On the Line

“One of my very favorite sounds in the world is made by split-flap displays, also known as Solari boards after a well-known manufacturer. The 'screen' shuffles to show each of the letters and numbers in a row of text, pauses to show the information, and then shuffles again — clickety-clickety-clickety — to reflect updates.”

That is from Deb Chachra’s excellent new book, How Infrastructure Works: Inside the Systems That Shape Our World. This is one of my favorite sounds, as well. (Note: the “clickety-clickety-clickety” is italicized in the original, but the formatting here doesn’t allow for it.) In a manner of speaking, this book is Deb listening to the world’s hum.

. . .

“I find music a useful distraction. A focus tool. Keeps the inner voice from wandering.”

From the trailer to director David Fincher’s upcoming movie, The Killer, the words spoken by the title character, played by Michael Fassbender, screenplay by Andrew Kevin Walker, from a series of graphic novels by writer Matz and artist Luc Jacamon. As I’ve written here many times, some of the most evocative writing about sound can be found in thrillers about spies and killers, because they must listen carefully both to get their work done and to survive.

. . .

“You knew that part of what was bothering him was the noise; his hearing wasn't as good as it used to be, probably from all the loud machines at his work, and he didn't like to have to turn up the television, whose speaker distorted when the volume got too high.”

That observation is from John Darnielle’s novel Devil House, which I’m enjoying. I’m reading a few too many books at the moment, but I’ll return to normal mode (three tops: one paper, one ebook, one audiobook) soon. Or soon-ish. Darnielle is the musician who goes by Mountain Goats, and it’s no surprise when sound and song surface in this book.