AMANDA PALMER & SOPHIE STRAND: "Exile from the Kingdom of the Well"

Multi-disciplinary artist and musician Amanda Palmer and writer Sophie Strand took the stage on November 10th, 2023 at the Rubin Museum of Art in NYC to discuss what happens in life after being "Exiled from the Kingdom of the Well".
Produced and filmed at the Rubin Museum of Art; hosted by Tim McHenry.
For more information about the Rubin, please visit rubinmuseum.org.
This talk and video was funded in part by the patrons at patreon.com/amandapalmer. Please consider joining!
Special thanks to Rubin Museum curator and master of ceremonies, Tim McHenry.

[@meala23]

Such rich depth of ideas here, some great insights, thank you so much! I love the way you both enhance each other's thinking ❤

[@alisakmoore]

Sophie, I LOVED reading all of your work during quarantine when I found you through The Way of the Rose, and ever since. For nearly 2 years I facilitated an inner/outer gardening program in 2 CA state medical facilities/prisons (some in person and some via correspondence during covid related lock-downs). I often brought in your writing to share with my participants who treasured your offerings. This is an incredibly powerful conversation related to chronic illness and society's call for us as mothers to "tone it down". Seriously. Thank you.

[@mltest1200]

Thank you so much for this remarkable content and for introducing Sophie Strand. ❤🎉

[@xvioletlilithxharnage-regu511]

Thank you so much! ♡ I love both of you!

[@rebeckajarl3934]

Thank you! For sharing your art! Both of you!

[@MichaelaCloyd]

Amanda! I am so happy and sad; you, my favorite artist, are going to be performing in Portland (my home) in a few days, and I'll be gone for the holidays. I sincerely hope you perform again soon. I was so happy to see you're touring again!

[@shahlaahy4372]

In a few weeks will be 80..wanted to say...listening yo you both felt as having confirmation of our "being"..too many points to mention here but...no matter what we say or try to teach...our kids will act out mostly as ourselves as before we understood why we acted as we did. Having run this retreat in total silence and solitude, will confirm the "aha" moments only register in mysterious ways when the brain is quiet... no input... Having arrived at the point of putting all poems, writings, paintings, projects away in memory of periods of need to confirm my exjstance, it's just enough to be, crowd the world no more than it already is...yet conversations as yours confirms our humanity as one. Thank you both!

[@wildquest7986]

even after 25 or so mins, I am filled with joyous gratitude at the utter wonder, courage, complexity and magical poetry weaving this stunning new 'story'. A deep bow to such radiant beings!

[@RebeccaPotylycki]

I glanced at the bottom of the video to see that there are only three comments!?!? I would love to take the time to FINALLY write to each of you, Amanda and Sophie. I would love to have the addresses by which you both receive "fan-mail'(or whatever you prefer to call it)... because this discussion touched on so many very personal experiences and issues that are my life nowadays. It would be lovely to take a few longer moments to reach out to you both off-line. Your entire performance and discussion in this video was so beautiful but also very sad - because it's real & personally true. I imagine that's the case with many of your listeners, readers, fans & followers. Amanda, you basically listed a quick rundown of my own daily struggles of questioning my existential and societal value. Knowing my life is burdensome for those who care for me, yet believing they love me and want to help me function... It's a mess. I mean ALL of IT. Still, I keep trying to "do better" and test my limits on a regular basis. Some days it kills me but the core truth right now, for my function and thereby a portion of my well-being, is that I need to keep on this path where the ruts are muddy and deep. Maybe until I find another means of living and support that feels a little more solid beneath me..? Because I am certainly still heavily sutured to the systems of the "sick." Managing laughable numbers of medications, regular doctor visits and procedures has become my "JOB" now. I must continue to keep my eyes and ears alert until I find my breakaway exit & a world of support. Who knows? Maybe I will find a way into something incredible like, "Becca's DIY Patreon?" Hahaha. Sophie, Thank you so much for sharing your talk with Amanda & to this audience. I am excited to find your new book to read! And VERY excited for the possible upcoming sci-fi adaptation of Tristan & Isolde! Amanda, I love when you share what you've been thinking and observing through your recent experiences... I'm a Patreon of yours and have been for quite some time. Your song "Bigger on the Inside," really spoke to me right then and was actually the driving reason that I started playing the Ukulele with some discipline. Mostly teaching myself your songs. Your music, your written words, your collaboration with Jherek Bischoff & Anna Calvi, plus the parts of you that you share with all of us... The world... Have started and continue to spark countless fires (where fires are needed), initiate incredible discussions and self contemplations. But Amanda more than anything else, you show us ALL that we are not alone. All my love, gratitude and hugs (if you wish) to you both, -Rebecca Ann Potylycki

[@PrevoArt]

❤ so much of this. Thank you both for sharing yourselves.

[@AlphaLoveFree]

Really wonderful - thank you both!💚💙🖤💜🤎❤🧡💛

[@markusnicklas4627]

Amanda, Om Mani Peme Hung Hrih for all - no exception and ty for having Sophie. May you find what you need effortless and with harm to none.

[@elineeugenie5224]

'living into the tragedy' ... one of a whole list of powerful ideas. I'll have to watch this one in portions, to digest. Thank you both💜 'i don't want to carry on the legacy of scared women'

[@flashrobbie]

I'm in a period of remission with ANCA vasculitis. It's freeing to be letting go of the world piece by piece. There's getting through days, gardens and family, there's photography which is easier than it was, there's maintaining peace and pulling the anchors out of my skin, there's anticipating the future and laying roads for the children, there's weighing up every possibility of what happens after and being at peace in a thousand ways.

[@user-ux8nr2ej9e]

Going through hard menopause with panic disorder and cptsd. Finding your work is literally saving me Sophie .

[@dianakrausova3557]

Great discussion, thank you both 🙏❤

[@LOVINGKINDNESS_SCHOOL]

thank you so much!

[@elizabethmorrison2090]

Beautiful dialogue

[@modaud358]

What a fascinating conversation - refreshing and much-needed - on a topic that I find myself strongly relating to. Thank you, Amanda and Sophie! From a point of resonance, in some aspects it also brought to mind the subject matter (living with chronic illness) of independent music artist Ren.

[@ronalddegoede]

❤

[@rebeckajarl3934]

1:30:44 It's hard to listen at the top of your voice (A.J Sherwood quote) time to calm down to a point where compassion is possible. In the urgency of now it is hard to give time. Still you get much more information from a person that is calm and not has their back to a wall. Equal it's easier to let someone see the point if they have time and energy to listen. So yes to have compassion for the person that needs to disengage is a wise thing to be aware of.

[@la4401]

"Space for another being's song" ala Kenneth Rexroth's political representation for all of Gaia's beings - can we now consider this a necessity?