Circle of the 9 Muses

IntroductionDispatches from a World of Stories

Scene I: A Small Club in Nashville, Tennessee

“Are you sure this is the place?”

As I pull into the cramped parking lot, my wife Robbie isn't confident.

“This is the place,” I assure her as I seize upon the last parking space, and it's not hard to imagine every first-timer asking the same question. Seeing it situated in a generic strip mall between a dry cleaner and a furniture store, one would never guess that this suburban Tennessee retail space would be home to one of the most influential venues of the modern music industry.

This is the legendary Bluebird Cafe, and in Nashville where songwriting is a sacrament, the Bluebird is the high temple. This cramped 90-seat club has launched the careers of country music stars like Pam Tillis and Garth Brooks while also supplying them with many of their greatest songs. It is a nest where stories are nurtured and then released into the wild.

I lead Robbie past the locals and tourists who line the sidewalk, bundled against the cold and hoping to score a seat inside. We head straight to the VIP entrance. Tonight, we're here at the invitation of my friend Billy Kirsch, who has written songs for Wynonna Judd, Faith Hill, and many others. His songs are rich in storytelling, and one of them—titled “Holes in the Floor of Heaven”—was named the Song of the Year by the Country Music Association a few years ago. As we find our way to our cramped table, we wave to Billy, who is just a few feet away ...