Unless & Until Update

I am very pleased to announce that Unless and Until proceed apace. There will be a total of four volumes, each featuring six chapters, six paintings and at least six songs. Volume I is completely written - the first chapter is preceded by the Abecedarian Prelude I read at Megan Volpert's book launch. The DVD movie of the Abecedarian Prelude is just a taste of what is to come as Julie Puttgen animates each chapter and Jim Carlson sets each of the songs and scores the recording of the text.

Hopefully, we'll have a chance to record Volume I before too long, so that Julie can get started on the animation. I have written the first chapter of Volume II and made a start on the second chapter.

In the interest of tidbits for all who might be interested, here are the lyrics of one of the songs from Volume I. Carl, a friend of Unless and Until, has come to visit, and sings them an old song about a woman who lives out in mysterious parts on the ocean.

The sky so bright so wild so high
Wondrous birds forever roam
Hespera Delia calls her birds
and when she calls them
they fly home

The sea so old, so dark, so deep
the mother of all wondrous things
Hespera Delia of the sea
gathers sunset
as she sings

The ocean floor is strewn with eggs
Wondrous birds in infant shells
Hespera Delia gathers light
to feed the birds
from ocean swells

The eggs at first hatch only feet
that grow to body, head and beak
Hespera Delia’s sunset light
first makes them birds
then lets them speak

The sea so old, so dark, so deep
the mother of all wondrous things
Hespera Delia of the sea
gathers sunset
as she sings

The sky so bright so wild so high
Wondrous birds forever roam
Hespera Delia calls her birds
and when she calls them
they fly home