I'm beginning this Short Story Saturdays for me to share short stories and chapters of books that are like short stories. I decided to do this when I picked up Oliver Sacks' book Musicophilia this afternoon and noticed that it was written in a sort of short story format. I like the idea of sharing so much more of this book than I would in a normal review but over a longer period of time. Many of you may not know that I am a music therapist. I've been meaning to read this book for a long time and finally, while at the bookstore today, said to myself "What are you waiting for? Buy it already!"
If anyone would like to join me in sharing some of their favorite short stories, feel free to do so here or on your blog but there are so many daily memes out there already that I'm not really expecting it. I have been so happy (and surprised!) that so many people are participating in my Friday 56 that I couldn't imagine being greedy and starting another one! I simply want to do this to make myself read those books of short stories I have sitting around my house looking at me and to share this wonderful book by Oliver Sacks.
Oliver Sacks is the famous neurologist who wrote the book Awakenings which the movie of the same name was based on (Robin Williams played him). Sacks is also a huge advocate for music therapy. Often when you hear him speak, he spends most of his time talking about the profound affect music can have on the brain. I was very excited when this book came out. So now I will stop blabbering and tell you about the first chapter.
A Bolt From The Blue: Sudden Musicophilia
This chapter is mainly about Tony Cicoria, a surgeon who is one day hit by a bolt of lightning. After a brief two week recovery period in which he has a few memory problems, everything seems to go back to normal. Then he suddenly is struck by the profound need to listen to piano music, specifically Chopin. He then feels the need to learn to play the piano and while he is learning Chopin, he begins to hear his own music. It becomes almost a compulsion for him to learn how to write down this music he hears. He does not stop being a surgeon but all his free time is now consumed by playing and writing his own music. Before the lightning strike he did not know how to play and was never interested in learning, much less composing his own music.
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4 comments:
That's a book which is going on my must read list immidiately. I have applied music to deal with my daughter's problems and I am a keen believer in healing power of it. Thanks!
Definitely! I have a couple private clients with Autism and most of the students I see in the schools have autism. That population is what made me interested in music therapy in the first place! There's not a specific section on it in the book but Sacks talks frequently about it throughout.
My husband was given this book last year, but so far it has just languished on a pile somewhere. I'm going to have to dig it out! Thanks, Tonya!
I'll join ya, Tonya! I'm reading a bunch of short stories now for all my English classes I'm taking; I'd love to share them with you and your readers!
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