In Body, In Mind References & Further Reading

In Body, In Mind References and Further Reading

Philosophy References

In Body, In Mind is a philosophical novel because it centres on a collection of certain ideas, and asks the reader to consider questions which many of us might prefer to ignore, but which nevertheless affect everyone:

How do we make our lives more meaning-full?
How do we remain whole despite the fragmented existence of modern life?
How do we best meet our personal responsibilities, and why should we?
How can we use despair as a path to faith?
What does it mean to live an authentic life?
What is the purpose of suffering?
What would we sacrifice for those we love the most?

Throughout its narrative, In Body, In Mind references many touchpoints of its philosophical heritage, including glimpses of the six audacious and original works around which the novel’s themes are primarily drawn:

Brian Birchall’s The Importance of Being Obscure – Brian Birchall’s life work was to give voice to a philosophy of Objective Idealism, by which realism and idealism could co-exist and flourish in the becoming of meaning. This unconventional, non-referential text offers a path to such a destination for the dedicated seeker willing to undertake the Labour of the Concept.
Martin Buber’s I and Thou – Walter Kaufmann’s translation into English of Martin Buber’s classic brought to the West an astounding concept of relations, previously obscured by less successful translations. The work traces with a beautiful clarity the modes of existence by which we experience the worlds of nature, humankind and spiritual beings.
Albert Camus’ L’Etranger (The Outsider) – Often regarded as the quintessential existentialist novel, Camus’ classic is a meditation upon the absurdity of existence, the moral dimensions of personal responsibility, and the benign indifference of the world.
Allen Ginsberg’s Howl – Howl began as a call to arms for the Beat Poets, and it became arguably the most influential poem by an American in the twentieth century. It explores the anxieties of a generation alienated from mainstream society, struggling to grapple with ideals of authenticity and identity.
Søren Kierkegaard’s The Sickness unto Death – Kierkegaard’s masterpiece is a painstakingly-drawn exposition on the notion of selfhood, on the characteristic forms of despair, and of the special role of faith.
Friedrich Nietzsche’s Thus Spoke Zarathustra – A deeply lyrical, yet comprehensive work which examines the trajectory of human values and individuality as the conflicts of nineteenth century Europe dragged on and on. Arguably Nietzsche’s most influential and accessible creation, this book outlined his moral vision for the survival of humanity.

All the above works are recommended reading, with no background in philosophy required. Buber’s I and Thou is probably the least accessible, but with close reading and an open mind, all make for fascinating reading.

Art and Music References

In Body, In Mind has been sprinkled through with references to many familiar and some not so familiar works of art. Some are mainly ekphrastic and so have character roles, but most are there to ground the narrative in a particular time and space, or to evoke an atmosphere or mood, or to provide some further depth to other characters. I think there’s considerable truth to the adage that you can tell a lot about a person by the art to which they’re drawn.

The following list of references from the book provide a starting point for anyone who might want to investigate these works in any more detail:

