I vividly remember seeing Oscar Levant on Jack Parr and thinking that he was the wittiest and most clever person I ever had the privilege of hearing. Then I read his book, Memoirs of an Amnesiac, and I was sold. Concert pianist and composer were his main callings, but for me his brilliant and spontaneous wit was the main attraction.
So it came as a real shock to bump into Levant as I was entering the dentist’s office and he was leaving.
Oscar Levant! Am I glad to see you!
“Every time I look at you I get a fierce desire to be lonesome.”
Okay, but I’m not the only one to believe that you are/were a genius.
“There’s a fine line between genius and insanity. I have erased this line.”
You object to being called a genius?
“What the world needs is more geniuses with humility, there are so few of us left.”
But you’re joking about the insanity thing.
“I was once thrown out of a mental hospital for depressing the other patients.”
That can’t be true.
“Roses are red, violets are blue, I’m schizophrenic, and so am I.”
You look good though.
“Underneath this flabby exterior is an enormous lack of character.”
Millions of people still adore your wit and talent.
“It’s not what you are, it’s what you don’t become that hurts.”
That’s harsh.
“I’m controversial. My friends either dislike me or hate me”
You made a lot of people happy.
“Happiness isn’t something you experience, it’s something you remember.”
Are you working on anything new?
“So little time and so little to do.”
But you must be in demand for talk shows.
“I’ve stepped on too many toes on the way down.”
But you would have a lot to say about what’s going on now in our world.
“It’d be nice to please everyone but I thought it would be more interesting to have a point of view.”
Maybe you just need to get more rest.
“I had always resented sleep as an intrusion on my nocturnal self-pity”
Ah, the amnesia thing still has a grip on you. Well, I’ll let you go but I just had to tell you how much I, we, have missed you.
“In some situations I was difficult, in odd moments impossible, in rare moments loathsome, but at my best unapproachably great.”
Jay Harrison is a graphic designer and writer whose work can be seen at DesignConcept. His mystery novel, Head Above Water, is available on Amazon and Kindle. You can also visit his author page here.
During the workshop Natalie had also suggested that writing with other people is a way of staying accountable when you just don’t feel like doing the work. Karli greeted me at the lunch break and stated without a preface, “We should start a Writers Group.” I thought, “Well, sure,” even though I had no idea where such a suggestion would lead. It was her blue eyes and the self-confidence in her proposal that convinced me to show up on Wednesday mornings at El Café on Cerrillos. The place is nothing fancy, rarely crowded, just right for what we do.
I know it seems improbable, but I keep running into famous people who purportedly died. What can I say? It’s a gift.
Another adventure unfolded on our recent hike into the nooks and crannies (i.e. canyons and ravines) of New Mexico. After a 4.5 hour drive down to the Gila National Forest, we made our way to the Doggone trailhead. That’s right Doggone. So named when an early explorer to the area…you guessed it…lost his dog. If you are consulting the map, this would be just outside the town of Mud Stain.
Are you okay, Sara? You look like you’ve just seen a ghost.
I bumped into Elvis the other day as he was coming out of the Double Dee Diner. He was loaded down with two big bags of carry-out. I don’t want to say he was looking stuffed but I’ve seen him looking better.
