Oh, and Dotson Rader is doing a book on Tennessee Williams and he interviewed Chris for it. Chris used to work for Tennessee-he got $400 a week for taking care of his dog, he says. Remember, I first met Chris at my Whitney Retrospective in "71 when Dotson Rader brought him, and Dotson was a friend of Tennessee"s.
Friday, August 3, 1984 Went to Bernsohn, the crystal doctor, and he worked on my pancreas.
Sat.u.r.day, August 4, 1984 Worked all afternoon till 7:00. Susan Blond called and said that we could go to maybe meet Michael Jackson in a hotel room before his concert at Madison Square Garden. So we cabbed to the Penta Hotel ($5). It"s the hotel that was called the Statler Hilton until last week or something and now it"s the Penta. But the cab wouldn"t go near the place because of the mobs for Michael, so he let us off and we had to walk.
Finally we found the place, we got Elevator B and went up, and Calvin was there, and he was mad that he"d come so early. And Marina Schiano was with him and his girlfriend Kelly. And Rosanna Arquette, the actress, came up and was so sweet, and I asked her if we"d ever done anything on her in Interview Interview and she said, "No, and you"ve just and she said, "No, and you"ve just got got to!" But then I remembered that we to!" But then I remembered that we had had done something-but just a "First Impression." Little Sean Lennon was there and that was exciting. And then this apparition appeared and it was Michael Jackson. done something-but just a "First Impression." Little Sean Lennon was there and that was exciting. And then this apparition appeared and it was Michael Jackson.
Susan Blond pushed me into his arms and he was shy, and then people pushed me away, and Keith gave him T-shirts and everybody was meeting everybody and then I was pushed back at him and it was anticlimactic and then it was over. I shook his hand and it was like foam rubber. The sequined glove isn"t just a little sequined glove, it"s like a catcher"s mitt. Everything has to be bigger than life for the stage.
We went to the show and it was laser beams and a movie where a sword had to be pulled out of a stone and Michael pulled it out. Bianca arrived late and the Jackson father was in her seat and she didn"t know who he was and tried to kick him out, but Susan Blond got up and gave her her her seat. seat.
And then after the concert we called Mr. Chow"s to see if they"d be open and they said yes, that they had leftover food. And at Mr. Chow"s we were next to Anthony Quinn and he said hi and I didn"t know if I should go over to his table, I never know, so I played it shy, but then when he was leaving he came over and sort of hugged me, and I remembered that he"s an artist, that he paints.
Sunday, August 5, 1984
Jean Michel wanted to go to the Jermaine Jackson party at Limelight. So we went down there (cab $7). And it was one of those parties where the bouncers were all dumb Mafia-type guys who didn"t know anybody. Jean Michel took us to the wrong section and they told us to beat it, and he said, "Now you see how it is to be black." And all the people who I don"t know, Jean Michel"s just sitting there and then he"ll say, "Hi, man." He went to school with them or something. He told me he went to a school in Brooklyn, St. Ann"s, that"s sort of chic because you had to pay. And then he said that when his father lost money he had to be bussed to a public school that was a lot of Italians and the boys there used to beat him up and he didn"t like it. But I guess the education was good, though, and that"s why he"s smart.
Then we got to the VIP room and it was like a remake of an old party. Janet Villella was there and Linda Stein, and it was free drinks (tip $10). Then they came in and told everybody to leave and get out because Jermaine was coming in, and that we could come back later, that (laughs) some of us would be selected to come back. There were some sort of drag queens there with jewelry on, and so we all had to get out, it was so stupid. And you have to walk for a block to get to the next room. And the photographers there are so bored with seeing me, they don"t even say hi anymore. Hold on, the other line"s ringing... (laughs) some of us would be selected to come back. There were some sort of drag queens there with jewelry on, and so we all had to get out, it was so stupid. And you have to walk for a block to get to the next room. And the photographers there are so bored with seeing me, they don"t even say hi anymore. Hold on, the other line"s ringing....
Oh gee, that was Benjamin calling and he said that he and Paige were at the Limelight and they heard I was in the VIP room and they tried to get in but couldn"t. And-this is funny- he said that there were three Olympic guys there wearing their gold medals. So I guess those those were the ones I thought were drag queens with jewelry! Gee. were the ones I thought were drag queens with jewelry! Gee.
