Too Close Book Tour – What Books Inspired Me By Gayle Curtis
Today on the book tour for Gayle Curtis’ new book ‘Too Close’, Gayle talks about the books that have inspired her over the years.
There are lots of books that have inspired me from childhood to the present day but they’re not all necessarily the literary kind. I have a huge love for photographic books, picture books if you like. My parents always had them on the shelves when I was a child so I would spend a lot of time perusing ‘Don McCullen’ and ‘The National Geographic’, such was my love of books.
A couple of years ago, my mother invited me to go on a trip to London with the art group she is a member of. They were going to the National Portrait Gallery to see David Bailey’s, Stardust exhibition. I can still remember the feeling it evoked when I arrived and how in awe I was of all the rooms; the stark white walls and striking photographs. This is how I want my house to look, I want to live here, I thought to myself. I was so spellbound by the exhibition, especially the controversial portraits of David Bailey’s wife, Catherine that I visited again the following week with one of my sisters, who had the same reaction as me.
[amazon_link id=”B01B9K0716″ target=”_blank” ]
[/amazon_link]
Consequently, I bought Bailey’s ‘Stardust’ book and also, ‘The Lady is a Tramp’. It’s not the actual picture that gives me ideas, it’s the emotion that conjures up all sorts of scenarios in my mind. I suppose the best way I can describe this kind of inspiration is that I peer into a personal part of someone’s life that evokes ideas.
Other books that inspire me tend to be about buildings, I have a particular love of concrete and cranes! I could sit and ‘crane’ watch for hours. They are beautiful and I haven’t quite worked out why I think that. I have just bought a book called, ‘Abandoned America’ by Christopher Mathews, which is filled with stunning photographs of derelict buildings. It’s amazing if you like that kind of subject. I have always been fascinated by Stanley Kubrick’s film, ‘The Shining’, more for the strange hotel than anything else. After I watched that film I held onto the empty, creepy, dark feeling it stirred in me and now every time I see an abandoned holiday camp, I say it reminds me of the ‘Overlook Hotel’.
Books containing letters or articles are another favourite of mine, I find them really inspirational especially set in a particular era, you get such a strong feeling of what it was actually like, a true recording of history. Some of my regulars are ‘Letters of Note’ by Shaun Usher, ‘Dear Mr Bigelow’ by Frances Woodsford, ‘The Mitfords – Letters Between Six Sisters’, ‘Letters from a Lost Generation’ and ‘Lunch with the FT’. The ones containing letters are really special, there’s something about reading the thoughts and feelings from pen to paper, a snapshot in time from one person to another – I guess I’m just nosy!
You can pre-order [amazon_link id=”B01B9K0716″ target=”_blank” ]Too Close: A Dark and Gripping Psychological Thriller from Amazon [/amazon_link] and will be available to buy from good bookshops from 30th June 2016.
Leave a Reply