10.3.10


-Being Red Skelton. 

Three memories with Hats:
1. There was usually a group of musicians over for the day or the fortnight blasting looped tapes out the second story window to see the street walkers reactions. These guys, judging by the sounds they crafted, majored in the most compelling + wonderful feedback imaginable. One handsome devil was obsessed w/ Einstein on the Beach at the time. We’d have parties depending on what we wanted to score. For instance; The Hat Party. People invited would know hats were mandatory. Eventually everyone would get drunk + a sea chapeaus would be left behind. Voila. +, if it ever got too weird, i could always crawl into my loft + pretend i didn’t know what was happening. 

 2. i went down to see the opera production director w/ a hat in question pinned together, mocked up to the nth detail. Upon seeing it, he ripped it apart verbally + shredded it literally. Humiliated, i came back up stairs to the craft room where Charles was huddled over a balsa block pining a turban. He glanced at me sideways for a moment + caught the mortified shock on my face w/ the hat draped over my arms in pieces. He offered, Oh, I forgot to tell you he’s in a snit today.  From Charles i learned of the blind nuns at dawn stitch.

 3. Manhattan winters are slap-in-the-face cold. Turning up toward the sun to warm our faces, we walked along planning a trip to the flower mart. We carried three regular coffees from Chock Full of Nuts steaming into the chilly early morning air. Heading down to the Bowery we traversed Union Square where we recognized the huge pile of fabric as Evelyn. She embodied a fashion statement by building a hat ornament day to day. If you had the time, you would notice that she added a bit of this or that to her chapeau everyday until her headpiece became too heavy. She’d have a two day break + then begin the building ritual again. She inhabited a homeless dingy heap moving from this place to Washington Park on quieter days. Kyle + i had been paid in cash for a restaurant installation the day before, so life was good. i casually handed Evelyn a twenty dollar bill + coffee as we passed her in the park. Her frosty breath rose from the lifeless pyre into the crisp air. When she bolted + came chasing after us, we didn’t know if she was in trouble or if we were. 

18 comments:

  1. cool pics...butthole surfers, go figure...i like the thrid one, personally...

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  2. Are you stating that you listen to the Butthole Surfers? Right on!

    And, yeah, screw Manhattan winters! Screw winter, period!

    Okay, not really... but I'm not much of a cold person.

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  3. i've heard of those butthole surfers. I'm glad that your little writing pieces are stretching, these are wonderful.

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  4. Jeff, Kramer is one of those 'old dear' friends of mine. -J

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  5. In the 80's weren't the butthole surfers a hardcore punk band? Then only in the last few years have they become mainstream. I actually have them on my playlist.

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  6. Ha ha ha... lovely memories you have.

    So, you wear many hats huh?

    hugs
    shakira

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  7. Cute picture of the Red Skelton hat.
    Don't you hate it when people get in a snitty mood? Some people are so dramatic : )

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  8. Oh, fun memories! love the pics, too!

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  9. Great stories. I love the concept of an evolving hat. Sometimes I listen to the Butthole Surfers. Sometimes i listen to the Sex Pistols. But I always like Mozart the best.

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  10. Sublime.
    I love the fact your you life is so complicated and rich and thick and lived that people assume it fiction.
    Nice record. re cording rec or ding.

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  11. hmmm butthole surfers--a new one for me---liked this post for its diversity and levity;-)tipping my chapeau to vous!

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  12. It is good to be able to catch up with your posts (whilst I have "started afresh" with most of the blogs I visit I would never dream of doing that with yours, there is too much to miss and my imagination could never fill in the missing bits) The memories were like three movements of a symphony (can a symphony have three movements?). Loved the post.

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  13. Really enjoyed exploring your site, reading your written word, and perusing your art. Quite fine indeed, quite fine! I will be back from time to time, to spend more time than I have at the moment...

    ...rob
    Please drop by and say hi at my cloud in the virtual sky >> Image & Verse

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  14. Cool memories, and quite a hat model you got up top there.

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  15. If yawanna get ahead, get a hat, right?

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  16. I wish the pictures would show up.
    Still and all,an excellent post

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