Pgh Lesbian Correspondents

Your blog is about to be recorded into an audiobook. If you could choose anyone — from your grandma to Samuel L. Jackson — to narrate your posts, who would it be?

I’m not a fan of the band One Direction but I do like the song “The Story of My Life” – and this sentence captures why:

“Story of My Life” is a mid-tempo, guitar-driven folk-pop song with influences of arena rock, alternative rock and neo folk.

I dutifully clicked on each of these links to see what they actually describe – what is “neo-folk” anyway? I’m unsure if I like folk music, really. I like music with a message, especially a social justice message. I like a lot of music, but the concept of telling stories from the midst of the great unwashed seems … apt? After all, folk (lore, music, stories) is simply understood to be the traditions, customs, and superstitions of the uncultured classes. It is a contrast with classical music and other forms. It is culture created and reflected by the marginalized and vulnerable. The tradition of creating and continuing the legacy is itself a radical act of empowerment.

I think it is fair to say that my blog is mid-tempo and definitely reflects an assortment of influences. I have my arena rock moments and a lot of neo-whatever moments that leave readers a bit puzzled. A guitar makes more sense as an analogy because the blog wanders with me to events and activities and new lands where a piano would not physically be able to go.

None of that makes sense. And what does it have to do with narrating my blog? Well, my blog makes about as much sense as a neo-folk song about broken hearts featuring video images of their grandparents and kid sisters. What?

Written on these walls are the colors that I can’t change
Leave my heart open but it stays right here in its cage
I know that in the morning now I see us in the light upon a hill
Although I am broken, my heart is untamed, still

What does that mean? Your life story doesn’t begin to be clear (much less your stone) in your twenties, kids. Trust me. Being broken doesn’t mean being tamed. What?

I don’t want a boy band to narrate my blog. I’d want to invite the actual people whose stories I shared – when I celebrate ten years, it would be cool to stage readings of my posts with folks like Melissa Ferrick, Bill Peduto, Gab Bonesso, Frances Sansig, Tony Geary, Potter, Norman, DeAngelo, Bram, Maria, the cupcake people, the families who lost their loved ones, my own family and more to bring their posts to life. People who are still my friends, people wont are no longer my friends. People I never met but love to pieces.  All of them. They are part the story of my life.

With Ledcat as the narrator.