18 April 2008

a flood of emotions

a while ago I found some small tape cassettes from the late '80s thru the mid '90s. I had taped messages left on my answering machine. I gave them to neighbor Phil who transferd them to CDs which he brought over last nite.

Dad
Jonathan Williams
David Meredith
all dead within a month.
& there were their voices.

& so many others who have died: James Broughton   Joe Chaikin   Duane Hartzell   Bobby Lewis   Bernique Longley   Richard Martin   Algesa O'Sickey   Shannon Rodgers   Ruth Warrick. even some meows from my beloved cats Toby & Melina.

it was overwhelming to listen to more than 2 hours of messages from the past.

not all were from the dead. there was Bea Arthur's deep voice. & John Ericson singing Rodgers & Hammerstein. & Edmund White calling from Paris. & Jean-Claude van Itallie singing "Happy Birthday." & Thrity Umrigar wanting to go out for coffee. & Madeline Gins asking abt libraries. & Richard Grossinger planning a visit.

those old tapes brought back so many memories of so many wonderful people. damn. I've been a lucky man.

4 comments:

Montgomery Maxton said...

love bea! LOVE edmund! his book Farewell Symphony is what made me come out.

Tom Beckett said...

Very cool to have the resource of those voices.

Anonymous said...

We who know you have been lucky as well...

Craig

-K- said...

Jonathan Williams - the poet who just died?

I could not have listened to 2 hours of friends who have passed away. I doubt if I could last for 20 minutes.