OBIT: A hero of mine has passed - Quentin Crisp

Subject: Obit: A hero of mine has passed - Quentin Crisp
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 22 Nov 99 - 12:37 AM

I just received an e-mail from a friend in Birmingham England, telling me that Quentin Crisp died today. He was 90.

Although he had no connection with folk music, he had a tremendous influence on a decision I made 13 years ago, and WISHED I'd made 17 years before that.
I discovered his incredibly witty writing and totally sensible philosophy, long after he'd become "old hat" with his prime audience - the Gay community. I'm sure that when some of my friends saw his books (like "The Naked Civil Servant" and "How to Become a Virgin") strewn around my apartment they thought I'd be making a profound statement about my sexuality any day....which was probably confusing considering how highly I valued the opposite sex. Nope this elderly Englishman had a way of speaking (and writing) to people who saw themselves as "fish out of water". Through humour and good sense he showed us how to find "our own special patch of water, and jump back in".
A simple philosophy really, and I'm sure one that has been advocated thousands of times by hundreds of "serious" thinkers.(which Mr. Crisp certainly would not have called himself) My rephrasing of it would be: Stop hiding what makes you unique. Take that which has embarrassed you all your life, and keep it a secret no more. Share how you feel, not only with friends, but with those you've known only a short time. You may take a few lumps at first, but after a while - though you may have doubts about humanity in general - you will get to know so many wonderful, kind and fascinating individuals, you won't have time to be bored. You'll be a heck of a lot happier too.
It worked for me. I'd always tried to mask severe shyness with a kind of detached cool, and learned an ability to be strategic in situations (romantic or professional) where I might get hurt. In my early 20s, simply playing for a dead-quiet attentive folk audience gave me real stage-fright - which of course I didn't want anyone to know. My horrendous solution was to bury myself in Holiday Inns, fancy hotels, seriously "dangerous" rural bars and roadhouses - places where audiences didn't give a shit whether you played well, only if you played the "right" songs. I'm glad to say that I've forgotten most of those songs, and turned that time of my life into memories alone - some of them pretty funny now. It was damned hard at first to admit that although I was constantly employed at pretty good money I hated what I was doing, for one simple reason: I was a "Folkie", not a night club entertainer. I may have been playing Eagles' songs in my job, but it was still Leadbelly, Seeger, Ochs, Uncle Dave Macon, and The Delmore Brothers etc. who made music so important to me.
Quentin's writing gave me the kick in the ass I needed. After you've told a dozen or so friends and acquaintances that you're quitting the bars, cause you wanna teach music and play folk venues, WHETHER YOU STARVE OR NOT, you damned well better do it or you'll look like a jerk! And shy people HATE looking like jerks.

So thanks, Mr Crisp. You lived life on your own terms, you made (and always will make) me laugh hysterically, and you died on tour at the age of 90, still making people smile..and think. Pretty neat!

Rick

Subject: RE: A hero of mine has passed
From: Art Thieme
Date: 22 Nov 99 - 01:19 AM

Very sorry to hear your news Rick. Sounds like quite a fellow.

Somewhere between the age of 50 and my present age I realized that I now probably know more dead people than live ones. I was pretty amazed.

Art

Subject: RE: A hero of mine has passed
From: Night Owl
Date: 22 Nov 99 - 01:23 AM

What a wonderful eulogy Rick.....I hope you find a way to send what you've written here to his family. Thanks for including the book titles as well....sounds like "must read".

Subject: RE: A hero of mine has passed
From: Helen
Date: 22 Nov 99 - 01:25 AM

Thanks, Rick

I knew about his books because they were very popular in the public library I worked in years ago, but I always thought that only gay people or those creepy people who like reading about things they don't like were the only people who read his books.

Now I might see if I can still find them and read them because I seem to be going through a mid-life crisis about just being myself, and what you have said here is just what I need to remind myself about at present.

I always admired and respected Quentin for being himself so I should have realised that his books would be worth reading.

Helen

Helen

Subject: RE: A hero of mine has passed
From:
Date: 22 Nov 99 - 06:11 AM

There is a wonderful photograph of Crisp done by one of the bygone famous English photographers (whose name I forget, dammit.) I will try to find my copy and look at it for a while. I hate to see genuine individualists go.

Murray

Subject: RE: A hero of mine has passed
From: RoyH (Burl)
Date: 22 Nov 99 - 08:04 AM

Well said Rick. He was a hero of mine too for much the same reasons. By the way, I played an old Tony Hancock tape yesterday. Thought about you.

Subject: RE: A hero of mine has passed
From: Terry Allan Hall
Date: 22 Nov 99 - 08:15 AM

An excellent tribute to Mr. Crisp.

