Dear Jerry--

We've met at Branford and other places, but I don't know if you'd remember me. This is a really interesting discussion...

I hear what you're saying about stress and misery--I've gotten some good material from being "in the pits". But I've also found that just general stress can stimulate my Muse. At the moment, I'm planning my wedding (10 July) and trying to get all the loose ends wrapped up at work before vacation starts (2 July) and Tim and I just got back from camping at Old Songs, which was relaxing and fun, but involved a lot of effort. All of this is very positive stress, no "blues" or misery about it. And with all of that going on, in the last two weeks my Muse has produced 3 new songs for me to work on. Sometimes I'll go a whole year with only 3 new songs to work on.

Another thing that puzzles me about my Muse is that I don't listen to much gospel (just what I absorb second-hand through bluegrass) and I'm not a "religious" person (though I consider myself "spiritually oriented"). I don't go to church, or revival meetings. I don't come from a family tradition that included gospel. Nevertheless, my Muse likes to produce gospel music. Now where does THAT come from?

I find the entire process inscrutable, mysterious, and wholly ethereal...I am humbled to be a part of it, and understand why Biblical authors believed they were writing the words of the divine. I truly feel that the songs, stories, prose and poetry I produce come from somewhere other than inside me.

V