I first fell in love with Tori when I heard "Spark" on the radio. I was a sophomore in college and being pulled between the world of the ultraconservative Christian Right and the land of left-leaning, progressives. I like to think that I am somewhere in between (although I hope I am slightly closer to the latter). I am a Christian, but my brain does not stop when I open a Bible or when a religious leader speaks. What I found in Tori is that struggle between the traditional judeo-christian values and struggling to figure out the truth when those values don't seem to make sense. I find that I am a Christian that often thinks outside of the Biblical box. And I get the feeling that Tori has a belief system, some of which was influenced by Christianity but also goes beyond the narrow-minded of those who we classify as Christian Fundamentalists. Her music is always exploring that gray area that I believe the majority of us live in. When I heard "Spark," I didn't even realize she was in a very dark place because I knew nothing about her. Even though I did not know she went through several miscarriages and did not understand the meaning of the lyrics, I was drawn to this song full of eerie hope. So I explored this artist and bought From the Choirgirl Hotel and I was in love!

I worked my way backwards and was fascinated by her raw, straightforward, yet cryptic lyrics. Tori goes where most of don't even want to go in our minds. When I got Little Earthquakes, I listened to the whole CD (how I listen the first time) and Me and A Gun made me very uncomfortable. There is nothing cryptic about that song, and for some time I skipped it because I did not like the heaviness in my stomach. But I started to feel bad, "who was I, someone who has never been sexually assaulted, to shut out this woman who was pouring her heart out because of a traumatic experience that was not her fault." Now I do not avoid the song. I listen to it and feel compassion for all victims of sexual assault.

I also love her how her lyrics have meaning, yet you can interpret them in your own way. Her story can also be your story, even if they are two totally different stories. Her music provides a freedom that I have not found with other artists. She deals with all facets of womanhood, acknowledging that all women have many sides to them, that they can celebrated and allowed to see each other.

Not only is Tori an excellent singer/songwriter, I respect her. In this era of "rap crap", "sucky pop", and one-hit singles on generally bad CDs, Tori is refreshing. She cares about her fans, working on songs for years until they are ready to come out to the world. Her CDs reflect what is going on in her life at the time, making each so very different. I have a Tori CD for every emotion that life's experiences produce and I am looking forward to many more.