My friends knew that the Opus 111 had decades of special meaning for me. They had heard my stories of “living with” that piece while I was a polio invalid. They knew that I had performed it many times on tour over a period of some fifteen years. So, they asked, what could be better […]

Sherman Pitluck, meanwhile, got in touch to say that he was ready to sign me up with his management and had already created a flyer with his favorite quotes from the European reviews. I could hardly believe it. Nine years after the polio attack, I was a “pro” at last! There was one problem, however: […]

For me, it was critical that the words “illness” or “polio” never come up. I didn’t want anyone to be watching for a disability to manifest itself; and I wanted any response to my playing to be unbiased. On the other hand, I had to get help with my luggage, even the lightest of hand […]

A friend of mine in Michigan, who worked closely with a local presenter there, had set up a meeting for me with a New York artist manager, Sherman Pitluck. I didn’t see how this could lead to anything, but [my friends] encouraged me to go ahead, even if it only resulted in crossing another item […]

This discussion with Amelia enabled me to touch on some deep terrors of the past six years. I confided that, with very few exceptions, I had been avoiding any talk about my illness. Or if I mentioned it, I would gloss over the most difficult aftereffects. In Amelia’s opinion, trying to keep the extent of […]

During my rehab work in Copenhagen, I experienced many revelations that encouraged and at the same time distracted me. We worked on other significant things affecting everyday life rather than just focusing on my piano playing. It was exciting to find that my voice was becoming more resonant and that talking became correspondingly easier as […]

I went downstairs by myself and peeked into the sitting room. There was no one there. I walked over to the upright piano and sat down on the bench. I put my hand on the keyboard and pressed one of the keys. It took a lot of effort to push it down. Maybe it was […]

One day I stayed behind in the hotel room and decided to order some tea. The waiter poured me one cup, and I managed to drink about half of it, spilling the other half in the process. This was a good average at the time. I always tucked thicknesses of towel around me before attempting […]

The sun was streaming into my room. The rooftops of Neuilly were sharp against the sky beyond the garden. But my mind reeled instantly from the assault of the word Dr. Lipsitch had just uttered. Polio … the terrifying disease that struck every summer back home in Michigan … danger lurking in swimming pools and […]