Terrific review - it reminds me of Glenn Gould's "Data Bank on the Upward-scuttling Mahler," a review of the massive Henry-Louis de la Grange biography (v. 1). The question of an artist's life and works has always troubled me, from Wagner to Miles - I'm still looking for an answer.

This is my first letter to Salon, but I just want to say that I am a huge Laura Miller fan and I will read anything she writes! Her interests seem to lie so close to my own that it's almost eerie.

Really great article, trying to find the words for elusive feelings...it's so hard to write about music. The musings on entropy remind me of Thomas Pynchon's famous story of the same name, written during the post-bop years. That story always reminds me of jazz (maybe it actually is about jazz! I don't have it with me at the moment....).

For really thoughtful rock music, with complex, subtle melodies and sculpted soundscapes, I am a huge fan of Bjork - she's right up there with Joni Mitchell, but while Mitchell's work is an amazing fusion of jazz and rock, I'd say Bjork is more a fusion of classical/avant-garde and rock. Which I realize is not the point of this article, but there's something about going for the boundaries that links all of this music for me, including Bitches Brew.

Anyway, thanks Mr. Kamiya for a thought-provoking essay - it feels like you really wrote from the heart.

Dear Ms. Bauer, your notion of a "stock enlightenment experience" startled me; although I think I know exactly what you mean, I also think you're being too humble, or belittling, or something. It seems to me that enlightenment, when it occasionally comes, is not a stock experience at all, but uniquely of its moment - like listening to a great piece of music. After all you and your family have been through, maybe I can understand how you would look provisionally at an experience like this; but the fact that you can still have it speaks very strongly of your strength and courage.

I have a child with problems, not as severe as yours; your writing has helped to give me strength and courage too, and I thank you.

Glenn,

I would like to contact ABC and ask them to come clean about this. If you have a chance could you please update your piece with an appropriate contact for ABC?

Your work is just great - I'm a grateful fan.

I and lots of my friends love Tom Tomorrow - it's the highlight of my week starting!