Word For Word

Started on May 12th, 2002, Word For Word is an online magazine geared for homeschooled/unschooled teens. Founded by me, Starlie Nicole Drake, in hopes that all homeschooled teens could come together and share their artistic talents and their views. Where we can get together and say stuff. It's for free speech. It's very new, so really, there's not much to say about it yet.

Starlie D.

Yes, my name is really Starlie. It's a Native American name. BTW: I go by 'Starlie D.' mainly because Ani DiFranco does the same. You'll notice that she signs her letters and such as 'Ani D.' so I took advantage of my last name's initial.
I come from a rather talented family. My mom, when she was younger, was on a sure road to Broadway. (Things led to other things, and so she is not on Broadway now.) My dad was to be a musician. In fact, he did have a rather popular local band called High Tide back in the later 80s. (He was in the band when I was born, which was in 1986.) And so talent sprouts out within my younger brother Cheyenne and I. I hope to one day be a musician myself. I can play acoustic guitar and the piano somewhat. I am good at singing but I'm still working at it. Next stop is hopefully the violin and the sitar. I've written two songs so far, but I personally think they both suck. lol Save the latest one, which has cool lyrics.
I love music. Music, it's my life. That's just a simple fact. If I'm not writing things like poems and stuff for Word For Word, than I am either playing music or listening to it. My favorite musicians are Ani DiFranco, Tori Amos, Mediaeval Baebes and Dan Bern. (Depends on my mood) (Tori is a most recent newly found obsession) But there is much more in my love for music. Sinead O'Connor, Moulin Rouge soundtrack, Rufus Wainwright...all are very different from eachother. Let us not forget my friend and fellow musician Sari Brown. =) She's really good. Go see her at one of her gigs if you can. So many more musicians/bands. I try to be very open minded with music. (Though I still have not been able to let in teeniebopper stuff or country.) But my love of music ranges from progressive to classic rock to jazz to blues to African to Irish to Native American to so much more.
I am 16 but don't really act it. I look and act more like a collage student. (The cool ones, not the party ones. Go to Oberlin Collage and you'll understand what I mean.)
I've been in CompuHigh for almost three years. I first joined in September of 2000. In fact, I am the student manager at CompuHigh. Durring the time that I have been in CompuHigh I've changed a lot and I have met a good many friends. And so many so different. Some are those who say stuff like 'r u gonna b there?' and some are like 'I SAW DAN BERN IN CONCERT! WICKED COOL!' These people, the wicked cool ones, have tought me many things. That it's okay to chase rubber chickens with plastic spoons and shower caps on your head. It's okay to go around saying 'dude!' and 'wicked cool' to everyone until they wanna kill you. That Ani DiFranco is the goddess of all folk music and Dan Bern is the King. That Burt's Bees makes the best lip balm in all the world, and all should have minty fresh lips. Join CompuHigh if you can. It's so great. I love it.
I have two cats, one fish and one snail. The cats have been around the longest though. 6 or 7 years, I believe. One is Tigger and one is Sammy. (The fish is Cleo AKA Cloe and the snail is Mac.) Sam follows everyone around for cat sip and Tigger follows me around just because I am her person and she's my cat. She sleeps on me every night too. I love her so much. (Click here for a really cute pic of Tig and here for a Sammy-licking-herself-on-my-bed-again pic. She's almost always licking herself, by the way.)
My best friend is Amicitia, who is also homeschooled. We met 3 years ago, as I remember. 3 or 4. We met at the SiteFights. In the chat room. Now we have a web site called Moonbeams and Cloud Shadows (MACS) which fights in the SiteFights. I am very fortunate to have her as a friend, or to just know her. It's true we are long distance and have only met offline a few times but our friendship is strong and have plans to build this big beautiful house one day and live in it with our little white dog and little black cat. =)
I don't have too many friends but my other friends-those who I talk to the most, anyway-are Erin (X-Files crazy) and Sari. (fellow musician and the one who introduced me to Ani DiFranco and Dan Bern.) They're both homeschooled, and Sari is a fellow CompuHigher. =)
I'm obsessed with many things, including Lord of the Rings. I was swept up with the craze and I am still deaply in love with the great books. I love the Harry Potter books much but I'm not sure if I love them quite as much. Hey man, I worship Frodo and would bow down to the Lord Aragorn anyday.
That's enough for now. More at my web site 'Middle Earth'. (Get it? M.E.?) And there's more info on my other 'about me' pages. (At M.E. and at MACS.)

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