I became a fan of Alanis Morissette pretty quick. Here's what I posted to the Alanis message board on Monday, November 16, 1998:

Hey - I became a huge fan about... a week or 2 ago. Pretty quick, huh? Here's my (short version) story for all who are interested (I felt I couldn't go any longer without telling some other fans):

Ever since I heard "Uninvited" for the first time, it was my favorite song (though I didn't know who sang it, and at the time didn't really care). I was obsessed with that song. I didn't know the words yet (and still don't understand the whole song - that's why I love it! :) Then at my acting class (I live in Atlanta), one of the other people started talking INCESSANTLY about how he was going to the Alanis Morissette concert here in a few weeks. I got sooooo sick of him talking about it that I just sorta ignored it after awhile. After all, I'd never heard of this Alanis person (well, I probably had HEARD of her, but, you know) and plus, I wasn't that much into music anyway, at ALL really (except for that one "cool, weird song", as I described it to everyone - I didn't even know the name of it for the longest time). Well, a few weeks later (the day after the concert actually - I didn't know that THEN), I was driving somewhere with some people and we were all listening to the radio. Suddenly "Uninvited" came on and everyone immediatly shut up and turned the radio up - LOL (hey, who DOESN'T love that song?). So I asked one of the girls who was it who sang it, and they of course said Alanis Morissette. I was like, "Oh I see...... WHAT DID YOU SAY???" I was furious with myself. The person who sang my favorite song had just had a concert and I didn't even know it? It was crazy! I had never been to a concert and never really wanted to; like I said, I wasn't much into music. I hadn't heard of most groups or artists and owned only a couple CDs (including the TITANIC soundtrack - LOL).

Well, that's history now. I bought the "City of Angels" CD ASAP. I still listen to the song every day. As soon as I get my allowance in a couple weeks, I'm running out (and yes I mean literally running!) to get JLP and SFIJ. I've visited dozens of AM websites (ask me anything, I'm an expert fanatic!) and listened to tons of wav clips. When I first read the lyrics to "Uninvited", I was confused. I had NO idea what any of the words meant (I'm almost 16, but they were still completely un-sense-making). I wondered what the hec she was thinking about when she wrote this - LOL - but I loved it. Absolutely LOVED it.

I began to read the lyrics to some more of her songs. I was hooked. They fascinated me. I've spent countless hours reading lyrics, interviews, and famous quotes of hers. I don't understand the meaning of half of her songs, but THAT'S WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THEM. They're absolutely amazing. I just heard "Thank U" on the radio for the first time today (all that keeping-the-tape-recorder-ready stuff finally payed off - LOL), and was equally impressed. Alanis has an indescribable ability to translate feelings into words and music.

One of her quotes that really hit me was, "I hope that there is a very confused 14 year-old girl out there who hears me speak or hears me sing and derives some sort of strength from that." I am just that. My life the past 2 years has been absolutely miserable, and while THAT hasn't changed overnight, whenever I hear her songs or read stuff she's said, I just feel totally... ok. She makes her everyday talking into forms of songs, and her songs into stories. I don't understand half of the stories, but that is what keeps me coming back; so I can learn them and understand the stories and words. (So what if I end up looking up half the words to a song in the dictionary? LOL. I mean, come on... Stoic... deliberate?) I feel as if I'm at total peace listening to her songs and reading the lyrics and interviews and quotes - her way with words is undeniably astounding, and anyone who doesn't see that has something horribly big blocking their mind. Alanis Morissette is the most amazing artist and person I've ever heard and seen; thank God she exists. :)

a huge Alanis fan (email me anytime!),

~Danielle
AlanisM567@aol.com