Origin of Squirrels: Document 47

12/4/13

Ora: omg. omg. omg.

Naomi: what?!?

what

srsly what

Ora: so you know my thesis

Naomi: ummmm

Ora: “The Influence of Non-Professional Chicago Blues Artists in the Early Chess Years”

Naomi: oh yeah yeah yeah!

Ora: so i was like ‘wow it would be rad if i could get an interview’ and compiling all these lists like a dummy

and getting all sad about how few of these ppl are still around

Naomi: :( im sorry bb

Ora: and then i was like WAITASECOND

WHAT AM I DOING

I SHOULD GET RED TO ASK GD BOOKER

Naomi: ooooommmmmmggggggg

isnt he a recluse now?? who doesnt even come into the room anymore???

Ora: i have to try it is my destiny

12/10/13

Ora: okay so

Naomi: whats up

Ora: red got back to me. apparently she and GD just like have brunch sometimes like its nbd

Naomi: okay whatever red don’t invite us it’s cool

Ora: right????? she said he still makes a whole pot of coffee for himself

Naomi: ugh why’s he so cool

Ora: and insists on making the biscuits

Naomi: i bet his biscuits are so good

Ora: ok anyway

Naomi: gimme one sec

Naomi: ok im ready

Ora: red said he told her it was okay for her to give me his address.

he doesn’t talk on the phone at all part of his no recording thing

so i’m gonna write him a card

Naomi: THAT’S AMAZINGGGGGG

writing cards is so scary tho

Ora: RIGHT like what if my handwriting is wrong?? but red said he seemed really excited!

i’m so nervous tho!

Naomi: bb why?

Ora: i mean he’s a frickin legend, years ahead of his time. he basically invented the squirrels

Ora: and i’m just, like, some music dork who’s never even seen the room

Naomi: omg bb you know hes not gonna be like that that was his whole thing! he was you in 51 that was the whole point he like saved ps from becoming an elitist thinktank with killer tunezzz!

and youve gotta tell him thank you for all of us who also like

killer tunezzz

Ora: omg i’m gonna cry you’re so inspirational

Naomi: i wonder if i could change my major to inspiration

Ora: haaahahhhahahhahahahaha no

1/6/14

Ora: it’s finally happeniiiiiing

Naomi: lol did you finally nail kitten on the keys

Ora: haha no never

GD “gosh darn” Booker sent me a postcard

Naomi: OMG THATS AMAZING

Ora: i’m dying he invited me over to his place in south shore coffee next week i think i’m gonna try to make my mom’s almond cookies so can i come over this weekend to use your kitchen to make almond cookies yes of course!! i almost sobbed

do you think he’ll give me a song

Naomi: if he did it would never make it out of the house

Naomi: because youd probably just give up the ghost right there

1/11/14

Naomi: hey Hey hey ora howd it go

are you home yet

did you just move in

Ora: okay hi

Naomi: HOWD IT GO

Ora: it was so amazing he let me look through his records

i felt like frickin charlie bucket

and he complimented my cookies and he makes really strong coffee

Naomi: did you ever get around to asking the questions

Ora: it was hard! he wouldn’t let me record his voice obv so i just took notes. but we talked a lot about ps and like how room influenced his music and his sound and stuff and i can’t exactly put that in my thesis

Naomi: lol what a citation that would be

Ora: so yeah it’s a huge bummer i’m basically going to have to imply that he’s a lot less...amazing and influential because so much of what he did just isn’t out there i sort of said sorry to him for that and definitely didn’t cry about the treatment of black artists back then and also before then and also now and he was just all i know lil sis but music can suck the poison out

Naomi: omg

Ora: and he did give me a song i’ll play it for you next time i see you

it’s beautiful