She read about the brazen bull, an ancient Greek torture device that transformed screams into music, and her neck hairs stood on end. People could be so horrible to each other. That night, though she often slept badly due to chronic pains and anxieties, she fell deeply into a dream: Greek soldiers forced her into the brazen bull, but instead of a bronze enclosure heated by coals, the bull contained the entire world.

In the morning, though her body ached, she sang in the shower. She would follow the example of the brazen bull and transform her pain into song.