Artsy
I do not want solitude, introspection, work. I want pleasure. --Anais Nun, HENRY AND JUNE I received a nice long letter from Paloma this week. She received the Christmas gifts. I love receiving her letters because she always finds the most unique French stamps and to see that on the envelope is a treasure for me. Her letters are always a gift. It’s almost like I don’t want to open the letter for a good while as I gaze at the artsy feeling of the envelope. Paloma is “artsy”. She still collects miniature perfume bottles and in this letter, she reminded me of that after including a 1994 Catalogue brochure selling these "artsy" beauties (only in FRANCE!). She also included a cool magazine clipping of Drew Barrymore who will be in the BATMAN FOREVER film. Paloma wrote some interesting tidbits that made me laugh:
Dear Michael,
Thank you for your presents. That was such a great surprise. I found them right before I left to go to PARIS. I was supposed to write you from there. Sorry I didn’t but I only stayed there for six days. That was fast. I just had enough time to spend New Year’s Eve with my dad, brother and to take Jonathan to EuroDisney for the second time and to go see one movie I won’t recommend with Sylvester Stallone and Sharon Stone: L’EXPERT (THE SPECIALIST was the American title). I did a few more things in Paris and that was it. My mom wasn’t there. She is in Madrid.
What about you? I hope you enjoyed the holidays and that your mom is fine (and Alan, too, of course).I got a Christmas Card from Monica with a picture where she stands with her fiancé. She says she is pregnant and she is going to have a baby girl on April 2nd. She and her fiancé, Jim, just opened a small real estate company in KAILUA. They have a big house by the beach that they rent out as a vacation rental; so, if you want to buy a house in Hawaii, you know where to go. I remember you once told me about some people you know who were looking for one. She is asking us to go visit her. She says we can stay with them in their home and that we would surely love it. I’m sure we would and I hope someday we will!
I just saw a move I liked on TV it’s called THE CUTTING EDGE. It was made by Paul Michael Glaser. Have you seen it? I am now waiting for THE BODYGUARD. They’re playing it on TV next week.
Why didn’t you like PULP FICTION? I didn’t go see it because you told me not to. I also just watched again VICTOR VICTORIA. I love that move. That’s so funny.
It must be somewhat fun to be a star, but I would rather be rich than famous. Can you imagine how awful it must be to get old (can’t avoid that) when you are beautiful and adored and when people start to forget who you are. I understand the feeling of a world-famous actress as Brigitte Bardot. You know her, of course? She retired when she was still gorgeous, it’s either that or you have to do like Cher (who I really like) but I wouldn’t like people to talk about me like if I was Frankenstein’s creature.
Do you know Beatrice Dalle? I saw her on TV yesterday. She was in New York, so I think she words in the States. She became famous here in France about 10 years ago with a fantastic movie (a French one—that's kind of rare!) called “37-2 le MATIN (BETTY BLUE was the title in the USA). If you haven’t seen it you can find it on video. Watch it! I loved it. I really liked INDOCHINE, too. That was a beautiful love story. You have to watch it till the end though. I know people who didn’t like it but they stopped in the middle! Too bad we can’t watch each other's videos. I would send you a tape once in a while like we’ve made a movie in Disneyland and one from the holidays.
Can you believe that I left the States 10 years ago? That was pretty sad, remember?
I also wish you tons of happiness for 1995 even if you already seem pretty happy.
You should see my perfume collection. It’s huge! Last year I bought a display cabinet (I’m not sure that’s the right name for it? I found it in the dictionary!). I think I have more than 1000 little perfume bottles. It’s worth a lot of money now, especially now that they sell them. I sometimes think about selling it (when I have to dust them, or if I have to move!). I didn’t know you used to collect stamps, so I’m sending you a nice one on this letter that celebrates the new CHAMP ELYSEES. Do you know they are going to open a PLANET HOLLYWOOD there in March?
Do you make a lot of money with your stocks and bonds?
About the new BATMAN movie, I am sending you a picture I found in a magazine. I guess that’s the one you are telling me about (with Drew Barrymore, Val Kilmer and Nicole Kidman). I haven’t heard of the SPIDERMAN movie yet.
