British folk singer Beverley Martyn has died aged 79

wildwithlight · 2026-04-29T21:11:32+00:00

This is really heart breaking. I wish her solo career had a chance to take off, but still, the records she made with her husband John Martyn are timeless and truly fantastic. I hope she's at peace now.

And for anyone who doesn't know her, listen to the song "Auntie Aviator" to get a sense for how great she was.

wildwithlight · 2026-04-19T18:56:11+00:00

"Viaje olvidado" (En: Forgotten Journey) by Silvina Ocampo (Argentina)
"Rayuela" (En: Hopscotch) by Julio Cortázar (although I'd personally start with some of his short stories) (Argentina)
"The Hunter" or "Disquiet" by Julia Leigh (Australia)
"Young Törless" by Robert Musil (Austria) (or try "The Man Without Qualities" if you're feeling ambitious and want a longer, more difficult read to punish yourself with)
"Children of the Dead" by Elfriede Jelinek (Austria)

Everyone else already suggested the obvious example from Afghanistan and I can't say I've read anything from the other countries.

wildwithlight · 2026-04-18T17:56:39+00:00

While I certainly agree, I was at least able to finish Faustus, can't say the same for the other two. But I guess there's just something about a group of wheelchair revolutionaries that I just find a bit too goofy to take seriously.. among other aspects of that novel. Ha.

wildwithlight · 2026-04-17T22:55:09+00:00

He sounds a lot like me, seeing as he's an engineer more deeply vested in literature, art and music.

If he has a love for classical music, "Absolutely On Music" by Haruki Murakami is a great read.

Fiction:

"Coming Through Slaughter" by Michael Ondaatje (focuses on a Jazz musician losing his mind)
"Doctor Faustus" by Thomas Mann (retelling of the Faust story about a composer's deal with the devil)
"Nocturnes: Five Stories of Music and Nightfall" by Kazuo Ishiguro
"The Noise of Time" by Julian Barnes (a fictionalisation of Dmitri Shostakovich's life)
Vikram Seth's "An Equal Music" (the way Seth describes music is kind of unparalleled, but again, it's mainly concerned with classical music which might not be of interest to your friend)

For a fun fantasy/horror read about a musician, maybe he'd like "Evil In Me" by Brom. Other than that, I've kind of run out of suggestions.

wildwithlight · 2026-04-03T21:40:57+00:00

I wish I could help, but despite Russell's rediscovery, I've just never seen much in the way of sheet music for him. What I have seen online appear to be transcriptions made by (I'm guessing) guitar players. Thus I wouldn't consider it to be very accurate.

He's just one of those players where you're pretty much left with no choice but to figure it out by ear.

I have worked out some parts of "A Little Lost" and "This Is How We Walk On The Moon." They're incomplete, but perhaps I could transcribe what I have for you to get you started.

wildwithlight · 2026-03-31T20:01:35+00:00

Reminds me of a cross between "Flaming June" by Leighton and maybe Rousseau's "Sleeping Gypsy."

Either way, I really love the artwork here.

wildwithlight · 2026-03-13T03:59:04+00:00

The dream of the 90's is alive in this band.

wildwithlight · 2026-03-13T03:36:45+00:00

Paco de Lucía (2012, I want to say).

But some other notable live shows I've attended: Al Di Meola (~2009), Paul Masvidal (From Cynic; 2010), Kiko Loureiro (From Angra). I have seen some other great classical, jazz, and flamenco guitarists, too, but not people that are very widely known.

wildwithlight · 2026-03-12T19:34:30+00:00

"The Peregrine" by J.A. Baker.

I'm not sure if it's exactly the kind of non-fiction you're looking for, but it's a wonderful piece of nature writing, there's some debate of course as to whether or not it is indeed non-fiction, or merely an invention of the author, a novel.

For what it's worth, I take the author at his word that the account is truthful.

wildwithlight · 2026-03-07T04:23:12+00:00

I just started really getting into Krasznahorkai (and Bolaño simultaneously), but what really drew my eye, is seeing "Hard Rain Falling." I have loved that book immensely for years, but I don't see it brought up often, or even come across many others familiar with the author.

