Laurie Anderson and Lolabelle

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Performance artist Laurie Anderson is many things: instrumentalist, vocalist, composer, visual artist, poet, photographer, electronics whiz, ventriloquist and filmmaker. Her current "Happiness" tour is a new solo work that features stories told with keyboards, violin and digital processing. The music is a pulse and a metronome and also a self-portrait, says Anderson.

Anderson was online Friday, Oct. 18 at 1:30 p.m. ET, to talk about her current tour and her life as a performance artist. Anderson has toured the U.S. and abroad several times; published seven books including a retrospective of her visual work; and created numerous videos, film, dance pieces and orchestral works.

A transcript follows.

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