Gavin Bryars’ Farewell to Philosophy (Schott Music Ltd, 1995) – is a cello concerto commissioned by Philips Classics for Julian Lloyd Webber, and was written as a companion piece to be played alongside the Haydn symphonies The Philosopher and The Farewell. The work is used as background music in the narrative.
Gavin Bryars’ Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet (Obscure Records 1975 and GB Records 1993) – was an experimental piece originally composed for pre-recorded tape and ensemble in 1975 by Obscure Records, gradually achieving cult status over the ensuing years. It was re-recorded in 1993 with the Tom Waits vocals. The work links Rachel and her mother Simone, Deni, J-P and Noah, and old Bob.
Albert Camus’ The Outsider (Hamish Hamilton, 1982) – Camus’ philosophical novel reads as a very simple story, but it has the power to make its readers think. An iconic work of Existentialist literature, The Outsider (or l’Etranger) examines such issues as personal responsibility, truth, authenticity and forgiveness. There are many references, some more explicit than others, to this work in In Body, In Mind, from the curated echo of Rachel’s mother’s funeral, to Sigrid’s litany against weakness, to Noah reading the text to his family.
Albert Camus’ The Rebel (Hamish Hamilton, 1953) – As the name suggests, Camus’ essay examines the motivations for both rebellion and revolution as the context for a historical review of an eclectic collection of thinkers, many of which are included in this list of In Body, In Mind influences.
Giorgio De Chirico The Uncertainty of the Poet (1913) – there are several references in the book to ‘De Chirico train smoke’. This work was the one I had in mind, but the motif appears in several others. De Chirico was a key member of the Surrealist movement for many years.
Margaret Chittenden How to Write Your Novel (1995) – was a self-published writing guide written by a prolific writer of children’s books and other fiction. It’s a very practical and often humorous read.
Leonard Cohen Songs from a Room (Columbia Records 1969) – In Body, In Mind includes the lyrics of the track ‘Tonight Will Be Fine’ from this album, even though I had in mind the Teddy Thompson version (from the tribute album I’m Your Man (2006 Verve Forecast)) when writing the scene.
Leonard Cohen Songs of Leonard Cohen (Columbia Records Music 1967) – There are multiple references to ‘Suzanne’ from this album, and, had permission been obtainable, the track ‘One of Us Cannot be Wrong’ would have been included too. This album encapsulates the iconic sound of Cohen’s early years as a singer/songwriter, as well as the earnestness of authentic life in the 1960s.
Culture Club Colour By Numbers (Virgin Records 1983) – In Body, In Mind includes the lyrics from the track ‘That’s the Way (I’m Only Trying to Help You)’ from this album, as well as some additional lyrics written for the song by Deni in her youth. The discussion about the song in the narrative tells us much about Deni’s upbringing.
Salvador Dali The Persistence of Memory (1931) – This is one of Dali’s most famous works, and of course its title is evoked in the way both Noah and Sam experience the concept of home, and is a poignant echo of Sam’s later predicament.
Salvador Dali Soft Construction with Boiled Beans: Premonition of Civil War (1936) – Another iconic Dali work, this painting evokes the sense of dread which enveloped Spain as it descended into civil war. It haunts Noah from his teenage years as a recurring dream, and leads him to the brink of momentary madness.
Dead Can Dance – The music of Dead Can Dance features regularly in the narrative of In Body, In Mind, usually as a background soundscape to the narrative. An unnamed Dead Can Dance album featuring Lisa Gerrard’s idioglossia drives a chain of events which link Rachel, J-P, Sam and Albert Tucker’s The Possessed.
