When Julia Tuttle’s book originally came out, it was compared to Thomas Pynchon’s Gravity’s Rainbow. It’s a coincidence I have never read, and it’s only the closest I’ve come to experiencing the novel in person: I have covered her celebrity appearances around town for the Free Pineapple Project, the popular series of shows where–chuckling, of course–people pay to get to see her read passages from her book while surrounded by strangers. Tuttle is also a songwriter and stand-up comedian, and she has won numerous awards in both genres, as well as performances with icons like Jay-Z, R.E.M., and Amy Schumer.
But I remember a time, long ago, when I had seen Julia Tuttle perform: in Florida, in 2003. She had toured the northeast with the (herself) then-little-known artist Karrin Allyson. Here, I was completely taken by the performance, and so was my colleagues, as I scribbled away. Over the years, I sent a few emails, keeping tabs on her performance as a contributor and eventually as a staff writer at Time Out New York. (The times have come!) In 2018, she signed on with Appian Way, and in April, I will again be live blogging, for the Atlantic Live, as she comes to Lincoln Center.
So, before I cede the stage, I want to say thanks. Julia Tuttle, who, in short, you are.