When I was preparing to go for a Dimash concert in 2023, I found myself scrambling for a lyrics book so I could practise singing his songs. I didn't want to be caught unable to sing... and I didn't want to leave Dimash disappointed. I was trying to figure out how to create one (for my own use) and was asking other dears how they managed. Some used their phones while others made cards or little books. So I thought, okay, I'll make my own book. And so I did, with help from other dears. I wanted to print copies of the book but ran out of time. This turned out to be a good thing, actually. The arena was so dark that it was impossible to read any printed material. In the end, reading the lyrics off my phone was the best strategy. I made the booklet in a format suitable for the phone (Instagram story format) and clear background just in case anyone wanted to print it. Well, that was the 2023 book. Today I share an updated book , a...
I love stories. Stories in books, stories in paintings, stories screaming from a friend’s tense expression… even stories in a leaf drifting down to the earth. I watch and wonder: Why are you leaving your tree? What have you seen? And of course, I love the storytellers. Those rare, wondrous people who can spin a tale so rich, so vivid, that I gladly lose myself in the world their words create. Some of my favorites? William Shakespeare , he of the twisty, sardonic phrases that dance between comedy and tragedy. Emily Dickinson leaves me with more questions than answers — her prose a puzzle I return to again and again. Oscar Wilde , with his irreverent wit, prances across the page like a well-dressed fox. And even e.e. cummings , whose words never sat where they were supposed to — but somehow still made perfect sense. I’ve read their works over and over again. Each time reveals something I missed before — a tiny gem, a secret tucked between the lines. But storytellers like these are ...