“They say that the courage to create is the foundation of all courage: in this, Thayne is fearless. He’s less an alchemist -who stands outside the process- than the crucible itself, from which a marvel of creation comes again and again. Or maybe he’s the phoenix, that bird originating -like Thayne- in a desert, and rising artistically from the ashes of what he’s already done, reinventing himself in fire, with all the heat and risk that suggests. Like Whitman, Thayne understands how to ‘sing the body electric.’ He encounters life with intensity, through writing and multimedia storytelling; filming; painting and design; music-making and music production. However, the creative process is never just a question of fire: to make an idea manifest in the world requires effort and the discipline of craft. Thayne’s dedication is remarkable. He takes into himself the raw materials of encounter -words, nightmares, windmills- even human breath- and discovers there an art that’s alive -almost fierce- with darkness and exuberance. His work brings us the flame.”

-Mary Cornish

FAIRHAVEN COLLEGE, WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY