The Poison Pie Publishing House presents:

October 1, 2021
That poison coursed through Periboea's veins there could be no doubt. Whether from the toxin in the temple air or the few drops of the priest's elixir, she did not know. Once some distance from the temple, she slowed her pace lest she succumb to a pitfall. Still, her vision remained obscured. Her parched throat recalled travel through desert rather than mire. Her arms felt light and her thinking seemed unreliable. Forms that could not be there, like monkeys swinging from jungle vines, appeared at the edge of her sight. Any attempt to focus on them caused such specters to vanish.

written while listening to:  Alexandra Grimal Trio - shape (Marge, MARGE 42, 2008, France, cd, discogs.com)

October 2, 2021
Her judgment, too, faltered for she found herself seeking the hidden nest where the swinging monkeys surely had gathered to share amongst themselves the sweet, pulpy flesh of figs. Only the pain of the ragged breath in her throat drew her from this fantasy. Aware that something was wrong, she resolved to find a safe place to bide her time until the effects of the poison had passed. She clambered into a tree, nestled into a low nook and waved off the proffered fruit from the golden-haired monkey who settled beside her.

written while listening to:  John Coltrane - Interstellar Space (ABC Impulse!, ASD-9277, 1974, United States, lp, discogs.com)

October 3, 2021
Her arboreal companion did not remain long for her mind seemed unbound, jumping from one thought to the next with no apparent external stimulus. She soon found herself in a reverie of Athens, walking through a market as a young girl, her hand in that of her mother. Next, a snake, adorned with electrum coins along its spine, slithered down the tree and slid across her shoulder, chest and abdomen as it descended. It took no more notice of her than she did of it, though surely the animal had the advantage of the girl, since it harbored no reservations regarding the reality of her presence.

written while listening to:  Alexander Hawkins & Tomeka Reid - Shards and Constellations (Intakt Records, Intakt CD 344, 2020, Switzerland, cd, discogs.com)

October 4, 2021
As if wax plugs were abruptly removed from her ears, Periboea's attention became utterly focused on the afternoon choir. The variegated cries of birds—whirrs, cackles, chirps and warbles—emanated from the surrounding trees. She took it upon herself to attempt a count of the vocalists in the performance though she could not see most of them, singing behind leafy screens. The fluid melody was not conducive to description by numbers and she was forced to start over several times. As for their song, the chorus narrated an opera of high drama and romance.

written while listening to:  Nate Wooley, Susan Alcorn, Mary Halvorson & Ryan Sawyer - Columbia Icefield (Northern Spy, NS 112, 2019, United States, cd, discogs.com)

October 5, 2021
Although Periboea had never received formal instruction in the language of birds, the details of the avian song were somehow obvious to her. The swan, lord of waterfowl, and the eagle, lord of raptors, competed for the favor of the turtle dove. One suitor wooed with his graceful appearance while the other made his appeal on the basis of his talons and martial strength. The turtle dove demurred, fleeing instead to seek the platonic company of her sisters. The swan trumpeted excitedly while his rival, no less intent, pursued with high whistles.

written while listening to:  Joëlle Léandre, Pauline Oliveros & George Lewis - Play As You Go (Trost Records, TR 212, 2021, Austria, cd, discogs.com)

October 6, 2021
Periboea could not help herself, so great was her curiosity regarding the outcome of the story. Would the gallant swan or the noble eagle triumph in claiming the love of the turtle dove? She climbed down from her roost and pursued the unseen protagonists. Fortunately, the birdsong led Periboea away from temple. While we may observe with dismay her infatuation with the choir of birds, we no doubt recognize her good luck in having escaped the temple, where her attention would have had no alternative but to fixate on the beast in the pool.

written while listening to:  Ingrid Laubrock Anti-House - Roulette of the Cradle (Intakt Records, Intakt CD 252, 2015, Switzerland, cd, discogs.com)

