The Voices of Women in a Hidden World

THE KITCHEN SISTERS are launching a new NPR multimedia series exploring the hidden world of girls. Stories of coming of age, rituals and rites of passage, secet identities—of women who crossed a line, blazed a trail, changed the tide.

Call the NPR Message Line – 202-408-9576. Tell your stories and ideas. Share your photos, audio, video at NPR.org. The Hidden World of Girls series began on March 22nd.

The stories of girls and women are stories to be heard.

Have a listen.

The Mellifluous Voice of Gillian Welch

I saw Gillian and Dave play the other night at the Belly Up in Solana Beach, CA. What a show! The crowd was great and the Dylan covers were a nice surprise. I am a big fan of Gillian, and she mentioned a new album. Finally! Here's a song that is sure to be on it:

What Binds Us

"... I stare at twists of ancient links,
And gaze to chains of double helix.
In-between cracks of stone,
I’m lulled away to find filaments anew
or something in the dust bowl of my skull
Searching the imagination for subtle clues.
Encoded upon the spider’s silver armor,
Intricate memories are woven,
And the slow itch builds.
The metallic flow rushing to the surface,

So slowly at first that it is mistaken for a breeze-
a needed fix.
Waiting in the wings for something to flutter by..."

"... The longing marrow slowly tearing,
At what was trapped within bright creation.
Under my skin I feel,
Where coursing warm waters are
Moving along by burning determination.

Heart rate quickening- yearning,
To see your toothy smile.
So what binds us you and I? ..."


From What Binds Us by Nisa West

Rae Indigo and Her Words

Rae is a talented young writer now emerging on the scene. She has a great style that reminds me of some of the late greats. She is one to watch, listen to and read:
... He had found his talent, one hot summer’s night, when he had spent his last toonie on a pint of cheap beer, and had to borrow another one to catch the bus home. This was his gift, and it dawned on him on the long ride home. In the space in between, while he was looking for a way to hold his body so that the jarring of the bus, shock-less and old, wouldn’t shake his scar the wrong way. The ease with which he had been handed that coin, a shared handshake between two brothers helping each other get through one more week in this hard-knock life. What camaraderie, what mirth, what secretive joy had taken seed in his heart. Oh! The ease!! He was reborn that night, with the quiet enthusiasm that a child gets when they peek at their Christmas presents weeks before the unwrapping. His scar gifted him all the tools he had ever needed.


From The Toonie by Rae Indigo