So anyway, Jean Michel wanted me to see his paintings down on Great Jones Street, so we went there and it"s a pigsty. His friend Shenge-this black guy-lives with him and he"s supposed to be taking care of the place, but it"s a sty. And the whole place just smells so much of pot. He gave me some paintings to work on. Left there (cab $8).
Monday, August 6, 1984 The unmentionable day. I"d told everyone I didn"t want to hear the word "birthday." Benjamin picked me up and we cabbed to 70th and Broadway ($4). Dr. Li said that she"d been at the Michael Jackson thing and I was surprised. Then I put it together-Benjamin had said he saw Roberta Flack at the concert, and Dr. Li has a picture of Roberta Flack in her office, so I asked her if she was with Roberta Flack, and she said yes. So now I"m trying to figure out if they could be d.y.k.es.
Then cabbed to the Whitney where there was the lunch for the presentation by Ethel Scull of the portrait of her that I did in the sixties (cab $4). They were serving lunch in front of the painting.
Ethel hadn"t arrived yet and when they called her she was in the bath, she thought the lunch was Tuesday. Finally she arrived in a wheelchair and a hat with the big cast on her leg. It was so sad. Like a movie moment where everybody"s waiting. The painting"s not very good, even. It was just-I don"t know. And she said all these things about how I"d wanted $1,200 cash for the painting. In cash, she said, and I mean, I don"t remember that-I wouldn"t have even discussed money. I can"t even do it now, so I can"t see myself saying, "I want $1,200 cash." It must have been one of the Bellamy Gallery people or Ivan Karp or something who got paid. And she said she came to my house and my mother answered the door, but why would my mother answer the door if I was expecting somebody-I"d be right there. I don"t know, it was nutty.
And I ran into one of the old kids from Max"s and they told me they finally read Edie Edie over the weekend and that they weren"t shocked by the drugs or anything anybody said about me-that the only thing that shocked them in it was reading that I over the weekend and that they weren"t shocked by the drugs or anything anybody said about me-that the only thing that shocked them in it was reading that I sold sold some of my early films to somebody, that they couldn"t believe I wouldn"t be keeping them for myself. But, see, I some of my early films to somebody, that they couldn"t believe I wouldn"t be keeping them for myself. But, see, I didn"t didn"t really really sell sell them-I have them them-I have them back back now, the guy"s contract expired. now, the guy"s contract expired.
Oh, it"s all Fred"s fault that I"m in that book. He kept after me to talk to Jean Stein. Because she was "social," my dear, and was having parties. So me talking to her made it look like I sanctioned her book.
So it was so boring and gee it"s such a sad family-Ethel doesn"t speak to her sons. David Whitney gave us a tour of the Fairfield Porter show, though, and I looked at Mondrian, and he just took tape and painted it and then Sidney Janis owned these things and it became a business.
Then at 3:00 went downtown (cab $6). Drue Heinz called to wish me a happy birthday. So did some other people. I got a big twelve-foot weed from Renny the florist.
Paige picked out a place to have dinner and I invited Jay but then he called back and Benjamin got the phone and Jay asked would I mind if he brought Kate Harrington, and I didn"t say anything, and then he asked Benjamin, "Did Andy just make a face?" He just wanted to start trouble. He does these things so people will feel guilty when he doesn"t want to come anyway. But Benjamin was great, he just said, "Here"s the address-if you want to come, come." And I would would have yelled at Kate if she came, since she"d left work at have yelled at Kate if she came, since she"d left work at Interview Interview that afternoon saying she was sick. that afternoon saying she was sick.
Well, we went to 79th and Lexington to this place called Jams that we go by all the time and never knew was there, this chic place. It was expensive, but the food was so good. The whole thing was like the Four Seasons used to be when the guy was there who used to grow the garden stuff in his own patch in Connecticut. The dessert was incredible. Jean Michel ordered a lot of champagne and he said he"d pay for it but I wouldn"t let him (dinner was $550). It was underplayed, n.o.body said "Happy Birthday" and it went smoothly. Paige had a strapless pink dress on and she took her camera into the kitchen to do movies. Jean Michel dropped me off and it seemed like being with Jean Michel didn"t bother Paige too much, she"s more recovered from him. Then when he was dropping me off he said that he wanted to go f.u.c.k her. I told him that that would just start trouble again. I told him he should give her some artwork because she"s the only girl who ever really helped him out, gave him his first uptown show and sold so many of his paintings. And she never would let him pay for her, she was being very independent, paying her own fare to Hawaii and things like that, and I don"t know why he never liked that, somehow.
