This is a beautiful piece. Its length and its intensity are challenging, but to me it's never a downer. The voices speak of horrible experience, but they have great energy — it's not about victims, it's about people surviving. I really appreciate its concreteness — how you do your laundry and keep clean if you're living on the street. The narrator stays almost out of it, and that works well. The music supports the emotion honestly, is never sticky. No special pleading, just dead honesty. Though I'm not sure the title is quite apt (though poetic): these people aren't lost, I think — they're like my mother, focused on the day-at-a-time.
Comments by Conrad Bishop
Comment for "Lost in America"
Conrad Bishop
Posted on June 08, 2004 at 05:30 PM | Permalink
Review of Lost in America
This is a beautiful piece. Its length and its intensity are challenging, but to me it's never a downer. The voices speak of horrible experience, but they have great energy — it's not about victims, it's about people surviving. I really appreciate its concreteness — how you do your laundry and keep clean if you're living on the street. The narrator stays almost out of it, and that works well. The music supports the emotion honestly, is never sticky. No special pleading, just dead honesty. Though I'm not sure the title is quite apt (though poetic): these people aren't lost, I think — they're like my mother, focused on the day-at-a-time.