To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing this letter on behalf of Michelle Levy, to strongly recommend that she appear in an episode of Twin Peaks. The reasons for endorsing this appearance are strange, coincidental, and compelling–and as such are consistent with the show itself. On July 12, 2013, I received the following email from Cassandra Thornton [1]:

“This email is an introduction for two forces that must meet. Bean, Michelle has some questions for you about palms. Michelle is the director of the project space at Elizabeth Foundation and a dear dear friend of very magical portent. More than a director, she is a wild creative thing who is working on a mystical project that takes place on Sunday. I so hope that you two can have a conversation between now and then, or at least in the future, where you might realize how amazing you both are and how much magical and intellectual and human traits you have up for discussion.”

After such an introduction, who could refuse? I set a date to Skype with Michelle, and in advance of our talk she sent me the following image files:  https://www.flickr.com/photos/26485170@N03/sets/72157634640043334/ (I am a palmist, and Michelle asked me to analyze the images so that she might learn more about how Agent Cooper’s hands reflected aspects of his general personality, as well as his past and future). In the course of our subsequent conversation, we discussed her upcoming performance, which involved looking at the hands of audience members and searching for similar markings to those that are found on Agent Cooper’s hands. While we chatted, I noted that many of the main traits of Cooper’s hands could be found on Michelle’s own hands, and wondered about a mystical connection between them. Surely this was no coincidence, as the same traits would be necessary for both their chosen professions. [2]

Michelle and I have kept in touch since then, and I would suggest to you that casting her on the show, even in a small role, would have a profound impact on her practice as an artist, a very relevant effect on her ongoing inquiry into the nature of Agent Cooper’s life, and a potentially orphic result on the show itself. Let me make it plain that Michelle is no mere groupie, nor is she a knife-wielding stalker; she has spend countless hours intellectually absorbed in the issues of Twin Peaks and its main character, reflecting on some of David Lynch’s concerns with fiction and reality in her well-received performances. Bringing her onto the show would be like bringing two far-flung but related bodies into orbit–magical things could happen, and I believe they would.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns. On behalf of Michelle, I thank you for considering this proposal.

With all sincerity,
Bean Gilsdorf

artist, arts writer, palmist
Warsaw, Poland

[1] I bring to your attention the fact that our mutual acquaintance is named Cassandra, after the Greek Κασσάνδρα, bringer of prophesies–certainly a portentous beginning.

[2] In particular: Evident in images 2, 29, and 35, Cooper’s middle finger is significantly longer than his index or ring fingers, indicating an adherence to the law and self-governance by rules; the shape of his knuckles (images 21 and 23) show a keen, analytical mind that enjoys mulling over ideas, bouncing them around and testing their strength; images 20 and 15 show a slight disconnection of the pinkie from the rest of the hand, implying an energetic communicator; and images 2 and 8 (note the relative length of the thumb) suggest an abundance of willpower.

Maya Suess

“Cooper is alive.” Of course Kyle Maclachlan would say such a thing. But this was over three years ago, at a wine tasting in Williamsburg, in a small shop that will filled with a mixture of few Twin Peaks fans, loyal boutique wine shop customers and passers-by who came in after recognizing the actor as he poured out glasses of his signature wine. Perhaps Michelle was the first person outside of a close circle of people who were privy to what is now happening: the resurrection of Agent Cooper. And who better than her to receive the message that there will be second act?

I have been privy to various iterations of Michelle’s project as it has developed over the past five years: I was in attendance at a lecture perfomance that was a mixture of auto-biography and a projection of Cooper’s spirit, I videotaped a seance where everyone felt more connected to him by event’s end and I have seen the photographs of him throughout the city. In short I am convinced that Michelle is connected to Cooper in ways that transcend fandom, or superficiality. She understands Agent Cooper is a part of all of us, and has connected many to that part of themselves that is magical, transformative and at times difficult to face.

This is not simply a testimonial in support of Michelle’s plea to be a part of the show somehow.  It is a statement to the fact that even the actor who is charged with bringing the character to life recognized: Michelle’s connection to Cooper and her deeper understanding of the character is rare and deserves an inclusion in the plans to re-boot Twin Peaks. Maclachlan even mentioned Michelle’s project in a subsequent interview, months later. The fact that the project remained with him for that long, from a brief conversation at a wine tasting is a ringing endorsement for her inclusion in the new episodes being shot.

Sincerely,
Nathaniel Sullivan
artist, NYC