Lou and I together are COYOTE and we wrote, published and began performing a song called "Dead Girl Walking" in 2005. I wrote the song to be brave enough to describe this doom that follows me like a shadow every waking hour -- the ever-present threat that I've met the thing that will take my life. Truth be told, it follows us all. It's mortality. Uncertainty. No one gets out of here alive, after all.
From the start, my experience with breast cancer bestowed unexpected gifts in backhanded ways. Through the memoir, our music, and Ray's film, I tell my story in hopes that it may be a hand in the darkness of a diagnosis of cancer. My journey delivered me to a side of the river I would never have seen without having had a life-threatening experience. "I am a woman who's finally, finally alive!" (click for lyrics & song)
I've been writing my story since I began to surface from the experiences. My impulse was to reach out to other
women who face life-threatening illness. Specifically, advanced breast cancer ... in a young woman. I'm writing the memoir with some years of distance, digested thought, and from the lighted side of the tunnel. It's surprisingly uplifting, both to me and to the audiences who have heard the song, seen the film or read a sample chapter.
Ray Schmitt of Real Earth Productions heard our music while visiting Ocracoke from West Virginia. He bought our "Home To Me" recording, read about my story, listened to our music and emailed me. Back and forth all that day we corresponded and by day's end, had committed to do the film.
Lou and I live in Ocracoke, an island off the coast of North Carolina, the Outer Banks. During the summer we appear three nights a week at Deepwater Theater and Music Hall; Wednesday we are principal players in the Ocrafolk Opry and Thursday with Molasses Creek). In the spring and fall we tour as much as possible off the island, sharing our music, stories and experience with friends. In winter, we say we're going to do a hundred projects and end up busier than ever. "What do you do in winter there?" ... Create! We're making plans to venture out into the world and stretch our artistic legs in exciting new ways. House concert or Youth Band Workshop anyone?
We are enjoying our 5 seconds of stardom in the Nicholas Sparks film "Nights In Rodanthe" starring Richard Gere and Diane Lane. We were cast, along with some good friends, as the party band in the post-hurricane scene. We also made it onto the soundtrack in company with Emmylou Harris, Count Basie, Dinah Washington and The Dillards.
And like Stevie Nicks and Lindsay Buckingham (sort of) we are the newest members of Molasses Creek band, also of Ocracoke Island, NC. Click here for videos of the band in action!
For more information about Ocracoke Island, visit:
www.ocracokeweb.com Village Info Site by Mary Haggerty of Ocracoke Photo
www.ncislandwedding.com Information about Weddings on Ocracoke and beyond!
Philip Howard's Village Craftsmen Blog Spot - MOST POPULAR and OLDEST Ocracoke Blog
Molasses Creek and Deepwater Theater & Music Hall Blog by Fiddler Dave Tweedie
Kati Wharton's "Island Daily" Blog - a personal perspective
www.ocracokevillage.com - All About Ocracoke
www.ocracokestyle.com More on Ocracoke Weddings
From the start, my experience with breast cancer bestowed unexpected gifts in backhanded ways. Through the memoir, our music, and Ray's film, I tell my story in hopes that it may be a hand in the darkness of a diagnosis of cancer. My journey delivered me to a side of the river I would never have seen without having had a life-threatening experience. "I am a woman who's finally, finally alive!" (click for lyrics & song)
I've been writing my story since I began to surface from the experiences. My impulse was to reach out to other
women who face life-threatening illness. Specifically, advanced breast cancer ... in a young woman. I'm writing the memoir with some years of distance, digested thought, and from the lighted side of the tunnel. It's surprisingly uplifting, both to me and to the audiences who have heard the song, seen the film or read a sample chapter.Ray Schmitt of Real Earth Productions heard our music while visiting Ocracoke from West Virginia. He bought our "Home To Me" recording, read about my story, listened to our music and emailed me. Back and forth all that day we corresponded and by day's end, had committed to do the film.
Lou and I live in Ocracoke, an island off the coast of North Carolina, the Outer Banks. During the summer we appear three nights a week at Deepwater Theater and Music Hall; Wednesday we are principal players in the Ocrafolk Opry and Thursday with Molasses Creek). In the spring and fall we tour as much as possible off the island, sharing our music, stories and experience with friends. In winter, we say we're going to do a hundred projects and end up busier than ever. "What do you do in winter there?" ... Create! We're making plans to venture out into the world and stretch our artistic legs in exciting new ways. House concert or Youth Band Workshop anyone?We are enjoying our 5 seconds of stardom in the Nicholas Sparks film "Nights In Rodanthe" starring Richard Gere and Diane Lane. We were cast, along with some good friends, as the party band in the post-hurricane scene. We also made it onto the soundtrack in company with Emmylou Harris, Count Basie, Dinah Washington and The Dillards.
And like Stevie Nicks and Lindsay Buckingham (sort of) we are the newest members of Molasses Creek band, also of Ocracoke Island, NC. Click here for videos of the band in action!
For more information about Ocracoke Island, visit:
www.ocracokeweb.com Village Info Site by Mary Haggerty of Ocracoke Photo
www.ncislandwedding.com Information about Weddings on Ocracoke and beyond!
Philip Howard's Village Craftsmen Blog Spot - MOST POPULAR and OLDEST Ocracoke Blog
Molasses Creek and Deepwater Theater & Music Hall Blog by Fiddler Dave Tweedie
Kati Wharton's "Island Daily" Blog - a personal perspective
www.ocracokevillage.com - All About Ocracoke
www.ocracokestyle.com More on Ocracoke Weddings