And it was nice to to see little Suzanne the makeup girl the night before at Limelight wanting not to get stuck with him-it was refreshing to see a girl trying to get away for a change. see little Suzanne the makeup girl the night before at Limelight wanting not to get stuck with him-it was refreshing to see a girl trying to get away for a change.
Tuesday, August 7, 1984 Went to see Dr. Bernsohn. I told him that after seeing him the last time I went out of alignment and he said that maybe it was a good thing. He was sort of putting down Dr. Li. She sent me to him. He was saying he doesn"t believe in vitamins. I"m going to stop taking them and see if I feel better.
I was meeting David Whitney and Philip Johnson for dinner at the Four Seasons. Invited Keith and Juan and Jean Michel. Philip goes to bed at 9:00, so he wanted to have dinner at 6:30 but I made it 7:30.
The Four Seasons was jammed. I expected good food, I"d been spoiled by Jams the night before, but the food was terrible. Doc c.o.x was there. I"d put on my Stephen Sprouse neon tie. I really looked like the sixties.
Helen Frankenthaler was at another table with Andre Emmerich and she sent a note to Philip that she was keeping an eye on him with all the boys, and I"ve got that note and it goes into the archives. Everyone was sort of quiet, not much chit-chat.
Then David got drunk and started what he always starts when he"s had a few drinks, that when Philip kicks the bucket he"ll move in with me. It"s scary.
Keith wanted to go to Rounds, the gay place at 53rd and Second, and I didn"t, so I said I"d never been there because I hadn"t in five years, and so we walk in the door and the first thing the waiter says is (laughs) (laughs), "Mr. Warhol! It"s so nice to see you again!" Jean Michel wouldn"t go to Rounds. He called this morning and told me that in the old days when he didn"t have any money he would hustle and get $10 and he didn"t want to remember that.
So Jean Michel went downtown with Keith. I walked the Doc uptown and he kissed me on the cheek, which was so tender.
Wednesday, August 8, 1984 There were eighteen trucks parked on my street and sitting on my stoop was this guy from a movie company, and I asked him what they were shooting and he said, "Brewster"s Millions." "Brewster"s Millions." And then he said he was Carol LaBrie"s half-brother-Carol, our star of And then he said he was Carol LaBrie"s half-brother-Carol, our star of L"Amour L"Amour. He took us into the big truck near us and there was Richard Pryor. And he was a lot better-looking than I remember when I last met him. Actually handsome. With this blonde. I don"t know if she was in the movie, too.
It was really hot and muggy in the truck, the air conditioner wasn"t working too well, and I was going to invite them into my house but the air-conditioning there wasn"t much better. I was considering it, really I was. And it was hard to hear because the air conditioner in the truck was going. He said he"d just seen Bad Bad a couple of months ago. I wonder if the little gold cross he was wearing was his own or for the movie. a couple of months ago. I wonder if the little gold cross he was wearing was his own or for the movie.
Thursday, August 9, 1984 Cornelia called while the auction for her debutante book that she"s doing with Jon and another person was going on, and it first was twenty-eight, and then it was thirty-seven with a smaller royalty and then it was thirty-five but with a bigger percentage.
Went to the movies with Keith and Bobby, Madonna"s ex-boyfriend who"s sort of Keith"s friend now. I had to sign autographs and they were amazed that so many people yelled my name and would know an artist. I should have asked the people who yelled if they knew what I did for a living. All the blacks know me, I must be in their consciousness. It"s the white hair.
It was almost empty in the theater but it should"ve been completely empty. This movie, NeverEnding Story NeverEnding Story, my G.o.d ... and it"s a big hit in Germany. It"s sort of my philosophy-looking for the nothingness. The nothingness is taking over the planet. It was like Alice in Wonderland Alice in Wonderland and and E.T E.T. and "Rumpelstiltskin."
