Heard from Peter Mayer

[pegkerr]

I've mentioned the Minnesota singer Peter Mayer's music before on this LiveJournal; I love his music and have all of his CDs and have heard him in concert several times. I mentioned that a number of his songs made it onto my Winter playlist. I especially recommend his album Midwinter for anyone who has seasonal affective disorder. There is one song in particular on that album, "The Longest Night" that has been an especial comfort. (You can hear a lovely clip from the beginning of "The Longest Night" from the page for this album at CD Baby.)

So I contacted him by e-mail through his website to let him know how much his music has meant to me. I just got a lovely acknowledgment e-mail back from him.

I've gotten some notes by e-mail over the year from people responding to my books, and so I know how much it can mean to an artist/creator to hear from people who have enjoyed their work. I have a friend who is a well-known YA author, who has remarked rather wryly about letters she gets from kids at times. "Clearly school assignments," she says. "Their teacher thinks it would be a marvelous idea to have the kids write to a favorite author and get an answer back--never thinking to include an SASE or to consider the financial and time burden it would be to reply when I can sometimes get hundreds of the things a month. Funny how they dry up during the summer when school is out."

True. So I approached him by e-mail, not expecting a reply, but was very pleased to hear back from him.

Have you ever written to an artist, an author or a musician, just to tell him or her how much you've enjoyed their work? Tell me about it, why you felt the urge to write. Did you get any kind of response? I've sent a number of them myself over the years. Not all of them have responded.

Comments

[naomikritzer]

I sent a fan e-mail to Dan Savage's partner, Terry, after reading The Commitment. (By the way, if you haven't read it, Peg -- I think you would really like it. Be absolutely sure to read all the way to the end. Past the "about the author" note.) I do not write much about Ed even in my LJ, by mutual agreement; he is a private person, and does not like being written about, even nice things. Dan writes about Terry in a loving but extremely personal way. I love reading his books about his family -- I read The Kid when it came out as well -- and I wanted to tell Terry how much I appreciate his willingness to allow Dan to write these incredibly personal things about him, and how moved I have been by the stories about his family. I sent the e-mail care of Dan, and have no idea if he actually passed it along. (Terry did not write back, nor did I expect him to.)