With nothing to say that can be as fitting or as great as his own words, I will just remind myself of this quote, which graces the wall of my bedroom, right above where I should sit to write. It is from a speech he gave at the University of Wisconsin at Madison in 2003. It's worth thinking about.
"I realize that some of you may have come in hopes of hearing tips on how to become a professional writer. I say to you, ''If you really want to hurt your parents, and you don’t have the nerve to be a homosexual, the least you can do is go into the arts. But do not use semicolons. They are transvestite hermaphrodites, standing for absolutely nothing. All they do is show you’ve been to college.''
But actually, to practice any art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow. So do it. Dance on your way out of here. Sing on your way out of here. Write a love poem when you get home. Draw a picture of your bed or roommate."
Now if only I could get up the willpower to do a little growing a little more often.
"You and the police are entitled to know, since I am going to spend the night near you, that I am both a Humanist and a Luddite. I may hold a Black Mass in the parking garage of the Best Western Hotel, if I can find a neo-conservative baby to sacrifice."
I threw that last one in there because it makes me laugh. And if I had been there there would have been a neo-conservative baby for him. Just to watch an 81 year old hold a Black Mass. God I regret that I never got to see the man read ... maybe next lifetime.
