Mee#ngBobDylanandMyForestGumpLife2WendyGellJune2,2018(2)

Itwasinthemid1970’s.IwaslivingnearthecornerofBleeckerandMacDougalstreetinthecenterof

theWestvillage.IhadstartedmyjewelrybusinessandDotandDoratwoblacksistersworkedforme

makingbarreNes.

DorawouldsetthemupwiththegluegunfollowingmydesignsandDotwouldthengluethemwith

epoxy.Myapartmentwasupstairsandarailroadstyleflat.Thatmeanteachroomwasinarowone

aRertheother.Thebathroomattheendandthetubinthekitchenwithatablethatcamedownand

becamethetopofthekitchencounter.

IwentoutonenighttoabaronMacDougalstreettorelaxwithaglassofvodkaandmyjournal,abig

blackbookfilledwithdrawingsandclippingspastedin.

Atallhandsomemanwithpiercingblueeyesandacapaskedifhecouldsitdownwithme.Myheart

stoppedbea#nginmychestandIlostmybreath.

ItwasthemanwhohadwriNenthesoundtracktomyen#relife-BobDylan.

MyfirstboyfriendBillSteigerwaldtandIfellinlovetoDylan’smusic.AndhissongSheBelongstoMe,

wasMysong.“Shehaseverythingsheneeds,she’sanar#stshedon’tlookback.Shecantakethedark

outofthenighXmeandpainttheday#meblack.”

Icouldnotbelievemyeyes.

Imumbled,“ofcourse.”Andmo#onedforhimtositdown.

“Sheneverstumbles,she’sgotnoplacetofall,she’snobodychild,thelawcan’ttouchheratall”.

Iheardhefrequentedtheneighborhoodbutneversawhimbefore.

Iwasdumbstruckandcouldn’tsayaword.Istaredathimlikeamoron.Helookedatthebrightjewelry

onmywristsandaskedaboutit.IsaidImadeitmyself.Hesaidlikeditanditlookedlikeitwasfrom

underthesea.Heaskedaboutmybookandifhecouldlookatit.Isaidsure.Heglancedatthe

pagesofdrawingsincoloredpencils,pagesfrommagazines,someofmyfavoritepoemsprobablyand

maybetherewerepopup3-pagesIhadgluedinfromkid’sbooks.Ilookedathimindisbelief.

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PaintwithGra#tudefrommypicturejournal.

HerewasmyheroandIwasdumbstruckwithoutawordtosay!

Iwantedtotellhimthathismusicmeanttheworldtome.Itwasthesoundtrackofmylife.

“iftodaywasnotanemptyhighway.Iftonightwasnotacrookedtrailiftomorrowwasnotalong

#methenlonesomewouldmeannothingtomeatall.”BillhadgonetoVietNam.Bob’smusic,Masters

ofWar,the#mestheyareachangin’,wereeverythingtous..

Ilookedathimwhilehelookedatmybook.Itriedtogathermyselftogethertonoavail.Hemightas

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Apagefromoneofmyjournals

wellhavebeenthePopeorthePresident.Iwasnumb.HewasthecoolestmostimportantpersonIhad

evermetandIcouldnotsayaword.

ARer20minutesorhalfanhourhesaidgoodbyeandleRandIwastoonumbtoevenaskforhisphone

number.Iwassomadatmyselflaterforthisomission.Wecouldhavebeenfriendsforeverlaterifthe

damncatdidn’tgetmytongue.

IhaveawholegalleryonmywebsitecalledWendyland.ItisallartworkinspiredbythesongsofBob

Dylan.ThereisalotofwordplayinitandWendylandthedylaninthemiddleofWendylandisin

anothercolor.Wendyland.

OncewhenIwenttoaDylanconcertwithsomefriendsandmydollBeast.SomeonefromBob’sgroup

cametousandsaidBobdoesn’tmindthatyoubroughtherbutdon’tforgetwhoseconcertitis.

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Apain#ngofBeastandmydolls.

SoIputBeastonthefloorquietlyandwatched.Thankfullyshedidn’tactupandbiteme.

IwenttoeveryDylanconcertwithin100milesallmylifeandwenttomorethenIcancount.Allus

DylanophileswouldrecognizeeachotheraRersomanyyears.Wekneweachotherandhadaball.Ihad

adecoratedvideocameraasome#mesbroughtwithme.Iusedtocarryapursemadeoutofa

stuffedanimalandjeweled.IwouldpublishmyreviewonthepagesofBobLinksforyears,theyare

s#llonlinethere.IsawhimwithPaulSimon,Jewel,TheDead,TomPeNy,somanypeopleinNewYork,

Oregon,Jersey,Connec#cut,allover.

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OneofmyfriendstoldmemylifewaslikeForestGump.Ialwaysseemtobeintherightplaceatthe

right#metomeettherightpeople.WellIwasn’tatWoodstockbutIwaskindofeverywhereelse.

InthegiantearthquakeinGuatemalaCityinthe1970’sIwasthere.GotsoshookupmyboyfriendandI

brokeupthenandthereandneverspokeagain.

WhenthetanksrolleddownMichiganAveattheChicagoDemocra#cConven#onin1968Igottear

gassedandterrifiedandmetmynextboyfriendinadoorwayhidingfromthecops.Iwenttolivewith

himinCambridgeMasswherehewasgoingtoHarvardtobeanarchitect.

IwasonOprah’sshowin1986asherfavoriteJewelrydesigner.Itgoesonandon.ImetCliveDavisin

theelevatoratColumbiaRecordsgoing31floorsdownandgotupthenervetointroducemyselfandtell

himwehadasongcomingoutonhislabel.IrodeinanelevatorwithJesseJacksongoingtoafundraiser

forhimheldbymyfriendPrincessLillyLawrencewhoImadejeweledTiarasfor.IevenmetMo-

hammedAliwai#ngforourbaggagealoneinanairportandwegottotalkfor20minutes.Ialsospenta

fewhourswiththewriterofRoots,AlexHaley,beforeIeversawtheshowbecausehesawmetypingon

mycomputerMauriceinanairportlounge.

Maurice

IguessIwasbornonaluckyday.Itwasinthegiantsnowstormof1948,theyearIsrael

wasalsoborn,onthefirstdayofspring.ThedaybeforeIwasbornmyMomandDadwatcheda5alarm

firesiXngonpicklebarrels,myDadwaskindofafirebuffandlovedtowatchthemputoutfires.

Hewasatruear#standtookmetotheMuseumofModernArtwhenIwasonly3forclassesbecauseI

wassoprecocious.ThereIsawthetalltwistedformsofGiacomeX’sfiguresandunderstoodatthat

youngagehowthear#stseessomethingwithneweyesinawaythatcreatesarealityoftheirown.

HeboughtmeprintsofpicturesIlikedatthegiRstoretohanginmyroom.Therewasatreewith

hiddenfiguresofchildreninit.Iremembersowellfindingthefiguresinit,coun#ngthemanddeligh#ng

infindingmoreeach#me.