This newspaper gig has brought some interesting things. Because of it, I have met all kinds of people and learned all kinds of things. I have interviewed a potter, a stained glass artist, a horse barn owner, Guatemalan immigrants, winery operators and a woman with two uteruses. That last one may seem odd, but she's one of the few women in the world who has given birth to surviving twins, each developing in its own womb (you can see the adorable kids and read the article here ). I have learned about antique steamer trunks, dandelion wine, the history of steel drums and that people in Papua New Guinea are being evacuated from their island because of rising sea levels. I've read books on the repercussions of factory farming, and I've researched childhood obesity—did you know that Ohio ranks 17th on a list of US states in order of weight? Yet, someone in my own town would comment online suggesting we leave our poor kids alone. The other day I was in a court room to cover a case...
Comments
That's the second time I've cried in two days. I know I'm getting older but that's one side effect I hadn't expected.
And both times (Nimrod, yesterday) were connected to you and your horn.
You say you cannot vouch for the quality of the writing; well it is wonderful. Not just the raw truth of it, but the way you totally involve the reader in the minutiæ of your everyday life, complete with laughs, and then that awful news hits us almost as shockingly as it must have hit you …
If you play the horn a hundredth as well as you write, you must be a virtuosuo.
I was sad enough about your family life, but then to lose your only real friend.
You write beautifully. That was a long time ago, but I'm really sorry.
Diver, I believe I've heard the Nimrod thing before--I wish I could have heard it live.
I am hardly a virtuoso--in fact, when I left the arts building after my lesson this afternoon, I practially cried, trudging down the sidewalk in a crumpled up heap of insecurity and self-doubt. There's always another chance to not suck, I keep telling myself.
And no self-doubts; every note you play is the best note you have ever played.
And get online and get hold of a copy of Elgar's Enigma Variations. Nimrod is heartbreakingly beautiful (and great for horns).