Untitled Cello Piece introduces a few minor characters and a fairly long list of fleeting characters who are completely unimportant and you can feel free to immediately forget them.
If you find it difficult to keep track of who-is-who here and you would like to… here is a list and an explanation of the structure of SelfWork. It’s not at all important for you to follow this. The members of SelfWork change frequently as people leave and join the semi-cult.
I have included all of this information simply because I worked hard to create this structure and I don’t want all of that effort to go to waste.
Locations
During Untitled Cello Piece Michelle moves from Sydney to the Gold Coast and back again. She also mentions Brisbane and Melbourne. You can look those places up on a map if you don’t know where they are.
She briefly mentions a home town which is the fictional town of Havenport which doesn’t really exist. The location of its non-existence is on the NSW South Coast somewhere between Woollongong and Nowra.
You don’t really need to know these things. They don’t matter. I’m writing this anyway because it’s fun for me to do so! Hooray!
Michelle Parker
Untitled Cello Piece is narrated by Michelle Parker who is also a main character in Tamika Wood’s Birthday Party Parts One and Two. She is 24 at the beginning of Untitled Cello Piece, which begins in 2007.
Michelle left home at 18 years old and has not been in touch with her family at all since then.
She plays several instruments but usually the cello.
Family Members
Although they do not appear in the story Michelle talks about the members of her family that she left behind. These are also characters in Tamika Wood’s Birthday Party.
Along with her mother, Michelle often mentions her twin brother, Alan Sebastian. She references Scott who is the father of the baby she left behind. She does not refer to the baby by name. She has never met her father.
She also mentions Sam who does not appear in Tamika Wood’s Birthday Party. Sam was a friend of Cello’s mother.
Important Minor Characters
Prior to joining SelfWork, Michelle had a small group of friends in Sydney. These characters show up later or are mentioned throughout the story.
- Smithy – her boyfriend at the time
- Dan – leader of the band she and Smithy were in
- Bethany – Dan’s wife
SelfWork Structure
Michelle joins a cult-lite organisation when she moves to the Gold Coast. It’s “not a heirarchy” but… (from most important to least important)
Owen (“found SelfWork”. USA based)
Listener: David (Australia, based in Melbourne)
Navigator: Opal (SEQ, based in Brisbane), Elaine (Sydney), Fergus (Melbourne)
Guide: June (Gold Coast)
| Name | Length | Facilitated By |
| Group (free) | Evening | Guide |
| Workout | Afternoon | Guide |
| Away | Full Weekend | Navigator |
| Workshop | Monday-Friday | Listener |
| Retreat | 10+ Days | Listener |
Unranked SelfWork members
Sarah (Sydney)
Craig (Sydney)
Also Mentioned
Isis – Sarah’s young daughter
Jim – Another member of Dan’s band