Did he ever read any actual literature or poetry?

purplerabbithole said:

Did he ever read any actual literature or poetry?

- I am curious about it too. I never heard him saying nothing about it, specially old masters in this field.

musicfan77 said:

From what I saw at Paisley Park,

He was fascinated with books from Egypt, The Universe, the Bible of course, mystical and spirtual books aligned Paisley Park in the Editing Room and his small office. I even saw a Fashion Book on his table. He also had an intriguing fascination with the unknown.

Check it out if you ever go there.

the unknown as in paranormal? supernatural?

I could be wrong, but I got the feeling he read Toni Morrison's "The Bluest Eye." Around Emancipation and NPS, he use to say "quiet as it's kept" a lot, which is the first line in "The Bluest Eye" (and imho, a dope way to start a novel).

Great thread topic. One element of the travelling David Bowie Is exhibition were the books that inspired him, particularly in song (the album, Diamond Dogs, for example, was born from an attempt to adapt 1984). But what did Prince read? The only literary references I know of in his songs are scripture. I read somewhere he was unfamiliar with Dorothy Parker and that it was a name he plucked out of the ether, like McCartney writing Eleanor Rigby without realizing it was the name on a grave in a cemetery where he and Lennon used to spend time.