The amusing and occasionally hilarious Joe Queenan published this essay last week in the New York Times about his fascination with books containing the word “piano” in their title. He finds them almost guaranteed to lift him out of whatever low mood he finds himself in. The essay is a catalogue-in-miniature of recent works in fiction, memoir and non-fiction about the abiding intrigue of the piano. As someone working towards a book in which the piano will figure prominently, this was an encouraging sign – especially in the week leading up to Book Expo America, one of the largest publishing industry gatherings on the planet, which I attended on Friday.

I’m pleased to announce I have a new essay appearing in the latest issue of The Drawbridge, an equally challenging and irreverent “magazine” (presented in a broadsheet newspaper format but with much better stock), whose marvelous cover appears above.

“Horror” is the theme of this issue – previous issues have had themes like “Home” and “Ego” – and my essay is about looking at photographs of bodies; bodies that are misshapen or distorted by injury or disease. I was first prompted to respond to the embarrassing furore over Bill Henson’s photographs of a young girl in Sydney last year, but found I had no valid or differentiating point of entry to that “debate”. Instead I recalled a much more directly personal series of photographs I took of my late husband John, with his permission, and related that experience to how our viewing of other types of disabled bodies is mediated in various ways.

I will post a link as soon as one becomes available, or create a PDF of the piece and publish it on my website when my copy arrives by snail mail.

My latest jazz review: Chris Potter’s Underground at the Jazz Standard – rather late in being published here due to my blog presenting some degree of tech-resistance to my efforts to use it.