How do you get along with Alan’s daughters?
What happened to your house in Alameda? It belonged to you, right?
Have you seen PHILADELPHIA? Did you like it?
In fact, I don’t go to the theater very often (not so often as you do, that’s for sure!). I can’t mostly because of Jonathan, but I watch most of them (movies) on the French SHOWTIME or HBO called CANAL+. About the movies that you mentioned I think I’ve only heard about LEGENDS OF THE FALL and STREETFIGHTER but again I have to recognize them first because most of the time they translate the title---in other words you make my brain work! There is no way I will go to see STREETFIGHTER. I am no fan of JC Van Damme at all! In fact, I can’t stand him. He is Belgium, so he is France all the time and he really things he is something special. I hate that. Your movie critiques are the only ones I really follow (and my dad’s too). That’s a job I would love to do. Do you know that my dad did it years ago? When I was little, he had a card and he could go see all of the movies without having to pay. That might be why I love cinema so much. He took us once in a while and I remember DIRTY HARRY with him. I think that’s the right English title. It is L’INSPECTEUR HARRY in French with Clint Eastwood.
I’m glad for you that you type so fast, this way you will be able to write me lots of letters! I wish I was happy about that too! I’m really bad, that’s my resolution, in fact, to get better in the future! Especially today my hand hurts and it is almost 3 in the afternoon and I’ve been writing you since 11am. I just stopped for lunch. I’m not working too hard these days as you can tell! So, I guess it is now time to end this letter. I miss and love you. Happy Birthday to Alan’s mom! Paloma
My first cousin, Carol, sent a new address card. She’s moved to 3895 Whittle Avenue in Oakland. She also wrote a few sweet words:
1-21-1995 Michael,
Thank you so much for the beautiful scarf. It was a nice surprise. Too bad we didn’t get a chance to hook up. Well, as you can see, I’ve been busy moving. My landlady in Montclair wanted her “significant other” to move-in to her house and she needed my space. However, I managed to find a wonderful place...a portion of a Victorian House near the Morman Temple. I’ll tell you details later. Carol
On the night of January 21st Alan and I attended the annual APLA Commitment to LIFE Benefit Concert honoring Tom Hanks and Elton John at the UNIVERSAL STUDIOS Ampitheater. I’ve posted excerpts from an article in the LA Times below which explains the $3.5 Million night of money raised. It was a treat to be there among so many artsy people.
And Barbara Reynolds’ latest verbiage on handwritten binder paper:
January 23rd...
The waves come and go and here we are again. Party soon. Sorry to lose my writing energy, so I’ll see what comes out for fourteen minutes before bedtime.
So how are your resolutions? I received an order from BODY ELCTRIC: some videos and a mat. I have one already which is very good and now I have two more to check out. Once called ‘40 and Fabulous’ by Margaret Richardson who I discovered three years ago on PBS that was taped in Tallahassee, FL. I really love her simply, sweet, fun, healthy and beautiful approach to a healthy body.
Would you believe in the mail came a temporary offer to buy my Southwestern Bell stock, so I’ll take care of sending my YES response via certified mail tomorrow—but do you have any tips for the other five I’m ready to let go of?
Tomorrow I’ve got to talk to my realtor and also talk with a TIC expert about getting together to discuss an arrangement for my home purchase—complicated, so guess this is real.
Yes, I will see those HONG KONG China photo with interest and giggles no doubt.
Oh yes, my dream of walking over to VISTA, a block and a half from my office got cancelled last Wednesday. I guess not enough for the class but I will drive to Merritt this Wednesday 6:30-9:30 and check it out. Everyday things keep changing. Remember to Breathe.
Alice and I rushed to see NOBODY’S FOOL on Saturday. It’s a solid “B”. I thought everyone was good in this one—very nice surprises.
Joan Lyon’s son, Damian, stopped playing for the San Diego Chargers, waiting for the two new teams that will be ready for next year.
