Essay on “Sparks and Wiry Cries”

An essay on my song catalog that I wrote for the art song website Sparks and Wiry Cries, was posted today. In it, I talk about how I came to write songs, and say a bit about many of those pieces. There are a number of video links to performances by Mary Mackenzie, Susan Narucki, William Sharp, and Lucy Fitz Gibbon, whose recently released CD features five of my songs. I also talk about my work with the poetry of Susan Stewart in a number of pieces.

There’s a lot of good material on Sparks and Wiry Cries website. Founded by Martha Guth and Erika Switzer, the organization’s name comes from a Ned Rorem song that sets a Paul Goodman text. S&WC sponsors the SongSLAM competition and festival, and the website includes articles and podcast interviews with composers and performers.

Thank you to Sparks and Wiry Cries for the invitation to write this essay!