I got an email from Dan Bern

Never Done: I got an email from Dan Bern

I got an email from Dan Bern. Not out of the blue -- I wrote to him first. I asked him if I might hire him to do a show (and maybe some other cool stuff; stay tuned) at the JCC next Spring. That email was a toss to the wind -- via his website but to an address that seemed likely to be his own, but still, you never know what will interest someone, and he has a kid now, and I had no idea if he would be touring next Spring, or if the JCC would be his choice of NYC venue, or any number of other factors. But nothing ventured nothing gained, and I do actually have a job now in which I get to call up or email performers I love without being weird and stalky, but instead to dream up cool programs and hire talented people to bring them to life. Maybe I'll get used to it, which Casey wondered aloud when I got the email. Depending on what "it" is, I either hope I do or hope I don't. If "it" is having access to people I think are wonderfully talented, then I feel like I'm already used to that.

(My structure just broke down. I tried three times to write other sentences that start with if "it" is ... but the truth is that the next concept is about getting used to something, and not about "it.") Rhetorical constructs aside, the point I want to make is that I hope I never get used to appreciating how talented people are. And I hope I never become a sycophant. I like where I am, with a strong sense of self, combined with a strong appreciation for great artistry.