Subject: RE: A hero of mine has passed
From: InOBU
Date: 22 Nov 99 - 08:23 AM

I noticed Quentin before I knew who he was, as he would spend a lot of time here in New York on Saint Marks Place. To stand out and be noticed on Saint Marks Place, for thouse of you who know New York, is a real acomplishment in its own right. He was to become a regualar patron at the theater my father built and ran in the last decades of his life, Theatre 80, where Quentin would go to see old films. Art, even traditional art is about the courage to speak truth to power in spite of all the odds and prejudices of society, or it is worthless noise. To all who made Quentins life a challenge, well... you gave him a chance to show he was the better man. If my liver was up to it, I would raise a glass, but here is to one of the greatest of Englands civil servants. Larry Otway

Subject: RE: A hero of mine has passed
From: katlaughing
Date: 22 Nov 99 - 08:52 AM

It is explained that all relationaships require a litle give and take. This is untrue. Any partnership demands that we give and give and give and at the last, as we flop into our graves exhausted, we are told that we didn't give enough. QC

If our love is given to the brave and the beautiful, they will become the millionaires of love. Then what will happen to love's paupers? QC

QC was born on Christmas Day. In the interview I have of him in The Portable Curmudgeon, he says he lists his ocupation on tax forms as "retired waif". He is blindingly blunt and honest in talking about himself and his refusal, even as a young child, to hide his homosexulality, even though his family wished it. For this, he suffered physical beatings and persecution throughout his life. Spent 35 years as an artists model. And still refused to compromise who he was. Admirable and courageous.

We will be forever in his debt for inspiring you, Rick.

luvyaKat

Subject: RE: A hero of mine has passed
From: Jeri
Date: 22 Nov 99 - 09:18 AM

I've heard Rick talk about Quentin Crisp before, and he always sounded like someone who's writing I should read. When I was young and first deciding what I wanted to be when I grew up (I'm still doing that) I eliminated all the dreams of art and music as career choices, because I felt the world was telling me these dreams weren't serious enough, and I felt I wasn't good enough. I stopped painting, and I stopped playing music for about 10 years. If I couldn't be one of the best, why bother. I play now, but I still shove the dreams into the background and avoid failure by never trying.

Thanks for the titles, Rick. I need to make a pilgrimage to the bookstore.

Subject: RE: A hero of mine has passed
From: Dani
Date: 22 Nov 99 - 09:29 AM

I will also hie me to a bookstore this week.

I heard his voice for the first time this morning, reading something outrageously funny on NPR. Too late, I realized Bob Edwards was talking about his death.

Bless you, Rick, for seeing the influence of another human soul on you, and sharing it with us.

Let's all go look today and see who's out there teaching us what, and if we can thank them somehow.

Dani

Subject: RE: A hero of mine has passed
From: Peter T.
Date: 22 Nov 99 - 09:37 AM

Rick, grabbing a few seconds at a local machine -- saw Quentin Crisp´s passing on CNN in a hotel room in the middle of nowhere, near Montevideo, and thought of how 3 months ago, I would have simply been mildly curious, and am now moved. Thanks to you for that gift, and to him -- what a rich life, and legacy. Anything much better than to have people smile when they think of you afterwards? See you soon. Yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: A hero of mine has passed
From: catspaw49
Date: 22 Nov 99 - 10:24 AM

Somehow, I had missed out on Quentin Crisp until about 10 years ago...at which point I wondered how that had been possible. A true eccentric of the first order, meaning he was incredibly brilliant to me. In a world of general blandness, the special souls are missed by me the most...be it a Quentin Crisp or a Richard Feynman. Thankfully we have the written words, if nothing else, to continue to bring those lightning flashes across the dull gray sky of our civilization.

Spaw

Subject: RE: A hero of mine has passed
From: Llanfair
Date: 22 Nov 99 - 11:24 AM

The BBC did "The Naked Civil Servant" in the 70's, with John Hurt playing the lead. I have been a fan of QC (his choice of name, of course)ever since. Particularly of his philosophy of housekeeping. He died in my home town, alone, and I cried when I heard the news. Bron.

Subject: RE: A hero of mine has passed
From: Jeri
Date: 22 Nov 99 - 11:38 AM

There's no real need to do housework -- after four years it doesn't get any worse --Quentin Crisp

Here's an obituary.

Subject: RE: A hero of mine has passed
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 22 Nov 99 - 12:03 PM

Ya know I've gotta chuckle at the name change as well. Nee Dennis Pratt! He never told (or I've forgotten) how he came up with "Quentin" or "Crisp". Perfect though.
In his mid-sixties he marvelled at why his hosts in New York wanted to take him to a night club to watch the "pretty boys". He said "Having tried to be one of them 50 years ago, don't you think I know what a shallow vacuous lot we were"?
Rick

Subject: RE: A hero of mine has passed
From: Penny S.
Date: 22 Nov 99 - 12:45 PM

A news item with a link to another obituary<

Subject: RE: A hero of mine has passed
From: Penny S.
Date: 22 Nov 99 - 12:47 PM

Ha, it's been intercepted en route. Click on Guardian, find the contents list, then Obituaries and follow through.