Emerson, Lake and Palmer Emerson, Lake and Palmer (Island Records 1970) – The track ‘Take a Pebble’ from this album is used in the narrative as an accompaniment to a wedding. I wanted the reference to express the notion of an act of marriage as the centre of a series of ripples that permeate the lives of a couple.
Emerson, Lake and Palmer Works Volume 1 (Atlantic Records 1977) – I thought the track ‘C’est la Vie’ from the album would be the perfect song to be sung in the wee hours following a wake.
T.S. Eliot The Waste Land (Boni and Liveright, 1922) – The excerpt from the poem’s fifth section, ‘What the Thunder Said’, is one of my favourites, and I thought it captured perfectly the feel of desolation and loss needed for the scene in which Noah reads it.
M.C. Escher – The ‘Escher sequence’ referred to in Noah’s discussion of his animated film is an instantiation of the Penrose triangle used by the Dutch artist M.C. Escher to create many of his impossible objects. As with Escher, Noah’s inspiration for his creative project was his imagination rather than any observational response, though it’s unlikely that Noah ever fully understood how much his subconscious had been dominated by his juvenile experience of abandonment.
Forest for the Trees Forest for the Trees (DreamWorks Records 1997) – Their self-titled album was their only release, but Forest for the Trees produced what I’ve often thought was a musical equivalent to Douglas Hofstadter’s Gödel, Escher, Bach. The track ‘Dream’ from the album is an iconic work of trip-hop, and I think it’s status as one of Jean’s favourite tracks tells us a lot about her.
Lisa Gerrard & Patrick Cassidy Salem’s Lot (Warner Music 1994) – The track ‘Salem’s Lot Aria’ from this album is one of the most beautiful pieces of music I know. Its suggestive libretto is truly other-worldly, and a fitting piece for a recessional.
Lisa Gerrard & Pieter Bourke Duality (4AD Records 1998) – While the music for the track ‘Sacrifice’ from this album is exquisitely haunting, it was the lyrics which fitted perfectly into the culmination of a key scene that led to its inclusion in the narrative. I’ve not heard a recording of this work with English lyrics, but the idioglottic version evokes the lyrics perfectly well.
Allen Ginsberg Howl and Other Poems (City Lights, 1956) – Arguably the most influential 20^th century poem by an American, ‘Howl’ is a deeply complex and provocative work, originally begun as an experiment in form around breath-length lines. It speaks of terror and alienation, alchemy and madness, drawing on his own experiences and those of his friends and family. The initial publishers were charged with disseminating obscene literature, but the subsequent trial declared that ‘Howl’ was not obscene, but of ‘redeeming social importance’.
Yves Klein Fire Paintings (1961-2) – I don’t remember which of the Fire Paintings first caught my attention, but I do recall going to the University of New England library to look them up, so I’m guessing it was the mid-80s. The process used by the artist was basically to cover young naked women in flame retardant and have them transfer different aspects of their forms onto large sheets of paper, and then apply flame to the paper to reveal the image. In Body, In Mind mentions ‘F6’ (1961) from the series.
Thomas Mann Essays of Three Decades (A.A. Knopf, 1947) – As well as a celebrated novelist, Mann was a prolific essayist. This work compiles sixteen of his essays from between 1910 and 1939. They deal with literature, including commentary on both Goethe and Tolstoy, music, particularly that of Wagner, and psychoanalysis, with his views on Freud. Sam uses a witty quote from his discussion of Tolstoy.
Joan Mirό The Smile of a Tear (1973) – This work receives a brief mention in the narrative. I think it’s one of Miro’s most elegant works – restrained, strikingly colourful and thoughtful.