Then afterwards Bobby knew all the places in the area, because Madonna had taken him to all of them. So we went to Jezebel"s and then Jezebel came over and she was this fancy black lady. And then in walked guess who? Mickey Rourke. Who PH just interviewed for the cover of Interview Interview. But he didn"t see me and I didn"t say h.e.l.lo.
Monday, August 13, 1984 Jane Fonda called and I took the call and that was dumb because she always wants something. It"s funny the way she just calls people and asks them to do things for her. She wants me to go up to Boston with the paintings I did of her, which she never even bought-she borrowed one but it"s back, and the prints were made to sell for her husband"s campaign-but he can"t be running again, can he? That was just last year, wasn"t it?
Tuesday, August 14, 1984 Brigid"s pug walked across the painting I"d just done. He had orange and purple feet. Madame Defarge kept knitting away. Worked till 7:00. I didn"t go to dinner with Edmund Gaultney and the people who want to do a portfolio. Hedy and Kent Klineman. She"s a friend of Jane Holzer"s. But I just get this feeling about it: People finance a portfolio and then start to get nervous and dump all the prints (cab $7).
Home at 10:30. Watched Ann Jillian play Mae West and she was good. They always give them a big love affair, they make that the big thing.
Wednesday, August 15, 1984 I"m still looking for ideas. This fall it"ll be a whole new look, new people. Because five years into the decade is when it really becomes a decade. The eighties. They"ll be looking over all the people and picking the ones from the last five years that"ll survive as the eighties people. It"s when the people from the first five years will either become part of the future or part of the past.
Worked till 4:30. Cab to the crystal doctor and this time it was a real experience. This session was like an exorcism. He had me lie down on his table and close my eyes, and then he asked me, "Do you know where you are?" and I kept saying, "Well what do you mean?" and he kept saying, "Do you know where you are?" And I kept saying, "What do you mean?" and finally I said I was lying on his table and he said, "Oh, I thought you might not know because your eyes were closed." And he would touch me here and there and when I wouldn"t have any reaction he said that I wasn"t in touch with my pain. But it didn"t hurt is the thing. But he said it was because I wasn"t sensitive to the pain yet and that I would have to become sensitive to it. And he took my crystal and asked it, "How long? One minute? Two minutes? One hour? One day?" And at four days the crystal told him yes, so that"s how long it"s going to take for this crystal to be programmed. I said that I could go and get another one that"ll be ready sooner. He said no. So I"m going to wait four days and then I have to have it with me always and not more than ten feet away when I"m asleep. I really do believe that all this hok.u.m-pok.u.m helps, though. It"s positive thinking. And it"s why people wear gold and jewels. It does does have something. And if you wear pearls around a stone it have something. And if you wear pearls around a stone it does does do something for you. He said I had some negative powers in me and I asked him how long I would have to come to him and he didn"t tell me. It"s so abstract. But you do feel better when you get out. do something for you. He said I had some negative powers in me and I asked him how long I would have to come to him and he didn"t tell me. It"s so abstract. But you do feel better when you get out.
And the funniest thing was I picked up some chiropractor magazine and Jack Nicholson, our Interview Interview cover boy, was on the cover of that, too. Standing with this chiropractor to the stars. cover boy, was on the cover of that, too. Standing with this chiropractor to the stars.
I had a fight with Fred. His att.i.tude is so-it"s like he"s a magazine-editor-on-the-phone. And I don"t know if he"s on the ball or not. I know he"s doing his best, but ...
Thursday, August 16, 1984 DeLorean got freed, he"s thanking the Lord.
Monday, August 20, 1984 Jean Michel called at 7:30 A.M A.M. from Spain but I was in the shower and I missed it. He was in Ibiza and now he"s in Majorca, he"s the new darling of the Bruno set. And I"m just expecting him one day to come in and say, "I hate all these paintings, rip them up," about the ones we"ve done together, or something. Oh and Keith told me that the name Jean Michel used to use, SAMO, stood for "Same Old s.h.i.t," and he said that Jean Michel was the biggest influence on the new artists.
