1) Samuel Taylor Coleridge, "Rime of the Ancient Mariner"
2) Graham Greene, Selected Works
3) D.H. Lawrence, Lady Chatterley's Lover
4) Mary Morse, The Unattached
5) Laurence Sterne, Tristram Shandy  
6) Michael Turner, Hard Core Logo
7) T.S. Eliot, "East Coker"
 
 

1) "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" - Samuel Taylor Coleridge
 

I suspect there are more literary references in "Dear Old Ireland" (Hemmingway and Tennyson spring to mind), however I'm not smart (or brave) enough to fully extract them. Anyway, if you ever took literature in high school, I'm sure you are familiar with this poem.

Now this is thorough: here is the complete poem, accompanied by Gustav Dore's illustrations , plus photographs of book covers and pages dating back to 1858. From the University of Virginia Library.

If you want to forego the bells and whistles, here's the text only version , from a online e-text of Lyrical Ballads (because I had to include Wordsworth in some way). From the University of Oregon.

In addition to his poetry, you can read the life and times of S.T.C. at online-literature.com.

Strange things can happen when you dictate "Kubla Khan" to your computer .
 
 

2) Graham Greene

"Lean" is a fitting description of Greene's writing. His words are both astute and economical, and I admire how he can condense paragraphs of description into one smart sentence.

There aren't a lot of Graham Greene resources on the Web, but you can find a good fan site here.

Many of Greene's works have been adapted to film. Check them out at imdb.com .

You can find out about Greene's life at The London Times here.
 
 

3) Lady Chatterley's Lover - D.H. Lawrence

This is the only book on the list (so far) I have not attempted to read, though it is on my infamous List of a Million Things I Have To Do. One day, one day . . . .

If you feel like burning out your retinas, you can read the entire novel here .

The University of Nottingham has an extensive biography of  D. H. Lawrence .
 
 

4) The Unattached - Mary Morse

I had no idea this song was based on a sociological study until I read the following newspaper article:

"Matt Murphy gives vent to his pop proclivities"

". . . . A more obscure source inspired "The Unattached". Loosely based on, and taking its title from, an academic examination of British youth culture written by a university professor named Mary Morse, the song is a tongue-in-cheek lament for the aimlessness and alienation of youth. 'In the early '60s the government noticed the kids started to just hang out in cafes, listen to jazz, go to parties, work horrible jobs, get pregnant early, and all these things,' says Murphy. 'They attributed that to nonparticipation in youth groups.' In typical bureaucratic style, the British government hired Morse to organize young, college-educated fieldworkers to infiltrate groups of unsuspecting youths, write reports on their findings, and help direct the wayward teens to more useful activities.

        'I thought that was kind of an interesting idea, that none of the kids would know the people organizing these things are actually secret agents,' says the singer. 'And the reports these people write are so fascinating in the way they're so objective and academic. "I saw two youths today sitting, having coffee. As I approached, one gave me an odd look and was distrustful. Nevertheless I sat down." It's really funny to read. As well, I sort of related to it in terms of what I do -- making music and organizing people younger than myself.'"

- From The Georgia Strait , November 4, 1999
 

A history of detached youth programs in Britain , with a short description of Morse's book
 
 

5) Tristram Shandy - Laurence Sterne

I picked up this book a few years back when I heard it was cheeky and absurdist. Tristram Shandy was meant to be read like a one-sided conversation rather than a novel. Though it has its moments of inspired wit, the protagonist is rather long winded and full of digressions. This book is not for the impatient.

Are you ready for it? Are you reeeeeeally ready for it? Have a lot of time on your hands? Though the format is kind of vexing, here's The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gent. The whole thing.

See photos of Sterne's home, aka Shandy Hall.
  

" Hey blue tattoo on your shoulder
in the shape of a heart
in the middle of my name"
- from  "Blue Tattoo" (Turner/Super Friendz)

5) Hard Core Logo - Michael Turner

I can't believe I overlooked such an obvious reference for such a long time! Hard Core Logo is an engaging mix of poetry, journal entries, interviews and photographs. The soundtrack of the movie of the book features Canadian bands musically interpreting Turner's lyrics.

Read about Michael Turner and Hard Core Logo at the publisher's website.

Here's a mixed review of the book.

Check out Hard Core Logo: The Movie , directed by Bruce "Rock and Road" McDonald.

5) "East Coker" - T.S. Eliot

"East Coker" is one of Eliot's Four Quartets along with "Burnt Norton", "The Dry Salvages", and "Little Gidding". These quartets deal with the little trivialities in life. You know, life, death, time, nature, mortality. The lyrics to "T.S. Eliot" are taken directly from "East Coker" with the exception of a couple of words:

"Dawn points, and another day
Prepares for heat and silence. Out at sea the dawn wind
Wrinkles and slides. I am here
Or there, or elsewhere. In my beginning." (1.48-51)
 

You can read all of "East Coker" here

The University of Toronto Library has an online collection of various T.S. Eliot poems (plus a short biography)