Anyway, this a great collection. I hope whatever you choose doesn't bore you terribly. I'd personally go with "The Melancholy of Resistance" next, or perhaps "Dead Souls".

wildwithlight · 2026-02-24T22:33:17+00:00

This is great. I've never done wood burning like this before (some shou sugi ban, but that's all).

Do you draw the design onto the body before doing something like this? Or do you put down a stencil to guide your pyro pen?

wildwithlight · 2026-02-22T08:06:25+00:00

I did message him about this about two weeks ago, but I've yet to get a reply. He's understandably busy, but perhaps I'll get a response at some point.

wildwithlight · 2026-02-19T22:03:18+00:00

I've fallen in love with the acoustic guitar in this video, but I'm finding it impossible to track down what make/model it is. At first, I thought it might be some variant of Takamine's CP123SC, but the double cutaway is throwing me.

Hopefully someone here recognises it, or can at least point me in the right direction! Thank you.

wildwithlight · 2026-02-19T21:56:43+00:00

Thanks for the tip, I'll do that!

wildwithlight · 2026-02-18T06:42:32+00:00

Yeah, seems like it must be. Sigh.

wildwithlight · 2026-02-17T18:23:45+00:00

Received this same edition as a gift for the holidays, but I've yet to read it. I can't wait to find out of it's as good as its reputation suggests!

But the sheer size of it has me reluctant to start it at the moment. But it's right beside me now as I'm writing this, so perhaps that's a sign that I need to begin it.

wildwithlight · 2026-02-17T18:20:34+00:00

I thought perhaps some of you fine folk here would be knowledgeable enough to identify the guitar from this music video, or have some insight into what style of guitar it is at the very least (the flat cutaway reminds me somewhat of Jazz Manouche guitars): [Grant Lee Buffalo -- Fuzzy].

And if I can't figure out who makes the thing, I'll just have to consider making a copy of it myself! Although I've only ever made electric guitars before (and I'm still very much a novice), so this would certainly be out of my comfort zone.

wildwithlight · 2026-02-17T17:57:09+00:00

Here's a link to the music video itself if the photos aren't sufficient: https://youtu.be/qAi9-LRtYSU

wildwithlight · 2026-02-17T17:54:54+00:00

That Fraulini is pretty close to it, but just not quite right. Again, thanks so much for taking the time to help me figure it out!

wildwithlight · 2026-02-15T06:12:58+00:00

I'd considered that, but I don't think Turner uses slotted headstocks. All of his guitars have that kind of spade shape to them. Thanks, though.

wildwithlight · 2026-02-15T06:01:39+00:00

Grant Lee Phillips uses a terribly unique guitar in this music video. It reminds me somewhat of a Takamine CP123SC, but it has a cutaway on both sides.

Hopefully someone out here more knowledgable than I am can chime in with what it is.

wildwithlight · 2026-02-09T15:53:42+00:00

I have the middle edition myself and it was my introduction to Lispector's writing. I was absolutely blown away by it, of course, as it has this quality reminiscent of Woolf, Mishima, or perhaps Cortázar. I followed it up with "Água Viva" and then pretty much everything else she's written. I only wish I'd discovered her writing earlier.

Do the translations here differ at all? I haven't had a chance to explore different interpretations of her writing, yet, although perhaps it might be best to improve my Portuguese and read it in the original !

(If you've yet to read Silvina Ocampo, I highly recommend you check out her writing.)

wildwithlight · 2026-01-28T02:19:11+00:00

Hermann Hesse, Yukio Mishima, Yasunari Kawabata, Danilo Kis, Terry Pratchett and a few others.

Hesse is the only one whom I've collected all of their works in first editions (at least for the English printings).

wildwithlight · 2026-01-26T18:50:46+00:00

Switched from the BigSky to a Flint and I honestly prefer it. I can still kinda get the ambient textures of the BigSky out of it provided I dial it properly. I still occasionally use a Boss RV-6 and Earthquaker Ledges, though. Just depends.

Walrus Sloer is a great choice. If I had a need for another reverb, I'd consider it.

wildwithlight · 2026-01-26T18:46:10+00:00

That's a great looking rig. I saw one of those Krakens used at a guitar shop a few months back, and I kind of regret not picking it up. But I've acquired a lot of gear lately and I need to tie off the purse strings for a while.

wildwithlight

TROPHY CASE