Watching Alysa Liu

Sometimes, a facile narrative quickly gains steam. There is an idea that Alysa Liu has rewritten the rules; before Liu, figure skating was joyless, and now all is changed. But there was joy pre-Liu. Tara Lipinski's Olympics programs were joyful; also, Yuna Kim, channeling James Bond, was joyful.

But I get the point.

It's a treat to see young kids inspired by a brilliant performance. Both my daughter and my grade-eight student have commented on Alysa Liu.

A weird experience I have is thinking about the writer Elizabeth McCracken. While watching Liu (which I do often), I remember McCracken's advice to artists: "Subject doesn't matter. Topicality doesn't matter. What matters is the link *between* the writer *and* the subject. If the writer cares passionately about her pet frog, she can write something unforgettable about her pet frog."

That's what Liu does. She uses an ostensibly silly number--a number that she loves. She seems to care deeply about each element throughout the program. It's something that is difficult to put into words.

Hats off to Alysa Liu.

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