Cabbed to Jams to meet Philip and David and Keith and Juan ($6). The food was so good, fish cooked with the right spices, coriander or sage-it makes such a difference when you cook right with spices.
I tried to get a design out of Philip for a one-room house. They cried poor. I cried poor. Keith cried poor. It was everybody crying poor. So crazy. David had three martinis but was normal, somehow. We were there from 7:30 7:30 to 10:00. I asked Philip how it was to be in an airplane crash and he said exciting. This was about seven years ago. He was the only one not hurt. They landed in cherry trees (dinner $400). to 10:00. I asked Philip how it was to be in an airplane crash and he said exciting. This was about seven years ago. He was the only one not hurt. They landed in cherry trees (dinner $400).
Philip"s having dinner at the Newhouses" and Sandy and Peter Brant will be there, too, and Si Newhouse has the Natalie picture there and we"re just hoping he buys it. And with that group there it could go either way. Because Peter and Sandy might just try to sell him one of mine that they have instead. Or else they could want him to pay a lot for the Natalie so that it would make the value of theirs go theirs go up. I have another Natalie somewhere, but I can"t find that Warren. It"s missing from the Factory. I mean it must be around somewhere rolled up. And if Newhouse doesn"t buy it I think I should write a letter to Robert Wagner. I think they"re bringing his series up. I have another Natalie somewhere, but I can"t find that Warren. It"s missing from the Factory. I mean it must be around somewhere rolled up. And if Newhouse doesn"t buy it I think I should write a letter to Robert Wagner. I think they"re bringing his series Hart to Hart Hart to Hart back because people have been writing in. back because people have been writing in.
Wednesday, August 22, 1984 Gael Love called and said she signed the deal with the Swatch people where if you buy two subscriptions to Interview Interview you get one Swatch and if you buy two Swatches you get one subscription. She thinks it"ll bring in 30,000 new subscriptions. you get one Swatch and if you buy two Swatches you get one subscription. She thinks it"ll bring in 30,000 new subscriptions.
And this morning I woke up to The Toy The Toy with Richard Pryor and it"s funny. I asked PH to write him a letter from me saying that I wanted her to do the first part of an interview with him when she"s in L.A. next week, and that I"d then do the second half myself when he comes to New York, and I signed the letter and sent a with Richard Pryor and it"s funny. I asked PH to write him a letter from me saying that I wanted her to do the first part of an interview with him when she"s in L.A. next week, and that I"d then do the second half myself when he comes to New York, and I signed the letter and sent a Philosophy Philosophy book so we"ll wait to hear. book so we"ll wait to hear.
Tuesday, September 11, 1984 PH finally got back from L.A. The Richard Pryor people told her Richard was "in seclusion" in Hawaii and that they were going to "wait to give him his mail when he gets back in October." She was out there trying to get a screenplay she wrote sold-Coppola"s Zoetrope studio had it for two years and didn"t get it financed and then they went bankrupt. While she was out there she wrote up the treatment I asked her to about a sixties "Girl of the Year" because I want to show it to Jon and maybe he can get Paramount interested.
And it"s a good thing she"s back because she was about to get fired from her one-minute-a-day job. While she was gone Truman died. His old boyfriend Jack Dunphy got $600,000 and was carrying the ashes in a golden book with "TC" engraved on the side. And Brigid figured out that Kate "Harrington" isn"t Truman"s niece niece-she"s actually Kate O"Shea! O"Shea! The daughter of Truman"s old boyfriend Jack O"Shea. The one who lived on Long Island and had a wife and lots of kids. And I"m doing paintings now of Truman for the cover of The daughter of Truman"s old boyfriend Jack O"Shea. The one who lived on Long Island and had a wife and lots of kids. And I"m doing paintings now of Truman for the cover of New York New York magazine. magazine.
So Jean Michel just called me and I haven"t heard from him in two days. Now he"s staying all the time at the Ritz Carlton instead of down on Great Jones, and his room is like $250 a night. Fred went off to Lord Jermyn"s wedding. Jay"s on jury duty and Kate broke up with him and I don"t know, he seems sort of relieved.
