The State of All Things: November 2022 (Patreon)

IT'S TIME for the MONTHLY ALTHING! As usual, up against the clock. HAPPY END OF NOVEMBER. I also made you a video of our very first real (?) Christmas tree, with a story that speaks volumes. It's embedded in the post...just press play.

Here's the basic rundown of the contents of this month's Althing...

• THE BASIC LIFE-N-TIMES UPDATE
• WHAT'S HAPPENED THIS MONTH, WORK-WISE
• PROJECTS RELEASED THIS MONTH
• WHAT'S COMIN' DOWN THE PIKE
• EVENTS THIS MONTH
• DISPATCHES FROM TEAM AFP
• A PEEK BEHIND THE CURTAIN TO HOW THE PATREON ITSELF IS DOING
• OTHER ARTISTS TO SUPPORT & FOLLOW
• ART BEGETTING ART
• THE PATRON COMMUNITY BULLETIN BOARD

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Before I get into it, I just wanna cry a bit about how proud I am of this community. I posted this crowdfund for Fridoon, my Afghan refugee filmmaker pal, and it's reached over €7k of a €10k goal in under a day:

This is the power of the people, people. I am so, so thankful to you all for helping him. He just emailed me and he's speechless. You've changed his life completely. Thank you, thank you, thank you. If you haven't donated yet and wanna get him to his goal, we might be able to reach it by the end of the day. The GofundMe link is here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-an-afghan-refugee-filmmaker-and-student?utm_campaign=p_lico+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=customer

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THE BASIC LIFE-N-TIMES UPDATE

And now.

Hello my loves.

Greetings from Bearsville, New York. 

November was a wild, wild weird one. A Big one. Lots of changes, lots of feelings, lots of rooting down and trying to get the home fires lit and keep them burning.

Neil and I announced our divorce. I re-united my band. I am out of the closet about living alone in a house in the woods in upstate New York and none of this is what I goddamn planned. BUT I'LL TAKE IT!!!! I'm emerging from a real shellshock on many levels, and I am happier than I have been in a long, long, long time. And my friends have shown up, so I am not alone.

I'm finally finding my home-footing after the many odd years waylaid in Aotearoa New Zealand. I'm connecting, slowly, and deeply, with old, true, and trusted friends who know the insides of my heart very well. I'm not minding very much when the dishes pile up too high, or the emails don't get answered, or the business seems to be toppling. I'm prioritizing Ash. We're making gingerbread houses, putting up Christmas trees, getting ready for Chunkah too, drawing and making books. He's learning piano, and I am knowing, knowing, knowing, that his childhood is fleeting and slipping away before my eyes. I am knowing that there will be plenty of time to give birth to art later, and right now, the main job is to keep food on the table and actually make that food with my hands, with my kid. 

Hunkering down. Battening down the hatches. Getting ready to write what I assume will be the best record of my career. Making poems in my head all day and night. Recording them when I have time.

Thinking deeply about lyrics, about words and their power. About what specific words mean and used to mean, and don't anymore. About honesty and what it costs. About shootings. About Trump. About Jacinda. About human weakness and our tendency towards defensiveness. About power and the extent people will do insane things to protect the status quo. About compassion. About lies. About bravery. About fear. About freedom and who gets to define it.About generational trauma. About cults. About secrecy. About covid. About the climate crisis. About cancel culture, and what has gone so terribly wrong with the Internet. About human potential. About queerness. About mushrooms. About fame. About death. About the spectrum of metaphor. 

Y'know, the basic ingredients of a normal Dresden Dolls record.

It's gonna be a fucking good one, people. The best. 

I'm going to start playing new material at little shows, just to see how it feels, before we hit the studio and record, so the band is gearing up to try to do some more TINY TINY shows in various spots in Northern America in the spring. The only way to get tickets, once again, is the dolls mailing list. Get on it.

.................

