HEAT:05 is inspired by my wish to somehow mark the ten-year anniversary of the 1995 Chicago heat wave, in which over 700 people died. In his book, Heat Wave: A Social Autopsy of Disaster in Chicago, Eric Klinenberg outlines the many levels of urban social isolation that led to the deaths of so many elderly people, most of whom died alone, and many of whose bodies were never claimed.

What can the response of an artist be to this tragedy? What is the role of an urban performer in combating social isolation? What are the forces of social isolation in the lives and work of artists?

If we know that a major contributing factor to the deadliness of this heat wave was its duration, how does that relate to a performance project that involves duration and endurance?

I decided to perform every day in 2005. My performances took many forms and were presented in many different spaces. I am a writer, actor, singer, percussionist, and mover. My performances in HEAT:05 encompassed all of these forms, alone and in collaboration with others.

I am currently working on a book about HEAT:05 which will gather together the documentation with analysis and background materials of the project.