I finally spied a rainbow yesterday. It was well worth the wait. You know you’d think you’d see a lot more with all of the moisture but definite magic with all of that color.
Later, Barbara
As printed in the LA Times: Lifting Their Voices in Faith, Hope and Charity: Pop Beat: Stars raise approximately $3.5 million for AIDS Project L.A. during the Commitment to Life benefit at Universal Amphitheatre. by ROBERT HILBURN
JAN. 21, 1995 The annual Commitment to Life benefit concerts may be the only time of the year in pop when you care more about the size of an artist’s heart than the depth of that artist’s talent.
It was a night of deeds--starting with the raising of approximately $3.5 million for AIDS Project Los Angeles, a nonprofit organization that helps serve more than 4,000 people affected by HIV or AIDS. More even than the star-studded musical lineup, however, the evening’s true stars were the individuals honored by APLA for their contributions in the fight against AIDS: Elton John, Tom Hanks and Ron Meyer.
In saluting Meyer, actor Michael Douglas lauded the president of Creative Artists Agency as a man of modesty and commitment. “In a business where taking credit is an art form, no one has ever achieved such heights (or) given so much and taken credit for so little,” Douglas said.
In perhaps the evening’s most eloquent remarks, Hanks expressed his belief in the “healing power” of the human spirit: “Our disposition to kindness and mercy is something that can be passed along through avenues of influence that are both unique and common--through movies that play in our shopping malls, through examples we set for our children, through songs that play on the car radio to the respect that we extend to our neighbors.”
Bernie Taupin, the lyricist who has written with Elton John for a quarter century, saluted his partner’s role as the most active pop world supporter of AIDS projects, including the establishment of the singer’s own foundation. “When this epidemic is wiped from the face of the planet, we’ll all look back and have our heroes,” he said. “And Elton is mine.”
Elton John injected some levity into the proceedings by declaring that he was the evening’s “official gay recipient.” One of the first rock stars to acknowledge being gay, Elton John credited the late Ryan White with helping him regain his values and self-respect in the early ‘90s after years of drug abuse and other personal problems. “It’s my job to repay that debt,” he said, referring to the lessons learned watching the courage of White, the Indiana teen-ager whose battle against AIDS made headlines around the world. “As long as I live, I will help fight this cause.”
Elton John then turned to the piano to sing “Believe,” a new ballad about the power of love, and the rousing “I’m Still Standing,” which served as a salute to everyone in the AIDS campaign. The number was a fitting end to a classy evening of music in which the tone ranged from warm to witty, from celebratory to tender. The musical sequences of the three-hour-plus event were produced by Taupin and featured a large supporting cast of singers, dancers and John’s touring band.
Things began with a tip of the hat to the humorous use of cross-dressing in the various arts over the years. While clips from such movies as “Some Like It Hot” to “Mrs. Doubtfire” were shown on video screens.
RuPaul strutted through a flashy, disco-accented version of Aerosmith’s “Dude (Looks Like a Lady),” followed by Julie Andrews, slicked-back hair and all, reprising musical numbers from “Victor/Victoria.” Sandra Bernhard then offered a wonderfully energetic romp through the transvestite world of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.”
As other artists, including Nona Hendryx, a blond Terence Trent D’arby, Sheryl Crow, Melissa Etheridge, Clint Black, Joni Mitchell and Salt-N-Pepa, took their brief turns on stage, you felt more sense of a generous spirit than if they had simply turned over the proceeds from one of their regular concerts. At one’s own concerts, the cynic might say, you are in the spotlight alone--amply repaid in exposure and good will. By being part of a parade on Thursday, their contributions become more anonymous.
In that sense, Garth Brooks seemed especially generous. Here is arguably the top pop draw in the country these days, showing up for just a single song. It is doubly commendable because there were signs of a slight backlash in the conservative world of country music the last time Brooks made a social statement--1992’s “We Shall Be Free,” which spoke about gay and religious tolerance.
He had formed the ambitious design of starting an account at a savings bank. There are lucky days, when everything seems to flow prosperously. --Horatio Alger in his book, RAGGED DICK
