Shuffled! David Mura
Shuffled! is a new feature on BPRLive, in which we ask some of our favorite people on the scene to set their mp3 player of choice to random, and tell us about the first few songs that they hear.
Today’s Shuffler: David Mura
David Mura is a sansei, a third generation Japanese American. He’s the author of two memoirs, Turning Japanese: Memoirs of a Sansei, and Where the Body Meets Memory: An Odyssey of Race, Sexuality & Identity. He’s also written three books of poetry, the last, Angels for the Burning. His novel Famous Suicides of the Japanese Empire will be published by Coffee House Press in the fall 0f 2008.
He will be directing Juliana Pegues’ play, “Question & Answer,” for Theater Mu in the spring of 2008. He lives in Minneapolis.
Visit davidmura.com to find out more.
On to the shuffle…
“Would You Please”
Rachel Yamagata
I love the desultory sensuousness of RY, and the upward lilt in the chorus. Of course this song is about suicide, but when I first started listening to it frequently, I didn’t think about it that much. But given the fact that my novel that’s coming out next year is entitled Famous Suicides of the Japanese Empire, and is about a Japanese American family where the Nisei father commits suicide, I suppose there’s an inevitable connection. I don’t quite understand the chorus, whether Sleeping Beauty has actually killed herself or not. Yamagata’s music appeals to the Emo in me (I was Emo back before there was Emo; I’ve always liked pianist songwriters, back to the late great Laura Nyro). I like the fact that Rachel’s a J.A., and that it’s her father–not her mother–who’s the J.A. I also like thinking of her as being of the same generation as my daughter and that my daughter also listens to her. I know my friend the poet/playwright Ed Bok Lee is always touting her (Rachel Yamagata not my daughter). Ed used one of her songs in the dance interlude of this play he’s been working on. But I also suspect that Ed likes the way she looks too. Ed’s pretty Emo himself (jk Ed).
“Hurt”
Johnny Cash
An aging artist speaking of pain in that famous gravelly voice. I loved the video. Something of an anthem for me–you take the pain and keep on going.
“The Game of Love”
Santana/Michelle Branch
I defend this choice on the basis of Branch’s mixed heritage and the presence of Santana. My kids make fun of me for playing this one so much on our vacations.
“Step in the Name of Love (remix)”
R. Kelly
R. Kelly has his problems but he sure can write a great song. Makes me happy and in the mood for sex.
“Hourglass, pt. 2″
Keith Jarrett
I play the piano and have been listening to Jarrett for years. There’s a little passage in the middle of this that is absolutely exquisite, almost childlike in its simplicity and beauty.
“Diary”
Alicia Keys
What can I say about Alicia Keys? Talented, beautiful, sexy. When she hits the bottom notes it gets me right in the gut. If she sang this song to me, all the molecules of my body would probably vaporize on the spot. As for the lyrics: Of course as a writer I’m a terrible keeper of secrets. That’s not what we do. We can’t help ourselves, we let those secrets out.
Last 5 posts by shuffled
- Shuffled! Giles Li - August 7th, 2008
- Shuffled! Alexander Chee - July 31st, 2008
- Shuffled! Terry Park - July 24th, 2008
- Shuffled! Theresa Vu of Magnetic North - July 17th, 2008
- Shuffled! Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha - July 10th, 2008
Tags: Shuffled!.
Awesome. Will send this on.
Excellent idea!
I never knew that David Mura loved to talk about sex so much. That’s probably because I haven’t read his books. Or because I don’t know him. Maybe he just loves sex…
But yeah, I guess Alicia Keys is pretty.
I know a lot of folks know this, but that Johnny Cash song was a cover of a Nine Inch Nails song, and it was actually waaaaaaaay better when Johnny Cash did it.