Exploring Running, Writing, and Listening in Ben Ratliff's Run the Song: Writing About Running About Listening

 Run the Song: Writing About Running About Listening by Ben Ratliff

Run the Song book cover

Author, music journalist, and runner Ben Ratliff

Tres player Arsenio Rodriguez, a musician I learned about from Ratliff's book

Elmo Hope, another musician featured in Ratliff's book

Big thanks to Graywolf Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of Ben Ratliff’s great new book Run the Song: Writing About Running About Listening. Also, I have to give big props to Ben Ratliff as well for providing a playlist of sorts of all the songs/albums that are referenced in this book. As I was reading, I was highlighting all the music I wasn’t familiar with because it sounded like some amazing sounds to check out. I have Ratliff’s Coltrane: The Story of a Sound on my to read list, and after reading this book, I’m hoping to get to it sooner. Ratliff’s book combines several of my own personal passions: reading, writing, and running, and since he is coming from a music journalist background, it was cool to read about his perspectives about running. When I read “running” books written by coaches or athletes, they are usually focused on strategies, methods, and training guidelines. I was wondering whether Ratliff’s book might be like Murakami’s What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, probably my favorite book about running since it is more meditative and reflective. Ratliff actually devotes about 2 chapters to writing about Murakami’s writing and running, and also wondering why Murakami, another writer who writes extensively about music, didn’t talk too much about running and music. For both writers, it seems like running is a time to enter a void like state, something Ratliff refers to from Murakami’s book. I’ve often felt the same way. I’ve found running as a way to put on headphones and think about events and incidents in my life, to work out ideas and problems, and to just enjoy being outside and moving. I haven’t read Murakami’s book for a while, but it was interesting to read Ratliff’s reaction.

Ratliff’s own running around the Bronx and Yonkers also resonated with my own running experience. I started running when I lived in Philadelphia, and I really enjoyed exploring the city’s different neighborhoods, parks, and trails in my runs. While I tended to follow similar routes, I also loved exploring new areas, pushing myself further, and seeing how far I could go. I was amazed to learn about all of the different types of music that Ratliff listens to while running, and especially to learn about running to John and Alice Coltrane’s music. In his sections discussing both Coltranes’ different albums, Ratliff explains how Coltrane’s later work was about pushing boundaries of songs—exploring and expanding, and Ratliff sometimes sees his running in this way. I love the music of both Alice and John Coltrane, but I typically don’t run to Jazz music. I usually reserve free Jazz for other activities, especially those involving reading. However, it was cool to see how Ratliff uses this music as a way to further his running and I think it speaks to the more introspective and observational aspects of his running, how running and listening to music allows him to possibly experience and kind of synesthesia, where he can combine his senses. He doesn’t directly say that, and this is just more my own speculation, but it is a really cool way of thinking about this kind of synthesis of perceptive inputs. However, it was interesting to think about running in new places. This is something I like to do when I travel—to scout out a new location to run and just see the city that way. I tried it on a trip to Chicago, and it was really cool to run along Lake Michigan and see a little of the different sights around the city. I’ve run several races in NY and had some opportunities to run around parts of Manhattan, and that is also a really cool experience. Again, it is a way to learn more about the place and kind of do a deep dive, but with a soundtrack. What’s interesting about Ratliff’s running is how he enjoys exploring the same area but always looking for something new. This is something that also resonated with me. There’s some canal trails not too far from me where I like to run in the spring and summer, and it is always cool to find new animals, plants, and just general scenery when I run. I particularly like when it’s early morning and the fog is slowly separating from the lake, gradually rising to the clouds. I’ll have to remember to take some other paths or work my way over onto other roads and possibly find some Coltrane or Eric Dolphy to guide me on the path of getting lost.

I also really enjoyed Ratliff’s focus on movement for both music and running and connecting dance and physical movement to music with running. This was something I hadn’t really considered before. I have incorporated more dance-type electronic music into my running more recently, and I feel like this kind of music does have a repetitive, propulsive beat that keeps me moving. When I first started running, all I would listen to was metal (death, grindcore, thrash, NWOBM, etc), punk, and hip-hop. I’ve gradually expanded my listening, and have incorporated more, but I loved reading about how Ratliff explores different types of music and their related movements to running. Again, this was different from typical running books that can focus on foot strike and gait, where Ratliff is more interested in the movement of expression as opposed to the efficiency of movement. It again shows how running can be a kind of emotional outlet or a kind of expression of gratitude for the ability to still move. It’s something that I need to remind myself about with running.

People run and write for different reasons. While there are running books and articles that tend to focus on mechanics and techniques of running, Ratliff’s book is unique in that it is more contemplative and meditative. It’s not quite a journal, but it is a highly personal look inside Ratliff’s own running practice, learning about how running has helped him listen, which has further fueled his writing process. Although he may not realize it, Ratliff’s book has helped me consider some new techniques for running and especially for listening. While some runners I know have argued against listening to music while they run, I cannot imagine running without headphones or a soundtrack. Ratliff has given me some new ideas and music to consider as a running soundtrack. Furthermore, he has provided some insights into how running can enhance listening and thought. This was such a great book, and I loved the short chapters that tended to focus on artists, music, and places to run. In particular, I’m grateful to Ratliff for introducing some awesome new music to me. I always appreciate these books about music that send me in new directions. I am really excited to get some Arsenio Rodriguez records and learn more about tres musicians. I checked out some of his music online, and I couldn’t believe I hadn’t heard of him. That chapter that linked Rodriguez, Thelonius Monk, and Elmo Hope, who I think had some connection with Coltrane, was one of my favorite chapters. I feel like there was some documentary that talked a lot about Elmo Hope. I can’t remember the connection, but reading Ratliff’s book made me want to check out Elmo Hope’s music, even if his recordings are limited. It was so cool the way he linked the neighborhood that connected them to his running exploration, and found a way to weave together their music as well. Ratliff does this with some other artists, musical styles, and places as well, and this kind of interweaving and connection was fascinating and interesting to read. A highly recommended book.