Mask references my background in the field of religious studies. Somewhere in that massive load of books graduate students are required to read was a book about indigenous cultures in which masking is an important part of their religious experience. Donning a mask is much more than masquerading; by the act of masking, the devotee becomes what he/she is portraying. I find that a very compelling notion, and leads me to think about a tradition I have become very familiar with, that of Carnival celebrations. In Brazil, Venice and New Orleans (among other places) the donning of the mask allows a person to become someone else, if only for a short time. Obviously, masking is a powerful way to enter a portal.