"Film Fun" (May 1922)

found this photo of May McAvoy & Lois Wilson online:



& here they are 53 years later with me:

thx Montgomery. an honor to be read by you & to share this video with all those bright young poets.

in the air

this morning I wrote a poem in which Greg Bautzer has a central role.

this afternoon Sitemeter reveald that someone found an old post abt him I'd completely forgotten in a search & clickd on it at the same time I was putting the poem online.

early Marilyn

Sylvia Sidney (1910-1999)

the centennial of one of my favorite actresses



with Miss Sidney at my house in Twin Lakes in 1974

Zuill Bailey
calls his cello
J-Lo

Markham Arms

yesterday was Lucille Ball's 99th birthday & Stephen Rutledge postd this video in tribute:



at the beginning when Lucy arrives in Chelsea we see the pub I mentiond recently behind her. again it was a thrill to see it as it was when I drank there.

YOU IN SILK BOXERS
ME IN COTTON BRIEFS

          for Tom Beckett

"Deleuze & Foucault
go to the movies"
Woody Allen
tells
Milton Berle
while setting up
a low-angle shot

"shit"
interrupts Uncle Miltie
"I left a lit cigar
in Ilona Massey's
dressing room
40 years ago"

exactly 41 years ago

I threw a party for the guest artists of the Blossom Kent Art Program. one was Wayne Thiebaud. I liked his work then & still do.



Thiebaud -- who turns 90 in a few months -- continues to paint vigorously. he's in town for a show of current work (mostly mountains) with a sprinkle of older signature pieces (a dessert & some ties). he's still a gracious man (claiming to actually remember my party).

ONSLOW STEVENS WALKS NAKED
DOWN SUNSET BLVD

or was it in
a Joan Woodbury western?

the thing abt those of us
who spend so much time
in the dark
is that the stories blend

bios of our demigods
overlap with their scripts
so after seeing Stevens
on screen with Lila Lee
I close my eyes
& picture them
sharing a flask on set

those of us
who spend so much time
in the dark
know the catechism
by heart
so if Onslow Stevens never
walkd naked down Sunset Blvd
we know he walkd naked
where other people don't
& when we tell that story
it trips memories
of him filling screens
opposite Lois Wilson & Audrey Totter

for us
the font of holy water
is a bowl of chili
at Chasen's
& the shadow behind us
is Onslow Stevens
wearing only a moustache

lightning strikes twice

when I put the DVD in last nite the weather seemd fine. but suddenly during "House of Danger" there was lightning on screen that was a key element of the script at the exact moment that there was lightning outside. that overlap was startling.



it was the minorest of movies & its star Onslow Stevens is largely forgotten today. he came from a show biz family & was a nudist. late in life he sufferd from alcoholism & died a mysterious death which some think was murder. in another overlap he made "House of Danger" in 1934 -- the same year he did 2 quickie pictures with leading lady Lila Lee who I was featuring here.

1930

Wittgensteinian?

the image of Tom Beckett slapping himself seems Threestoogian.

Literary Underground Wiki

Coach & Horses (1937-2010)

this famous Hollywood bar servd its last beer last nite.

in the 24 years I was a regular at Chateau Marmont I walkd past this Sunset Blvd establishment hundreds of times. it was a watering hole for scores of film celebs -- from Alfred Hitchcock to Barbara Payton. some scenes for "Pulp Fiction" were written in its red naugahyde booths.

the space is ownd by neighbor Samuel French Books which raisd the rent so high the owner sd nix.

major rain tonite

affinity

Jim Cory
wearing my tie

he's adept
at chopstix
& words

"im(brick)ation"

snatchd
from rubble
of General Industries



taken
to Dad's grave
in Amherst



posed
beside
"Dad's Last Garden"



& on his 92nd birthday
I place
this brick
on one
with our name
in Cathedral Park

R. B. Sprague (1937-2010)

this is Roger in his prime on Fire Island 39 years ago.

one of his paintings was the first illustration I postd on this blog. Roger participatd in the Century Dimes. "Butch Series" (2002) was a piece which used his work. he photographd my most popular video in his studio. & he took that polaroid that Richard Lopez recently postd on his blog. its reception promptd the ailing R. B. to quip that perhaps he had a future as a photographer.

