Inspiration for Field Guide to Longing

My favorite birthday present this year--indeed one of the best presents I've ever received--is the DVD Roy Orbison and Friends, A Black and White Night, filmed in 1987, a year before The Big O's death.

According to Wikipedia, Bob Dylan wrote that "Orbison … transcended all the genres. … With Roy, you didn't know if you were listening to mariachi or opera. He kept you on your toes. … [He sang] his compositions in three or four octaves that made you want to drive your car over a cliff. He sang like a professional criminal. … His voice could jar a corpse, always leave you muttering to yourself something like, 'Man, I don't believe it'. His songs had songs within songs. Orbison was deadly serious–no pollywog and no fledgling juvenile. There wasn't anything else on the radio like him".