October 7, 2021
It is likely that the individual birds responsible for the song that Periboea pursued changed over the course of the afternoon and into the evening. She had covered several miles with little thought but to follow the voices to their destination. That it is absurd to regard birdsong as a navigational tool never crossed Periboea's mind, for she was still under the sway of the drug to which she had been exposed in the temple. Only when she heard human voices join the chorus did she pause to consider where she was going.

written while listening to:  Matthew Shipp Trio - Root of Things (Relative Pitch Records, RPR1022, 2014, United States, cd, discogs.com)

October 8, 2021
Taking stock of her surroundings, she found only hickory trees towering above underbrush scattered on narrow tracts of soil weaving through water-logged flats. Her movement was confined by the serpentine lines of tall reeds that bound deeper sloughs. It seemed in her judgment much like everywhere else in the swamp. Only the presence of a man's voice off in the distance distinguished it from any other lonely place. We shall blame the birds and their unending song for goading her to investigate further.

written while listening to:  Colin Stetson - Color Out Of Space (Waxwork Records, WW084, 2020, United States, lp, discogs.com)

October 9, 2021
That she should suddenly come upon the swan and the eagle in a small, dry clearing surprised even Periboea. To her greater astonishment, the pair had apparently abandoned pursuit of the turtle dove, in preference for the tender ministrations of their rival. There could be no doubt regarding the amorous nature of the scene unfolding before her. Periboea stood, in full view at the edge of the clearing, but so intent was each paramour on the other that neither noticed her presence. The raucous chorus of birds at turns celebrated and decried this unexpected turn of events.

written while listening to:  Anthony Braxton - Six Monk's Compositions (1987) (Black Saint, 120 116-1, 1988, Italy, lp, discogs.com)

October 10, 2021
Over time, the forms that Periboea had initially interpreted as birds took on human shape. Two men occupied the clearing. They had undressed and laid their clothes aside. The early-rising moon provided a light that proved unnecessary to guide the caresses of the hands of each upon the body of the other. Periboea had never previously exhibited the interests of a voyeur. To the contrary, she was rather prudish, in a child-like way. That she did not immediately turn away must therefore be attributed to the influence of the drug upon her judgment.

written while listening to:  Steve Lacy Four - Morning Joy...Paris Live (hatOLOGY, hatOLOGY 701, 2014 (rec. 1986), Switzerland, cd, discogs.com)

October 11, 2021
Across the swamp, the evening orchestra roused the nightly actors. Choreographed to this performance, the two lovers provided a spectacle that was at once gentle and vigorous. Periboea observed dispassionately. Whatever emotion she might have felt was distantly detached, inaccessible to her current state of mind. Her eyes wandered from the entwined couple to the neatly ordered piles of clothes. Each was topped by a wide-brimmed hat. Beside each pile lay a narrow sword in its scabbard. A hint of recognition dawned on Periboea, which her nose, detecting the scent of a familiar musky cologne, soon confirmed.

written while listening to:  Company - 1981 (Honest Jon's Records, HJRLP210, 2019 (rec. 1981), United Kingdom, lpx2, discogs.com)

October 12, 2021
That her hallucination should have produced Raoul and Carlos seemed only slightly more outlandish than the swan and eagle from whose shapes they had emerged. Periboea studied the two men as they pursued their shared pleasure, oblivious to her presence. She could not determine which man was intended to play the role of the swan and which the eagle. Both possessed the graceful movements of the former and the brave bearing of the latter. Of course, their romantic rendezvous occurred in a wild place, for love of their kind would not be met with public approbation.

written while listening to:  Andrew Cyrille featuring Ted Daniel, Sonelius Smith & Nick Di Geronimo - The Navigator (Soul Note, SN 1062, 1983, Italy, lp, discogs.com)

October 13, 2021
Eventually, their passion ran its course and the two men lay spent on a blanket of matted grass. A momentary lull in the night song seemed to reflect that their energy was, for the time being, depleted. Still, Periboea did not announce her presence. She remained a silent sentinel, standing at the edge of the clearing, her watchful eye observing the men as they reclined supine in the fullness of their nakedness.

