And Mark encouraged her, especially when she was hovering over his shoulder in their tiny studio on 14th street.

Andrea: “Maybe someone could sing this part?”

Mark: "Uh, who would that be honey?"

Her first songwriting contribution was “You Are Alone" part on The Monkey.

She began to butt in so often that Mark said to her, “hey, why don’t you write your own song." So she did, penning "I Don't Know God" with Mark helping her out on song structure. Not a bad start to write your first song with 9th chords and suspended 9th chords. Of course, she had no idea that was what she was doing, they just sounded right and her fingers didn't have to stretch too far

Andrea has also been working on a novel for forever. She is a sometimes shutterbug (check out her exhibit) and a hopeless poet.

Although she has gotten quite a few pieces published as of late so it's less hopeless. Here is a silly one she wrote —

always a writer

always a girl

left the guitar in the closet

went out to seek the world

returned within again

found she had music

despite earlier rebuttals

gypsy urchin

lost and found

And this is the poem she read as her wedding vow to Mark--

Come now, you be me
And I’ll be you
for we’ll be each other
forever true

Days are sweet cravings
with you near
the dearest of the dear

My best friend,
my laughter companion
my beautiful inspiration

You chase sadness away
wherever it tries to stay.

For you, I’ll always be here
even if I’m far away
because we’re so close
my breath is heavy with you
and within me such love
it feels sun-shattering.

Marry me
and I’ll always be happy.

(And he did!)

Note: Andrea says she will get around to updating this bio significantly some day very very soon. Because the writing is a bit old, kinda like her.