SKF NOTE: Again, in reviewing boxes of stuff in preparation for a move I discovered a stack of Neil Peart/Scott K Fish correspondence held together with a tan rubber band.

It’s clear from Neil’s letter I was living in Washington, CT, working full-time as a caretaker of the CT home of film and theater director, producer, actor, and comedian Mike Nichols.

Neil must have been working on Rush’s “Hold Your Fire” album. It’s interesting to read of his struggles as “Art Direction Director” on putting together the album cover. He doesn’t say, but do we suppose the budget busting was the inside or the outside album cover?

In either case, I enjoy this look here at the attention-to—detail side of Neil’s personality.

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McClear Place Studio
Toronto,
March 31 / ’87

Dear Scott –

[T]his day has been kind of strange and stressful. I’m engrossed in my role as “Art Direction Director,” dealing with matters pertaining to the album cover, and trying to justify to the other guys and our manager an extravagantly high budget for the cover.

Our Art Director Hugh Syme and I generally collaborate on the ideas and the detail work of that projects. It’s hard enough getting everyone to agree on the title, and then on the cover ideas, and the “Battle of the Budget.”

Of course, it’s only to try and do something really great, and we can afford it, so hey – what’s the problem? – let’s just do it! I suppose that’s one of the weaknesses of democracy. Action is slow and consensus-bound.

I hate having to explain and justify these things, I just like to go ahead and do whatever seems best. I think there is a parallel in some of the things you went through with MD. In my mind I just want to decide the best thing to do, and put it in action, without having to present it to a committee for ratification. That’s definitely one good thing about being “just” a writer (or a caretaker?), at least you don’t have to answer to anybody about what you want to create (except perhaps the landlord – in either case!)