Roger found the humor in everything & was able to make me laugh till my sides hurt. I miss him already.

Kiedrowski's

Gary Hrusch just sent me this picture he took last week at the glorious bakery in Amherst. I was having a difficult time deciding what to purchase since there were so many goodies. I got a nut roll for Mom & a cherry turnover for myself.

"Avatars"

Andrew Oleksiuk (who participatd in my "Tie One On") curated this show at Stamp Art Museum.

my reading

thx to John Burroughs & Diane Borsenik for allowing me to read in Lakewood last week.

we three spent the day among the dead. & John video'd me reading "All in the Eye" in front of Terminal Tower.



to mark the 80th anniversary of that great structure I read the Cleveland section of Ohio Triangle that nite at Bela Dubby. when I read "All in the Eye" I brought out the antique souvenir of Terminal Tower Mom found at a sale years ago.

"Dead Poets Day"

1.     d. a. levy

mountains
on his gravestone
instead of
Terminal Tower

2.     Hart Crane


his statue
at Case Western Reserve
moved
behind the library
but Hart
doesn't mind
he gazes
at Museum of Art
Gehry building
& that field
where anything
can happen at nite

3.     Daniel Thompson


I walk from
Terminal Tower
down Daniel's Way
happy
that Cleveland
names its alleys
for poets

always sweet

to spend time with Mom (seen here with Bill Berger mail art). but the week in Ohio was a challenge because of the weather. heat wave which producd hideous humidity. of course this morning as Mom & I waitd on the porch for my cousin Sal it was lovely.

my second flight home took off at DFW just before a big storm. & I got to ABQ just before a storm there.

readers

Sitemeter allows me some information abt those who come here. I find that the most international visitors seem to be interestd in handsome men. my postings on Ben Barnes & Robert Drivas continue to be popular.

not many who visit leave comments. even when they sting I leave them -- unless they are in a language which I can't read. I presume the preponderance of Chinese comments are spam. those I delete.

the comment by Rondell on my last post is curious. I don't know this person so I don't know if her comment is meant to be wit. I was thinking of deleting it -- in case the distinguishd comnposer mite find it here. but then I figure that anyone in the public eye becomes used to all manner of commentary.

so Rondell -- welcome. perhaps if you look around here you may enjoy some Drivas booty or Capello biceps or the twinkle in Buddy Guy's eye. & if none of that appeals you'll have to make do with a poem.

opening concert of Chamber Music Festival season

Jake Heggie playd Jake Heggie ("The Deepest Desire")


featuring Susan Graham

the longer I live

the stranger the synchronicities.

when I was a kid I loved the ice skating shows that came to Cleveland Arena. Mom & Dad & I often went to see the annual spectaculars put on by Ice Capades & Ice Follies. I came to know & love certain skaters as much as I did movie stars.

not long after arriving in Santa Fe I learnd that a woman who workd out beside me at the gym was Frances Dorsey who had been in Ice Follies. I checkd my old programs & discoverd that a couple of months before my 13th birthday I'd seen her featurd in the production number "Pueblo Ceremonial."



I thot it was strange indeed that all those years after seeing her skate in that particular number I shd be lifting weights beside her in this country of pueblos.

we never became friends & she eventually stoppd going to my gym. & in recent years I hadn't seen her around town. but then just the other day as I was walking to the gym the name Frances Dorsey jumpd into my head & shortly after out again.

in today's paper I read her obituary. she died the day before her name suddenly came to me. now this sort of thing has happend before but usually with people who were close. I literally hadn't thot of her in some time nor discussd her with anyone.

changes

I love the way movies can capture a time & bring it back. last nite I watchd a British film of little note. but there was a moment of the Markham Arms. on my first visit to London I spent several nites in that pub. met a handsome chap there by the name of Ian Grimshaw (who later moved to Hollywood).

when the movie was over I googld Markham Arms & was shockd to learn that it is now a bank.

