Sometimes, God is especially nice, and lets us be born near the person we are made to make art with. In the case of the Moore brothers (well, twins), God was especially kind. The two grew up playing music together and had several well-deserved victories in Battles of the Bands. I saw them play live a few months ago and was amazed by their musical dexterity and playful unity. And, to bless us all, they released their first EP, Hallucinate.
Recently, I had the pleasure of reading Bandersnatch by Diana Pavlac Glyer, a professor of mine and a mind I admire greatly. The short review: the book did not disappoint. Bandersnatch
takes its title from a quote of CS Lewis' on his friend, JRR Tolkien: "No one ever influenced Tolkien. You may has well try to influence a Bandersnatch." Glyer argues that Lewis not only influenced Tolkien, but was one of the greatest forces behind the completion of The Lord of the Rings. Beyond that, she argues that collaborative creativity is the key to the success of the Inklings (the group of scholars and writers Tolkien and Lewis belonged to and founded). The book is brilliantly orchestrated and makes its points clearly; every concept is readily applicable for the creative mind.
