Six Degrees of Separation is a meme hosted by Kate over at Books Are My Favourite and Best. It works like this: each month a book is chosen as a starting point and linked to six others to form a chain. A book doesn’t need to be connected to all the titles on the list, only to the one next to it in the chain.
This month we’re starting with Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights which I’ve not read for many years.
Kate Bush’s earworm inducing track is inspired and named after Brontë’s novel leading me to George Orwell’s 1984 which provided the material for David Bowie’s song of the same name on Diamond Dogs. Not my favourite of his.
I recently bought Peter Carpenter’s Bowieland in which the author walks the streets of South London in his musical hero’s footsteps.
Talking Heads’ frontman David Byrne’s Bicycle Diaries takes him all over the world with his fold up bike including Berlin where Bowie lived
From pedalled bike to the motorised variety, Che Guevara’s The Motorcycle Diaries is about his exploration of Argentina on a Norton motorbike.
Reminding me of Robert Pirsig’s 1970s classic Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.
The title of Richard Flanagan’s The Sound of One Hand Clapping is derived from a Zen koan
This month’s Six Degrees has taken me from a gothic classic to a novel which deals with migration and the trauma of war. Part of the fun of this meme is comparing the very different routes other bloggers take from each month’s starting point. If you’re interested, you can follow it on Twitter with the hashtag #6Degrees, check out the links over at Kate’s blog or perhaps even join in.
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Wow, these connections are inspired. Problem is I now can’t get Kate Bush out of my head
Thank you. You can blame Kate for that!
Very clever, especially love the David Bowie links
Meant to add I rewatched his Live Aid set recently and had forgotten how brilliant it was
I’m going to watch the Channel 4 documentary tonight but treat myself to Live Aid on Sunday.
Thank you. I didn’t expect Bowie to feature quite so much!
I read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance years ago but can’t remember much about it now. I love your link from there to the final book!
Thank you, Helen. Me, too – I only remember the title these days!
How very clever to have Bowie as your link man!
Thank you! He popped into my head, which is how these posts work for me.
Always the best way.
Bowieland was so good. Hope you enjoy it.
Thank you. Looking forward to it.
Nice first link Susan!
Thanks, Cathy! Took me ages to get rid of that ear worm.
A musical chain? That’s one I’ve never tried before. Well done!
Thank you. It’s the result of Kate’s earworm trigger!
Love the musical links, Susan. A great chain as always of which I’ve only read 1984!
Thanks, Mallika. Probably a frantic attempt to get Ms Bush out of my head!
Oh I enjoyed this chain Susan, and not only because I recognise most of the books and have read some of them, though before blogging. I enjoyed the music links in particular.
Lovely to hear that! Thank you
Excellent, excellent, excellent. Motorcycles–a really unexpected, but cool theme!
Thank you. Unexpected for me, too!
I love the link from Kate Bush to David Bowie! Great chain!
Thank you. From one ear worm to another, although Kate Bush is more persistent!
wow, probably the most original chain I have seen today, bravo!
https://wordsandpeace.com/2026/03/07/six-degrees-of-separation-next-in-line/
Thank you so much!
I applaud you on your musical links – I tried to start a chain based on songs inspired by literature but came unstuck at Bowie, so went with film adaptations of books instead. I enjoyed your chain.
Thank you. I think yours turned out very well.
love your musical links, just reading David Byrne’s name is enough to make my smile!!
And summon him up in that big white suit. Another ear worm incoming…
There is a real sense of movement in this meme. Walking, cycling, motorcycling. I like the sound of David Byrne’s book. He is a creatively diverse man.
I hadn’t thought of that! I enjoyed the Byrne. It’s very engaging.