Tuesday, November 18th, 2008
Thanks, C.R.H.S.
“I Get a Kick Out of You”
–a career highlight
Tuesday, September 23rd, 2008
Holmdel B&N:
Pat Benatar’s Heartbreaker
Tough without a band
(Note: Superfan Ariel won an autographed print of the Perfect Fifths cover just for requesting this song. That’s right. The cover I haven’t revealed yet. See what can happen when you show up for one of my events?)
Wednesday, September 10th, 2008
From Perfect Fifths:
“This is a final boarding call for passenger Jessica Darling.”
After Marcus heard it the first time, he made sure to listen extra carefully the second time, just to confirm it was her name being called over the public address system, and not a phantom echo in his mind.
“This is a final boarding call for Clear Sky Flight 1884 with nonstop service to Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. Final boarding call for passenger Jessica Darling.”
Jessica Darling…
Marcus feels overexposed, overstimulated, like his whole body is on extrasensory alert. His nerves rattle and clang like the dirty silverware carelessly thrown into plastic takeaway tubs by the too-busy busboys. He tries to calm himself with a series of deep inhalations and exhalations, but breathing cheeseburger smog only makes him more queasy and ill-at-ease. The alarms going off in his nervous system evoke erratic animal behavior preceding natural disasters: a mass exodus of elephants seeking higher ground, dogs wailing under door frames, rabbits clawing at cages, snakes shaken from hibernation slithering through the snow. His instincts, too, urge him to flee…
Monday, September 8th, 2008
Tomorrow night I’ll be making my first of a few appearances to celebrate the paperback publication of Fourth Comings/Perfect Fifths preview.
About a year ago, I started doing this thing at my readings, wherein the first person who makes a song request after I open the floor to Q&A wins free stuff. This tradition has fulfilled two great desires: 1. Rewarding my most devoted readers. 2. Singing in public.
It was particularly helpful with the latter. Singing in public is something I am all too desperate to do. In fact, I almost wrote a book about a singer in a wedding band just to give me the excuse to join a wedding band as research, which is not a good reason to write a book. (Hence, no book about the singer in a wedding band.)
Unfortunately, I don’t have video documentation of most of my bookstore performances. I never know what what song request will be–if it’s made at all–and so far the list is pretty varied.
In New York City last fall, I sang Like A Virgin. In my hometown library, I sang Manic Monday. At UCLA, it was All I Want for Christmas is You. At Wellesley College, I muddled my way through Build Me Up Buttercup. These songs have nothing in common other than someone asked me to them. So I did. The person who asked won a prize. And the audience was treated to my spontaneous vocal stylings. Everyone’s a winner!
I hope someone comes up with a showstopper tomorrow night. (Psst…Any song I’ve ever mentioned on the (retro)blog is probably a good bet.)
Friday, November 30th, 2007
I returned from L.A. at midnight, but I’m leaving in a few hours for Virginia, from which I’ll return on Sunday, only to leave once again for Manhattan.
I’m so very unused to being this…social.
Friday, November 30th, 2007
I returned from L.A. at midnight, but I’m leaving in a few hours for Virginia, from which I’ll return on Sunday, only to leave once again for Manhattan.
I’m so very unused to being this…social.
Wednesday, September 26th, 2007
Last night at the Berkeley Library, superfan Marlena asked me to sing Manic Monday by The Bangles. So I did. She took home some prizes. Everyone was happy.
Monday, September 10th, 2007
Keep in mind that I had no idea what song (if any) would be requested.
With an hour or two of rehearsals, perhaps I could have opened the VMAs. I couldn’t have bombed any more craptacularly than Britney.
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