I am thinking deeply about the patreon and where to take this as I ramp away from random one-off projects and start working more with the dolls, and possibly on a new book. I've discussed going to monthly and everyone here seems to be a fan of that idea, and it's just a question of when to pull that move. I think 

This morning, I went for a quick walk with Dahlia from Fruition Chocolate (she's the one responsible for 

Here's a little photo dump of random photos from this month, and there are dozens more to share.

Ash puts the star on The Real First Tree.

New Kid

I took Ash to The Hampsh (New Hampshire) for Thanksgiving....

I AM VERY MAD AT YOU

It was soul-reviving.

Our gingerbread house, which led to am immediate AntPocalypse...

And I don't usually post pictures of me kissing my random friends, but THIS ONE IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE it's MY FRIEND SIMONE FLIGHT WHO ADOPTED ME AND ASH IN NEW ZEALAND, SAVING MY FAITH IN HUMANITY, AND ALSO WE SWAM IN THAT 34 DEGREE WATER FIVE MINUTES BEFORE TAKING THIS PICTURE BECAUSE WE ARE AMAZING!!!

Practice makes Sand People:

Ash and his friend Bo kill Manta in the yard...

BOWLING? Yep

VOTING? Check

Phew.

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Ahem. I'M ON MASTODON.....

Given the whole state of Twitter and the fact that it may be a sinking ship (who knows?)...I jumped one leg over to a new ship and joined Mastodon. I still don't quite know what's gonna work, how things are gonna go down... But I AM THERE. https://home.social/@amandapalmer

If you're not familiar with Mastodon, it's basically Twitter, but DE-CENTRALIZED, so it will never be owned by Elon Musk (or Mark Zuckerburg, or...Kanye West).

It isn't one for-profit company, it's a collection of servers all uniting to create a giant network of people (think of it like email, and the way hotmail and gmail can talk to each other). So much like hotmail versus yahoo versus gmail, you gotta pick a server (I sort of randomly chose home.social because they looked nice and sane and cool) BUT you can switch your server anytime...so it isn't really a big deal. 

I posted this.

Go answer. 

See you over there.

Meanwhile...

I do hope to finally have the bandwidth to create a Discord for this community, and it's just taken FOREVER. But I swear on my copy of The Hotel New Hampshire that I'll get that together as soon as I can.

At the very least, before the dolls tour in the spring so that we can all find each other and chat about the wonderfulness.

It's been hard to organize things when I've been so scattered.

I know you forgive me, as usual.

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WHAT'S HAPPENED THIS MONTH, WORK-WISE

(photo by Julia Drummond)

WELL...

The main explosion was The Dresden Dolls.

This really took up the first half of the month.... rehearsals, prep, gathering the crew, playing these shows.... and then recovering. I'm not even recovered yet. I wrote a lot in this post here about these shows, what they mean, what the community means... and there are TONS of photos. Go look if you haven't yet.

Also from the Desk of Dolls....

WE HOSTED A THING ON RADIO WOODSTOCK!!!!, our lovely little community radio station that has recently moved into a CHURCH! It used to be down the road from me, but the new location is AMAZING....

And they have a STAGE now....and great webstreaming capacities....I'm just saying.

They're our FRIENDS. We CAN DO THINGS THERE.

BAND.

We hosted a "Saturday Night Takeover"..,..curated an hour of songs that we love and have inspired the bands, and a few of our own hits and deep cuts, and chatted to each other in between the songs while introducing them all...

It was a grand time. We were very silly.

You can LISTEN AGAIN on the Radio Woodstock website here:

https://www.mixcloud.com/radiowoodstock/the-dresden-dolls-saturday-night-takeover-1152022/

Here's the list of songs that we played....

• Alabama Song - The Doors 
• My Alcoholic Friends - The Dresden Dolls
• In Between Days - The Cure
• Coin-Operated Boy - The Dresden Dolls
• Girl Anachronism - The Dresden Dolls
• Red Right Hand - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
• Ultima Esperanza - The Dresden Dolls
• Mrs. O - The Dresden Dolls
• My Baby Just Cares For Me - Nina Simone
• Mandy Goes To Med School - The Dresden Dolls
• Sex Changes - The Dresden Dolls
• Do You Realize? - The Flaming Lips
• Sing - The Dresden Dolls

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WEBCASTY....

