Category: Uncategorized

I just can’t get over that I’m going to get to write this book about singing with the choir. The more people I talk to the more ideas I get. And of course the people I talk to have great ideas. The subject is so rich and deep.

John Maclay, the choir director, asked me and another person to take pictures for the Choral Society website. Thank God the other person looked like she knew what she was doing because mine didn’t come out well at all. But she had a better camera, with a serious, professional flash, so I’m sure she got some great shots.

That said, my own imperfect shots make me happy.

I have a publisher for my book about the choir!!! I’m going to get to write this book!! I have been beyond belief happy and dying to talk about it. Here’s the announcement from Publisher’s Weekly:

Unbelievable and The Restless Sleep author Stacy Horn’s THE SOPRANOS: Facing the Music at Middle Age, or How Singing in the Choir Saved my Soul, chronicling 25 years of singing in the Grace Church Choir and braids the life of a single fifty-something with the rich history at the church, the petty rivalries and romances among the choristers, and the challenge of learning and singing new music, about the particular joy of singing and raising your voice as one, to Jane Rosenman at Algonquin, by Betsy Lerner at Dunow, Carlson & Lerner Literary Agency (NA).

Actually, I don’t plan to go into anything petty (but romance, yes). It’s going to be about choir life, the music, and these wonderful stories I’ve found about the history of the pieces we sing, and the composers, and the musical history of Grace Church, and this whole weekly ensemble of joy that I get to participate in.

But I’ve been dying to write a book that combines the kind of thing I did in Waiting for My Cats to Die with the research skills I learned doing The Restless Sleep and Unbelievable. This is going to be a book of heart, but you’ll also come away with a deeper understanding of music (hopefully) and this whole marvel of singing with other people. (And why you should be doing it, even if you don’t have the greatest voice in the world. I don’t!)

So thank you Jane and Algonquin and I can’t wait to write this book!!

Last night’s Bones episode: There was a lot to love about it, and the end was very exciting, but ultimately it got me mad. Come on. We know she’s capable of love so her response just wasn’t believable. It wasn’t even human. And Seeley would not have given up so easily. I believe she’d be scared and resistant, but I think by now they both understand why (abandonment issues) and she’s gotten to know him well enough and more importantly, to completely trust him, and he’s ready to help her.

I’m happy to see how this plays out, but I feel a bit jerked around. They’re ready. That aside it was still an exciting episode from start to finish. It just moved well, unfolded well, it was pretty perfect. It was a wonderful instance of writers, director, actors and everyone else involved coming together exactly right. And I LOVED the backstory. Last night made me fall in love with the characters and the show all over again. (Oh, Zack.) So good job everyone. (But for the love of God, get those two together.)

I took a bunch of pictures last night and most of them didn’t come out and the ones that did aren’t great. I will try again tonight.

I’m still trying to get a decent action shot of the pigeons.

My shots are never sharp enough, though.

And there’s never enough contrast between the background and the pigeons. Pigeons do not know how to compose their flights, apparently.

Here are my most recent efforts.

So, yeah.

What else is going on?

Rehearsal with the orchestra tonight!! Woohoo!!

Three Views. I have to run to my Census post, but I’ll be back to post about the crazy reactions to the Census. Meanwhile, a beautiful tree grows on Broadway. The last shot I took at night, after choir rehearsal.