She recalled guiltily her harsh judgment of the oracle's supposed infidelity. Cultists aside, there was much that she did not understand here in the swamp.

written while listening to:  Harry Bertoia - Sonambient Complete Collection, disc 2: Swift Sounds / Phosphorescence (Important Records, IMPREC419, 2016 (rec. 1978), United States, cdx11, discogs.com)

October 14, 2021
It was impossible that her presence would remain unnoticed forever. The moon, for its part, illuminated her face, its reflection captured in the wide, glassy pools of her pupils. Shifting his head, Carlos caught sight of Periboea, placidly examining them. With a nonchalant nudge of his elbow, he alerted his partner to their audience. Raoul's response was similarly tranquil. Raising his head to briefly meet her gaze, he proceeded to lie back down and contemplate whatever message had been hidden by the gods in the stars that night.

written while listening to:  From Wolves To Whales (Dave Rempis, Nate Wooley, Pascal Niggenkemper & Chris Corsano) - Strandwal (Aerophonic Records, AR023, 2019, United States, cd, discogs.com)

October 15, 2021
It was the attention of night insects rather than their human visitor, which prompted the two men to don their garments. They stood and rinsed themselves sparingly with clean water from their waterskins. "You are too late to join us," said Raoul, as he dressed. Her face registered no response to this suggestion, which we suppose was offered in jest. Periboea neglected to clarify that she had been standing there for quite a long time and the decision not to partake in their love-making had been a conscious one.

"We wouldn't have had you anyway," said Carlos. "We dare not sully the power of the warrior maiden."

written while listening to:  Roscoe Mitchell Orchestra - Littlefield Concert Hall Mills College March 19-20, 2018 (Wide Hive Records, WH-0345, 2019, United States, cd, discogs.com)

October 16, 2021
"I think that there is something wrong with her," Raoul said to Carlos, as they perceived the unresponsiveness of Periboea. The two men approached. "Are you okay? Has something happened?"

Periboea opened her mouth to speak, unsure if the high priest's spell of silence had run its course. "I went to the temple..." she managed in a whisper.

Exchanging an alarmed glance with Raoul, Carlos surmised, "She yet labors under the effects of the poisonous fumes, which fill that foul hole."

written while listening to:  Andrew Hill - Faces of Hope (Soul Note, SN 1010, 1980, Italy, lp, discogs.com)

October 17, 2021
Each man grasped her by an arm and together led her to the center of the clearing. It was only with this unlikely show of assistance that the iron force of will, which had enabled her escape from the temple and subsequent flight through the swamp, suddenly abandoned her. She would have collapsed save for the support of the men beside her. They lay her down on the matted grass and started a small fire beside her. In her feverish dreams, the swan and the eagle returned to hover over her as they waited for her senses to be restored.

written while listening to:  Henry Threadgill's Zooid - Up Popped The Two Lips (Pi Recordings, PI02, 2001, United States, cd, discogs.com)

October 18, 2021
With the motion of constellations sweeping across the firmament, her delirium gradually subsided. She lay within the warm glow of the campfire and was forced to conclude that there would be no end to her need for help. Carlos and Raoul had apparently decided that there was no more tending that they could provide save to allow her to rest, for they lay beside the fire as well, the three of them forming a triangle. For her part, Periboea reflected on her visit to temple. For some unexplained reason, she could not convince herself that it had been a failure.

written while listening to:  Wadada Leo Smith - Trumpet, disc 3 (TUM Records, TUM BOX 002, 2021, Finland, cdx3, discogs.com)

October 19, 2021
In the early morning, Periboea woke to find Carlos and Raoul returned to human form, warming their hands about a rejuvenated fire. When she sat up, they studied her without pretense, in an attempt to ascertain her state of mind. "I am myself again," she assured them, though her thinking still seemed clouded and her limbs lethargic. Some worry clearly occupied her hosts for they lingered about the camp, seeking an opportunity to broach the thorny subject. Finally, Carlos inquired, "Do you have some kind of strategy?"

