It's My Birthday
And I'll reinvent myself if I want to
“ It’s a good life. It’s a good, good life.” -Jill Sobule
Dear writers,
Katryna and I had the amazing privilege of being part of Northampton’s Jillith Fair at the Iron Horse, a tribute to the late great Jill Sobule who died in a house fire on May 1. I was moved to tears by this coming together of so many musicians who loved Jill, who each chose a favorite song of hers to perform, who spoke of her brilliance, generosity, hilariousness, not to mention economy of packing (she famously toured with a Martin Backpacker guitar.)
Being in the presence of so many incredible people––talented, dedicated musicians all––reminded me that none of us works alone, ever, not even the proverbial poet in the garret.
We all emerge from what Brian Eno calls a “Scenius,” a term I learned from Austin Kleon. None of us is a ‘Lone Genius,’ but rather, we all influence each other communally, each of us rooted in the same cultural earth, living in the same time, breathing the same air. And so our music shares a certain aesthetic, one that I struggle to explain to those who don’t adore the quirky literate acoustic folk/indie/rock/unclassifiable singer/songwriter stuff. When we find each other, we have come home.
One of the two finales we all sang together was Jill’s “It’s a Good Life,”
Tomorrow the ground may shake
Like they said it was bound to happen one day
And the Hollywood sign will fall
The final call
Well, don't you fret, and don't be blue
You had me and I had you
It was a good life, it was a good, good life.
Today is my birthday, though by the time I send this out, it will likely be just some other day. I woke up incredibly grateful for my fifty-eight years, Jill’s song rolling through my head all day. I felt grateful for my various Sceniuses, all the mini-webs I’ve been woven into since my birth, when I had the great fortune of becoming a Nields, with four amazing (teen-age) aunties, four fierce, hard-working, and warm grandparents, and of course my energetic and brilliant parents who were very young and eternally sweet, full of purity and music and cuddles and faith in me, their first-born. Everything I am and have is due to them, including especially my two younger sisters, strong, beautiful smart women who have guided me just as much as their big sister guided them (if not more).
More Scenius webs: the musicians who formed my band; the musicians who form the greater folk/indie/rock world—as Philip Price of Winterpills said the other night, “it’s actually a very small world.” And this includes musicians I never met, like Dylan, the four Beatles, Karl Wallinger, as well as ones I’ve had the privilege to know and share stages with, like Dar Williams, the Indigo Girls, John Wesley Harding, Syd Straw, Erin McKeown, Heather Maloney, Marshall Crenshaw, Kris Delmhorst and all the other amazing souls I shared a timeline with. Not to mention the writers who grace my studio, both in person and virtual, the many friends I’ve made along the way, and the books I’ve read by people I will never meet, who deeply affect me and widen my mind every day.
It’s now the day after my birthday. If I’d finished drafting this yesterday, I would have said that my only sorrow was that my own eldest child Lila wouldn’t be at my little dinner at my favorite Northampton restaurant. She’s working in a residential soup kitchen in South Boston for the summer. She’s spread those gorgeous wings and flown to her destiny, which is, of course, the happy ending we all want for our kids.
But about an hour and a half after her birthday phone call to me, I was walking toward the restaurant, on the phone with someone else, and behind me I hear, “MOM!!!!”
And there she was, right over my shoulder. The little sneak had taken the bus all the way home!
Everything I have had in life I got as a gift, even my own bad choices. The morning after Jillith Fair, I remembered something my cousin the musician John Colonna said once as a twenty-year old. When asked if he felt like he was on the “right track,” he thought about it and said, “I think my track sort of follows me around.”
What if that’s true for all of us? What if I embraced all the dislikable, even seemingly unforgivable, happenstances I encounter, all the injuries, disappointments, hardships, illnesses, losses? Because at my age, there will be those in my future—guaranteed. But there will also be beauty, whimsey, joy, fun, creative impulses, possibly puppies, and more family, more music, more musicians, more writers, more love.
Also I got this mood ring. It says I am happy.
News:
-I’ve taken on the position of Chair of 30 Poems in November, hoping to at least attempt to fill the shoes of the amazing Sarah Sullivan who has chaired the event over the past seven years. Plan on hearing from me a lot about this starting in the fall!
-I’ve also said yes to the Iron Horse Capital Campaign Committee because I love this club more than any institution in my hometown. It’s the reason I chose to live here back in 1993, and its continued survival is, I believe, key to the happiness of Northampton’s inhabitants, whether they know it or not.
-I’m going to Normandy for the first time to see if my song is true. Also to Brittany to see if I can find my ancestors. Tom and my parents are coming too. Nous parlerons Francais tres mal, mais ton pis.
That’s all! Come write with me, sometime. See opportunities below. And happy June!
Love, Nerissa
Summer Writing Camp
Only four spots left!
Finally–give yourself to your writing for one delicious week! This is a fantastic opportunity to delve deeply into an existing project, work on a phD thesis, start a children’s book, edit and revise, or just revel in the community of writers, the beautiful surroundings, the quiet, the on-going discussion of writing and literature. Poets work on haiku; there are spaces for songwriters to compose in private rooms; there are indoor and outdoor spaces to curl up in and write to your heart’s content.
Summer retreat is like summer camp for writers. Take a week to exercise your muse, make some new friends and enjoy Northampton in the summer! Sign up for more information here.
September Back-to-School Weeklong Retreat
Immerse Yourself in a Week of Creative Writing
Join us in person or remotely for a transformative week dedicated to your writing.Whether you're diving into a memoir, starting a children's book, revising your novel, or simply craving the camaraderie of fellow writers, this retreat is your perfect escape. Hey! It’s not only the kids who get to go back to school. Buy some office supplies and come on over!
Membership Opportunities
For regular accountability, join a Scenius!!!
Morning Seeding & Tending, Subscribe via Ko-Fi to become a regular member, or try it for a month via my website. We are a jolly yet non-naggy accountability group of dedicated writers who show up, set intentions in the chat, listen to a prompt (or not) and then get the writing quotient for the day done. “Done” being, at times, better than “brilliant and immortal.”
On My Bookshelf:
