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Mur Keeps It Real
Posted by Brian Armitage
A couple months ago, I replied to a tweet from Mur Lafferty (@mightymur). I went on with my day. A few seconds later, my phone buzzed. I looked. She had replied.
I think I giggled out loud with joy. It was a fanboy moment.
My friend Nick recommended I Should be Writing to me a few years ago. The name struck me; I’d said the phrase a thousand times. I gave a listen, and never turned back.
Mur is definitely a gifted writer. Her story concepts, in particular, are awesome. Playing for Keeps follows a group of friends with truly mediocre superpowers. Marco and the Red Granny features the most creative use of synesthesia I’ve read since Alfred Bester’s The Stars My Destination. But all this I learned later.
What kept me listening to her podcast is the fact that Mur is real. She talks – frankly, but professionally – about the frustrations of dealing with the publishing industry. She holds herself accountable to her listeners, admitting when she doesn’t follow her own advice. She admits when she’s a noob. Somehow, she manages to write, take care of her family, and then do several podcasts and blogs in which she discusses how to juggle writing, family, and other projects.
And she often repeats that phrase I need to hear again and again: you’re allowed to suck. She reminds me that I don’t need to nail it the first time every time. She reminds me that they key isn’t to only write good stuff: it’s to write, and keep writing.
Preachers could learn from her humility and willingness to get personal. Perfectionists like myself could learn some grace. And we could all learn perseverance from her.
I appreciate what you do, Mur. Thanks for the encouragement and inspiration.
The Playlist
Posted by Brian Armitage
“Merit for Sadness” by Haste the Day popped into my head the other day, and I put together a playlist around it. I realized that the end of the song would transition seamlessly into “Existence” by August Burns Red. After that metal onslaught, I thought a slower-paced song would do, so I threw in a low-tempo Demon Hunter song. I had “Artist in the Ambulance” stuck in my head soon after, and added “Injection” as a bridge.
Here’s what I ended up with:
- Thrice, “The Artist in the Ambulance”
- Rise Against, “Injection”
- Haste the Day, “Merit for Sadness”
- August Burns Red, “Existence”
- Demon Hunter, “I Play Dead”
I picked these songs either intuitively, or because they fit musically. Then, I noticed a theme in the lyrics.
I know that there’s
A difference between sleight of hand, and giving everything you have
There’s a line drawn in the sand, I’m working up the will to cross it andI hope that I will never let you down
I know that this can be more than just flashing lights and soundRhetoric can’t raise the dead
I’m sick of always talking when there’s no change
Rhetoric can’t raise the dead
I’m sick of empty words, let’s lead and not follow-Thrice, “The Artist in the Ambulance”
Guide me through unchartered waters
Before we lose our way again
Will you be my compass until forever?
Until forever ends?Knees are weak, hands are shaking, I can’t breathe
So give me the drug, keep me alive
Give me what’s left of my life
Don’t let me go
Pull this plug, let me breathe
On my own, I’m finally free
Don’t let me go-Rise Against, “Injection”
Open my heart to sadness
It’s though the pain that I believe
It’s in the pain that I can see
Love is alive in darkness
The waters may rise but your hand carries meThe world may deny what you choose to believe
I know that you’re here
So I’ll hold on and won’t let go
I won’t let go-Haste the Day, “Merit for Sadness”
Don’t excuse yourself from life today on the pretense of your past
You’re hurt, you’re broken, that’s alright
This might be what it takes to wake you up-August Burns Red, “Existence”
I’ve got to find a way to stop before it starts
Finding its way through my veins right to my heart
I never thought it something everyone could see
And it kills within meI won’t, I won’t leave without a trace
I won’t be erased-Demon Hunter, “I Play Dead”
They’re all about perseverance. They’re all about changing for the better.
And right now, they’re all terribly inspiring to me. Love it.
Posted in Christianity, God, Holiness
Tags: August Burns Red, God, Haste the Day, inspiration, metal, Music, perseverance, playlist, Rise Against, Thrice
