Meet the Artist: Laurie Anderson

Since his recent death, there's been a lot of media attention surrounding groundbreaking singer, guitarist, and principal songwriter for the Velvet Underground Lou Reed. His widow is performance artist Laurie Anderson. The two began dating in 1992, were married in 2008, and remained together until Reed's passing on October 27th. Laurie Anderson has chosen the roads less traveled for more than four decades. Her groundbreaking original works seamlessly blend the worlds of art, theatre, storytelling and experimental music. Last spring she shared a soulful and funny collection of songs and stories at Hanes Auditorium in the Elberson Fine Arts Center at Salem College. During the performance Laurie drew from her typically wide ranging palette with reflections on politics, theories of evolution, family, the animal kingdom and more. She spoke with David Ford by phone from her home in New York. He began by asking what draws her to the avant guard.