Accept no substitutes

Day: May 1, 2005

Did that happen in the Spirit World?

A while back I was standing geekily against the wall at a writers’ party listening. Two writers were talking. There was an intense discussion about the fate of a character who had had some fantastic experiences that made the Spiderman biography seem uncontrived. Then one asked the other, the other being mystery writer Michael Malone, “but did that happen in the Spirit World?”
Yes, these were/are writers of soap operas. And yes part of what they were discussing took place in the Spirit World. A place about which I am woefully uninformed.
Michael Malone has a rich Spirit World life as well as lives in other Worlds. One of his soap opera characters, Marcie Walsh of “One Life to Live,” has written a murder mystery (with Malone) called “The Killing Club.”
First, “One Life to Live” isn’t exactly true as the New York Times Magazine explains, “she had picked up a rare disease after being thrown into a Dumpster (long story) and given it to her boyfriend, who died.” But then we learn about “her new boyfriend (who is actually her old boyfriend’s soul in a different man — long story).”
No matter, her book has become a plot device as well as a product and I hope a book worthy of joining Michael Malone‘s other wonderful and fun work on my shelf.
Today’s NY Times Magazine, quoted in part above, has a good article on the artifice behind the creation of the book/event/plot device.
Bonus connection: Michael Malone’s home is on property ajoining Saint Matthews Church in Hillsborough.

Organs, Carrboro Day, Bebe Music

Spring is in the air and with it music.

First off, the 1883 Hook and Hastings pipe organ at our church, Saint Matthews in Hillsborough, is back fully restored. There was a great long feature in today’s Chapel Hill News, but they don’t include pictures in their online version. The Church will hold a special service/dedication/concert on Thursday May 5 at 7 to welcome the organ back.

Second, Tucker and I went up to Southern Village to see/hear the 6th Annual Baby Home Benefit Festival. The music was fine but our favorite part of the festival, which raises funds for the Kamensk Uralski Baby Home in Russia, was the wandering magic of Josh Lozoff.

Then we sped over to Carrboro Day which is held appropriately on May First. The whole town was celebrating with music, kids activities, etc. And the new Low-Powered FM station WCOM was broadcasting the music stage live. WCOM is getting really good at this and is the only station in the area directly covering live music events. I popped in the WCOM studio which are right on Main Street looking over to the grounds of Weaver Street Market inspired by Melva’s playing the Django Reinhardt influenced sounds of John Jorgenson. Once there I ran into not only Melva, but Chris Frank (eFolkMusic, Red Clay Ramblers, wears a Fez and plays a Tuba), Solomon Gibson III and Jane the engineer. In the background, the live feed from the Carrboro Day stage was on so we and all the listeners could hear the playing of Too Much Fun, Berkeley Grimball‘s band. It was definitely a Carrboro Day — I even missed the Sunday Jazz on Weaver Street lawn (altho Sally and Tucker were there for that).

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