written while listening to:  Julius Eastman - Three Extended Pieces For Four Pianos, disc 2 (Sub Rosa, SR 503, 2021, Belgium, cdx2, discogs.com)

October 20, 2021
Periboea returned a quizzical look. She examined each in turn, first Carlos with his goatee then Raoul with this thin lined moustache. Seeing them in the light of dawn, side by side, they were less similar than she had supposed. She observed differences in the shape of the ears, the length of Raoul's hair, and the scars on Carlos's arms where his sleeves were rolled up to the elbows. Yet, in their accusation of recklessness, they seemed to share one mind. She felt obliged to provide some response in return for their care, if nothing more.

written while listening to:  Keshavan Maslak with Paul Bley - Not To Be a Star (Black Saint, 120149-2, 1993, Italy, cd, discogs.com)

October 21, 2021
"My strategy," Periboea declared with a certain tone of defiance, "is to draw upon the inexhaustible well of courage that overflows within me so to slay the beast. When its carcass lies at my feet, I shall cut from its hide an impenetrable coat of armor. Garbed in its skin, I shall hunt down King Minos until he begs for his life at the edge of my blade." She lowered her eyes to the ground casting doubt on her final proclamation, "He shall find no more mercy than he showed when he ordered the mine sealed behind us."

written while listening to:  Anna Webber - Idiom, disc 2 (Pi Recordings, PI89, 2021, United States, cdx2, discogs.com)

October 22, 2021
The two men again exchanged looks, each waiting for the other to raise some issue with Periboea's tactics. Eventually, Raoul took the lead, saying, "I was thinking more of short-term plans." Periboea did not make the delivery of his words any easier but remained silent, waiting for him to continue. "How do you intend to get within arm's reach of the beast?"

To this question, Periboea laughed in reply. "Only yesterday, the priest had naught on his mind but introducing me to his master. I think gaining access to the beast is the least of my worries."

written while listening to:  Il Sogno - Graduation, sides C & D (AUAND/Gotta Let It Out, AU5016/GLIO47LP, 2021, Italy/Denmark, lpx2, discogs.com)

October 23, 2021
"And what of the horde of half-men-half-animals that roam both land and water about the temple?" Carlos asked. "By all reckoning, they number many score. Should you encounter them in force, no skill at arms will prove sufficient to repel them." To these words, Periboea agreed. Still, she had already faced them once and survived. Although she would not have guessed it before she was taken from Athens, her experiences since then defined courage as inextricably entwined with retreat. She would run, as she had from the minotaur, when the need arose, and her flight would not be counted as a blemish on her honor.

written while listening to:  Duet for Theremin and Lap Steel - 'Oumuamua, disc 2 (Stickfigure Records, stick077cd, 2021, United States, cdx2, discogs.com)

October 24, 2021
There are, of course, as many different visions of courage as there are attempts to achieve or escape it. Some suggest that the essence of courage is to be found in the moment of resolve before the battle is joined. Others, including veterans of multiple campaigns, at least those who are prone to speak of such things and then usually under the influence of spirits, might argue that courage is to be found in the hours of doldrum separating one moment of action from the next, when opportunities to quietly abandon the fray are plentiful.

written while listening to:  Lee Konitz & Peggy Stern - Lunasea (Soul Note, 121249-2, 1992, Italy, cd, discogs.com)

October 25, 2021
Some women, especially mothers, have a different opinion of courage, informed by daily experience. Their resolve must withstand the routine dulling of an existence defined by external expectations and demands, at best from those they love—husbands, children, parents. To improvise from morning to night, creating from the raw circumstances of the world an environment in which others can be nurtured and flourish is a challenge from which many a man would shrink. We say nothing of the courage of women on their own, for whom hardship is a nightly bedfellow.