Cow Appreciation Day

PeeWee Herman informs us of this "holiday."

it immediately brought to mind 2 events a decade apart.



this is my best friend from high school T. R. Queen at a 1961 picnic



& I remember getting off the elevator at the Whitney in 1971 for the Warhol exhibition & seeing all those cows on his wallpaper.

a couple of swells

today
is the centenial of
WILLIAM HANNA
the New Mexican
who was half of Hanna-Barbera
& the voice of Tom the Cat

&
the 80th birthday of
POLLY BERGEN
who continues
to perform

Harvey Pekar (1939-2010)

one reason

for my decision to move to Santa Fe is the rich cultural life. it's yearlong but in summer one becomes nearly frantic trying to keep up with music & art events.

this weekend has been especially busy. yesterday neighbor Rita & I took in the annual international folk art market.



every summer artists from around the globe descend on Santa Fe to sell their wares in a weekend extravaganza.



with basketmaker Nurse Thembeni Mdluli from Swaziland

nite out

can't remember the last time I was in a bar at midnite. but last nite I went with neighbor Phil to Evangelo's to hear Ryan McGarvey.



after a great set Ryan told us stories abt hanging with Jeff Beck at Crossroads. besides his vast talent he's a good person. I'm so happy that he's on the cusp of stardom.

as we left I spottd Cody Sanderson & Pat Pruitt in front of Santa Fe's most famous bar. I thankd them for the SOFA panel & we had a pleasant chat which included passing some jewelry around.

filmmaker Eames Demetrios came to town for a talk abt his grandparents. among the things I didn't know: Charles & Ray Eames came to New Mexico to visit their friend Billy Wilder while he was shooting "Ace in the Hole." & afterward they did a handmade book for him featuring photos they took of the visit.

SOFA West

jewelrymakers Pat Pruitt & Cody Sanderson

Joya Sherrill (1927-2010)

she's best known for her work with Duke Ellington but when I heard her in 1957 she was crooning with Teddy Wilson.

lovely

to be sharing dreams with Rebecca Loudon.

if the news has you down too

spend a few moments with these Carmen outtakes:



did you dig those shoes?

my life = my art

I woke in awe.

I'd been dreaming abt creating a piece out of my daily activities. I'd gatherd together a group of friends who were going to cross a bridge. we met so that I cd instruct them how to document the journey across the bridge & where we wd meet so that I cd collect that documentation for the work.

I woke glowing.

gluttony isn't patriotic

every holiday has its own set of traditions. the one abt the 4th which I've never understood is the hot dog eating contest on Coney Island. like so many "traditions" this one was inventd to sell a product.

but it's also one of the most disgusting events out there. first of all -- the hot dog isn't a healthy meal. then the notion of anyone trying to gorge on them is sickening. to treat the "winner" as any kind of hero is ridiculous.

from sea to shining sea

Ellis Island


Catalina Island

the list

is central to my work.

I spoke a bit abt it as a literary form in the interview with Tom Beckett. but it's also vital vocabulary for my visual work (see examples here).

altho lists continually come to me it's fun to be askd to do one. so when I heard from Bree abt her newest project -- "Cleveland's Favorite Songs" -- I was happy to write something.

so this is progress?

call me old-fashiond..... or just call me old

but I quite dislike the new look of Wonder Woman.

I admit that I'm a few years younger than the original WW but that she was one of my fave comic books when I was a boy. & that look will always be what I think of when I think of her.

I no longer follow any comics or that scene so I don't know how today's youth will react.... if at all.

but this old coot is shaking his head.

behind the scenes

tonite's rainbow

my bookshelves

Richard Lopez has been posting photos of poets with their surrounding book piles. honord to be part of his collection.

prophetic

when my penpal Bob e'd me from Texas that Alex had become a hurricane I immediately thot of a poster hanging in my guest bathroom. it was for the 1999 concert I producd at Santa Fe Opera. all of the stars signd it for me & in the top right corner Ned Sublette addresses me as Hurricane Alex.

