Literary Mixtapes by Electric Literature
Remember mixtapes? Did you ever sit next to a radio/stereo/computer with a notepad, a few tracks in mind, and a heart that beats? How about the thrill of receiving one? Electric Literature ask their favourite authors to make them one every month: here are their playlists and the stories behind them, as part of the Guardian Books Network
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Literary mixtape: Teddy Wayne on songs of desire and obsessionPop songs often walk an uncomfortable line between romantic obsession and stalker-like pursuit. Author Teddy Wayne shares 10 songs that helped him write about a lonely freshman in his novel Loner
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Literary mixtape: Helen Phillips shares the 18 songs behind her 18 storiesFrom Cat Power to Bjork via Grimes, here are the songs that inspired the short stories in Helen Phillips’s new collection, unpacked by the author
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Literary Mixtape: David Means's soundtrack for reflecting on the Vietnam WarDavid Means shares the music that inspired his latest book – part Vietnam War novel, part reflection on the nature of memory. From the tunes soldiers listened to, to The National, here is his playlist
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Literary Mixtape: Miroslav Penkov cranks up Radiohead and Queen on the shores of the Black SeaThe Bulgarian writer discusses the music that inspired his first novel and remembers a childhood in which listening to Deep Purple could get you in serious trouble with the Communist Party
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Literary Mixtape: Alexander Chee finds a heroine – with Beyoncé's helpWhen writing his novel set in the Second Empire in France, Alexander Chee found that a mix of Beyoncé, Azealia Banks and The Knife set the right mood for a story about ‘confident, bold, hilarious and sexy’ women of the era
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Samantha Hunt’s Literary Mixtape: how to be a deranged cult leaderIn our new collaboration with Electric Literature, authors make and share mixtapes to accompany their writing. Kicking it off, Samantha Hunt’s playlist examines how power corrupts and illustrates all the stages of cult life
Literary mixtape: Jason Diamond's perfect teen movie soundtrack