written while listening to:  Zlatko Kaučič, Johannes Bauer & Phil Minton - Diversity, disc 5: Med-Ana (Not Two Records, MW 969-2, 2018, Poland, cdx5, discogs.com)

October 26, 2021
Warrior and woman, Periboea embodied a courage that drew indiscriminately from both reservoirs. Given her many days in the labyrinth, she could not precisely distinguish between imminent threat and mundane existence. She warded herself equally against both. As Carlos and Raoul made to depart, she felt a swell of tenderness for them, knowing that they meant well. Had they not played an essential role in seeing her clothed and armed? She was wrong to rebuff their concern. She did not render her sentiment in words but allowed the men to understand her through the softness of her gaze as it settled on them.

written while listening to:  Oliver Lake - Holding Together (Black Saint, BSR 0009, 1976, Italy, lp, discogs.com)

October 27, 2021
Much conflict remained in Periboea. She did not reveal to Raoul and Carlos that she had spared the high priest, because she could not entirely decide whether her inaction was a demonstration of strength or weakness. Carlos doused the fire, though there was little risk of it spreading across the sodden ground. He and Raoul donned their hats and stood, ready to go. Ultimately they did not attempt to persuade her to abandon her quest. It seemed to define her, to be her inevitable destiny, as a waning moon must vanish ere a fortnight passes.

written while listening to:  Thomas Köner - Nuuk (Big Cat Records, ABB 1000CD, 1997, United Kingdom, cdx4, discogs.com)

October 28, 2021
"I have little hope of seeing you again, Periboea," said Raoul.

Carlos stepped up beside him. "I too fear this parting to be our last."

"You two remind me," said our heroine, "of birds, endowed with the grace of the swan and the noble bearing of the eagle." The men accepted this compliment as a dismissal and strode off into the swamp. Later in life, when Periboea came across a swan floating on still water or an eagle, wings spread, gliding across the sky, she thought of these men, who had offered her succor in a moment of need without thought of gain.

written while listening to:  Cecelia Lopez - Red (DB) (Relative Pitch Records, RPR1133, 2021, United States, cd, discogs.com)

October 29, 2021
Periboea watched the two forms fade into the morning mist. After they had disappeared from sight, she could still, for a while, detect the sound of their footsteps until that too was engulfed by the chittering of insects. She drew a deep breath. Knowing what lay before her, she seemed in no hurry to leave the camp. She lay back down and waited for the sun to burn off the mist. She deemed it better to face her foe in the clear light of day.

written while listening to:  Sun Ra Arkestra - Reflections in Blue (Black Saint, BSR 0101, 1987, Italy, lp, discogs.com)

October 30, 2021
Periboea yet retained the memory of the location of the temple, which the high priest of the cultists had inserted during his invasion of her dream. It was therefore with certain steps that she traveled through the swamp. All the same, she arrived at the stone-lined edge of the canal further downstream from the structure than on her previous two visits. With the temple out of sight, the shaded waterway seemed an idyllic retreat to put in a small boat and wile away the hours of the day. More than the absence of a vessel prompted her not to indulge this fantasy.

written while listening to:  Cecil Taylor - Double Holy House (FMP Records, FMP CD 55, 1993, Germany, cd, discogs.com)

October 31, 2021
When she stood once again among the trees rooted in the wide, shallow pool of water before the mouth of the temple, Periboea shivered. A soundless voice seemed to issue from the black opening, beckoning her to return to the edge of the pool, there to resume the rendezvous that had been interrupted. She resisted, scanning the ground for signs of foot traffic. Tracks hidden by an inch of water became visible as the ground rose ever so slightly once she backed away from the temple entrance. The prints, pressed in the soft earth, which she now followed, belonged to men.

written while listening to:  Rahsaan Roland Kirk - Prepare Thyself to Deal with a Miracle (Atlantic Records, SD 1640, 1973, United States, lp, discogs.com)