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ellen_datlow Mar. 9th, 2008 10:32 pm)
ellen_datlow Mar. 9th, 2008 10:32 pm)Yesterday, Jeanne Legault (Robert's sister), Jack Womack, Ellie Lang, some other of Robert's friends, and I tried to make order out of Robert's apartment on the Lower East Side. It was astounding: let me just say that Robert was a dumpster diver and acquired a LOT--just an example or two. I was in charge of the last room (which actually was the front room in a railroad flat)and it took me 5 hours (no exaggeration) to make my way two feet into the room, all the while bagging up papers, clothing --either for the garbage or for the Salvation Army, and trying to move 45s, record albums, videos, cds, dvds, magazines, and other sundry out of the way. I filled (with Jack's help) 4 1/2 garbage bags full of formerly neatly stacked or hanging off a tie rack neckties: hundreds of them. There were hundreds of t-shirts on the floor neatly folded in stacks--but layers of them.
After about five hours I was stymied by the fact that once I hit that two feet mark, there were stacks of record albums that blocked me from going further into the room without moving those stacks...and so far there's no place to move them TO. Also, we were out of room for the garbage bags...no more space downstairs in the garbage area and no more room on the landing, and no more room in the actual apt. We're hoping to get a dumpster tomorrow or Tuesday so that while Jeanne is back in Seattle--she's got to get back to work--we will continue to excavate until she returns as soon as she can. It may sound awful, but in fact it was like an archeological dig and I have to say kind of cathartic in a weird way.
An aside here: I've got packrat tendencies myself and I (and my sister, too) have always enjoyed digging through our mom's drawers (and when we were children and visiting our grandparents, our grandmother's too) --I don't recall if I've mentioned this in the blog before. But after being in Robert's place I told my fellow diggers that if I don't invite them over to my apt for a couple of months to please do an intervention!!!! And this evening when I got home I dumped the Playbills I've been saving in a stack for the past couple of years.
This morning was Robert's Memorial Service. About 150 family (only Jeanne and Robert's cousins) and friends attended and several people got up and spoke about him. Afterwards, 35 of us went to the Cowgirl Hall of Fame to brunch and drink and talk more about Robert. His ashes joined us and some of us drank bourbon in his name.
And finally, 12 of us walked down the block for some more drinking.
Photos below:
Memorial Service and afterwards
After about five hours I was stymied by the fact that once I hit that two feet mark, there were stacks of record albums that blocked me from going further into the room without moving those stacks...and so far there's no place to move them TO. Also, we were out of room for the garbage bags...no more space downstairs in the garbage area and no more room on the landing, and no more room in the actual apt. We're hoping to get a dumpster tomorrow or Tuesday so that while Jeanne is back in Seattle--she's got to get back to work--we will continue to excavate until she returns as soon as she can. It may sound awful, but in fact it was like an archeological dig and I have to say kind of cathartic in a weird way.
An aside here: I've got packrat tendencies myself and I (and my sister, too) have always enjoyed digging through our mom's drawers (and when we were children and visiting our grandparents, our grandmother's too) --I don't recall if I've mentioned this in the blog before. But after being in Robert's place I told my fellow diggers that if I don't invite them over to my apt for a couple of months to please do an intervention!!!! And this evening when I got home I dumped the Playbills I've been saving in a stack for the past couple of years.
This morning was Robert's Memorial Service. About 150 family (only Jeanne and Robert's cousins) and friends attended and several people got up and spoke about him. Afterwards, 35 of us went to the Cowgirl Hall of Fame to brunch and drink and talk more about Robert. His ashes joined us and some of us drank bourbon in his name.
And finally, 12 of us walked down the block for some more drinking.
Photos below:
Memorial Service and afterwards
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I think you would have enjoyed it. Remarkably, there was more joy than tears-I learned things about Robert that I never knew--his three of his male friends from HS in DC came and his prom date from HS also showed up. Friends of his whose names I'd heard but never met were there. Also several reconciliations between ex-friends occurred (not necessarily permanently, but a neutrality was reached between people who thought they'd never talk to each other again, so that's a very good thing).
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No one's working there tomorrow--it'll be later in the week when Jeanne either leaves the key or fedexes it to us. See you today for sure :-)
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I expect that it was a bit like an Irish wake (which I've never been to)
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amazingly kind of you...
I think it was Dan Posnanski who told me about THE OTHER SIDE. Many collectors want to preserve their collections beyond their own lives & donate them to universities, or foundations, etc. I never understood why someone would want to break up a painstakingly amassed collection short of absolute financial need, but Dan made a good case. He explained that, as a collector, he could well appreciate the joy of the hunt, & could understand wanting to afford that opportunity to another collector. I mention this because I'm thinking of the joy of the collectors who will now have access to all those records & books.
Ashes to ashes & dust to dust.
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Re: amazingly kind of you...
His death came as a shock to us all and this may be our way of coping with it.
Jeanne has asked all of us to take what we wish as we come upon it. Only once his friends are finished will the rest of his collections be sold or given away.
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a final gift...
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From Robert's High School Class
On behalf of the Class of '67, we feel a great loss in Robert's passing. I wish to thank all of you for your kind words here and the tributes you arranged. I would also like to thank my friends from Landon, especially Dave Yost, John Mann, Scott vanNess, and Terry Downs, for keeping the information available to our classmates and for being there for Robert's friends and loved-ones.
This bromide may not mean much to all, but, Robert, here's a nickel in the grass for you, my friend.
Sincerely,
Mike Poore
Chantilly, VA
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Re: From Robert's High School Class
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Anyway, I think that's really great of you and the others to help Robert's sister out like that. It's good that his life is being gone through by people who knew him.
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Condolences
I was so shocked and grieved to hear of Robert's passing. Jack filled me in on the phone and also sent me the wonderful obit he wrote. It made me sorry I didn't know Robert better, but enjoyed the week he was last in Seattle. I can only imagine what it must have been like to try and sort through his magpie collections. It was kind of you to give of your time. I wish I could help.
xo;
Les
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Re: Condolences
I think it's really only just sinking in that he's gone. It took me years to "accept" that Jenna was gone after she died.
The going through things has been kind of comforting. Ellie and I are going back tomorrow for a few hours to continue tossing out stuff and sorting things to keep. Jack and Rob and Gwen and some others will be coming over Sunday I think to work there, too.
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Playbills
Oddly enough, your labor reminded me of Jack Womack's story "Out of Sight, Out of Mind," which you chose for a YBF&H (#4?).
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Re: Playbills
I do know that major writers have sold their papers for quite a bit of money. I've donated all my correspondence files over the years to the collection at the University of Liverpool. They have all my OMNI files and I've been trying to get them the rest of my files cheaply (now that M bag discounts are gone).
Ah the Datlow collection of odd dolls and doll parts...or as someone suggested just keeping my whole apt intact for people to visit :-)
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Re: Playbills