. ▁The ▁fellow ship ▁began ▁on ▁September ▁ 1 0 , ▁ 2 0 0 1 , ▁one ▁day ▁before ▁the ▁terror ist ▁attacks ▁on ▁the ▁World ▁Trade ▁Center ▁and ▁the ▁Pent agon . ▁ ▁Allen ▁discuss es ▁the ▁terror ist ▁attacks ▁and ▁how ▁they ▁are ▁figured ▁into ▁the ▁novel . ▁He ▁also ▁discuss es ▁how ▁his ▁travel s ▁on ▁the ▁African ▁continent ▁sh aped ▁his ▁creation ▁of ▁a ▁fict ional ▁island ▁called ▁Ed gem ere , ▁a ▁place ▁that ▁is ▁central ▁to ▁the ▁novel ' s ▁setting ▁and ▁construction ▁of ▁place . ▁ ▁As ▁for ▁music , ▁Allen ▁notes ▁that ▁he ▁avoided ▁listening ▁to ▁any ▁record ings ▁of ▁Bl ind ▁Tom ' s ▁compos itions ▁because ▁he ▁wanted ▁to ▁use ▁his ▁imagination ▁to ▁create ▁his ▁own ▁image ▁of ▁what ▁Tom ' s ▁music ▁might ▁have ▁sound ed ▁like ▁to ▁a ▁listener ▁of ▁Tom ' s ▁area . ▁On ▁the ▁novel ' s ▁acknowled g ement ▁page , ▁Allen ▁mentions ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁wide - r anging ▁musical ▁influ ences ▁that ▁sh aped ▁his ▁writing , ▁including ▁the ▁Mal ian ▁singer ▁O um ou ▁Sang ar é ▁and ▁the ▁rock ▁band ▁Tool . ▁About ▁the ▁latter , ▁Allen ▁states ▁in ▁an ▁interview ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁inspired ▁by ▁their ▁unusual ▁songs ▁about ▁physical ▁and ▁spiritual ▁transformations ▁of ▁mind ▁and ▁body . ▁ ▁Allen ▁received ▁a ▁support ▁grant ▁from ▁Creative ▁Capital ▁that ▁helped ▁him ▁during ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁years ▁that ▁it ▁took ▁him ▁to ▁write ▁the ▁novel . ▁ ▁Syn opsis ▁ ▁Song ▁of ▁the