Corey Allen (1934-2010)

Marilyn's chest

3
X-rays of
Marilyn Monroe's chest
taken
during a
1954 hospital visit
sold
for $45,000
in Las Vegas

Scopitone

after Soundies but before music videos came the Scopitone.

originally a product of France these short films featurd stars such as Brigitte Bardot & Jeanmarie. Claude Lelouch was a prolific director of Scopitones including a couple starring Petula Clark. when it crossd the pond there were films by James Darren   Lesley Gore   Peggy Lee. even Joi Lansing. & Robert Altman directd one with Herb Alpert.

here's an example from Barbara McNair with some campy choreography:

pride parade

grand marshall Eugene Robinson ...


... faces the haters who used a bullhorn to scream at him "homos go to hell."

she steps

down from the wall of my guest bathroom for Bill Fogle

slowd down
by allergies

Todd Moore's desk

I spent the day in Albuquerque beginning the pre-cataloging of his papers. I filld 9 boxes with correspondence & manuscripts. there were letters from Paul Metcalf   Jonathan Williams   Theodore Enslin   Kell Robertson   Tony Moffeit   Robert Peters. & thousands of poems handwritten in notebooks   on sheets of paper   on almost anything he had handy -- from napkins to cash register receipts.

celebrating J. Stuart Blackton

the "star" of that short film is largely forgotten today. however during the run of "The Dissolve" he acquires a new sort of fame as his film is on a loop screening time after time day after day.



if Blackton is rememberd at all today it's not as an actor but as a director & "the father of American animation." 5 years after this film he directd Maurice Costello as Sherlock Holmes. he was on the streets of San Francisco filming after the earthquake. in 1908 in Central Park he directd Florence Lawrence -- considerd the 1st movie star -- as Juliet opposite the Romeo of Paul Panzer -- who some years later wd achieve film immortality as the villain in "Perils of Pauline."

in his 35-year directorial career Blackton was a frequent director of May McAvoy. he also directd such early film stars as Clara Kimball Young   Nazimova   Mae Marsh   Bessie Love   Myrna Loy. (& as a curious footnote for a few years his daughter was married to novelist Cornell Woolrich.)

he calld himself "the dean of the screen" but his end was another sad Hollywood tale. he was out of work & broke when he was run over by a bus.

neighbor Jonathan

my back portal was too hot for him so he found a plant to sleep on

progress report

"Dad's

Last

Garden"

Pantages

one of my favorite theaters turns 80 this month

I SEE SEENA OWEN
IN "INTOLERANCE"

lips & lashes
ubiquitous pearls

Owen enters
film history
bringing blossoms
to cheek

it's Griffith's
Babylonian set
a century before
its whisper
at Hollywood & Highland

she swirls
reaches across time
to teens
who don't know
her name

in the movie
Princess Beloved
plunges a dagger
into her chest

in life the words
she spoke fell flat
so she wrote
instead

when I climb
those stairs
under Babylon's elephants
I still see
Seena Owen
& when her hand
searches
it finds mine



(earlier this year Bill Berger took this picture of George Pavik & I under the elephants at Hollywood & Highland)

for sale

Kerouac's last typewriter

&

Trigger

where did his mojo go?

the Obama wandering around these days isn't the Obama I voted for.

I'm not sure any human being is up to dealing with this oil disaster but I sure expectd more of the current occupant of the White House. it took him 56 days to address us from the Oval Office & when he finally did it seems he wants us to pray the catastrophe away.

I feel sadder every day.

too late

Santa Fe Indian School -- facing unprecedentd criticism for dismantling campus   killing ancient trees   abt to destroy an architectural gem -- has hired a p.r. firm.

good luck.

my stance

on awards is that they are political & often downright silly.

however the one awards show I do enjoy is the Tony event. it gives me a chance to see what's going on on Broadway. some years that's not much.

last nite had its expectd highs & lows. for a Sondheim addict the lowest point for me was the murdering of "Send in the Clowns." I've never heard such a bad interpretation. & then when its singer won an award I was ready to puke.

"La Mission" : benefit screening

writer/director Peter Bratt


co-star Jeremy Ray Valdez