About the Story

 

About the Author
About the Title
Acknowledgments
Copyright Information and Credits
About the Here Today Project
Leave a Comment

 

At The Reading

About The Author

My name is Tony Perkins, and I’ve lived in Olympia, Washington for twelve years. I’ve been writing short fiction for most of that time. I work for the Washington State Public Disclosure Commission, a government agency that monitors political campaign finance and ethics-in-elections issues. You can contact me at tonyolympia (at) aol.com.

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About The Title

The title of Like Everyone Else was inspired by the poem “Tapestry” by Charles Simic, the poet laureate of the United States. The poem also served as the epigraph for the chapbook edition of the story. It can be read online at the web site of the Poetry Foundation.

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Acknowledgments

I would like to thank the Olympia City Council, the Olympia Arts Commission, and the staff of the Olympia Parks, Arts and Recreation Department. In particular, Stephanie Johnson’s advice and assistance were a tremendous help to me in completing this project.

Thanks to Jami Heinricher at The Sherwood Press for the time she spent working with me on my chapbook covers and for the beautiful finished product; to Trent DeBoer for historical information; and to Lia Friedman, Eve Novak and Bianca Kamnitzer for reading drafts of the story and patiently answering my questions.

Thanks also to Charles Simic and George Braziller, Incorporated for permission to reprint Mr. Simic’s poem “Tapestry,” and to Kyle Fischer for permission to reprint the lyrics to “Homeopathy” by his band Rainer Maria.

Finally, thank you to my wife, Carrie, for contributing her artwork for my cover illustration, for reading drafts and offering invaluable feedback, and for her great patience and support throughout the writing of Like Everyone Else. Any enjoyment derived from this story I dedicate lovingly to her.

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Copyright Information and Credits

This is a work of fiction. The Procession of the Species is a beloved community event coordinated by Earthbound Productions; for more information, visit www.procession.org. All other names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

Except as noted below, contents copyright 2008 by Tony Perkins, P.O. Box 7181, Olympia, Washington, 98507.

“Tapestry” by Charles Simic, from Charles Simic: Selected Early Poems. Copyright 1999 by Charles Simic. Reprinted by permission of George Braziller, Incorporated. Lyrics to “Homeopathy” by Rainer Maria, from the album Past Worn Searching. Copyright 1997 by Polyvinyl Record Company. Reprinted by permission of the authors. Cover illustration copyright 2008 by Carrie O’Neill. To see more of Carrie’s artwork, visit www.carrieoneill.com. Chapbook covers printed by The Sherwood Press of Olympia, Washington.

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About the Here Today Project

The Here Today Temporary Public Art Project is presented by the City of Olympia Arts Commission, Olympia Parks, Arts & Recreation Department, with promotional support from MIXX96fm and Intercity Transit. During the month of August 2008, eight physical and time-based projects by local artists appeared in the public spaces of downtown Olympia, Washington. The project artists included Bil Fleming, Faith Hagenhofer, Jenn Kliese, George Kurzman, Shaw Osha, Tony Perkins, Jeff Shannon, Dana Squires and Trudes Tango.

For more information, contact Olympia Arts & Events at 360/709-2678 or go online to www.olympiawa.gov.

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Leave a Comment

Thanks for visiting the web site for Like Everyone Else. Please leave comments and questions below. Feel free to tell a bit about why you’re here; I appreciate hearing from you. (All comments are moderated, and your email address will not become public.)

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