And in non-Dresden Dolls-related projects, we finally had our belated webcast chat to celebrate the launch of "I Will Not Be Purified", the video collaboration between me, Sophie Strand, Holly Miranda, and Gracie & Rachel.

As a reminder, you can watch the video and read about the process behind the project here.

 Holly and Sophie joined me IN MY HOUSE for a webcast FOR ALL PATRONS to talk about the project, trauma in the body, and what art can do... 

You can rewatch the webcast here:

https://www.crowdcast.io/e/k0beo4sq/

also...

SOPHIE'S BOOK CAME OUT....

I played a tiny book launch for Sophie Strand and didn't even announce it because it was in a tiny church and already full of Sophie's friends and family.

But lord, was it powerful. 

You can now get her book in stores or online here: 

https://www.amazon.com/Flowering-Wand-Rewilding-Sacred-Masculine/dp/1644115964

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And  some MERCH HOUSEKEEPING..... we are holding a BIG SALE on both the AFP and Dresden Dolls stores. GET CHRISTMAS PRESENTS FOR ALL YOUR FRIENDS:

We have AFP shops in the US, UK, Australia, AND now a brand new shop in Aotearoa New Zealand! Find links to all of them at

https://amandapalmer.net/shop

AND SO ARE THE DOLLS.....

There's a sale going on for the dolls too, in US and the UK, find them both at...

https://dresdendolls.com/

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PROJECTS RELEASED THIS MONTH

The big Thing this month was a piece of writing about The Dresden Dolls (stuffed to the brim with a million photos)

I linked it above, but just in case, here it is again:

https://www.patreon.com/posts/dresden-dolls-74940603

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WHAT'S COMIN' DOWN THE PIKE.....

This is basically a repeat of last month, so skip if you're not new and you're bored.

Over the next couple of months we're going to be digging into the archive and FINALLY polishing off, finishing up, and releasing the projects that have been begging to be released for the last few months and years...

The LOOK MUMMY, NO HANDS VIDEO - there is a cut of the video that's finished, but now that it's getting to winter in Woodstock, I thought it might be a really fun idea to RE-SHOOT some of the scenes now that the snow has come... and it'll be a really nice look at the passage of time.

The MICHAEL DUNAWAY DOCUMENTARIES - One of these is basically finished, and the other needs a couple of quick edits... Hopefully soon.

The MONA FOMA CONFESSIONAL DOCUMENTARY - Again, this is almost finished, just a quick round of edits and she'll be good to go...when I have time.

Stay tuned.

BUT, and this is new: one new thing I'd actually let slide is Fridoon's footage from Lesvos. We gotta do something with that, dammit.

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EVENTS THIS MONTH.

I am a Fried Banana Mother. 

I got almost nothing for you, BUT...

I will be hosting the next WEBCAST - A HOLIDAY SPECIAL!!! - FOR $10+/WEBCAST-TIER PATRONS on THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15th...and I'm going to take a poll for those patrons soon about exactly what time, since I've set the day aside. You can join the webcast tier at any time before the to tune in. There are often special guests, both live and virtual, and I think this one will be an extra-goodie. 

So top up your pledge and join us for some music and nog and Q&A and all that good stuff.

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OH MY GOD !! I am obsessed with my local cinema and doing everything I want.

We watched “Nightmare Before Christmas” (amazing!), Brian and I invited everyone to watch “Amadeus” with us (also amazing)…now it’s the SEASON and my bid to entertain my child and friends and neighbors and support my local indie cinema at the same time continues!!!

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 18 @ 4pm, at the Tinker Street Cinema….come watch “Home Alone” with me and Ash and whoever else shows up.

I didn’t see this film until recently. Ash saw it, age 5, and basically modeled his existence after it (and his hero, Kevin). I had always assumed it was a stupid movie, because I am stupid. Now I literally get choked up more and more every time I watch this this sucker. The church scene with Old Man Marley especially.

I may mull cider!! 

I MAY SPIKE your cider if you slip me a dollar!

