June 23, 2007
What Romance & Country Music have in common
Written by Cindy Kirk in Jaunty PostI’m spending this weekend at Country Stampede, an outdoor country music festival in Manhattan Kansas. My friend and I come down here every year. There will be over 40,000 people here this weekend.
There are a lot of people who like country music and a lot who despise it. It’s the same with romance novels. What I hate to see is country music artists or romance novelists try to act like that’s not what they do……like a country music artist who really wants to be a rock musician….or a romance author who is embarrassed that she writes romance.
We’re never going to be able please everyone…but I for one am proud of what I write. I like books that have a happy ending…that show a character growing and changing and being even stronger by the end.
And just like I’m not going to apologize for what I write…or for the kind of music I like to listen to….
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Lacey Kaye Says:
Amen! I like country music, too. I think it GOES with writing. Country music is so much about the story in the song. There’s no decoding, like with other genres. Sure, lots of Alternative are love songs, too. But you need some serious listening skills to figure that out.
Clarisse Says:
We live in a world where religious fervor has been replaced for many with cultural fervor. As in “my taste in [books/music/movies/etc] is better than your taste.” And so the jazz lover can look down his nose at country music or the Oprah book fan can think she is superior to the romance reader. And it is all sad bull because the truth is a good song in whatever genre is a good song and a good book is a good book. The notion that people think there is only way of looking at the world (i.e., THEIR way) is just tiresome. I love a lot of country (along with R&B, old Motown and a lot of new Alternative stuff). My Web Radio station which tailors the selection of songs to my taste once put the old communist anthem The Internationale next to a Carpenter song for me. I try not to think about what exactly that makes my “demographic.”
RobynDeHart Says:
I’m all about country music, love it, love it, love it. I agree with Lacey that it’s great three-minute story telling.
Kelley_S Says:
I’m proud of being an avid fan of both - romance books & country music. I’ve never been one to “hide” either vice. At my desk (which our warehouse and city employees have to walk past daily)I keep country music playing and a romance book (face up) on the corner (for breaks & lunch hour). Occasionally one of the men will make a “smart” comment, I just glance at them, smile, and say “jealous?” They usually just walk away.
So to all others - don’t be embarrassed about what makes you happy, stand up and be proud of what makes you the great person you are!!!!