Wednesday, February 28, 2007

 

Joe Brainard

He was always standing somewhere in the back and to one side. Not moviing. Yet there was a sense as if he'd just stopped doing so. Nanoseconds before Joe had been swaying back and forth. Ever so slightly. To a music no one but he could hear. The disposition of the body was always the same. Like a crumpled piece of paper someone had tried to uncrumple just a bit. But the crumples remained. The head bent. The eyes sleepily downcast. The nearly finished half-a-cigarette propped in one hand -- a half-finished drink in the other.

Oh how I longed to talk to him. But I didn't dare. I didn't want to disturb his half-waking repose. And besides what could I say other than gush? Ask him to join me in a chorus of one of Kenward's songs? That might have been nice. Stroking him would have been nicer.

Funny but that day at the Factory I didn't feel anywhere near so intimidated. But that was all about Andy. Joe was an "extra." But now, years later in a West Side bar he was a "star." To me at least. "Nobody leaves a star," Norma says.

Nobdy does.
Comments:
Hey David,
The Recognitions is a great book but a difficult read. I have the book in one hand and a dictionary in the other. I'm also reading P.K. Dick on the side to keep it light. I've also been reading your blog and I love it, but I don't see where you guys get all the time!
You must have to check like ten places a day to see if you got messages! I have trouble checking my personal email once a day and posting to my blog like once a week. I'm really grateful to you guys for showing me the light behind this blogging thing. I get like 100 hits a month to my website and then I posted a pic of two boys kissing on my blog and got like 16 thousand hits in a week! Hopefully that will translate into selling like two or three books.
Anyway, keep up the good work and I will keep lurking around your blog.
matty
 
There is so much brilliant stuff on this blog, and I now have it permanently bookmarked... the only reason I chose "joe brainard" as a place to park this comment is because I just finished "I remember" for like the 5-6th time. Hope all's swell with you! I'm a little frightened re: this photo of me & Gregg you mentioned....
 
You'd surely be interested in a look at Brainard's comics, which are discussed in depth with lots of images. Incidentally, someone is finally publishing a whole bunch of his comics -- specifically, all the comics that recycle/deconstruct the character of Nancy. Should be great fun. I forget the publisher offhand, but it'll be coming in early 2008. Very exciting news.
 
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