In Living Memory References and Further Reading

Philosophy References

In Living Memory is a philosophical novel because it centres on a collection of certain ideas, and asks the reader to consider questions which for many of us might remain unasked:

How much of our sense of self is determined by our memory?
If we have to remember who we love, do we really love them?
If we have to remember what we believe, is it really our belief?
If we have to remember what we’ve said before, is anything we say what we really think?
If our interaction with the universe around us is continually mediated by the past, how and why should we think of ourselves as authentic beings?
As our sense of self evolves, how do we reconcile our identity with the different selves we used to be?
Should we think of the experience of forgetting as necessarily destructive, or should we regard it as liberating?
As death comes for each of us, how do we stay true to the self we have worked our whole life to become?

Throughout its narrative, In Living Memory references several touchpoints of its philosophical heritage, including glimpses of the four original works around which the novel’s themes are primarily drawn:

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.
Frankl, Viktor E. Man’s Search For Meaning (Ilse Lasch translation). London: Rider, an imprint of Ebury Publishing, 2008.
Gabriella Barton’s MPhil Thesis “The Philosophical Heritage of Nietzsche’s Three Metamorphoses of Spirit”, Cambridge University, 1984.
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.

Art and Music References

In Living Memory has been sprinkled through with references to many familiar and some not so familiar works of art. 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. The musical references have been compiled into the In Living Memory Spotify playlist here.

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:

Eumir Deodato’s “Also Sprach Zarathustra” (from the 1973 album Prelude).
Pink Floyd’s “The Great Gig in the Sky” (from the 1973 album The Dark Side of the Moon).
Leonard Cohen’s “Anthem” and “Tacoma Trailer” (from the 1992 album The Future).
Sylvia Plath’s “The Other Two” and “Parliament Hill Fields”.
Kenneth Slessor’s “Five Bells”, “Out of Time”, “Sensuality” and “Trade Circular” from Kenneth Slessor, Selected Poems.

Amelia Anderson’s Street Kiss, (1957). Street Kiss was only exhibited once, in Sydney in 1959. It was then believed to have been destroyed in a warehouse fire in the early sixties, but emerged in the Melbourne collection of Mrs Catherine Strong in 2012. The work had been gifted to Mrs Strong in 1981 by the artist’s daughter.

The painting is widely regarded as the artist’s finest work, the one which exemplified her style and technique like no other. It becomes an important clue in Mark and Cate’s search for answers, and its composition is a recurring motif in the story.

Carl Orff’s O Fortuna, the first movement from Carmina Burana, Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi.
T.S. Eliot’s “The Dry Salvages” and “Ash Wednesday”.
William Blake’s “The Monk”, John Donne’s “Holy Sonnet”, Henry Vaughan’s “The Retreat”, and William Butler Yeats’ “Under Ben Bulben” from The London Book of English Verse. This anthology of English verse was a post-war collection curated to reflect a more modern take on the English canon, deliberately departing from previous anthologies by expanding focus beyond the lyrical, and rejecting anything deemed overly romantic, or sentimental. This book was an influential resource in Australian high school English Literature subjects for far too long.
Robert Heinlein’s Time Enough for Love.
Sigur Rós’ 1999 album Ágætis byrjun.
Fyodor Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov.
Grizzly Bear’s “A Good Place” (from the 2004 album Horn of Plenty).
Monty Python’s Monty Python and the Search for the Holy Grail, (1975).
Tim Rice’s “Gethsemane” (from the 1970 album Jesus Christ Superstar).
Eminem’s Lose Yourself (from the 2002 8 Mile soundtrack).
Muriel Rukeyser’s The Life of Poetry.
Beach House’s “Norway” (from the 2010 album Teen Dream).
Miroslav Holub’s “Waiting”, William Wordsworth’s “Surprised by Joy”, and Harold Hart Crane’s “Forgetfulness” from Mainly Modern.
Flume’s “Star Eyes” (from the 2012 album Flume).
Nathanael West’s “A Cool Million”, from The Collected Works of Nathanael West.
Moby’s “If Things Were Perfect” (from the 1999 album Play).
Steve Reich’s 1983 album The Desert Music, for amplified voices and orchestra.
Walter Carlos Williams’ The Desert Music and Other Poems.
Cocteau Twins’ “Rilkean Heart” (from the 1996 album Milk & Kisses). Rilkean Heart was a tribute of fondness to the American musician Jeff Buckley who died the following year.
John Martyn’s “Small Hours (Instrumental)” (from the 1977 album One World (Deluxe Edition)).
Dead Can Dance’s “Hymn for the Fallen” (from the 2005 live album 2005-03-26: Philharmonie, Cologne, Germany).
Karen Marks’ 1981 single “Cold Café”.
Dirty Three’s “Indian Love Song” (from the 1995 album Dirty Three).
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s 1788 opera Don Giovanni.
Gavin Bryars’ “(‘Farewell’) A Tempo” (from the 1996 album Farewell to Philosophy).
The Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby” (from the 1966 album Revolver).
John Tavener’s “The Lamb” (from the 1982 album The Lamb)2.
Tangerine Dream’s 1974 album Phaedra.
Pink Floyd’s “Comfortably Numb” (from the 1980 album The Wall).