Edvard Munch Angst (1894) – The translation of the title is ‘Anxiety’, and this work receives a brief mention in the narrative. For anyone already familiar with the work, though, it does act as a visual signpost to a discussion about anxiety that occurs a little later in the story.

Edvard Munch Förtvivlan (1892) – The translation of the title is ‘Despair’, and Hugo gives quite a detailed discussion of this work in the narrative. It’s a relative of ‘The Scream’, and its composition and subject matter were almost certainly influenced by the writings of Søren Kierkegaard.

Edvard Munch Skrik (1893) – The translation of the title is ‘The Scream’, and this is one of the most recognisable artworks of the past two centuries. Like the other two Munch works, this is a visual cue and signpost to a number of important discussions in the book.

Pink Floyd The Wall (Columbia Records 1979) – I find it almost impossible to listen to the lyrics of ‘Comfortably Numb’ from this album without thinking of Giorgio De Chirico’s train smoke motif. Even though train smoke and ship smoke aren’t exactly the same, they both represent signposts to liminal images, the song’s lyrics articulating the experience precisely: “I caught a fleeting glimpse, out of the corner of my eye; I turned to look, but it was gone …”. This is the feeling I wanted to recreate when Sam is struggling to remember an important decision.
Pink Floyd Wish You Were Here (Columbia Records 1975) – The title track ‘Wish You Were Here’ from this album is used in several parts of the narrative as a motif for the liminal experience of reunification, in that place where the reality of abandonment remains in the foreground, obscuring the uncertainty of future reconnection in the background. The simple laconic poignancy of the music makes for the kind of music one might play over and over again to evoke a particular mood.
Zbigniew Preisner Requiem for My Friend (Preisner Productions 1998) – I first came to Preisner’s music through the magnificent score he wrote for Krzysztof Keiślowski’s Trois Couleurs film trilogy. This work was written to honour Keiślowski, and the first part follows the traditional structure of a requiem. In Body, In Mind mentions the ‘Dies Irae’ and ‘Lux Aeterna’, but it was the gorgeous ‘Lacrimosa’ that I chose to close the book.
Pearls Before Swine Sunforest (Blue Thumb 1973) – I was introduced to the music of Pearls Before Swine by one of my high school teachers. I came to recognise Tom Rapp as a singular voice in the contemporary music scene of the time, unlike nothing else I’d ever heard. The lyrics I’ve used from ‘Love/Sex’ from this album express a truism about the authenticity of love that fits perfectly into a key scene.
Pearls Before Swine The Use of Ashes (Reprise Records 1970) – The track ‘The Jeweler’ from this album is probably the most well-known of Tom Rapp’s songs, and the lyrics were included in the manuscript right up until the first draft was completed. However, difficulties getting permission to use the lyrics prevented it being in the published book. Bummer.
Barbara Leonie Picard Tales of the Norse Gods (Oxford University Press, 1953) – I was obsessed with this book when I was at primary school and early high school, taking it out of the library and reading it over and over. I’ve used the reference to add an element of surprise in the characterisation of Alan.
Damien Rice O (Vector Records 2002) – The lyrics from the track ‘Cold Water’ from this album were perfect to use in a scene in which they described what was happening inside the room and outside, in a variety of voices. The music evokes a sense of coldness, ideal for an act of sacramental supplication.
Melanie Safka Candles in the Rain (Buddah Records 1970) – I seem to recall this was the first album I ever bought with my own money. Right up until the final edit of the manuscript for In Body, In Mind, the lyrics of ‘Leftover Wine’ from this album were included in the narrative, capturing perfectly the sense of letdown and loss that you feel when you’re left by yourself after a gathering.
Carlos Santana Caravanserai (Columbia Records 1972) – The track ‘The Eternal Caravan of Reincarnation’ from this album was used as background music in one scene for two reasons: first, to take later-life Sam back to the music of his youth, illustrating the experience of cyclical time, a motif present in the track’s title; and second, to represent experimental jazz in the eclectic music tastes of Sam and Rachel.

Albert Tucker The Possessed (1942) – This painting is of course the cover art for the book, but it is also the object of descriptions of aesthetic experience by both Noah and Deni. It also serves as a template for a later scene involving Sam at the university. One of Tucker’s most powerful works, this painting represents the essence of the experience of entrapment, while still remaining ambiguous about the psychological effect of the experience.

Jethro Tull Thick as a Brick (Chrysalis Music 1976) – Some of the lyrics from this album are used to echo the theme of intellectuality being discussed by Rachel, Sam and Hugo at the Mdina café. I’ve found many of Jethro Tull’s lyrics to be clever and thoughtful, particularly the concept albums like Passion Play and Thick as a Brick, and I think this is a great example of that. I thought it entirely plausible that this track would be on the playlist for a cool café in the early 90s.
Tom Waits Small Change (Asylum Records 1976) – I’ve long regarded the lyrics from ‘Tom Traubert’s Blues (Four Sheets to the Wind in Copenhagen)’ from this album to be the best example of Tom Waits’ storytelling. The unaccountable connection to Australian folklore via the ‘Waltzing Mathilda’ in the chorus is an added bonus for its inclusion in the narrative. Rachel’s poignant personal reflection on this lyrical expression of sorrowful solitude tells us much about her state of mind.
Tom Waits Rain Dogs (Island Records 1985) – The reference to this album in the narrative is a minor one, but it contributes depth to Sam’s character in that we come to know that he has been a dedicated listener to Waits’ music for decades.