Fiona Apple has decided to cancel her forthcoming tour in order to be with her ailing dog Janet.
Artists often use unusual excuses when cancelling tours, but this new letter from Fiona Apple is something special. The ever erudite songwriter was scheduled to play a number of South American shows, but has decided to pull out of the tour.
The reason? Her beloved pitbull Janet. The songwriter is extremely close to her pet who – it seems – is not in the best of health. Posting a handwritten letter to fans on Facebook, the American artist outlined her reasons for pulling out of the shows.
"I can't come to South America. Not now. When I got back from the last leg of the US tour, there was a big, big difference. She doesn't even want to go for walks anymore. I know that she's not sad about aging or dying. Animals have a survival instinct, but a sense of mortality and vanity, they do not. That’s why they are so much more present than people. But I know that she is coming close to point where she will stop being a dog, and instead, be part of everything. She’ll be in the wind, and in the soil, and the snow, and in me, wherever I go. I just can't leave her now, please understand."
Going online last night, the letter quickly became viral. It's heart-on-sleeve tone is easy to mock (and many have) but the letter's sincerity and obvious empathy are difficult to shrug off. At one point Fiona Apple states her case clearly:
"If I go away again, I’m afraid she'll die and I won't have the honor of singing her to sleep, of escorting her out. Sometimes it takes me 20 minutes to pick which socks to wear to bed. But this decision is instant. These are the choices we make, which define us. I will not be the woman who puts her career ahead of love and friendship."
Read the full letter HERE.
