When I recall myself at 17--no dummy, starting college at Berkeley, with dreams of being a writer but not yet a stitch of the ability--I still find it hard to fathom how you were able to create such a profound and beautiful work of art at that age. Many I am sure were equally baffled, and applied terms like "wise beyond your years" and "old soul" as a way to explain it. "Ghosts" reminds me of a brilliant Bernard Malamud story, "The Magic Barrel." "Dora" is like an ingenious feminist inversion of "Pinocchio." Many of us live a lifetime and would trade everything we've done for one song this good. At 19, you wrote "I Speak Because I Can," a far more profound album: "Goodbye England," "Blackberry Stone," "Rambling Man," "What He Wrote," and the title song all stand the test of time as stone classics. It was similar for Dylan, who wrote "Hard Rain," "Blowin' in the Wind," and "Don't Think Twice" at 21. I wonder if you've given any thought and can share what went into forming your strange genius at such a young age. Modesty aside, you must realize how unusual it is for anyone to create such mature work at such a young age. Given you are 20 years younger than I, I am looking forward to enjoying your genius for the rest of my life. With gratitude...
This really struck a chord with me. I am sat in a cafe waiting to pick up my 17 year old son upon his return (on a 7 hour bus trip) from Boarmasters Festival. It’s the first time he’s been away from home on his own as far as I can remember. I’ve heard very little from him which probably means he’s had an amazing experience. Your piece made me reflect on whether my own relatively slight wanderlust may have constrained him. I hope not. But thank you for making me aware of it.
As someone who has heard the "You are so mature for your age" comment constantly growing up, thank you for holding it in you mind and keeping it there. I love how you choose to see her as a human first, age relevant but not in the forefront. I am sure both of you will gain lots of riches from your work together, and I am so excited to read more.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on freedom. I have spent many hours thinking about what modern freedom looks like for us in the western world. Are we searching for some kind of feeling of release but become disillusioned and aggrieved because we don't know how to find it or even what we are looking for? Like parents who don't believe in setting boundaries, who never realise that their children are screaming out for the security that comes from having someone show them where the line is. I love the concept of a 'sweet spot' where freedom and constraint both need to be present to produce the magic.
Thinking of becoming a mother as a songwriter and so happy to read how your creativity didn’t falter/dissipate when you became a mother is so reassuring.
I remember reading your interviews and reviews of your music in the early days and noticing the countless "wise beyond her years" type comments and both understanding why it was said, but also feeling slightly...annoyed? Frustrated? I wasn't sure at the time why I felt some sort of way about it.
Looking back, I see it as resenting the people who would make those comments and the pressure it put on myself/young people in both comparing myself to people close to my age who had achieved more than me and also living up to my own potential based on things adults said. Part of it was because I'm a year younger than you and got a lot of "old soul" comments from adults and it came with the knowledge that I didn't get to experience a large portion of my youth in the way most should be allowed to. Like of course I seem older because I had to deal with adult problems. But at the time like you mentioned, when people said that it also made me feel like I wasn't "allowed" to act my age (whatever that meant) because when adults made those remarks, it felt like they were saying "you're more intelligent than I thought you would be," and I then felt that I had to live up to that standard. Now I enjoy seeing young people getting to be young people and encouraging curiosity without making a thing of it?
When I recall myself at 17--no dummy, starting college at Berkeley, with dreams of being a writer but not yet a stitch of the ability--I still find it hard to fathom how you were able to create such a profound and beautiful work of art at that age. Many I am sure were equally baffled, and applied terms like "wise beyond your years" and "old soul" as a way to explain it. "Ghosts" reminds me of a brilliant Bernard Malamud story, "The Magic Barrel." "Dora" is like an ingenious feminist inversion of "Pinocchio." Many of us live a lifetime and would trade everything we've done for one song this good. At 19, you wrote "I Speak Because I Can," a far more profound album: "Goodbye England," "Blackberry Stone," "Rambling Man," "What He Wrote," and the title song all stand the test of time as stone classics. It was similar for Dylan, who wrote "Hard Rain," "Blowin' in the Wind," and "Don't Think Twice" at 21. I wonder if you've given any thought and can share what went into forming your strange genius at such a young age. Modesty aside, you must realize how unusual it is for anyone to create such mature work at such a young age. Given you are 20 years younger than I, I am looking forward to enjoying your genius for the rest of my life. With gratitude...
This really struck a chord with me. I am sat in a cafe waiting to pick up my 17 year old son upon his return (on a 7 hour bus trip) from Boarmasters Festival. It’s the first time he’s been away from home on his own as far as I can remember. I’ve heard very little from him which probably means he’s had an amazing experience. Your piece made me reflect on whether my own relatively slight wanderlust may have constrained him. I hope not. But thank you for making me aware of it.
As someone who has heard the "You are so mature for your age" comment constantly growing up, thank you for holding it in you mind and keeping it there. I love how you choose to see her as a human first, age relevant but not in the forefront. I am sure both of you will gain lots of riches from your work together, and I am so excited to read more.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on freedom. I have spent many hours thinking about what modern freedom looks like for us in the western world. Are we searching for some kind of feeling of release but become disillusioned and aggrieved because we don't know how to find it or even what we are looking for? Like parents who don't believe in setting boundaries, who never realise that their children are screaming out for the security that comes from having someone show them where the line is. I love the concept of a 'sweet spot' where freedom and constraint both need to be present to produce the magic.
Thinking of becoming a mother as a songwriter and so happy to read how your creativity didn’t falter/dissipate when you became a mother is so reassuring.
"If you don’t keep an eye on freedom, you might give everything and end up with nothing"
Truer words have seldom been spoken.
‘If you don’t keep an eye on freedom, you might give everything and end up with nothing.’ - this!!
Used to visit Dungeness while on holiday in Hythe but haven’t been for a long time. I might be wrong but isn’t it the only desert in the UK?
I remember reading your interviews and reviews of your music in the early days and noticing the countless "wise beyond her years" type comments and both understanding why it was said, but also feeling slightly...annoyed? Frustrated? I wasn't sure at the time why I felt some sort of way about it.
Looking back, I see it as resenting the people who would make those comments and the pressure it put on myself/young people in both comparing myself to people close to my age who had achieved more than me and also living up to my own potential based on things adults said. Part of it was because I'm a year younger than you and got a lot of "old soul" comments from adults and it came with the knowledge that I didn't get to experience a large portion of my youth in the way most should be allowed to. Like of course I seem older because I had to deal with adult problems. But at the time like you mentioned, when people said that it also made me feel like I wasn't "allowed" to act my age (whatever that meant) because when adults made those remarks, it felt like they were saying "you're more intelligent than I thought you would be," and I then felt that I had to live up to that standard. Now I enjoy seeing young people getting to be young people and encouraging curiosity without making a thing of it?
Marvellous. It's like my 20-year-old self is getting a chance at rediscovering you.
Such a pleasure to read on many levels. Thank you :)
Fresh...encouraging...