About the project
THE GRAND PIANO began in 1998, by which time many of us had left the San Francisco Bay Area. Hence, we undertook the project online. First we used Web-based software for conversation and collaboration from a company Tom founded. When the company disappeared in the dotcom collapse, we turned to a listserv and continued our collaboration via email.
Early in the process, remembering the reading series that had been so important to our writing community, Ron suggested that we call our online space "The Grand Piano." As we worked out the structure for the project, Barrett began to refer to it as "Mode A," and the name remains active as the publishing imprint for the project.
Although THE GRAND PIANO is an experiment in collective autobiography, we adhere to no set of prescribed themes — the project engages issues beyond the period in the 1970s when we first met and collaborated. Originally, each author was to follow the prompt of the previous. In the event, however, many sections have been written out of order, and THE GRAND PIANO's development has been nonlinear even as it is being published in serial form.
THE GRAND PIANO will comprise ten volumes, with the ten authors appearing in different sequence in each volume. New volumes are scheduled to appear at three-month intervals; publication of the books will be complete by the end of 2008.
While we are all equal authors of the project, credit is due to Lyn for handling subscriptions, Tom for creating this website, Alan for organizing documentation, and Barrett for design and publication of the printed volumes.