Wow.

I have gotten the nicest feedback about my tribute to Joanne.

In addition to the comments attached to the post, I’ve received 26 emails from readers. (I normally get about one or two emails a week from my blog.) A friend of ours forwarded the post to almost a hundred people, many of whom wrote me very touching thank-yous. Another friend of Joanne’s is getting it published in two newspapers and maybe included in a memorial at the theater where she and I did Grease together so long ago.

I’ve also discovered some factual and chronological errors in my recollections, but they’re relatively minor and I like the way they build the narrative, so I won’t change them.

I hadn’t seen much of Joanne since I moved to Chicago in 2000, so I feel pretty removed from her death. I decided not to go home to her funeral, but people have told me it was packed with family and friends, and all the music and shared memories made it last an hour and a half—all of which in itself is a lovely tribute.

I made the post for the usual reasons: to help me sort through my thoughts, to tell our shared story and to do my little part to perpetuate the memory of a remarkable woman. The fact that it touched so many people is a nice little bonus. And a great feeling.

And I feel honored to be a part of people’s memories of her. Thank you for sharing in that with me, and for helping me celebrate her life.