Tom's story: 2008
14 pieces on this page. Click a picture or "See the whole card" to open the card.
2008 — Tom was 29 and 30
14 pieces on this year: 1 dated to this year · 8 from a range of years, shown here in the middle · 5 made this year or later.
DATED TO 2008
1897YOU ROCK!!
September 3, 2008 (age 30) PROVED
LETTERS, FLYERS, PRINTOUTS AND RECORDS
A printed email titled YOU ROCK!! sent to Tom by a writer friend, sharing her novella and a short poem and asking to hear about him.
the card says: made at age 30
See the whole card → 3 pictures
ABOUT 2008: FROM A RANGE OF YEARS, SHOWN HERE IN THE MIDDLE
1151GOD IS NOT A PRO-LIFE RIGHT WING REPUBLICAN - T-SHIRT SLOGAN NOTEBOOK
about 2006-2010 (age 27 to 32) - an estimate LIKELY
PRINTED BOOKS, BINDERS AND NOTEBOOKS
A spiral notebook of hand-drawn T-shirt slogan sketches in ballpoint, led by "God is Not a pro-life right wing Republican", plus belief-type diagrams and thirteen card-stock shirt mockups, about 2006-2010.
the card says: written at about age 28 to 32 - an estimate
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125BETTER OFF DEAD
about 2006-2010 (age 27 to 32) NOT SURE
SET LISTS, SONG LISTS, TITLE LISTS AND INDEXES
Tom's handwritten brainstorm sheet of social issues - overpopulation, immigration, outsourcing, the vanishing middle class, subprime mortgages, the destruction of nature - in circled lists on lined paper, tied to the song HERESY SPEAKS NO EVIL (set list 10, track 3).
Dated from this piece's own words, the dated books and the pieces around it; this date is not sure.
See the whole card → 1 picture
A WIDE GUESS: MORE THAN 10 YEARS, SHOWN HERE IN THE MIDDLE
1559BINDER - 'TREVOR MOORE LYRICS'
about 1996-2020 (age 18 to 41) - an estimate - a wide guess NOT PROVED
PRINTED BOOKS, BINDERS AND NOTEBOOKS
A white three-ring binder hand-lettered TREVOR MOORE LYRICS, holding printed lyric and summary sheets for the comedian's songs along with Tom's own handwritten song ideas in the same comic vein.
the card says: written at about age 18 to 41 - an estimate
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1560Stephen Lynch Lyrics Binder
about 1996-2020 (age 18 to 41) - an estimate - a wide guess NOT PROVED
PRINTED BOOKS, BINDERS AND NOTEBOOKS
A white three-ring binder of Stephen Lynch song lyrics that Tom assembled, with typed index pages numbered by hand and a written summary after each lyric.
the card says: written at about age 18 to 41 - an estimate
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1942Major Country Problems
about 1996-2020 (age 18 to 41) - an estimate - a wide guess NOT PROVED
SET LISTS, SONG LISTS, TITLE LISTS AND INDEXES
A lined notebook sheet on which Tom brainstormed the country's major problems - lobbyists, paid-off politicians, big corporations, loss of the middle class, pollution, global warming, greed and more - with the most important starred.
the card says: written at about age 18 to 41 - an estimate
See the whole card → 1 picture
1943DISCIPLES OF DIRT
about 1996-2020 (age 18 to 41) - an estimate - a wide guess NOT PROVED
SET LISTS, SONG LISTS, TITLE LISTS AND INDEXES
Printed sheets with Tom's track list for his album DISCIPLES OF DIRT, giving each song's page - Pen and Paper, Daylight Again, Pushing the Button, Sunday Morning Sex and on - with a second sheet, My perfect album based solely on lyrics, extended by hand.
the card says: written at about age 18 to 41 - an estimate
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1945Assorted musicians CD
about 1996-2020 (age 18 to 41) - an estimate - a wide guess NOT PROVED
SET LISTS, SONG LISTS, TITLE LISTS AND INDEXES
Printed pages with Tom's track list for an Assorted Musicians CD of his lyrics sung by different online collaborators - Maybe Someday, Fight for Peace, Breaking the Chains, The Watcher, Downward Spiral and more - numbered and ticked by hand, with a lined notebook sheet of notes.
the card says: written at about age 18 to 41 - an estimate
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1995Songs for a Lady
about 2001-2015 (age 23 to 36) - an estimate - a wide guess NOT PROVED
SET LISTS, SONG LISTS, TITLE LISTS AND INDEXES
A lined notebook sheet on which Tom listed in black ink the 24 songs of his album Songs for a Lady - Michelangelo and Marble, Singer Songwriter, Butterfly, Table for Two, House of Shattered Glass, Fourth Chakra, Match Maker and more.
the card says: written at about age 23 to 36 - an estimate
See the whole card → 1 picture
MADE IN 2008 OR LATER
These carry a first possible date (a print date, a date on the paper). They may be later.
1142POEMS BY TOM (ANNOTATED WORKING COPY)
December 2008 or later (age 30 or older) PROVED
PRINTED BOOKS, BINDERS AND NOTEBOOKS
Tom's working copy of the printed POEMS BY TOM, its index pages covered in pen checks, red circles and handwritten song lists, December 2008 or later (age 30 or older).
the card says: made at age 30 or later
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12WATERING THE WEEDS
June 2008 or later (age 29 or older) BEST GUESS
POEMS IN THE 34 ALBUMS
Tom's marker lyric WATERING THE WEEDS (set list 4, track 2) on hot pink paper, the title written along the bottom and a printed June 2008 restaurant calendar with hand-drawn arrows on the back, published in Poems By Tom (2007).
This copy is on the back of a printed June 2008 calendar. The words are older: they are in Poems By Tom (2007).
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1902CD insert - lyrics by Tom Jensen (18 songs)
2008 or later (age 29 or later) LIKELY
CDS, CD-RS AND CASSETTES
A blue printed CD insert for an 18-song album with lyrics by Tom Jensen and music and vocals by a collaborating singer, including ALISON'S AIRPLANE, DEAD END, UNITY, FRESCO and MARRIED TO SOMETHING ELSE.
the card says: 2008 or later (age 29 or later)
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19374 WATER FLESH BONE
2008 or later (age 29 or later) LIKELY
SET LISTS, SONG LISTS, TITLE LISTS AND INDEXES
Two white sheets on which Tom worked out an album running order in black ink, renumbering songs such as WATER FLESH BONE, UNITY, LET DOWN, IN THE POURING RAIN and FRESCO through to SNOW FLAKES.
the card says: 2008 or later (age 29 or later)
See the whole card → 3 pictures
1948ALBUM TRACK ORDER LIST
2008 or later (age 29 or later) LIKELY
SET LISTS, SONG LISTS, TITLE LISTS AND INDEXES
A white sheet on which Tom wrote out a running order for an album of his songs - Unity, Fresco, In the Pouring Rain, Water Flesh and Bone, Little Bird and on to Snow Flakes - with the last few titles circled.
the card says: 2008 or later (age 29 or later)
See the whole card → 1 picture
MEMORABILIA FROM THIS STORY
Every card on this page is a real piece — 14 pieces.
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What the words mean: PROVED a date or a dated book proves it. BEST GUESS our best reading, not yet proved. TOM SAID Tom's own word. LIKELY strong clues, not yet proved. NOT PROVED an estimate from the pieces around it. NOT SURE the sources disagree. No word: the card gives none yet. "About 1996-2002" means somewhere in those years; the piece is shown once, in the middle year.