Mirpy Daniels Answers Our Questions

The Alaskan Riviera is branching out into interviewing Northern Exposure fans, and people who have been inspired to work on a project related to the show. We’re delighted that our first interview is with Mirpy Daniels, a transplanted New Yorker who is developing a Northern Exposure musical (yes, a musical!). Maurice would be proud. You can find out more about the musical and her other projects at mirpydaniels.com. You should also take a look at the video for her song “Dear Dr. Fleischman”, which features a Rob Morrow cut-out.

You can listen to the interview on our podcast here.

We asked her to fill out our questionnaire and she kindly agreed.

What three words come to mind when you think about Northern Exposure?
Quirky, Honest, Magical.

Ruth Anne wears a shirt that says “Born to Bingo.” What would your shirt say?
“Life Is Too Important to Be Taken Seriously”  (Oscar Wilde)

What would you bring to a Thanksgiving potluck in Cicely?
Hmm, for late November with Alaskan winter on the doorstep, I’d probably go with a “brace yourselves with calories” concoction. So, probably–baklava.

If you could request a song for Chris to play on KBHR, what would it be?
Today I’d ask for “Les Jours Tristes” from the Amelie soundtrack. Back in Northern Exposure era, maybe “Eclipse” from Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon.

If Ed asked you to select a film for his film festival, what movie would you choose?
That’s a tough one.  Perhaps Dumbo.

Dreams are an important part of Northern Exposure. Do you normally remember your dreams?
Nearly always; very rare for my dreams not to trickle into my day.

Do you know many people who are fans of the show?
It’s the way I pick my friends. No, I kid, but….yes,  though Northern Exposure isn’t your typical conversation topic outside of our nutty fan circles, I run into people every day who get nostalgic when I bring it up. Lots of  “Oh, I remember that, I loved that show!”

Is there anything you discovered through Northern Exposure (philosophies, writers, films, etc.)?
I learned something from every episode, really. Too many to know where to begin. Two scenes do come to mind but they aren’t exactly an answer to the question. They’re about philosophies expressed by the characters rather than a mention of a Nietzsche or a Whitman.
One is when Ed and Ruth-Anne talk in “The Body in Question”. Ruth-Anne shares that her son was a talented trumpet player but she ruined it for him. When Ed asks if she didn’t let him play, Ruth-Anne replies that on the contrary, she didn’t provide any obstacles, and you need obstacles to see what you’re made of.  I love that.
The second is the final scene of “All is Vanity”. Chris says “It’s our solitude in death that unites us in life”.   Precise and poignant. I think about these—and countless other lines—all the time.

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Mirpy Daniels (Meira Marom) was born and raised in Tel Aviv, Israel, in a bi-lingual home. She graduated from Tel Aviv University with honors, with degrees in Linguistics and French Language and Literature. She went on to do an MFA program in Creative Writing at Bar Ilan University. She is a graduate of the Odyssey Fantasy Writing Workshop (2010), and the author of two books published in Israel, Of Sweets and Dragons, and Two Holes in a Hand Fan. In November of 2010 she moved to the United States. She has collaborated as lyricist with award winning composer Gilad Cohen, and composer Ronnie Reshef . Her poem The Giraffe Uttered Not was published in the 2012 anthology Rhyme and PUNishment. Currently she teaches Hebrew and French, works as an editor for World Weaver Press, and pours all of her creative energy into the crafting of Moose—A Northern Exposure Musical.