The Art of Asking

September 15, 2014
Performance artist and Dresden Dolls singer Palmer reflects on her career and shares insight into the economy of shared resources in this sometimes insightful but overly self-indulgent memoir. Beginning in Harvard Square performing as a human statue, Palmer first observed a “subterranean financial ecosystem” of sharing. She found a similar environment at the “Cloud Club,” an artists’ commune where her band performed its first gigs and shot a music video to which residents loaned their various talents. As a touring musician, Palmer became familiar with asking fans for “crash space” and meals, as when a Honduran family in Miami offered the crew their beds and treated them to “tortilla lessons” in the morning. Palmer delivers a master class on harnessing technology for artistic purposes, explaining how to turn crowdfunding, Twitter, and digital music downloads to your advantage. She makes valid points about the controversial Kickstarter that raised 1 million dollars for her solo album, but remains utterly obtuse regarding the poor reception of a poem written in the voice of one of the Boston Marathon bombers she posted to her blog. Palmer’s worthy message that “asking is an act of intimacy and trust” is often obscured by an overly confessional, borderline narcissistic tone unlikely to placate her critics. Agent:
Merrilee Heifetz, Writers House.

February 2, 2015
Palmer, well-known in the alternative music scene for her work with the Dresden Dolls and her groundbreaking use of social media and crowdsource funding to support her creative endeavors, offers a fusion of autobiography and self-help, presenting a message of empowerment for those afraid to ask others for help in furthering personal and professional goals. Palmer in particular has had to find peace with accepting various forms of support from her financially successful spouse, the bestselling author Neil Gaiman. The narrative is interspersed with related songs from Palmer’s own repertoire and musical appearances by singer-songwriter and friend Ben Folds. Palmer’s transitions between speaking and singing flow effectively, and she provides a warm and quirky conversational style. Granted, some listeners who are looking primarily for personal development may not take to the artistic facets of the recording, but Palmer’s talent cannot be denied. The renderings of her famous husband’s calm and collected British delivery are especially entertaining. A Grand Central hardcover.