Tuesday, December 14, 1999
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Nov 29 1999
Nov 22 1999
Dec 07 1999
"Tuesday Afternoon..." 
ABOUT A GIRL AND HER PIANO, and the havok they can wreak on an audience.
Last Thursday night, John and I attended a holiday benefit concert in Denver. It was an all-acoustic double-header in a intimately tiny venue. The first act, played by Bruce Coburn on his singing guitar, was a pleasant surprise to someone who hadn't heard him before. But he wasn't why we went.
The second act belonged to Tori Amos.
This is someone who can do things with a piano that border on obscene but remain godslike. I had never heard her play unaccompanied before. She made up for lack of percussion by beating out rhythms on the wood; she compensated for a dearth of guitars by strumming the piano's strings. She pulled fierce music out of every octave on that instrument, and as if that weren't powerful enough, of course she was singing too.
Every performer is in some way a broadcaster of emotions on a purely psychic level. Tori was broadcasting on all wave lengths -- as they say, not a dry eye in the house. (We're still not quite able to listen to her latest album without feeling uneasy.) And normally sane audience members felt compelled to shout crazy things at her between songs, and she'd shout right back. ("You're going to kick some ass? Oh, you're going to kick Meatloaf's ass. Why would you do that?")
John had a bit more presence of mine at the end of the show than I did. He ran up to the stage, had a few words with the roadies, and returned with a bit of looseleaf paper bearing the set list scribbled in black permanent ink. We will, for the sake of souvenir enjoyment, pretend it's the Piano Goddess's Own Sacred Handwriting. So there.
If you haven't caught her shows before, do. That's all I can say.
WRITING: Monday brought some nice surprises to my e-mailbox. Inkspot finally mailed me a contract to sign for "Deadline Performance", so that's a reality now. And Mercurial Magazine accepted "Gods Online"! Apparently I'm going to be trading edits with their Assistant Editor to get it ready for publication. The "Happy Shelf" is growing by leaps and bounds!
If you have ideas you want me to write about, I will happily accept them and maybe even let you see the results.
NEW ADDITIONS TO THE MANUSCRIPT: Nothing much here, I'm afraid, but do check out John's tetris clone. He's been busy programming it and it's now ready for download at Little Bull Creations. In the tradition of tetris clones, we had to name it after the business. What else? It's called Bulltris.
Other than that, I have imminent plans to add date stamps to all entries in the Dream Vortex, and of course I'm slowly building my online bookshelf. Enjoy!
Glowingly, |
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IN WHICH the Author speaks at tedious Length about the Writing of this Manuscript and sundry recent Events. (Last updated 12/14/99)
In which she reminisces to the Brink of Obsession on her beloved but three-thousand-mile distant Homeland.
In which the World, itself a dream, dreams the Author and her Readers in turn.
In which, as in the Hoard of a Dismal Dragon, reside the many Writings, Books, and Scrapbooks of the Author's Collection. The Reader is encouraged to contribute.
In which we learn something of virtual Bookbinding.
In which the Author finally goes mad.
An History, with links.