I MAY GET IN TROUBLE ON THE INTERNET FOR MAKING THAT JOKE!

(Don't worry, I did!)

Come!!! $10/$6 kids, all the proceeds benefit the cinema. Come cry with me. And give me a hug.

This time of year is hard and we need all the little morsels of joy we can get.

https://www.tscwoodstock.com/movie/home-alone-hosted-by-amanda-palmer

AND....here's the FB event: https://fb.me/e/4kbq1PONO

There's only about 30 tickets left so GET. ON. IT!!!!

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DISPATCHES FROM TEAM AFP....

From Alex...

Whew. What a month it's been. What an absolutely beautiful time.

The Dresden Dolls were my gateway drug into the world of AFP, as a weird little 16 year old kid, my friend sent me the debut album, and I felt like Alice falling down the rabbit hole into Wonderland, this weird music that didn't quite sound like anything I'd heard before. 

I love watching Amanda perform solo. But seeing her across the stage from Brian Viglione is just another level. The chemistry between the two of them, the theatrics, and the PERFORMANCE... it still sounds and feels unlike anything I've seen or heard before.

So what I'm trying to say is - it is an absolute honour to be part of this work, and that felt particularly true during this week in Woodstock. I've seen them play 5,000-seat amphitheatres, but seeing them in this little bar with 350 people crammed in just felt special on a whole other level.

Working these shows felt like an absolute dream - and as much running around as I did, sorting through 25 boxes of hoodies because they accidentally sent us too many, or running up and down stairs to the only place the venue could find to store everything.... I enjoyed every second. That's partly due to the band, but also partly due to YOU GUYS and how wonderful the fans are to deal with, and also partly to do with the rest of the crew and this little circus family that the Dolls have assembled and grown throughout the years. Everyone was so lovely and just felt so happy to be there, it's honestly been one of the most delightfully working experiences I've had. I truly cannot wait to do it again.

So... TO THE FUTURE.

Here's me mid-prep, in the middle of running around like a sweaty little man - and for ALL THE MANY PEOPLE that kept asking, the shirt is from Brigitte Aphrodite and you can buy your own here 

(photo by Julia Drummond)

And, for balance, how I spent a lot of time outside of the shows - lying on Amanda's sofa with a book

Take care of yourselves, and I'll see you all hopefully somewhere out on the road very, very soon....

-Alex

xoxox

{I love you so very much Alex. You are a golden god gift to this community).

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No updates this month from Michael (who's still recovering from Covid...again, send him love) or Jorden, who wrote up a storm last month).

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A PEEK BEHIND THE CURTAIN TO HOW THE PATREON ITSELF IS DOING....

As of this writing there are about 10,500 patrons pledging about $33,000 for the first Thing each month.

A VERY IMPORTANT NOTE FOR NEWCOMERS: you are welcome to (and encouraged to) CAP YOUR PLEDGE! PLEASE.

We will very likely be changing up the Patreon system to a more intuitive once-per-month charge very soon, but for now, your pledge on Patreon supports me per Thing that I release - sometimes it's just 1, usually it's 2 or 3, sometimes it's been 4 or 5.

We know this can create financial insecurity and uncertainty - so Patreon allows you to cap your pledge. This is, essentially, setting a MAXIMUM amount that you want to pay per month. YOU CAN BUDGET. Say for example, you're happy to pay $3 per Thing, but you don't want to pay more than $10 a month. In that's the case, you can "cap" your pledge at $10, and whether I release 4 Things or 40 Things, you won't be charged more than $10. But MOST IMPORTANTLY, you will still have access to ALL the things, even if you cap your pledge!!! It doesn't effect access.

You can read all about capping your pledge here.

I go over this stuff in every Althing, but if you're new to all this: Patreon charges you monthly & retroactively, meaning that you get billed on the 1st of the month for all the Things released the month prior.

Because people have their pledges capped (SEE ABOVE), the first "Thing" raises the most money by far, and anything released thereafter raises less and less. I LIKE THIS! THIS IS GOOD! It means I never feel guilty about releasing TOO MUCH!! So really. Please, cap your pledge if you are on a budget.

