If Amanda Palmer ruled the world, with some wee assistance from her able consort, NG, I would be a very happy person, indeed.
I was late to the party, arriving around the time that her EP of Radiohead covers, accompanied by ukelele and voice, was released (it's available here for a dollar). Her offering to let the listener, first, listen to the entirety free, and, second, pay what s/he wished for the recording intrigued me.
Which is how this all ended up on Small Press Friday.
Why, you might ask, Small Press Friday?
Well, the lesson here is universal, in its own way, and if you think it's "I need a Kickstarter to keep my press afloat, publish my book of poems, promote my album, feel in your need here ______," you've got the wrong end of the stick (and perhaps are not even in the correct wooded area).
Well, the lesson here is universal, in its own way, and if you think it's "I need a Kickstarter to keep my press afloat, publish my book of poems, promote my album, feel in your need here ______," you've got the wrong end of the stick (and perhaps are not even in the correct wooded area).
Sure, there are lots of things to be cynical about, but Amanda Palmer's passion is not one of them. Her intent, too, draws a bye. One thing to perhaps be cynical about is talent.
Amanda Palmer has it. Do you.
So this week's Small Press Friday assignment is to watch the TED video, above. For me, it is brilliant, in intent, execution, and, most of all, in heart. It is my understanding it's gone super-viral, and was passed on to me by a friend. And so I pass it on to you.
How's that song go - you've gotta have heart?
And for the truly skeptical about Radiohead on ukelele, here you are (this builds, darlings, yes, it is a shaky handheld in the beginning, but all of that will fall away in a mindblowing finale):
--------------------
Art by Kuniyoshi Utagawa
traveling geese--
the human heart, too
soars
Issa
translated by David G. Lanoue
best,
Don
Send a single haiku for the Wednesday Haiku feature. Here's how.
Go to the LitRock web site for a list of all 159 songs
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3 comments:
That was a fascinating TED Talk. I will be thinking about her video all weekend. It's been years since my one and only small press chapbook has been out of print. In the meantime, I began connecting to a lot of people through live readings.
Now I'm getting invited to do some out of state readings, but I was trying to get a book published first, so I'd have something to "promote" in these other cities.
This makes me reconsider my hesitancy. Maybe I should stop wasting so much time investigating possible presses and just go ahead and visit these places and see what kind of new people and experiences "connect" with me...even if I'm not peddling a new book.
Don, you are so right about the TED talk. I viewed it a few days ago and was quite impressed. She was eloquent and poised. Glad you are making others aware. I'm still trying to decide what to ASK for.
Good to see Amanda getting some exposure here. She and Neil have done a fair number of things to bring music and writing and the arts to a broader public. Besides, I like her music. Neil's collaboration with Blackberry on the 12 months of the year is another example. This was done through twitter. http://keepmoving.blackberry.com/desktop/en/us/ambassador/neil-gaiman.html
Again thanks for posting this.
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