Penny

Subject: RE: A hero of mine has passed
From: Den
Date: 22 Nov 99 - 01:39 PM

I remember the Beeb film the naked civil servant with John Hurt. I thought Hurt was marvellous as Quentin. I saw Quentin recently on Bynon in an interview, he was really funny. One of my favourite quotes, "I am one of Englands stately homos." God be good to him Den.

Subject: RE: A hero of mine has passed
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 22 Nov 99 - 02:23 PM

I saw the thread heading and thought "that ought tio be Quentin Crisp, but it won't be"... And the it was after all.

You know this Mudcat is a good place.

There was a thread a few weeks back, talking about whether there were any real heroes. Noone mentioned Quentin, but we should have. And Dennis Potter, that's another. and Jennifer Patterson. You don't know them till they're dead.

But a heart attack at 90, on the eve of a sold-out tour of England, not a bad way to go. A pity he didn't do a couple of the goodbye gigs first.

Subject: RE: A hero of mine has passed
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 22 Nov 99 - 02:38 PM

Right on McGrath. I got a chance to see him live 2 years ago and he was marvellous. 'Course he said a lot of the same things he's been saying for twenty years, but they were still extremely funny (the delivery is part of it). The real fun came when in the second half he answered all our questions. Interestingly enough, some asked questions that they knew exactly how he'd answer...they just wanted to hear it again.
I think I may have been one of the VERY few heteros in the audience. I wonder if he had more of a cross-section for his British concerts these days. One thing I noticed was that he took some big chances humour-wise, with his predominently gay audience. Basically he poked holes in EVERY kind of self-righteous thought. Perhaps the quality in him that I got the biggest kick out of.
Rick

Subject: RE: A hero of mine has passed
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 22 Nov 99 - 02:39 PM

Sorry McGrath, forgot to ask, who are the two people you named?

Subject: RE: A hero of mine has passed
From: Penny S.
Date: 22 Nov 99 - 06:13 PM

Jennifer Patterson, recently deceased, was a very eccentric and idiosyncratic cook, seen on TV on one occasion making meatloaf with her hands with long scarlet talons and rings on every finger. A large lady, she delighted in going about in leathers on classic motorbikes. Her cooking was traditional British country house cuisine, meat rich - she was extremely scathing of veggies. She was also a very devout Catholic. She was overpoweringly enthusiastic about life. She asked to be buried with her motorcycle helmet.

The TV program was called "Two Fat Ladies" and she appeared with Clarissa Dickson Wright, who roade in the side-car of the motorbike.There are books from the series, but the flavour is weakened in print.

Penny

Subject: RE: A hero of mine has passed
From: Art Thieme
Date: 22 Nov 99 - 06:39 PM

To Larry Otway:

You leave me wondering what I might've said that prompted you to address your comments to me in your post!!??!!??

Befuddled Art

Subject: RE: A hero of mine has passed
From: InOBU
Date: 22 Nov 99 - 06:46 PM

Art! I expect you were kidding, I meen art, not Art, as in folk music an art, sort of, and Quentins life, also art, and quaint like folk music. Larry

Subject: RE: A hero of mine has passed
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 22 Nov 99 - 10:50 PM

You son of a bitch, Theime! You sent me scrolling back in horror to see who might have insulted you on a thread that was supposed to be mellow and positive about the life of a courageous "outsider", and the good he'd done. I madly scrolled while thinking "Oh no! What did Art do to this person? How can I smooth things over? I'll tell them that Art hasn't been himself since the "nothing worth opening thread" became the all-time best selling thread since "Gone With The Wind"!" And then I find out....I been HAD!
By the way Larry, Art is the second (or third) funniest guy here!

Rick

Subject: RE: A hero of mine has passed
From:
Date: 23 Nov 99 - 04:08 AM

Befuddled Art is a great name for an abstract painting.

Murray

Subject: RE: A hero of mine has passed
From: InOBU
Date: 23 Nov 99 - 07:28 AM

Re: Art then back to Quentin: I expected as much, my wife and I had a chuckle, expecting it was a joke. My mother tells me that Quentin was very genreous as well, he gave my father an autographed copy of one of his books. I really apreciated the quotes from Quentin that have been sent. Time for someone to write a good ballad (should have been done sooner - someone should send a call to Eric Bogal!) Larry

Subject: RE: A hero of mine has passed
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 23 Nov 99 - 12:53 PM

Quentin said "Music is a mistake. It's sort of like going to the loo. In my youth, when someone felt the need to hear music, they went to a concert recital and stayed til they were satisfied. Now, (probably he meant the sixties) it's everywhere, without being asked for. Even in the train stations. When did we reach the point where we couldn't abide the sound of the "choo choo"?

I think I'll visit the "loo" and pick a tune on the banjo!

Rick