Hello! Do you like Twin Peaks?
This is not a pickup line. It’s a question I ask many people now shortly after we meet. Because if the answer is Yes, then we are about to become good friends…
My goal with the Small Awakenings newsletter is to create a safe and welcoming community for Twin Peaks fans looking to dive deeply into The Return & share their ideas with kindness and respect for each other’s humanity.
This is the start of a long conversation about a great work of art that continues to move me from the fundament of my soul.
Five years have passed since Episode 8 of Twin Peaks The Return cracked open small screen drama and let the light pour into a very dark world. However, I haven’t viewed The Return in its entirety since before I finished the first edition of this book. I can’t wait to go back through this material, fix some errors, and expand on certain themes and moments.
Besides the copy editing that the First Edition demanded, the book was missing an enormous value: You, The Reader, The Watcher, The Listener, The Dreamer.
The First Edition of this book was a lonely conversation between the art and me. But, a whole other part of the conversation was happening with you. I've engaged with dozens of brilliant, kind, and passionate Twin Peaks fans in DMs on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook Messenger, and even old-school email replies.
I have come to adore so many of you, especially those who have been so kind as to disagree with me and engage on respectful terms. Twin Peaks fans are the best.
In this Second Edition of A Skeleton Key To Twin Peaks, you will watch me publish weekly chapters. Each analysis and essay will be revised, rewritten, expanded, and thoroughly enjoyed. And there will be some with audio for those who like to listen while they read.
All the original graphics and photographs will be here, and I may even be able to inject some videos if it makes sense to the argument.
Everything that proceeds is an expression of gratitude and respect for the craft.
Chapter 1: A New Introduction To A Skeleton Key To Twin Peaks