Islands of One
(four short stories about mind and body)
- What is this island?
- One way or the other
- Sparkling, gossamer (this was how it seemed)
- You think you know what you’re doing
Created in 2006–7, the inspiration for these four linked pieces came from my experience of becoming seriously physically ill while living on an island. The stories (like my post-recovery reflection on hallucinating wildly) became a consideration of mind and body—not so much the more traditionally held dualist notions, but rather a meditation on the fragility of whatever thread it is that holds our sense of self, and reality, together. The text is my own (as is the voice), and most other sounds are recordings from my then home, Pender Island, British Columbia.
Although the piece can certainly be performed over loudspeakers, Islands of One is perhaps best suited to a more intimate listening, one-to-one over headphones.
Katharine Norman