Editorial

I will sit right down, waiting for the gift of sound and vision
And I will sing, waiting for the gift of sound and vision
Drifting into my solitude, over my head
Don't you wonder sometimes 'bout sound and vision . . .
-David Bowie, "Sound and Vision"

Welcome to Issue 3 of Comet!
As you see, this issue of Comet is online only. Because of financial constraints we considered delaying #3 but decided it was more important to keep Comet alive, if only in the digital realm. We remain fully committed to the printed word and expect to return to print in the future.

However, we’ve discovered there are advantages to the digital format. For instance, we can present the work of our artists in color. Rigo 02’s arresting murals get their due this way (although they must be seen in person to fully appreciate the impact of their size). "Innerspace," Comet's art gallery, also benefits from this format, which permits us to feature animation and interactive elements.

Our beautiful website is the work of Comet’s designers, Martha Sue Harris and Susan Smyth. Thanks so much to both of them! Their fantastic work reminded us that the print vs. online debate is no more relevant than debating the merits of prose over poetry, or video over film. They’re just different mediums, and all art forms can be entry points to the aesthetic and sensual world—the world of sounds and visions.

We chose the theme Sounds and Visions for this issue not because we have an undying love for David Bowie (although we do), but because our interview subjects are all insightful artists—each with a unique vision—who have distinct voices that bring their particular sound alive to the viewer/reader/listener. Finding sound and vision artists wasn’t our goal in choosing our interview subjects—true to form, we just interviewed these diverse artists because we were intrigued by them.

Later we looked for a theme, a prism through which to view these artists in context. The name "Sounds and Visions" came to Maw in a dream. Once she mentioned it, it was definitely that ‘Eureka’ moment, for the artists profiled here share—through their sounds and visions—an ability to transport their viewer/reader/listener to new and unexpected places. Their work doesn’t look or sound like anyone else’s, and it invites you to look at things from a perspective you may never have considered. And the indelible insight gained from that is as much a gift as the work itself.

Rigo 02’s murals command your attention through their bold graphics, deceptively simple text and fitting locations. Valerie Soe takes power over representation by using the camera to present issues of gender and ethnicity through her eyes. Mark Growden brings passion, brawn and bawdiness back to folk arrangements and instruments, creating a sound that is at once fiery, earthy and sublimely sensual. JT LeRoy, author of Sarah, is one of the most distinct contemporary voices in fiction – so much so that reading his work becomes a sensory experience. You can actually hear the West Virginia drawl in your head as you read. His evocative images, a fever dream of surreal experiences, are so visual that you feel as if you were actually there watching the story unfold, rather than merely reading a printed page.

We also asked some local artists and writers to share their top ten sounds and visions. The results are surprising and revealing. We hope you enjoy the issue!

Editors
Kathleen Munnelly and Maw Shein Win

We'd like to know what you think. Please send your love letters and constructive criticism to cometmagazine@hotmail.com
If you'd like to contribute, donate or be involved in any way, please call or email us.

A warm round of thankyous to our intern April Kilcrease, copy editors Siobhan Fleming and Steve Gilmartin, Tina and Andrew at Adobe Books and Nancy Dewees.

Please note the following correction: 848 Community Space is still alive and kicking (not defunct as reported in Issue 2). You can contact them at 415-992-2385. We apologize for the error.

**You can still order Comet #2: the Uncompromising Issue, featuring interviews with Sapphire, John Law, Ian MacKaye and Minnette Lehmann. See the contact page for details.