MY THREE BIG MOVIE STAR CRUSHES WHEN I WAS A BOY (IN THE 1940S)

[in case you don't know that's

Veronica Lake

Lauren Bacall

&

Jane Greer]

ANOTHER FAVORITE QUOTE FROM THE MASTER

From my late great friend and spiritual advisor, Hubert "Cubby" Selby Jr., said to me in conversation sometime in the 1980s:

"Happiness is our natural state, so if we stop doing what makes us unhappy—we're happy."

[PS: Today's his birthday.]

AUSTIN STRAUS R.I.P.

This is a photo (I'm sorry I don't know who took it, or the one below) of Austin Straus around the time I first met him. A Brooklyn-born L. A. poet and artist, he was a mighty presence in person and in the L.A. poetry and activist scene and beyond. I was sorry to learn today that he died.

I'm away in the countryside of Western Mass with no phone service and no access to my personal library thus can't reprint a poem of his here, so I'll just say he was always honest and unpretentious and kind to me. He and his amazing late wife—and mighty presence in those same worlds as well—Wanda Coleman were good friends to me in my years in L. A. and I miss them both.

Condolences to their son and the rest of Austin's family and friends and fans.

[Here's a shot of Wanda & Austin in later years]

MORE DUOS (THIS TIME NYC IN THE 1970S)

Aileen (my Irish born late friend) & me (in a shirt I bought in the late 1950s!)

me & JP Donlevy during my less-than-two-years at the only 9-5 office job I ever had (for The Franklin Library) a surprisingly unpleasant and humorless man

Robert Penn Warren & me, same job as above, a delightfully congenial man

me & the mirror me in the bathroom of the loft my composer mate Rain & I rented and lived in with my son Miles on Church Street when it was still only artists and hadn't yet become part of the future Tribeca

Rain & me before we decided to try and become actors in movies

Rain & me after we decided to try and get jobs acting in movies (photo by the great Bobby Miller)

me & the late, great poet, dance critic & friend Edwin Denby at an event (I think a reading of mine) at the legendary Books & Company

me & co-star ("Patricia Lee Hammond") in my first leading man role in a movie, originally called LAST RITES but later changed to DRACULA'S LAST RITES

me & John Carradine in my second leading man role in THE NESTING (my first SAG role, so had to add my middle name David because there was already another Michael Lally in SAG)

HEY

Check out (and throw some support to) my friend poet Rachel E. Diken's new web site here, and her upcoming speaking engagement at Interesting People, Interesting Times: Future Nostalgia. Produced by Tom Goodwin it's on July 28th in Brooklyn (see below) and looks like a really promising event. You can get tickets here:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/interesting-people-interesting-times-future-nostalgia-tickets-35826833022 

ME IN WHITE FANG

I played Sykes, the pit bull owner, my choice to make him kind of a vain dandy...it was fascinating to watch the dogs work, following their trainers' orders, fake fighting etc....though when they brought them into the arena, we all had to stand completely still and silent...

LATEST FAVORITE MEMES, SADLY