[John Isbell]

Hi Fliss,

Glad you liked "Tonic." Bessie Smith is pretty raw, as you note, and "Outside of That" is no exception. The title carries a lot of meaning - it reminds me quite a bit of Donald Trump apologists. The difference being Bessie is a genius - what a voice! - and they aren't. They called her The Empress of the Blues.

I very much like your idea of composing a piece of music to go with a poem! A bit of a challenge for me at present, not least due to the lack of musical instruments in our Almaty flat. But I look forward to hearing others' efforts.

Forgot to say, I think your Aidy poem is just brilliant. It reminds me of Cider with Rosie in its perspective. There's a guy called Hoss on I think Bonanza, because he looks like a horse (he's very big).

Cheers,
John