Weekend opening of my play FAREWELL MISS COTTON is officially over. And I've been fluttering for the last few days. A little anxious. A little ungrounded. I'm usually like this after a play opens. With a month worth of adrenaline devoted to the success of an opening, the feeling of withdrawal is painful. It puts you in mind of that post-orgasmic feeling many of us experience after a tumble in the hay. Depleted. A "now what?" look on our face. And, trust me, it's not like I don't have LOTS to do. Because I do. I have a new play to continue writing. I have a screenplay I need to finish. I have taxes to prepare. But, I tell you, none of that will be as satisfying and orgasmic as the ups and downs and hard labor and joyous collaboration of rehearsing then opening a play. So this brother was feeling a bit fluttered. And since I don't smoke cigarettes I couldn't sit quietly and puff away my post-orgasmic state of being. So... I decided to seek a temporary fix: some good ole fashion "cruzin for music". And boy, did I find a beaut: Her name is CORINNE BAILEY RAE. She is eclectic and warm and fresh and cute and from London and Oh my God, I'm in love. She is exactly what I needed. A voice to caress my mind, hold up my heart and kiss all over my soul. A voice to replenish and re-inspire, point me in a new exciting direction of creativity and art and dare I say God. [YEH, I GOT IT BAD].

I do this every now and then: secretly fall in love with some vocal newcomer. The list of lovers is short but always profound: RES, LIZZ WRIGHT, RILO KILEY, BLONDE REDHEAD and SI SE.

And each time, I'm completely devoted, sometimes happily obsessed and absolutely determined to find nothing wrong with one word, one note, one lyric. And this time around Corinne Bailey Rae will experience this neo-soul hippy brother 's glowing devotion 24-7, 365. Breakfast, lunch and dinner!

So as Corinne and I lay here, under morning light, drinking water... loving each other, I say to you: Corinne got this special way of making all of the heartaches of theater-making worth every moment. And it's tripping me out!

Until next time,

Keith

p.s. If you don't hear from me in a minute, it's because... Corinne promised to love me like no other.