Cover story: Tales from Scarlet's Walk by Aimee Lortskell While we were rolling through the sleeping towns, I'd drink it all in. Then when we stopped, we talked to people who were asking questions, looking at their relationship to America. I think people saw her as wounded. Even with all that death, I think people realized for the first time that she was alive... Then an older Native American lady came to us and said that some people will still refuse to crawl from their safe little world even though that world is no longer safe. It was at that moment of hearing her speak and being humbled that Scarlet's tale began. [San Francisco Chronicle, December 15, 2002]

Feature articles: A Tale of Two Cities by Liz Garlinge We knew we were in for something special, but it took me until the lyrics began to work out it was 'Desperado', an Eagles cover. Amazing. Her voice was so strong and pure and rich. As she sang I thought about the desert, a motif from the backdrop from this tour and the nod to the woman who knows 'every desperado and sharp shooter in the west' from 'Sweet Sangria'. The Peabody Institute: Building a Community through Art by Kenya McCullum George Peabody recognized the ability of artists to enrich the lives of those around them, and the Institute embodies his vision by creating a community of artists, teachers and scholars who uplift the quality of life of those around them. Research on the effects of musical study on children confirms Peabody's belief: Studies have credited childhood music education with enhanced performance in reading and math, critical thinking skills, self-discipline, and self-esteem. Wearing Her Tattoo by Angela Bacon Reid Tattooing is one of the more dramatic statements of appreciation a fan of an artist can make. How more emphatically can you legally tell the world that you like what an artist has done than by inscribing it on your flesh? While not necessarily permanent, it's not always simple to undo. It's a serious commitment, yet we encounter them often. In line at meet and greets or online on the forums, there are many with Tori tattoos. Tori's name, a line from a song, an image -- something significant they have chosen to literally embody. Toriphiles Making a Difference by Aimee Lortskell Armed with a little experience, we came back the next year with much greater success. This time we ran an auction during the convention, and that along with more careful budgetting netted us close to $2,000. Over the years, we've held the convention in Denver, Atlanta, Portland (Oregon), Raleigh-Durham, Tucson, and Detroit. We've had a lot of fun and raised thousands of dollars for RAINN in the process.

Tori Story: Amy Grant's Mischievous Doppelganger by Jennie Alibasic My first distinct Tori Amos memory is hearing "Crucify" on the radio in the early '90s. I would love to tell you that I got hooked immediately and ran out and bought Little Earthquakes, but, well...I didn't. In fact, for the longest time I confused Tori with Amy Grant, because her song "Baby, Baby" had been played during the same block of music.

Ask the Expert: Ask the Expert by Nadyne Mielke Our expert tackles questions about the size of Tori's back catalog, tour meet'n'greets, and even Elvis.

Multimedia: Kristeen Young Shows Us Her "Breasticles" by JB Anderton Kristeen's live shows match and even surpass the ferocious energy of her albums. She accompanies herself on a keyboard covered with stickers, and often the songs are preprogrammed, freeing her to pirouette behind a lone mic stand. Some of her more memorable pieces of stage attire include army outfits adorned with plastic guns and phones, dresses made out of Wonder Bread bags, and the words 'Obligatory Tattoo' written down her arms.

Reader submissions: Finding Tori by Laurie Ellis When I first saw Tori, I just felt this deep sense of joy. She radiates a serenity that immediately calmed the rest of us and brought a tone of reverence to the event. I remember seeing her bent head, her long hair pulled back in a turquoise clip. I remember hearing someone comment on that: on how beautiful she was. ... Plus poems by Kathy Schmoyer and Joanne Elizabeth.

We are unfortunately sold out of this issue.