I read the article in the Times Times, very low-key, that said that Barry Diller was leaving Paramount to go to Fox! And that he was getting $30 million. So Jon will probably now work for Frank Mancuso there at Paramount or something. It"ll actually be better for him. Barry did make the place great, though.
I worked on Judy Garland for Ron Feldman. The "What Becomes a Legend Most" advertis.e.m.e.nt.
Wednesday, September 12, 1984 Richard Weisman called and said dinner was on with Kathleen Turner from Body Heat Body Heat and and Romancing the Stone Romancing the Stone. Went to Richard"s and Kathleen Turner in real life is so chic and worldly. She says she"s about to star opposite Jack Nicholson in something that I didn"t get the name of because I felt I should know it. And she just got married to this guy, Jay, and they"re a funny couple. He"s about my height but with heels on she was taller than him. He started out in Lance Loud"s band the Mumps, and then he worked for his father and then he went into business with this friend of his and bought all these real estate properties in the slump of "74 when they were cheap and he became a millionaire.
And Richard had a girl there who was like Judy Holliday, but dumb for real. Really dumb. I haven"t met a girl like this for a long, long time. I don"t know where she would come from. She was an airline stewardess. She said to me, "Gee you look peculiar," and they said, "He"s an artist," and she said, "I have a sister who"s an artist, yeah, and she looks peculiar like you, too." And then she asked me if I did something to my hair. And then Richard took her upstairs to talk to her.
Thursday, September 13, 1984 Went to Dr. Bernsohn"s and I asked him if we could put him in Interview Interview and he said, "I"m not doing the kind of things I would want people to know about." But you do feel energy when you leave there. And the same with Dr. Li-you feel energy. So something is happening. That guy Christopher made me go to, I didn"t feel different at all. But these ones do something. Like when Eizo made his hand sweat just by concentrating. Dr. Bernsohn is strange, he said he was living with his parents until just recently. Now he"s buying a co-op. He said he"ll give me stones that"ve been programmed for him but he"ll reprogram them for me. And he said he wants to come down and look at my paintings to see the vibrations he gets from them, but I"m afraid he"ll see a $50,000 one and say, "I want that." And then what will I do? If I say no he"ll want to cure me of negativity. It"s like a-what"s that word?-a "scam." But then you do feel energy, so it"s working. And the healing people do have such hot hands. There must be something to it. and he said, "I"m not doing the kind of things I would want people to know about." But you do feel energy when you leave there. And the same with Dr. Li-you feel energy. So something is happening. That guy Christopher made me go to, I didn"t feel different at all. But these ones do something. Like when Eizo made his hand sweat just by concentrating. Dr. Bernsohn is strange, he said he was living with his parents until just recently. Now he"s buying a co-op. He said he"ll give me stones that"ve been programmed for him but he"ll reprogram them for me. And he said he wants to come down and look at my paintings to see the vibrations he gets from them, but I"m afraid he"ll see a $50,000 one and say, "I want that." And then what will I do? If I say no he"ll want to cure me of negativity. It"s like a-what"s that word?-a "scam." But then you do feel energy, so it"s working. And the healing people do have such hot hands. There must be something to it.
Cabbed to 52nd and Lex to meet Jonas Mekas and Timmy Forbes at Nippon (cab $6). They"re trying to raise money for the Filmmaker"s Co-op. I asked Jonas if he"d seen any movies lately and he said no, that he was just trying to raise money. And really (laughs) (laughs) he he never never saw movies. He never did. saw movies. He never did.
Worked on the Truman Capote cover for New York New York.
Friday, September 14, 1984 The MTV awards were so exciting, it was like the Brooklyn Fox shows in the sixties with so many many stars. Diana Ross was my date, but she was in another row, the first row, because she was picking up Michael Jackson"s awards. Lou Reed sat in my row but never even looked over. I don"t understand Lou, why he doesn"t talk to me now. Rod Stewart and Madonna and Cyndi Lauper and Bette Midler and Dan Aykroyd and Peter Wolf were there. stars. Diana Ross was my date, but she was in another row, the first row, because she was picking up Michael Jackson"s awards. Lou Reed sat in my row but never even looked over. I don"t understand Lou, why he doesn"t talk to me now. Rod Stewart and Madonna and Cyndi Lauper and Bette Midler and Dan Aykroyd and Peter Wolf were there.
