by Meredith Monk
Anne Waldman is our bard, our Cassandra and fearless warrior who tells the unvarnished truth as she weaves the earth plane with the celestial, the particular with the universal, her visions of past, present, and future. I have known her since I came to New York in the 1960s and our lives have intertwined over the years in myriad and delicious ways. We have called each other “Dharma sister,” “partner in crime and art,” “dear sister in the wild cosmos beyond the binaries.” Anne is a force of nature whose energy is unstoppable. Her generosity and buoyant spirit have resounded throughout the world. May the beauty and passion of her life and work continue to soar on and on!
Meredith Monk (https://www.meredithmonk.org/) is a composer, singer, director/choreographer, and creator of new opera, music-theater works, films, and installations. Recognized as one of the most unique and influential artists of our time, she is a pioneer in what is now called “extended vocal technique” and “interdisciplinary performance.” Celebrated internationally, Monk’s work has been presented at major venues throughout the world. In conjunction with her 50th Season of creating and performing, she was appointed the 2014-15 Richard and Barbara Debs Composer’s Chair at Carnegie Hall. Recently Monk received three of the highest honors bestowed to a living artist in the United States: induction into the American Academy of Arts and Letters (2019), the 2017 Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize, and a 2015 National Medal of Arts from President Barack Obama.
Alystyre at Poetry Project at St Mark’s Church, Matt Kohn foto..