Stephen Vincent wrote:
>In July of 1968 I was in New Orleans. Hellishly hot. Midnight Cowboy, the
>just out movie was playing. For the 10 o'clock movie, I stood in a long line
>filled with young men, many of them in drag. I had no idea that I was about
>to see one of the first (somewhat) openly gay movies in America.
>
>
Wha? Gay movie? Midnight Cowboy was one of the weirdest and most
depressing films I ever saw but if there was gayness to it, that went
right past me. Well, I was 25, newly married, profoundly naive (still
am at 61), and I was about to leave New York City for Upstate. I've
never lived in New York since. For me, at least, Midnight Cowboy was
the perfect urban nightmare for someone about to depart it for Upstate
and the presumed "vita nuova" of graduate school. "THIS is what I'm
leaving behind? Dustin Hoffman? Sylvia Miles?? I'm outta here!" But
gay? I was naive, yes. For all that, MC is one of two movies I refuse
to watch ever again. The other is Sophie's Choice. I'd rather see a
marathon of Todd Browning movies, including a colorized version of
Freaks. So I guess I'm bound to have missed stuff.
>Take advantage while we can before the media begins to fill us with fake
>sugar and nostalgia (the 'docs' are coming.)
>
>
I have a profound regret...and it predates Katrina...that I never got to
see New Orleans. I could either never afford the trip or was turned off
by the idea of the humid weather. I don't do humidity too well. But
that upset me only in the New Orleans context. I'd been in South
Florida in 1986 to visit some dying relatives (who else goes to Florida
except dying relatives?) and the heat had no redeeming social value
because there is NOTHING there except ways to get old gracelessly. I
knew I was not some exceptional being and could probably adjust to New
Orleans, but the opportunity never came. Now? I'm doubtful. I'm
waiting for the strip malls, WalMart, and theme parks (Resurrection
Village) to move into the reconstruction. They'll have a clarinetist
out front to do Pete Fountain imitations. Imitations because the old
guy will have died of shame.
Ken
--
Kenneth Wolman
Proposal Development Department
Room SW334
Sarnoff Corporation
609-734-2538
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