‘Poetry is a way of existence’
The poetesses and the publisher discussed how music and literature interact
There is a lot of talk in the book industry today about the synthesis of different types of art. It has long been no novelty for us that books become films and TV series, and poems are performed on stage. But now the concept such as a book soundtrack is being actively introduced, and writers make playlists for their works. Poetesses Alexandra Shalashova and Inna Volkova, as well as director of Polyn publishing house Alexander Lazarev discussed the interaction of music and literature, as well as the state of modern poetry at the White June international book festival in Arkhangelsk.
How a book should sound
Music and literature are very similar. This is the opinion of the experts who discussed this topic at the public talk at the White June Festival. Both of these types of art tell a story. Only in one case — a writer, and in the other — a composer.
“In the song, as in the book, there is also a beginning, a climax and a denouement. The only difference is that some put their stories to music in the format of a short work, while others paint hundreds of pages," said Alexander Lazarev, the director of Polyn publishing house.
But today, music for literature is not just a related art form. This is a way to attract a new audience and get them interested in a particular work. That's how such a phenomenon as a book soundtrack was born. This is not a playlist that a writer gives to a book. This is not a list of songs that the characters in the novel listen to. This is a completely independent work. But since there are few such cases in literature, there is often a misunderstanding of what this book soundtrack should be in general.
Alexander Lazarev believes that this is a natural phenomenon, since the book market is moving towards the formation of an ecosystem. It contains paper, electronic and audiobooks. The latter are transformed into audio plays and audio series. By the way, soundtracks are often created for them. And then it can all go into the cinema.
“There are more and more components in this ecosystem to attract a third-party reader. I think soundtracks are a good way to reach a new audience who may not read books, but may be interested in reading through a song. Perhaps, the next step after getting to know the song, this audience will want to listen to the audio version," Lazarev said.
He added that the soundtrack should reflect the essence of the book and its plot, but at the same time, not tell what the text is about, and not use phrases from a literary work. Thus, a specific song will be assigned only to a specific book. But writer, poet and musician Alexandra Shalashova does not agree with him:
“The soundtrack should not just not duplicate the plot, it is generally a forbidden technique. I believe that these types of arts should complement each other and be on an equal footing. Conditionally, the album cover should not repeat its contents. It should be a full-fledged graphic work. It's the same with the soundtrack. It should be a full-fledged piece of music that you can turn on your headphones and just listen to," Shalashova said.
Watch the interview with Alexandra Shalashova here.
Is poetry alive or dead?
The closest literary text to music is a poetic text. If you look at the Russian book market, then you still need to look for poetry in it. Especially if we are talking about modern literature, and not about the poets of the Golden or Silver Age. It may seem that there is no poetry. But musician and poet Inna Volkova does not agree with this statement:
“Events are regularly held in St. Petersburg and Moscow, where young poets read their poems. It's practically a sport, a competition to see who can read themselves better. A lot of people come there. I can conclude that graphomania is flourishing," Inna Volkova noted.
Alexandra Shalashova believes that poetry is a non-commercial story for large publishing houses. But at the same time, it cannot be said that modern poetry does not exist. According to Shalashova, she has gone to other formats.
“I have a feeling of a thaw in relation to poetry. For example, there are poets in TikTok who gain millions of views, and this is not poetry only of the TikTok level. Magazine, pop, bard, and academic poetry have not gone away. All of this still exists, but it doesn't seem to overlap. And I like that these layers do not compete with each other, everyone can find a way to move along.”
Alexander Lazarev, the director of Polyn publishing house, confirmed Alexandra Shalashova's words. He added that in the criteria for submitting a manuscript, many publishers say that they do not accept poetry. Therefore, in his opinion, poetic literature migrated to social networks. By the way, publishing houses often put up a certain barrier themselves, distinguishing between “literature” and “poetry” on their fair stands. Shalashova noted that this distinction is partly correct, because poetry is not only literature, but also “the world, as well as its organisation”.
“I am a supporter of the opinion that poetry is not a poetry collection. Poetry is a way of existence. You can never write a single line in your life, but at the same time, be a real poet. Because all life can be poetry," summed up writer and poetess Alexandra Shalashova.
Ekaterina Petrova — literary reviewer of Realnoe Vremya online newsppaer, author of Poppy Seed Muffins (Булочки с маком) telegram channel, and founder of the first online subscription book club Makulatura.