After it was over it was raining so hard. Like a repeat of the Diana Ross concert in Central Park. We went over to Tavern on the Green and everyone had to stand in the rain for twenty minutes with everyone"s umbrellas dripping down your neck, and then inside it was wall-to-wall celebrities but they"d been so humiliated by standing in the pouring rain that all everybody did was complain to each other.
Sat.u.r.day, September 15, 1984 Had dinner with Jean Michel who brought a woman who"s doing a cover article on him for The New York Times Magazine The New York Times Magazine. He"s getting the cover! And he told her all this stuff about being a male prost.i.tute before but she can"t use it. I guess he told her because he wanted to be fascinating. The right woman can get anything out of him.
Sunday, September 16, 1984 By the way, John Reinhold told me that he keeps a really personal diary. He hides it in a closet and he took it out and read last year"s entries. It"s dangerous, but he only uses initials, like, "I went with B." If I did it that way, though, I"d forget who "B" was.
Jean Michel called and he told me about the problems he"s having with Shenge, who takes care of his place on Great Jones Street. Shenge has his own place downstairs but then he goes up and uses Jean Michel"s bath and bed, and now after staying at the Ritz Carlton, Jean Michel is used to having his bed tucked in. He found Shenge on the streets, he wasn"t living anywhere. He"s like a Rastafarian. He"s married, he has a wife and little boy in the Bronx, I think. Shenge"s bed used to be right by the front door so it was like he was just yanked in off the street, it was so peculiar.
Got a cab and picked up PH to go to the Odeon to have dinner with our Interview Interview photographer Matthew Rolston and the Holland boy-he"s Joanna Carson"s son-who PH just met in L.A. ($10). He was very good-looking and I offered to make him a "First Impression" with Matthew doing the photograph. Matthew said that when he shot Joan Rivers for photographer Matthew Rolston and the Holland boy-he"s Joanna Carson"s son-who PH just met in L.A. ($10). He was very good-looking and I offered to make him a "First Impression" with Matthew doing the photograph. Matthew said that when he shot Joan Rivers for Interview Interview she told him she used to be a photo stylist and worked for Cecil Beaton. And Matthew wears brooches. He"s the one who started Michael Jackson wearing them. When he photographed Michael for she told him she used to be a photo stylist and worked for Cecil Beaton. And Matthew wears brooches. He"s the one who started Michael Jackson wearing them. When he photographed Michael for Interview Interview he gave him his own brooch and Michael then started wearing them all the time. But Matthew must like women, because when he photographs them he makes them look gorgeous (dinner $150). he gave him his own brooch and Michael then started wearing them all the time. But Matthew must like women, because when he photographs them he makes them look gorgeous (dinner $150).
Monday, September 17, 1984 Vincent picked up the small Truman Capote portraits that I"d done for New York New York. When they saw them they said they"d thought I was going to do something new, but I"d done them my usual way because that"s what I thought they wanted. They"re going to pay a user"s fee. But I don"t know about these low prices I get when I do stuff for magazines, because I think of the time Carl Fischer took my picture for the New York New York cover for the cover for the Philosophy Philosophy book-I mean, he had a whole book-I mean, he had a whole set set built, and then he had eight a.s.sistants or something, so look how much they probably spent on built, and then he had eight a.s.sistants or something, so look how much they probably spent on that that. So I got all worked up thinking about how cheaply I work, and it made me call Vogue Vogue and ask them where the money they owe me was. and ask them where the money they owe me was.
Keith told me that he rented a store for $1,500 across from the Puck Building. So I guess he is is a little like Peter Max. But then Peter Max never did get in the good art collections that Keith"s in. And he said he won"t sell his stuff to any other store, it"ll just be in his own store. a little like Peter Max. But then Peter Max never did get in the good art collections that Keith"s in. And he said he won"t sell his stuff to any other store, it"ll just be in his own store.
And Nick Rhodes buys art, but he doesn"t listen to anybody, and I told him that it"s stupid not to, that it"s just like buying stocks. But he said, "I just buy what I like." And I remember Kaye Ballard saying the same thing when she bought pictures twenty or thirty years ago and then couldn"t even get back what she paid for them.
