16 May 2006

congrats Eric

last nite the Village Voice presentd Eric Bentley the Obie for lifetime achievement.

Jean-Claude van Itallie introducd me to Eric at the Village Vanguard in 1968. Jean-Claude had written a short piece for "The DMZ"   Eric's anti-war cabaret. I publishd that work   "Take a Deep Breath"   alongside Eric's "Three Songs from The DMZ" in a special supplement to Toucan.

many years later Eric wrote this for Gildzen at 50: A Celebration :

For Alex is a man
Whose life began
In 1943
How old's he gonna be?
He don't give a damn 'cause he knows right now
It isn't how long. It's how.


Eric at 90 has been focusing on the how in a rich life. from this distance I cd hear last nite's applause.

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