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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
Luck lies in bed waiting for the postman
to bring news of a legacy. Success is up at six a.m. and off to work.
FROM the¨BOOKS
TO BEGIN WITH
Thanks to all of you for the interest in the upcoming November shows.
Don’t forget to send your suggestions for songs and poems you’d like me
to perform during the special all request concert.
.ASK
ROD
ANDY WARHOL DIARIES
Is it really true you used to sleep on Brigid's
sofa when you were broke? ("Andy Warhol Diaries" page 375). I haven't
read it yet (on my list), but a friend just pointed that out to me. So,
I’m assuming they are referring to Brigid Berlin. Eric
Dear Eric, Brigid and Andy remember it quite differently than I do.
Here, from the book, is Andy’s diary entry:
Tuesday,
April 21, 1981; Brigid had invited Rod McKuen to lunch, he used to sleep
on her sofa when he was broke. He just moved to town and he called her
up. She went to Balducci’s and was really putting on the dog. So we sat
there and had lunch and gee, I tried to figure out what was fascinating
about him, why he’s so big, and I just couldn’t.
I looked up the same non-event in the unpublished Rod McKuen Diaries and
here’s what I found:
Saturday, April 19, 1981; Came in from the coast Sunday on the red-eye
and among the messages Edward gave me was a call from Brigid Berlin
inviting me to lunch at The Factory. She said Andy Warhol had expressed
a desire to meet me and to do some “renderings” of me. I assume
renderings means the Chairman Mao, Elizabeth Taylor treatment (snapshot
blow-ups with silk screen riotous color overlays.)
Fun to hear from Brigid and a bit surprising, it’s been several decades
since we last spoke. At the time she had this disconcerting and
expensive (to those of us who didn’t disconnect our sets in time) habit
of dropping by various friends apartments, ensconcing herself near the
telephone and making long-distance calls to acquaintances around the
world. When the phone bills came it was always an unpleasant surprise. I
started sending the bills to her father (he was a high mucky-muck at The
New York Times) he paid them but it didn’t seem to faze Brigid who
continued to repeat the offence. She was fun when sober but sloppy when
drunk.
Here’s an entry I made subsequent to The Factory lunch:
Wednesday, April 22, 1981; Lunch at The Factory yesterday with Warhol &
Berlin was weird. Andy hardly spoke but kept running around the table
with his Kodak Instamatic snapping pics of me. Brigid was Brigid, dippy
and delightful. As for the meal . . . what does Andy eat? He ordered
burgers and fries for all of us from the local McDonalds. Andy went on
and on about how impressed he was with Listen to the Warm. “Have you
read it,” Brigid asked. “No,” he confessed, “but I heard about it.”
So much for diary entries and the eye of the beholder.
For weeks afterward Edward kept getting calls from Andy asking if he or
I wanted to buy a Warhol rendering of McKuen. After hearing the price,
Edward always declined. AW’s final rejoinder was “They’re cheaper if you
buy three.”
Saw Andy several times over that summer and Brigid called last year
requesting a CD of my version of “The Ballad of the Sad Young Men." As
for sleeping on her couch back in the 50’s & 60’s, don’t recall her ever
having an apartment in San Francisco, where we first met or later in New
York. She usually crashed with friends.
But, what the hell, if it makes a good story so be it. As for brunch at
Balducci’s? As if. How do you spell happy meal?
I do have some Warhol’s in my art collection, A Mao, Richard Nixon (with
the legend Vote McGovern) and a rare Jane Fonda done to promote Tom
Haydn’s California senate run. Certainly my rarest Warhol’s are the
complete Myths Portfolios consisting of ten images (Dracula, Howdy Doody,
Mammy, Mickey Mouse, Santa Clause, Superman, The Shadow, The Star, The
Witch & Uncle Sam.) I own two complete sets of the two hundred made. Got
one set for framing – they’re still in a vault and haven’t been framed
yet, and one to keep in the original portfolio form. So its Howdy Doody
yes, Rod McKuen no. Thanks for the note Eric. As ever, Rod.
