Ok… I’m reneging on my plan to post videos of the crackity crack hotel I moved into today because the people who run the place are so sweet and clearly work hard and care about the folks who live there. I will tell you that it is very much like the halfway house I lived on for four months when I got out of prison two years ago. Except maybe worse. The difference is that now I’m there by choice and my life is so very different today than it was when I got out. Two years ago, I had one friend in New York, one friend upstate, and Scott in Seattle. And I wasn’t speaking to Scott. Or Scott wasn’t speaking to me. Who remembers.
Anyway, the point is now I’m surrounded by people who care about me, I’m doing the work I’ve always wanted to do and, at the risk of sound all treaclely, my life has never been better.
This weekend I’ll be painting and Monday I’ll be having my tooth removed. I promise to get a post extraction xray so I can post a before and after.
A word about Ed Koch. While I was the staff photographer for the New York Native, Ed invited Barry Atkins and me to City Hall for his annual private lunch for the paper. Barry asked impertinent questions about why he, Ed, wouldn’t come out. I was astonished by the masterful way he avoided the question while saying – without saying – that he wouldn’t be able to accomplish anything if he were to come out. He then spent the rest of the lunch hitting on me to the delight of his aides and a very pissed off Barry Atkins.
A lot of people in the gay community have never liked Ed but, frankly, I’m going to go on record as saying that those people have never considered the political realities of New York in the 80s. Ed was the Mayor of all of New York – not just the gay community – and I believe he did as much as he felt he could politically achieve. I mean, seriously, can you imagine Larry Kramer, certainly his loudest critic, running – much less winning – the Mayoralty? I think he did a pretty fucking good job. So rest in peace, Your Honor.
Until something better comes along.... 
Welcome to the blogoshere Bill!
Thanks, Kiwi!
I thank you for your insight on Mayor Koch. He had a right to do what he wanted to do and he did a lot for NYC and our country. Nuff said. Why do people think they have to live someone else’s life.
Scott wasn’t speaking to YOU. That’s been the hallmark of our thirty years as friends. You offend, and I declare omerta . . . . . for a while.
S
Har!!! Yes, dear.
Yo, cracker… btw, I got da transcripts around here somewhere. Don’t make me look for ’em. Biatch.
I like your understanding of Hizzoner’s remaining closeted. I know both sides of the argument about not coming out, but individual circumstances need to be given some respect. I do like that he immediately blew his own cover by coming on to you!
This is way cool, I guess I thought you were a figment of Scott’s imagination or something.
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Hello Bill….. I use to read BIE daily when it included a lot of your correspondence and the history between you and Scott. As that died out, I would read it on occasion to see if there was an update on you. So, I’m glad that you started a blog of your own. I am looking forward to your book and learning more about you via your blog postings. I think that I might have met you many years ago, or a mutual friend might have mentioned you to me. I can’t recall just now. Eventually, something will jog my memory and I’ll remember.
Anyway, in this posting you wrote “when I got out of prison two years ago……Two years ago, I had one friend in New York, one friend upstate, and Scott in Seattle.“ That really resonated with me. A year ago, I had an encounter when several branches of law enforcement invaded my home. Fortunately, they only found some misdemeanor related items and no charges were filed. Believe me when I say that I was freaked out indeed. Even though I didn’t go through anything close to what you had to endure I quickly found myself to be w/o friends. So, I hope that your book describes how you dealt with the stress related issues of the arrest and incarceration as well as the loss of friends. Also, I think it was interesting that with the extreme stress of the search and possibility of incarceration, I didn’t seem to go through withdrawal. I was a pretty hardcore partier as I assume you were and wonder if your experience was similar, or on top of everything else did you have to deal with withdrawal as well?
Thanks,…. I’m glad that you are doing well and take care of yourself…… rob
Hey Rob. Welcome! Yeah, it’s all in the book. I’m on a painting sabbatical until may and then I’ll spend the summer finishing the book. Then it’s got to be edited and it seems I’m on the verge of having a publisher. I’ll keep you posted.