Lori Fye wrote: > > For some reason, I think Joni would be offended if her statue did not > include a cigarette. Maybe I'm wrong, but she does want it to be a > true likeness, and I think that means "warts" and all.
I'm thinking of people seeing this statue 100 years or so from now, long after we're all gone. Does Joni really want to be remembered primarily as a smoker? Or as the best singer/songwriter/poet/storyteller of her time? I also imagine it a representation of her as a long-haired 30-year old, which some people, including Joni, may not agree with (what, no jazz? no respect for maturity?). And seated and playing a guitar! So how can she smoke then? There are many pictures of her with a guitar and no cigarette, and that music-making image is what comes to mind first when I think about her. I'd like to see what Joni would come up with. It probably would include a cigarette. It's so odd that she's stuck in a "romantic" image from the 1940s when she seems so forward thinking in other ways. All this goes to show that this will be a challenging project for all concerned, and I'm impressed that anyone would have the gumption to take it on. (You've been truly inspired by the mysterious Joni-fanhood bug, Sarah!) Considering the difficulty with getting a tribute cd released because of Joni's involvement, maybe Joni should not be involved with this tribute to her. (Would that be possible?) Debra Shea, who smoked like a dragon for 15 years, with a habit so demanding I'd go between subway cars to light up if there was a train delay. I know all about cigarettes' hooks and thank god am not ruled by them today! I also know how hard an addiction it is to break, so while I can understand all that and generally try to go easy on smokers, memorializing and glorifying that habit doesn't seem like a good idea no matter what Joni might think.
