http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1308274758/call-me-ishmael-one-song-for-every-chapter-of-moby

I’m incredibly excited to announce the next step of the Call Me Ishmael project: first a blog, then a band, and now, with your support, A BOOK!!!

That’s right, I’m raising funds to turn the Call Me Ishmael project into a beautiful, illustrated, hardcover book, including the lyrics to all 136 songs from the project, the full text of Moby-Dick, corresponding annotations connecting the lyrics to the novel itself, and illustrations of about a third of the songs. Every book sale will also include a digital download of all eight volumes of music from the project.

Please visit my Kickstarter page for more information, to see the great rewards for donating, and of course, to donate. I truly appreciate any support you can offer. I also appreciate your help in spreading the word — please forward this email to everyone you know so we can make this book come to life!!!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1308274758/call-me-ishmael-one-song-for-every-chapter-of-moby

Best Wishes, and Thanks in Advance!!!

Patrick

PS — Remember to come see us play at Pianos, every Thursday in March (1, 8, 15, 22, 29) from 7-10. Each night is arranged around a different theme, with great acts to watch and activities to participate in!!! More to come later.

Chapter 102, “A Bower in the Arsacides,” made me think of ’80′s body worship. An island king offers Ishmael the opportunity to visit the skeleton of a sperm whale, converted by the king into a temple for worship. Vines and other greenery have long since woven through the skeleton in a lush warp of vitality — “Life folded Death; Death trellised Life.” We can point to a circle-of-life message here, but there’s a catch: in his wanderings within the skeleton, Ishmael sees “no living thing within; naught was there but bones.” There’s something hollow in this living temple, a hollowness echoed in Ishmael’s later discussion of an English Lord’s use of his own whale skeleton for both study and commerce. In these examples, we see the body as a frame to support and nurture life (plants, thoughts, enterprise), though being empty in and of itself.

Nevertheless, I’m hoping you will stand to practice some torso twists, side reaches, and knee lifts as you listen to this week’s song. Wear your best Jane Fonda or Richard Simmons outfit if you wish — the body’s a temple!

Chapter 102: A Bower in the Arsacides

Turn, and turn, and turn,
The body’s a temple!
Turn, and turn, and turn,
The body’s a temple!

Everybody go to an island in the Arsacides!
In a hilltop glen, find the secrets of a function
Long layered as the base,
Foundation of every dead and living race.
It’s all in the body,
The memory of body.

Turn, and turn, and turn,
The body’s a temple!
Turn, and turn, and turn,
The body’s a temple!

Every man a life woven through the spaces of every death.
Frames of passage carved with a long-learned certainty.
A pean to the shoulders
We grow on, but not over.
A density, breathing.
Oh, oh.

How to measure life? Turn into the body,
Measure every rib, measure every quarry.
Every bit is made from a something made before.

(c) and (p) 2008 Patrick Shea
Words and music written by Patrick Shea September 20, 2008
All parts performed, arranged, and recorded by Patrick Shea August 7, 2009