Batya Wittenberg IF

Batya "The Toon" Wittenberg has been an active filker since... well, looked at one way, since Lunacon of 1996, when she first sat down in a filk circle and successfully sang Frank Hayes's "Cosmos" without a printed copy of the lyrics. ("I didn't know it was impossible when I did it!") Looked at a different way, she's been a filker since she was a small child, raised by a father who to this day tends to write off-the-cuff song parodies as naturally as he breathes. Whether nature or nurture was responsible, it was probably inevitable that she eventually found her way into filk.

Batya tends to write funny and serious filksongs in roughly equal measure, mostly to pre-existing tunes, although in the past few years she has begun to write her own music as well. She enjoys improvising vocal harmonies in open filk circles, and indeed has a habit of doing so unconsciously at other times as well. She is a founding member of the intercontinental filk group Lady Mondegreen, and a card-carrying Ose Bunny.

She is also, in no particular order: a practicing Orthodox Jew, an invertebrate punster, a successful transplant to New York City, a happily married woman since 1999, an enthusiastic cook and foodie, a toon, a habitual online and tabletop roleplayer, and in no particular order.

Representative Work for the 2021 Pegasus Awards

Briarwood Lullabye (mp3)

Copyright © by Batya Wittenberg (with help from Will Sturman)
All Rights Reserved - Used by Permission

Cassandra, poor child, so frightened, so lost
Determined to fight us, whatever the cost
They sent you against us, and little they cared
How young you still were then, and how unprepared
But hush now, my girl, there's no need to be scared

Cassandra, dear child, so stubborn, so brave
You fight as though there were still something to save
I wish you could see that that's no longer true
You've struggled, you've suffered, but all of that's through
You're safe now, you're ours now, we'll take care of you

Cassandra, sweet child, let go now, let be
This guilt is a prison, forgiveness is free
There's no need for anger, there's no need to fear
Your brothers and sisters are gone, but you're here
And nothing will hurt you, my daughter, my dear

Cassandra, now aren't you tired of this game?
It's time to be done with the sorrow and shame
You'll rise alongside us, no need to ask how
Just hold your head high and the whole world will bow
My darling Cassandra, you're a Briarwood now