|
Rod at
Dos Vidas. Photo by Thomas Kist from the 2006 Arjan Vlakveld film “Rod
McKuen: A Man Alone” for Netherlands Public Television. Photo ©2006,
2007 by Stanyan Audio Video Archives. All Rights Reserved.
A Thought for Today
Be yourself. That's more than enough no
matter what anyone else thinks.
TO BEGIN WITH
Off to Fry’s today to pick up a new printer, then to my favorite Burbank
emporium Costco. A shopping cart full of fresh veggies topped the list
of musts and browsing the DVD section I found a Maggie Smith boxed set
(four of her BBC performances including Suddenly Last Summer co-starring
Rob Lowe and her 1972 appearance as Portia in The Merchant of Venice.
Now to find time to dig into it. Speaking of time I ran out of it just
before getting to a note from our Eric regarding the Andy Warhol
Diaries.
This one will have to wait till next week’s Ask Rod because it involves
hunting down my own 1981 diary and comparing his take on a certain April
day to mine. My recollection of lunch at The Factory that afternoon
differs a great deal from his. Meanwhile here’s a picture of Andy and me
that Edward snapped later the same year outside Lincoln Center. We were
on our way to see George Burns in concert and as you can see I was
wearing a tee shirt suitable for the occasion.
On to today’s mailbag.
.ASK
ROD
STONEHENGE & STUFF
I have several of your books and vinyl albums but have great difficulty
finding the CD's of some of the 60's recordings. I could listen to your
music all day and into the night without ever tiring of the beauty of
what I hear. You have a soothing timbre to your voice for me. I am a
heart patient and I feel my blood pressure lower just listening to you.
My copy of Pastorale, the two-album set, has wonderful shots of you and
Mr. Kelly in a field. What has happened to Mr. Kelly? Again thank you
for the wonder of the music. Beverly Gnau
Dear Beverly, Thank You. I pride myself on dealing with matters of the
heart so it’s especially nice to hear from a heart patient.
The photographs for Pastorale and the booklet that came with it were
taken over forty years ago and while his master is very much still with
us Mr. Kelly has long been a resident of the place where good doggies
go. To give it some perspective most of the photos were taken at
Stonehenge and in those days you could climb the fence and walk right on
to the grounds of the historic edifice. And what an experience it is to
visit this mysterious edge of antiquity.
While we were there on the photo shoot and picnicking in a field nearby
they were testing a new kind of commercial aircraft. It was a
co-development of England and France and called The Concord. In later
years I was to travel on it many times and every flight whether from
London, Paris, Rio or New York was a celebration. Ah, the good old days
when flying was fun, and not just on The Concord.
McKuen books, CD’s, LP’s and songbooks can be difficult to find but not
if you know where to look. The best source for all my ‘stuff’ is still
Stanyanhouse.com. While the
website doesn’t list everything, if you’re looking for something in
particular try writing Ben –– the head honcho. He’s pretty knowledgeable
and can usually dig up requests. We sell nearly as many LP’s as CDs,
yep, vinyl is back –– or never really went away for lots of us. Our
best-selling LP’s are Pastorale, The Black Eagle and Frank Sinatra’s
album of my songs, A Man Alone.
Stay well Beverly and thanks again for your thoughts. Warmly, Rod.
FOR SC
Dear Rod, My sister passed away, aged 27, in 1984.
Although the vicar did not know Susan personally he read a poem at the
funeral which I felt summed her up. He gave all in my family a copy of
the poem indicating it was written by you.
All these years later, I still carry the very tatty piece of paper in my
wallet. I feel it is time to type it up properly and frame it. I would
like to know the name of the poem.
The vicar took the liberty to change a couple of lines to make it more
appropriate.
''I do not know
what is more beautiful
thank your black hair
on a white pillow* [framing your face]
I have thought about it all afternoon
and decided not even butterflies or children
or the blossoms on the hill above the beach
can compare
If I had money
I would not buy a comb, or a red ribbon
to decorate it
Instead I might charter worlds
so you could walk in them
and everyone could see you hair.''
Many thanks to you, Debbie Beedle
Dear Debbie, Thanks for sharing the memory of the memorial service for
your sister Susan. Even at this late date I send my condolences because
I’m sure you still miss her and think of her often.
The poem is entitled for S.C. and is contained in my second book of
poetry Stanyan Street & Other Sorrows. I’m honored that I was part of
the celebration of Susan’s life and I guess I can’t complain if a vicar
changes a word or two of one of my poems. All my best to you Debbie.
Kindest Regards, Rod.
AN UPCOMING APPEARANCE
Rod: I was lucky enough to buy your Carnegie Hall
concert album years ago and it is truly my favorite album of all my
CD's. Mike Tomory
Dear Mike, Nothing cooking in the way of projected Midwest or East Coast
Appearances, but Monday 6/2 I'll be announcing an upcoming West Coast
engagement. Thanks for asking and all the best, Rod
OVER THE LINE?
Mr. McKuen, The enclosure contains a copy of an email I sent you more
than 10 days ago. I assure you that it is exactly what it claims to be;
an attempt to insure that I am not plagiarizing you.
I must consider that you must have had even more innocent appearing
approaches, which turn out to be attempts to gain your endorsement.
Again, I wish to assure you that this is not the case. The intent is
exactly as the previous email indicated. I do not want to use something
that is not mine as original. However, I am on a fixed income and cannot
afford to go out and purchase every copy of your work prior to 1975.
I will add that, even though I write this as if Mr. McKuen were reading
it, I harbor no fantasy that this is the case. So would the reader of
this email please take the few minutes it would require to review the
two short stanzas (which constitute a small portion of the work) and
send a short reply. As stated in the prior communication, I am willing
to respond appropriately if this is copycat work.
Please offer me the courtesy of a reply. Ron
Kufner
Dear Ron, Sorry but I didn't receive your original letter. It probably
got trapped in the SPAM filter, I've got a pretty good one and unless
the sender is in my address book I often lose correspondence.
As you probably know from reading the notice posted on my website I
don't read unpublished manuscripts that are sent to me. There are lots
of reasons for this but the paramount one involves the volume of stuff
that arrives by post and e-mail. There just isn't time to wade through
it all and if I read one it wouldn’t be fair not to read all of the
others.
Because of your concern I did have someone knowledgeable about my work
look at your poem and his verdict is that you inadvertently picked up
several lines of mine and paraphrased others.
It’s easier than you might imagine to be original, Ron, it’s called
thinking. Sorry for the bad news but you did ask for an opinion. Good
luck on your writing Ron and all of your other endeavors. As for
purchasing all of my works, even I can’t afford to do that, but that’s
why God and municipal taxes gave us libraries. Kindest Regards, Rod
Click
on the Stanyan House logo to buy Rod McKuen books, CD's and lots more
Click on the heart logo to
subscribe to the Rod McKuen mailing list
Catch Rod McKuen live!
Click on the links below for details of
concerts and appearances.
ROD McKUEN
CONCERTS
ROD
McKUEN APPEARANCES
|
