Changing The Key

Abstract

This piece is a summary of the main plot points in my full novel project as part of the Honors program. I think of this as in part a love letter–the love of an artist for their craft and how their art, in this case music, seeps into their daily life. My character, Andy’s vocabulary and what he notices about his surroundings are shaped by his deep musical education. While writing this story I learned a lot about portraying rhythm through the pace of the writing itself, such as the three-sentence paragraphs at the opening. I place this work in conversation primarily with "Any Other City" by Hazel Jane Plante for its focus as well on music and transgender identity. I found myself noticing how in "Any Other City," art and that act of creation is shown as integral to the trans experience of learning to “remake” yourself in your own image and rediscovering your passions with this newfound freedom. I also draw connections to "The Alchemist" by Paolo Coelho for the conflict of wanting to leave the familiar for what could very well be a desert in the unknown, or to stay in your comfort zone even if you feel stifled, only to discover the beauty of different ways of life—finding yourself in the isolation—is incredibly central to my characters’ journey on the cruise.