People They Ain’t No Good

On February 25, 2018 By Sara GethinIn Author, Child, Children, Music, Writing4 Comments

I came across this heartfelt cover of Nick Cave’s ‘People Ain’t No Good’ on the end credits of ‘Damned’ – Jo Brand’s very dark comedy about social workers. I had to add it to the tracklist for my WIP, ‘Emmet and Me’, about children’s homes in Ireland in the 1960s. It’s ideal for creating the right atmosphere to write by.

And ten-year-old Emmet and his friend Claire would definitely agree with the sentiment of the song’s title.

Camille O’Sullivan & ‘People Ain’t No Good’ Live Version

Sara’s debut novel ‘Not Thomas’ – a story of child neglect, love and hope, shown through the eyes of five-year-old Tomos – is published by Honno Press in paperback and as an e-book, and is available to buy direct from the publisher, from Amazon and from bookshops.

A Galentine’s song – only a day late!

On February 14, 2018 By Sara GethinIn Music, Not ThomasLeave a comment

OK, so I know Galentine’s Day is officially Feb 13th but if, like me, you’re already fed up of hearing the word ‘Valentine’ mentioned on the radio and TV every two seconds (and it’s only 11 a.m.) may I offer you this song & video.

I can’t ever resist belting out the chorus at the top of my lungs – off-key of course – and the 11-year-old dancer in the video is just amazing.

I hope you enjoy this song as much as I do.

Sara’s debut novel ‘Not Thomas’ – a story of child neglect, love and hope, shown through the eyes of five-year-old Tomos – is published by Honno Press in paperback and as an e-book, and is available to buy direct from the publisher, from Amazon and from bookshops.

#MusicTherapyThursday #InspiralCarpets #Thisishowitfeels

On November 9, 2017 By Sara GethinIn Music, New Book, New Novel, Not Thomas1 Comment

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Another song from my Not Thomas playlist today and a blast from the past: ‘This is How it Feels’ by Inspiral Carpets. The video is certainly of its time, but I love the song and it’s rarely heard on the radio these days.

#MusicTherapyThursday #JessieWare #WildestMoments

On November 2, 2017 By Sara GethinIn Music, New Book1 Comment

I’m just starting what I hope will become my next novel, and one of the first steps for me is to build a soundtrack that creates the right emotions for the story.

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I go back to this soundtrack over and over as I write, as I find it helps me to keep the emotional feel of the story consistent.

I wrote about the playlist for my first novel, ‘Not Thomas’, in the post ‘Music to Make Me Cry’.

My next playlist is quite different. This is one of the songs on the soundtrack for my latest writing project:

#JessieWare #WildestMoments #musiciwriteto

#MusicTherapyThursday #NinaSimone #IThinkitsGoingtoRainToday #musiciwriteto

On October 26, 2017 By Sara GethinIn Music, New Book, Not Thomas2 Comments

There have been so many versions of this Randy Newman song but my favourite is by Nina Simone.

It was used as the title track recently for ‘Broken’ a TV series where Sean Bean plays a good but struggling priest.

I find it’s an ideal song to summon up a heavy heart when I’m writing sad sections, and Nina Simone’s voice and delivery add new levels of sorrow. Very evocative. Beautiful too.

#musiciwriteto

#MusicTherapyThursday #YoureMissing #BruceSpringsteen

On October 19, 2017 By Sara GethinIn Music, New Novel, Not ThomasLeave a comment

Since I’ll never see his Broadway show which opened this week, I’m comforting myself with this recording of a practise run-through of ‘You’re Missing’ for a 2002 TV show – wonderful in its simplicity. It was one of the songs Springsteen wrote after 9/11.

I promise you the music on this video will get started eventually, but Seth Myers makes an appearance first (looking roughly the same age as he does now – about 16 & a half) .

Bruce Springsteen & You’re Missing, with intro by Seth Myers

#MusicIWriteTo

Here’s a link to a Guardian review of Bruce’s sell-out Broadway show.

#MusicTherapyThursday

On October 12, 2017 By Sara GethinIn Child, Children, Music, New Book, New Novel, Not the Booker Prize, Not Thomas, NottheBooker, Writing2 Comments

I’ll be taking part in the Big Green Bookshop’s Not the Booker discussion event in London this evening, so today, in need of a little relaxation, I thought I’d turn to the music of Kate Bush. I’ve chosen ‘Moments of Pleasure’.

This is the song I played when I wanted to get into the mood for writing as Tomos. I don’t really know why this song came to epitomise Tomos for me – the lyrics don’t relate to the theme of Not Thomas at all – but something in the tone of the music just worked. I think the music has a sadness but also hope.

And the vulnerability of Kate’s voice never failed to trigger the right emotions in me. Now I only need to hear the opening couple of notes to be right back there with Tomos, in that decrepit house, in the dark, up on his high sleeper bed, under the jumpers and towels, with Mammy’s pink tee shirt…

P.S. If you haven’t already, please consider voting for Not Thomas on the Guardian’s online Not the Booker prize page – voting closes on Sunday night and the winner will be announced on Monday, 16th October. Thank you!

#WelshWordWednesday

On October 11, 2017 By Sara GethinIn #welsh, Music, New Book, New Novel, Not Thomas1 Comment

Today’s Welsh word, for readers of ‘Not Thomas’ who aren’t familiar with the language, isn’t a word at all, but a title. It’s Calon Lân and it’s the name of a well-loved Welsh hymn that’s often sung at funerals.

Calon lân translates as ‘a pure heart’:

calon = heart

glân (which loses its ‘g’ when it mutates after calon) = clean.

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On page 123 Miss mentions to Mrs Jones, the school cleaner, that Nanno had planned her own funeral. Calon Lân was Nanno’s favourite hymn and she wanted Tomos to sing it back at home after the chapel service. Of course, Ree had other ideas…

And since I never miss a chance to play my favourite version of the hymn, here’s Cerys Matthews once again.

#MusicTherapyThursday

On October 5, 2017 By Sara GethinIn Music, New Novel, Not Thomas, Writing1 Comment

#musiciwriteto #thecivilwars #20years

There’s a note underneath your front door…

#MusicTherapyThursday

On September 28, 2017 By Sara GethinIn Music, Not Thomas2 Comments

I heard this song on the radio this evening and couldn’t resist adding it here. Not exactly a song I write to, but one of my all time favourite music videos. Is it meant to be funny?

It reminds me of a youth group I belonged to when I was fourteen. Say no more…