WORDS ON THE WIND
Dear Rod, Oh. My. Goodness. Back when I was in 10th grade (1993) our
high school had an underground paper, if you got caught with it, you got
in trouble if you were lucky you’d find the paper stashed in the most
random of places.
Anyway, the first poem I have ever truly loved was in the paper. It was
Rome Itself and I just remember the breathtaking feeling it gave me.
Unfortunately, whoever had printed the paper was unaware of the author.
I had copied it and kept the handwritten copy for years afterward, but
in a move in 2003 I lost a lot of things...Rome Itself included.
I have tried google a few times, but have had no luck until tonight, I
tried the few words I could remember and googled them and what luck! It
has the same affect on me. My goodness, I don't know who you wrote that
for, but I hope that they felt really special and loved and wanted.
It's beautiful and I am so happy to have you and your website, so I can
enjoy your other work Thank you, Joy
Dear Joy, Glad we connected at last. Being banned in High School is
almost as much fun as having a book kicked out of Boston. Rome Itself is
still considered a bit controversial by some and as to the experience
that brought it about I’m not sure whether the other party ever saw it.
Many of my poems probably never reach their intendeds ear. Being a bit
shy, I often put them in a book and let it go at that. Getting the words
out of my system and down on paper is for me the major accomplishment,
Fact is I’m pretty sure some of the books I’ve dedicated to individuals
have never been read by them.
This site is in its 11th year on the web and during that time Rome
Itself has only been featured three times on The FP. Here it is again
for those who might not be familiar with it:
Rome Itself
I carry
down between my legs
Rome itself,
for you love Rome
and I would drive Rome into you
or drive you into Rome.
This room your coliseum
till you board your plane.
These arms your forum,
cats included.
Self-propelled am I
between the morning
and the midnight
I glide along your groin
and earn my wings
by testing out your thighs
like some new willful Wiley Post.
My flight is not away
not to or from.
Above you, below you -
I soar around you
and perch upon your second pillow.
I have no need
for such mechanical devices
as winged shoes or wings.
I am made uncommon by the need to know you
and thereby come to know myself.
Rome
though in the distance
is no farther than the dresser
and not so far away
that I can’t take you there.
For me the Spanish Steps
are centered on your tongue
and Caesar could content himself
with California wine
had he your eyes to follow
and your breath to capture
with his own breath.
We’ll go to Rome
as slowly as you like
and be there by tonight.
-from “Fields of Wonder,” 1971 & “Seasons in the Sun,” 1974
I’m glad you like the poem Joy and I hope you’ll visit The Daily Flight
Plan often to see what we’re up to. Affectionately, Rod
NOT EITHER OR
Rod: Sorry to bother you but any scheduled
concerts or are you just enjoying life? Mike Tomory
Dear Mike, Still performing when I want to and still enjoying life. In
fact 4 performances announced Thursday. You'll find a link to my concert
appearances elsewhere on this page. Thanks for asking. All my best to
you and yours, Rod
HIPPIE MOM WANTS TO KNOW
What a joy to find this website after so many
years. I would like to know (1) how current is the site and how
frequently is it updated; (2) are you still performing and, if so, is a
schedule for '08 available and (3) on which album will I find "A Cat
Named Sloopy"? (I am assuming Greatest Hits but where else?) Thank you
for taking the time to respond. HippieMom
Dear Hippiemom (love your handle),
A Safe Place to Land is as current as we can get it. I write something
new for it two or three times a week and on Wednesday our webmaster Ken
Blackie has a special feature titled “This One Does it for Me” where he
discusses aspects of my work.
Yep, I still make appearances (see answer to above letter and the
“Finally” section of today’s FP for info on a just confirmed signing
section in July.) If you’re away from the site for a while always check
the concerts & personal appearance sections when you arrive back.
A Cat Named Sloopy is on the Listen to the Warm CD available from
Stanyanhouse.com. An even
longer version of Listen to the Warm is included in the 7CD Bear Family
set If You Go Away: The RCA Years.
Thanks for the note and keep on truckin’ warmly, Rod.
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