Letter to Belmin




 Hi B

Interesting … you ask who was I most starstruck by/impressed by during my work life … well starstruck … I guess James Taylor, maybe Patti Smith … James because his musics was with me on a weekly basis since I was in college and as I told him when we worked together … after we finished … I don’t make any comment about being a fan or anything close to that until we finish … you want to be on his or anyones level, professionally speaking … until the work is in the can … but afterwards I told him “I mark my time by your music a lot” and he was charming enough to say, “I do the same thing." And Patti Smith … who you should wiki … poet, fab fab writer, punk music ma … I told her my writing changed after I saw her at a club … sing and read and perform … “my writing and my friends writing changed after we went to your show.” She said “we all find our people.” So sharp and generous … 


So many people ... because my work life at the station covered so many decades … the person who left the biggest impression on me was Ossie Davis … u might know him from Spike Lees do the right thing … but he was very political thru out his life, big theater guy, beautiful writer and just this big oak of a man when I met him, married to a great actress Ruby Dee … and not young and so charismatic … beautiful voice, suit and alpha in a good way and even sexy and interested in others … that’s what struck me the most over the years … when artists/celebrities showed a genuine interest in me, the crew, the interviewer, our place. It’s rare and striking and visceral.


I watched East of Eden over the last two days … it's 7 hours … watched it with my sister and her grandson and we agreed that it was the best tv in a very very long time. Superb story, writing, acting, set design, music, land, costumes, theme, ideas. Rich. What tv should be and is hardly ever. So much to discuss/debate/disagree about. Fun. Important. A good two days with family. now on the train back home.


You asked where my fam lives … two sisters live out on long island on the south shore .. about 90 min or so train from me … the niece who I am closest to lives on the north shore … I have family in my hometown … nieces and nephews … 40 mins from nyc … 22 nieces and nephews in all … two generations. I have a brother in jersey who I never talk to, for years and years now … long story … but basically … he didn’t/doesn’t think I was a good enough son and isn’t inclined to talk things out … and I just gave up  on him after a long time feeling like he gave up on me … the only thing that bothers me about it once in a while … is how little it bothers me. Like I’m unfeeling or indifferent or something … which I like to think is not like me ... but that beats feeling like I miss him and want him back. He has three grown kids who love and enjoy me and me them … so I’m glad for that. Four sisters, the youngest passed away about ten years ago - and my judgmental brother. My immediate OG tribe. 


So I say goodbye for now. I’ve begun to read my first Cormac McCarthy … a fat trilogy … the first book … All the Pretty Horses  … its very much a western and has so many words I don’t know, regional, colloquial stuff  … and I hate to stop reading and dictionary.com … so I don’t and just keep reading, feeling a little guilty that I don’t check out a lot of words but apparently that's what I do. I’m liking it so far … but I’m only 80 pages in. I shall see. 


The little girls braided hair in the photo is beautiful. Working with kids . You’re a lucky man. And it’s always good to hear from you, faraway friend with faraway fun hillbilly friends. 


Big regards

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