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(TV) richard hell in austin last night (memoir coming soon?)



we had a really great time at the RH reading last night.  as far as i can
tell, this was a unique event.  richard apparently had some connections in
austin, who convinced him to do this.  the reading was at a small french
restaurant (hidden in an industrial area), which is actually in an old house. 
the room was packed with 100 or more people -- a few more listened outside in
the yard.  it was cramped.  richard read from a small stage, preceeded by four
others, who read descriptions of writers richard admires, with samples of
their work.
 
we each got a great hand-made pamphlet with the descriptions and readings, and
a simple broadsheet printed for the ocassion, numbered (150 made). 
 
richard said he had just sold his autobiography, to echo, who did "just kids"
with such success (and, he said, the steven tyler autobiography -- so who the
hell knows).  the work seems to be more or less finished -- so i think there's
a good chance we will see it within a year or so.  just a guess.
 
i was really impressed with the text.  i think this may be a sort of male
counterpart to "just kids" -- well written, from the same period, and a very
different perspective (IIRC, patti didn't spend much time on descriptions of
breasts, or make multiple references to blonde pubic hair, or what can be done
with a "granite-like cock").
 
the first reading dealt with early TV, with a small, casual tom diss/aside, no
mention of RL.  mostly just a very beautiful description of what it felt like
to make that music.  richard did talk at length later about peter laughner,
which i really appreciated.  another section dealt with his relationship with
lizzier mercier, which i didn't know anything about.
 
he said he needed to end the book far enough in the past so as not to totally
piss off anyone he is close to today.  so it ends around 1984-85, when he got
off dope and out of music.  he seems to have come to the conclusion that he
had become a completely hideous dope fiend, a stereotype, and a man without
values.  so he changed course.
 
the reading was videotaped -- no idea if we'll ever see that.  i recorded
richard's reading (which lasted about an hour) on my phone.  if there's any
interest, i can try to upload it to yousendit or such. 
 
r
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