Poetry: The Piano Man

Dec 2

Written By Tricia Gates Brown

The Piano Man

“…'Cause he knows that it's me they've been comin' to see

to forget about life for a while”

—Billy Joel, “The Piano Man”

Driving home, anxious Tuesday, I hear

“The Piano Man.” Those iconic notes,

the blistering memories—a man I loved and lost

at seventeen, still a girl.

Rounding one curve

and then another: anxiety revs.

Recently, I heard Joel sing the first

song he’d composed in seventeen years.

Seventeen years!

Of course, we all had our questions.

Why had he gone silent so long?

Had he nothing to say? Was it depression?

Yet my life, far smaller than his,

winds down and down—and I seem

to desire the ever smaller.

In my own anonymous way, to take silent.

To shrink altogether from spotlights

because they are all altogether broken.

Spotlight limelight platform radar.

To shuck the resume

the look-at-me;

to covet the role of things

invisibly impactful, like

microbes minerals mathematics.

Don’t get me wrong, I am glad the piano man

let the tunes in his head

translate, once again, to piano keys.

And here, again, I write. But God save me

from self-promotion and hustle, the soul-numbing

tolls on bridges to somewhere, as in

“you’re gonna get there someday.”

{Originally published at Snapdragon Journal, Fall 2024}

Tricia Gates Brown

Tricia Gates Brown has worked as a professional editor and co-writer since the mid-2000s. Though the bulk of her current work is for the National Park Service and Native tribes, her expertise is broad. She has experience in academic and creative writing and strives to honor an author’s tone while improving a written piece. She holds a PhD from University of St. Andrews and edits everything from academic works to poetry, while her own essays, creative nonfiction, and poetry have appeared widely in journals. A 2022 Independent Publishers Award (IPPY) Bronze Medal was awarded to her novel Wren.

Poetry: One Day Older

To my work as editor, I bring a writer’s heart.

I understand the vulnerability of putting your treasured creations into someone else’s hands; I understand the value of revision and refinement; I stand by the power of words. If you contribute to the world through writing, I want to midwife your most instructive, clear, inspiring, beautiful work, and to empower you in your calling. 

After 20 years as editor, I’ve edited hundreds of written pieces and dozens of poems. And as a seasoned, published writer, my experience with and mastery of many genres allow me not only to edit different types of writing, but to transcend categories and reach places unique and magical. I want to make your prose more poetic, and your poetry more potent and concise. 

Whether you have reached the last stage of your life and want to share your story and insights, whether you are an academic with ideas to convey, whether you have intuitions that call people to richer lives, whether you’re wrestling with faith and doubt, whether you’ve struggled to find belonging, I will approach your project with empathy and capacity born of decades of experience. My ear is well tuned to clarity and honesty in writing, and appreciative of improv. I care about your story. I care about the wisdom and knowledge you communicate. I am skilled at listening and valuing of integrity. Whatever writing struggles you want to overcome, whatever transformations you desire, I can help.

Favorite categories: Memoir, History, Native Studies, Poetry, Social Justice.

My brief bio: I have edited professionally since 2008, working extensively on projects for the National Park Service and Native tribes. Additionally, I’ve edited everything from dissertations to poetry. My own essays, creative nonfiction, and poetry have appeared widely in journals, and my debut novel, Wren, was awarded a 2022 Independent Publishers Award (IPPY) Bronze Medal. See my long list of publications. I hold a PhD from University of St. Andrews. Feel free to CONTACT me.

Client Endorsements

Douglas Deur, PhD, Department of Anthropology, Portland State University:

“Tricia Gates Brown is an editor of rare talents. She has worked with me for a dozen years or more, editing works in Anthropology, History, Ethnobotany, and related fields. Most of these writings I have delivered into her care, knowing that each one presents its own challenges: they arrive full of urgent little intricacies, and with cultural sensitivities both weighty and diverse. Some are densely technical and specialized reports; others are essays, pitched toward both the heads and the hearts of general audiences unfamiliar with the topics and terrain.  Tricia understands the many nuances of such material—tracking all the important details, navigating the sensitivities, waging patient campaigns against the customary technical shortfalls, and thoughtfully factoring each work’s intended audiences and venues into her editorial decisions large and small. Yet, her skills extend well beyond those of a conventional editor. Holding a doctorate from University of St. Andrews, she brings a wealth of personal experience in publishing – as an editor, but also as an award-winning author of her own works of short fiction, non-fiction, novels, memoir, children’s books, poetry, columns, newsletters, and more. Seldom does a writer have the opportunity to work with an editor like Tricia, with such a wealth of knowledge and experience, and an all-encompassing view of the craft of writing. She comprehends every stage of the writing process, from the imaginative beginnings to the published conclusions. For writers seeking to navigate this landscape, Tricia can be an excellent coach and copilot, while providing efficient assistance on customary editorial matters too.”