Episode XX: Montebini Strikes Back

Hello, all you wild and zany people I call my friends!

I have been getting an alarming number of complaints from you people that my missives are "great, but way too long to read." So, I'm trying to summarize as much as I possibly can while still delivering the pithy and entertaining content you have been enjoying thus far. As a result, my letters will probably be more frequent, so my apologies in advance to those of you who feel that these newsletters are glorified spam.

When last we left our beloved heroine, she was in the midst of the doldrums, with no job, no show, no money to speak of, and no self-confidence. You'll be delighted to hear that she has pulled herself up by her bootstraps (does SuperMaren wear boots? Apparently, she does!), and has forged ahead in the spirit of superheroes all over the world. Let us take a closer look...

Yes, I have risen like the proverbial Phoenix, although not with quite as much panache. I think my turning point was a few weeks ago when I wrote a fairy tale entitled "The Fairy Who Could Not Fly," inspired by a day of listlessness and frustration. I'm rather proud of my new story, and am preparing it to be sent to publishers as we speak.

You will also be glad to know that this is the first month in my singing career that I will be making more money singing than being a secretary. Not that I'm getting paid that much either way, but it's a start! Not only am I singing with Kim Breden's group, Spring Sisters, but I'm also making a repeat performance as Maren Montebini at the Jewish Congregation in Deal, NJ for the High Holy Days. I know, I know, after my traumatic experience last year, I swore to you all that the only way I was going back was if they paid me twice as much.

But I got poor, and I needed the money. So I settled for 20% more. I know, I have to work on my negotiation tactics. But when I settled on a price, I thought I wasn't going back to that wretched congregation with Rabbi Napoleon. Somehow, Leon Berger (the guy who sends the choirs out to different synagogues) sweet-talked me into going back to Deal - I'm still not sure how he did it - and my end of the agreement has been getting worse and worse with each rehearsal. Well, I've made my bed now, and at least I'm getting enough money so that I don't have to work full-time this month.

Looking back at the past few months, I realize that I've had quite a few adventures; from working on the new musical "Last Legs" with my friends Pete Couchman and Sarah Nadeau (from New England Conservatory), to spending weekends at the PA Renaissance Faire, to a VERY short stint as a backup singer somewhere in Crown Heights (a story on which I will elaborate in the next episode).

Because I don't want to make this letter too dense, I think I will sign off for now.

It seems like a whole bunch of you are moving this fall, and I wish you well in your new endeavors. For those of you who are trucking along in the same place, I also wish you well in your own adventures. As always, I'm very happy to hear from all of you, and I miss you very much.