Woman NZ

Amanda’s naked truth

When life gives you lemons, make art. Move gently. Befriend baristas. Take time to notice the wonder of chickens, or the nuances of nurturing a small human. That’s what US musician Amanda Palmer has been doing, while coming to terms with the painful reality of a homeland in turmoil, a world in crisis and no fixed plan for when she’ll see her husband and her wider family again.

Amanda is an iridescent fish out of water, a beautiful alien who, used to commanding stages and mesmerising audiences across the globe, now finds herself living in a cosy rented house on the outskirts of Havelock North, Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand, planet Earth.

Boston raised, a former member of musical duo The Dresden Dolls, more recently a New York-based performance artist, author and podcaster, supported financially (and spiritually) by her 15,000 Patreon subscribers, she arrived in Aotearoa for a short tour and then, there was Covid-19. When the Government locked us all down in March, Amanda had to decide: stay or

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