Christine

Beast Body Epic Soundtrack

Christine

Beast Body Epic Soundtrack

Christine by Siouxsie and the Banshees is for Section VI of Beast Body Epic, which was previously published (with some revisions in the book) as Aftermath Or Scenes of a Woman Convalescing by above/ground press in 2019 (thanks rob mclennan!).

In December 2009, I was at home with Charles, still in the early stages of recovery. We decided to decorate for Christmas and invited two dear friends over to help us and to share a New York style cheesecake that Charles had made for me. I think it was the first time he made it. My diet after colon removal was quite restrictive and Charles spent a lot of time and care, coming up with foods that I could eat and that brought me joy. The cheesecake was something I could easily eat and it was delicious.

This was our first Christmas since the ordeal began, and we were both extremely grateful that I was still alive. We wanted to celebrate, but it would have to be a gentle celebration.

From the very beginning of this health crisis, we had a lot of support from friends in the literary community. I will never forget how caring and helpful they were. I received letters, cards and gifts in hospital and several friends visited me both in hospital and after.

Two of our dearest friends, Christine McNair and Sandra Ridley were extraordinarily helpful. They helped Charles from the earliest days of my health crisis, while I was in ICU. They were there for him and for me.

Christine was one of the hosts of a local community radio show at the time, CKCU FM’s Literary Landscape. She and Sandy did a show about me. I didn’t hear it because I was in ICU at the time or I might have been having my surgery. Charles was there in the studio listening. They told me about it later.

They played one of my songs, Let’s Live for Today written long before my health crisis.

Here’s a recording of the song made by friend Roland Prevost, who also plays guitar on this recording.

I still remember when they came to see me the first time when I was on the ward. Charles still hadn’t been able to come to see me yet because he had come down with the flu. I had refused the hospital’s phone service because I thought it was too expensive apparently. I don’t remember this exactly but when Charles heard I had refused it, he knew I was back to being me.

Charles had no way of talking to me so he asked Sandy and Christine to go and see me and they let me use their cell phone. I was so relieved and happy to hear Charles’ voice and to see Christine and Sandy. It was a weird and disorienting time. I wasn’t really sure what was going on and just being around my friends, talking to Charles…it made thing seem better, less lonely, less odd.

I couldn’t resist including this song, Christine on the Beast Body Epic soundtrack. It’s delightfully absurd. It isn’t like my darling friend Christine at all, but I needed some way of including Christine and Sandy in this soundtrack because I love them and they have been so good to me and so helpful to Charles and me.

My favourite line from the song, “Now she's in purple, now she's a turtle.” ha!

Here’s Christine by Siouxsie and the Banshees

And here’s Crow Song for Sandy by Haley Heynderickx and Max García Conover

I'll be home wherever I go

I'll be home where I go someday

You can listen to the Spotify Playlist or the Youtube Playlist for more music that I chose for Beast Body Epic.

You can purchase Beast Body Epic here.

Or if you’re in Ottawa, let me know and we can meet for coffee/tea and I’ll bring you a signed copy of the book. There will eventually be a reading in Ottawa. Stay tuned! Readings in November in Montreal and Toronto and on Zoom too!