Tori Amos Announces Art & Poetry Contest, Readies A Piano/Keyboard

Tori Amos is judging the first art & poetry contest for RAINN (The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network), an organization she co-founded in 1994. One winner in the art contest, and one winning poem will be used on a "special-edition" t-shirt this fall. There's a $50 entry fee, and entries are due by August 22nd. "No entries featuring profanity or lewd content will be eligible." RAINN is an American nonprofit organization, but I don't see an Americans-only restriction in the rules.

The art and poetry contest are part of several celebrations organized for RAINN's 12th birthday and Amos' 43rd birthday this summer, all designed to raise funds and awareness of both the group and the issues surrounding sexual assault.

Also coming up for RAINN is the Get Carded program on RAINN Day, September 28th, when cards with information about the risk of sexual assault will be distributed on college campuses. The cards also include (800) 656-HOPE, the phone number of the National Sexual Assault Hotline, which provides free and confidential counseling throughout the United States, 24 hours a day. RAINN plans to provide online counseling soon, also 24 hours a day, free, and confidential.

Coming up for Tori Amos is the September 26 release of A Piano: The Collection, a 5-disc collection of "classics", B-sides, rarities, remixes, and previously-unreleased tracks. The box set includes a total of 86 songs, with commentary on each one by Amos. A Piano's packaging resembles... not a piano, but a piano keyboard, but neither A Piano Keyboard nor A Keyboard has the same ring to it, and piano-shaped packaging would likely have been both more unwieldy and more expensive. The keyboard looks pretty cool.

A Piano: The Collection Track Listing:

Disc 1:

1. "Leather" (Alternate Mix)
2. "Precious Things" (Alternate Mix)
3. "Silent All These Years"
4. "Upside Down"
5. "Crucify" (previously unreleased/unedited single version)
6. "Happy Phantom"
7. "Me And A Gun"
8. "Flying Dutchman" (Alternate Mix)
9. "Girl"
10. "Winter" (available on Little Earthquakes)
11. "Take To The Sky (Russia)"
12. "Tear In Your Hand"
13. "China"
14. "Sweet Dreams" (available on Tales Of A Librarian)
15. "Mother" (Alternate Mix)
16. "Little Earthquakes"

Disc 2:

1. "Cornflake Girl"
2. "Honey"
3. "Take Me With You" (never before released)
4. "Baker Baker" (Alternate Mix)
5. "The Waitress" (Alternate Mix)
6. "Pretty Good Year" (available on Under the Pink)
7. "God"
8. "Cloud On My Tongue"
9. "Past The Mission" (Alternate Mix)
10. "Bells For Her"
11. "Yes, Anastasia" (Alternate Mix)
12. "Blood Roses"
13. "Mr. Zebra"
14. "Caught A Lite Sneeze" (Alternate Mix)
15. "Professional Widow" (Merry Widow Version - Live)
16. "Beauty Queen/Horses"
17. "Father Lucifer"
18. "Marianne"

Disc 3:

1. "Walk To Dublin" (Sucker Reprise, never before released)
2. "Hey Jupiter" (Dakota Version)
3. "Professional Widow" (Armand's Star Trunk Funkin' Mix)
4. "Putting The Damage On"
5. "Bliss" (Remixed Version)
6. "Suede"
7. "Glory Of The 80's"
8. "1000 Oceans"
9. "Concertina" (Single Remix Version)
10. "Lust"
11. "Datura"
12. "Sugar" (Live from sound check)
13. "The Waitress" (Live)
14. "Snow Cherries From France"
15. "Doughnut Song" (Remixed Version)

Disc 4:

1. "A Sorta Fairytale"
2. "Not David Bowie" (never before released)
3. "Amber Waves"
4. "Iieee" (Remixed Version)
5. "Playboy Mommy" (Remixed Version)
6. "The Beekeeper"
7. "Jackie's Strength"
8. "Zero Point" (never before released)
9. "Sweet The Sting"
10. "Ode To My Clothes" (never before released)
11. "Spark"
12. "Intro Jam" and "Marys Of The Sea" (Intro Jam never before released)
13. "Cruel" (Remixed Version)
14. "Dolphin Song" (never before released)
15. "Gold Dust"

Disc 5:

1. "The Pool"
2. "Never Seen Blue"
3. "Daisy Dead Petals"
4. "Beulah Land"
5. "Sugar"
6. "Cooling"
7. "Bachelorette"
8. "Black Swan"
9. "Mary" (Tales Version)
10. "Peeping Tommi" (never before released)
11. "Toodles Mr. Jim"
12. Demo Medley: "Fire-Eater's Wife/Beauty Queen" (Demo, previously unreleased version)
13. "Playboy Mommy" (Demo, previously unreleased version)
14. "A Sorta Fairytale" (Demo, previously unreleased version)
15. "This Old Man"
16. "Purple People"
17. "Here. In My Head"
18. "Hungarian Wedding Song"
19. "Merman"
20. "Sister Janet"
21. "Home On The Range" (Cherokee Edition)
22. "Frog On My Toe"