need to Happen

Aubrey Leaman

Alice 1984

Classic literature is great.  But have you ever wondered what would happen if two of history’s greatest stories were combined into one like some incredible atomic fusion?

Well, I have! Here are some of the ones I’m dying to read:

Alice’s Adventures in 1984 (Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland + 1984)

To Kill a Frankenstein (To Kill a Mockingbird + Frankenstein)

The Great Jane (The Great Gatsby + Jane Eyre)

The Secret Women (The Secret Garden + Little Women)

Sense and a Mockingbird (Sense and Sensibility + To Kill a Mockingbird)

 
What book mash-ups would you read?

 

Classical Music Stories

Classical Music Stories: The Great Gatsby

Aubrey Leaman

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Daisy is driving Gatsby away from town after the fight.  She sees her life shattering around her as she frantically rushes home.

There are a few temporarily happier sections, perhaps showing Gatsby’s (or even Daisy’s) unyielding optimism that it will all turn out right in the end, but even these are constantly moving and frantic.


 And of course, after the music ends, we know what happens next…

 

Do you hear this story, too, or do you hear something different? And what was your favorite part?

Judging the Book By Its Cover

Judging the Book By Its Cover: Your Guided Tour Through Wonderland

Aubrey Leaman

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When I saw the cover and title of this book, I knew I had to do a post on it:

My Ideas: 

And here you can see the very same roses that were once painted red…no touching, please.

After Alice came back from Wonderland, she was not shy about sharing her story. As a result, more and more little girls and even adults started to “fall” down the rabbit hole (to the point where the White Rabbit could predict when the next one was due).

As a result, the residents of Wonderland transformed their home into a tourist attraction, welcoming visitors and leading them through guided tours that include a sighting of the croquet grounds, the Duchess’s home, and of Continue reading “Judging the Book By Its Cover: Your Guided Tour Through Wonderland” →

Classical Music Stories

Classical Music Stories: Wuthering Heights

Aubrey Leaman

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Read the story first or listen to the music first–the choice is yours!

SPOILERS

The Firebird: Lullaby by Igor Stravinsky

Near the end of his life, Heathcliff wanders at night in search of Catherine—it is like she has put him under a spell. Night after night he keeps plodding along without sleep.

At one point he thinks he glimpses her and is filled with a soaring hope! …But then he realizes his mistake and returns to endless searching.
 

Can you hear it? Do you hear something different?

Check out similar musical adventures with Hamlet and Jane Eyre.  Visit the “Classical Music Stories” category on the home page to find even more!

The Other Stuff

Batman and the Lion King

Aubrey Leaman

The Lion King with Batman

What if you added “with Batman” to the end of your favorite movie?

Mine would be The Lion King with Batman…I’m picturing Batman holding up Simba on Pride Rock, or maybe Batman as Mufasa speaking from the clouds.

How would the story change if Batman was in your favorite movie? Would he change the plot line, or would he just be watching from the sidelines?

Books, Music

A Colorful Symphony

Aubrey Leaman

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“The last colors slowly faded from the western sky, and, as they did, one by one the instruments stopped, until only the bass fiddles, in their somber slow movement, were left to play the night and a single set of silver bells brightened the constellations. The conductor let his arms fall limply at his sides and stood quite still as darkness claimed the forest.” –The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

I love how Norton Juster makes music the source of color in his children’s book, “The Phantom Tollbooth.” (For those of you who aren’t familiar with the book, it’s very Alice-in-Wonderland-esque with puns and other wordplay.)

He really hit the nail on the head here: different subtleties of sounds are as beautiful as all the different shades of color! And without music, how colorless would our lives be?

This passage also made me think about synesthesia, the state when a person sees actual, physical colors when they hear music among other things (I knew a band director who had this). It got me thinking: what color would my favorite songs be? Would each song by the same artist have the same basic hue with different nuances, or would there be an entire spectrum in every album? Do all synesthetes see the same colors for the same sounds, or is each person different?

On a related note (ha! Pun not intended), Continue reading “A Colorful Symphony” →

Judging the Book By Its Cover

Judging the Book By Its Cover: Orpheus in the 1920s

Aubrey Leaman

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A retelling of the myth of Orpheus set in the roaring ‘20s

My Ideas: Directly descended from the legendary Orpheus himself, Orr can control anyone with a single chord on his harp. As a result, he easily climbs the ranks to perform as the very first harpist in New York’s top speakeasy where the drinks never end and the lights never die.

But then his career catapults into an earth-shattering halt when his harp is stolen one particularly boisterous night. Without the influence of the harp, he finds himself out on the streets just trying to survive—all the while searching with the unconquerable purpose of: 1) finding the thief so he can 2) enact his revenge and 3) reclaim his life.

Goodreads summary: “With more than two million copies of her novels sold, New York Times bestselling author Geraldine Brooks has achieved both popular and critical acclaim. Now, Brooks takes on one of literature’s richest and most enigmatic figures: a man who shimmers between history and legend. Peeling away the myth to bring David to life in Second Iron Age Israel, Brooks traces the arc of his journey from obscurity to fame, from shepherd to soldier, from hero to traitor, from beloved king to murderous despot and into his remorseful and diminished dotage. Continue reading “Judging the Book By Its Cover: Orpheus in the 1920s” →

Judging the Book By Its Cover

Judging the Book By Its Cover: Dinosaurs, Robots, and Dinosaur Robots

Aubrey Leaman

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My Idea: Meet the woman known simply as “Granny,” who is really anything but.

In an alternate universe where dinosaurs, robots, and dinosaur robots coexist, Granny is the cowboy version of Robin Hood. But stealing from the rich to give to the poor is the least of her accomplishments. From space age pirates to invisible tigers, Granny simply saves the world one impossible situation at a time.

Goodreads Summary: “Constance Kopp doesn’t quite fit the mold. She towers over most men, has no interest in marriage or domestic affairs, and has been isolated from the world since a family secret sent her and her sisters into hiding fifteen years ago. One day a belligerent and powerful silk factory owner runs down their buggy, and a dispute over damages turns into a war of bricks, bullets, and threats as he unleashes his gang on their family farm. When the sheriff enlists her help in convicting the men, Constance is forced to confront her past and defend her family — and she does it in a way that few women of 1914 would have dared.” Find it on Goodreads

Results: Amy Stewart’s novel looks fantastic (albeit in a different way than I imagined)!

Judging the Book By Its Cover is an ongoing series that imagines a potential story for a book based on the cover art alone.  You can read more here and here.  

Classical Music Stories

Classical Music Stories: The Hobbit

Aubrey Leaman

Hobbit robot

(SPOILERS)

Hungarian Rock by György Ligeti

Imagine if Bilbo and the dwarves were robots.

Off they go on their adventure! As robots they can’t feel the hardships of inclement weather or food shortages, so they’re basically happy and oblivious for the entire length of their journey.

(3:01) Suddenly, they find Smaug and things grind to a screeching halt…the dwarves now mourn the deaths of Thorin, Fili and Kili.

Despite their overwhelming loss, the music ends on a somewhat happy note.  After all, the hobbit and dwarves did fulfill their quest…albeit at a steep cost.

 

Books

Style in Little Red Riding Hood

Aubrey Leaman

Red

What if people were nicknamed based on what they wore, like in Little Red Riding Hood?

“Hello, Suit!”

“Yo, Crop Top!”

“What’s up, Oversized T-Shirt and Leggings?”

“How’s it going, Blue Jeans?”

For me, it would be, “Hey there, Knee Highs!”
 

What would your nickname be?