Mid-West singer/songwriter ANGELA JOSEPHINE is quizzed about her life and art by Tony Cummings.

About the song though, isn't it powerful? When I was working on my CD I told my producer, John Pisciotta, that my husband Joe really wanted me to do a cover of "Maybe I'm Amazed" by Paul McCartney. I am not exactly sure how we lost that train of thought - two creative people in a room with a pile of CDs, go figure. But John said, "You've got to hear this song." It was Joni's "Slouching Towards Bethlehem". The song is based on a poem by Yeats and I remember there was some conversation about just who Yeats was and what he believed. Then we found out about his fascination with the occult. I had to consider if doing his work might be misconstrued as supporting his beliefs. In the end, I decided to hold to what I believe - that if we stop viewing and using art because of the artist, there would be no more art. There are probably circumstances where you must draw the line, but this wasn't one for me.

TC: Everything about your two albums, the production, the packaging, the press kits, smells of money! It's very unusual to see an independent artist putting in this level of quality. To be a bit personal, are you a lady of independent means, spending a fortune on your art?

AJ: Ha! Now THAT would be nice. Thank you for thinking so, though. You know, one of the hazards of being an artist is that I have an artist's taste. I want my stuff to say. "This is AJ" and for people to immediately 'get' something. I don't want it to just be, "Hey, I am selling something and want your attention." You have to know that our stories may intersect and that there is something here for you; for it to be a gift to you. Ultimately, it'd be way cool if God uses what I am doing to meet people's needs on a personal level. So I have a vision and that can be pretty challenging on the cost end of things, but I just don't want to sacrifice the vision for the sake of a few dollars.

Still, my first CD was done on a shoe string budget at a local studio. I did everything from production to graphic design - although studio owner Scott Zylstra deserves a co-production credit. The second and most recent CD, 'Grace Exhaled', was done in Nashville and pretty much was a pull-out-the-stops project. I did try to save wherever I could. My friend Aleksandra is an architect who can wield a pretty mean camera so she did all of the photography. My husband knows websites. Also, if you search hard, you'll find people that will work with indies (and an indie budget) if you have a reasonable plan put together.

The truth is that everything that I bring in goes right back into what I am doing and although I'd like to be a better business person - I'm not very good on that end. I'm beginning to work with people who are (good) so maybe that will improve.

TC: Who are your favourite two poets and why?

AJ: I just told a friend that I have never taken a formal poetry class and would really love to do that - especially to have a better answer to questions like this! I imagine that if I were reading more poetry, I might be a better writer. You know, poetry wasn't even part of my upbringing - at least poetry in the way that people tend to think of it. My Dad was a watchman at the local factory and I was the baby in a family of six kids. My mom sang to me all the time and some of those old songs are poetry. The way they lived - there is poetry in that.

The closest I can come to answering that question in the way I think you mean it is that I have read all the Psalms and Song of Songs is poetry, right? Also, a long time friend and my photographer Aleksandra Bartoszek gave me a book of poems by Wislawa Szmborska that had been translated from Polish to English. I really love her writing. Especially in English, since I can't read any Polish.

TC: Who is your favourite painter and why?

AJ: I have a lot of favourite local artists from this area of the Northern Michigan and many good friends. They are my favourites because their art is immediately compelling to me. I do have a print of Salvador Dali's Assumpta Corpuscularia Lapislazulina on my wall. Are you impressed that I knew that title? Don't be. I had to go look it up. I love this print. However, there was a time I wondered because after I put it up on the wall, I read about Dali. He was into some pretty weird stuff. However, that's what got me thinking about art and the artist and how God is capable of transforming the darkness with his light. I wouldn't say Dali is my favourite though. I think I have too broad a range of taste to have a favourite anything.

TC: Are you going to do a big tour to promote the new album?

AJ: My goal is to do what I can to promote this album without losing my sanity in the process. I am realising that in order to share at the level I'd like to - I need more people on board - and that is just going to take time to form a team and also the right timing in general. I've learned the hard way that I can't be everything to everyone because my relationships suffer: with God, with my family, with the people I want to share my art with. My responses dull and I have nothing left to give. That's no good. So, I am forming a team - the most important part of which I have learned is accountability. Also, God has just brought three incredible people into my life who are so gifted on the business end of things, where I definitely am not. I've got my son working the internet, my husband updates my site, family and friends help out on the road and provide dirt cheap counselling. It's a good start.