In October, I Thanged TWO Things:

"I Will Not Be Purified," which earned about $37,881 from 10,455 patrons

The State of All Things: October 2022, which earned about $15,141 from 5,704 patrons

(we say "about" because patreon may be still trying to process some pledges that have yet to go through...we never know, you know.)

Them's the numbers.

And remember: these numbers are gross. Not net. Meaning: it's the money raised before fees were deducted by patreon and is not the total deposited to me. patreon takes a 5% fee (which they use to build and sustain the platform, which is GOOD) and then there's a payment processing fee, which varies on a ton of factors and is usually between 5-9% of the total collected.

These numbers also do not reflect the money I SPENT MAKING THE ART, paying my staff, paying the office rent, paying for crowdcast, getting myself around, getting the team around and fed and slept, all the collaborators, and my actual staff payroll, etc.

I don't share that level of nitty-detail-stuff with you because I assume it would bore you to fucking tears. but you can trust me: paying for a full-time staff, office, manager, accountant, and massive team of art-collaborators ain't cheap. sometimes we barely break even.

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OTHER ARTISTS/THINGS TO SUPPORT & FOLLOW

As above - I've joined Mastodon because who the fuck knows what will happen with Twitter, or any social media.

I was really happy to see Mastodon are on Patreon, so I've signed up to support them.

https://www.patreon.com/mastodon

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Yurie Kim is an artist making gorgeous work out of glass, who first came to my attention when Angel Rosen posted this photo:

I used it as inspiration (and the header image) for a substack essay I wrote over the summer ("Breaking the Stained-Glass Ceiling").

THEN....she broke my heart open by mailing me my OWN GLASS PIANO, which now has a place of honor in my home.

ANYWAY, I just recently found out Yurie is on Patreon, so you can go support her here:

https://www.patreon.com/yurikaglass

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ART BEGETTING ART

Here are a few choice cuts of the gorgeous artwork from the net this month....

by @sketchydc 

by @graham.pratt.art 

AND THIS INCREDIBLE DRESDEN DOLLS TATTOO DESIGN 

...by Ash's erstwhile Nanny and my favorite punk vegan, Justine Marzack....

They're finishing up the work!!! If you want to see the tattoo when it's done, go follow them on IG at https://www.instagram.com/trognettetattoo/?hl=en

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DON'T FORGET - IF YOU'D LIKE TO POST SOMETHING TO INCLUDE IN THE ALTHING (SHARE YOUR ART, ADVERTISE A CROWDFUND, ASK FOR ADVICE, GIVE THINGS AWAY...),  WE LIKE TO RUN THIS AS A LITTLE COMMUNITY BULLETIN BOARD! 

EMAIL ANYTHING TO ALEX@AMANDAPALMER.NET BEFORE THE END OF THE MONTH :)

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That's all for now, loves.

More soon, as always.

xxx

AFP

------THE NEVER-ENDING AS ALWAYS---------

1. if you are a patron and new to my work, don’t forget your patronage allows you access to ALL of my patreon releases to date. HERE is the link to download my latest big solo record, “There Will Be No Intermission”, and HERE is a link to download the PDF of the art/essay book that goes with it.

2. if you’re a patron reading this post via an email notification, please click through to comment on this post. at the very least, if you’ve read it, indicate that by using the heart symbol. that's always nice for me to see, so i know who's reading.

3. see All the Things (over 150 of them) i've made so far on patreon:

http://amandapalmer.net/things

4. JOIN THE SHADOWBOX COMMUNITY FORUM, find your people, and discuss everything: https://forum.theshadowbox.net/

5. new to my music and TOTALLY OVERWHELMED? TAKE A WALK THROUGH AMANDALANDA….we made a basic list of my greatest hits n stuff (at least up until a few years ago, this desperately needs updating) on this lovely page: http://amandalanda.amandapalmer.net/

6. general AFP/patreon-related questions? ask away, someone will answer: patronhelp@amandapalmer.net