And Bruno had called earlier. These combined paintings of Jean Michel and me and Clemente that he said were "just a curiosity that n.o.body would want to buy" that he paid $20,000 for like fifteen pictures for, he"s now selling for $40,000 or $60,000 apiece! Yes! And I have a funny feeling that he"s actually giving Clemente more because I can"t see him doing this for this little. And I should get more because I bring up the prices ... oh but well, Jean Michel got me into painting differently, so that"s a good thing.
Tuesday, September 18, 1984 I got home and watched Tyrone Power in Jesse James Jesse James. And that"s really looking at something. Maybe he couldn"t act, but gee.
Thursday, September 20, 1984 Well this was the day of big plans to see the chief crystal doctor who was in town, Dr. Reese.
Cabbed ($3) there to 74th between Park and Madison. They make you pay beforehand. And they give you your fifteen minutes and then get you out fast. And so I went into the room and it was like Invasion of the Body s.n.a.t.c.hers Invasion of the Body s.n.a.t.c.hers. An old lady like in her sixties, pudgy and like a meat market guy, and the doctor was a big guy like from Hick City. And the room was so little. And they run their hand over you in funny places and say code letters, you know, and they"ll say they"ve run into a "hole" or something like "There"s a hole here escaping," and they"ll say, "C85, 14, 15 D-23, circ.u.mvent 18, 75 dash 4...." And then he said something and Dr. Bernsohn said, "Oh he doesn"t have any feeling"-about me. And the doctor said to me, "I"ll tell you about it next week," after the other doctor said, "I didn"t know I had such an extreme case." But afterwards I wasn"t s.p.a.ced-out or anything. When we"d walked in, there was a guy in a daze. Afterwards Benjamin and I we went to Fraser Morris and got lunch and ate it on the ledge at the Whitney Museum, we didn"t even know it was the Pop Art show inside.
And a woman came by and saw me eating chicken and said, "That"s a no-no," and she was right. I"m not supposed to eat meat. But I"m trying to be more normal. I signed a lot of autographs. Then we went up to Vito Giallo"s store and ran into Paloma Pica.s.so, who"s just in town for a day, to promote her perfume. She"s so skinny again, it"s incredible, and no lines.
Good newspaper headlines about Muhammad Ali having some disease. I got them for the new Front Page paintings I want to do. And John Reinhold called me yesterday morning and said that the Polish Inst.i.tute next door to me was being sold and that he"d gone to look at it-$2.7 million.
Then I went to Judy Green"s party at 555 Park.
Arlene Francis was there and her little husband Martin Gabel who"s still alive who she has to push around like a toy.
C.Z. invited me to the memorial for Truman.
Sat.u.r.day, September 22, 1984 Called Jon at Paramount and asked him to meet me at MOMA. Got in free to the primitive art show where they have the old primitive stuff and the new stuff beside it to show what had been taken from what. Then went to see the Irving Penn show, and it was all the photographs that I remember so well that were what made me come to New York in the first place. It was fun to see them again, they weren"t anything so different, but... And I kept thinking that I should have bought a camera when I first came to New York, because photography was wide open, and if you could just do what was "as good as" you could be big. I mean, you took a picture of a famous person and how could you go wrong? I would be doing TV commercials today. Things would"ve been different. It"s just something to think about. And Irving Penn"s photos, it"s funny to see that the models were all older, like thirty-five. He used his wife a lot-Lisa Fonssgrives. And I remember so well that one photo where the things spill out of the girl"s purse and it"s tranquilizer pills and things. The shows were wonderful.
And Steve Rubell asked if we wanted to see his new club-to-be. It"s the Palladium Theater on 14th Street, that was originally the Academy of Music. So he took us over there and it was, "Do you love it? Do you love it?" And it"s huge huge. Some famous j.a.panese architect is doing it.
Sunday, September 23, 1984 Tried Jean Michel because he"d wanted to go to the Pop Art show at the Whitney and then work together, but he wasn"t around. Jon and I went there without him (tickets $5). I autographed a lot of the postcards they sell there, people handed them to me. Of Marilyn and the others. I don"t think I get any money from these. I had a fight with Fred because he wants me to sign with a card company because he said that then that card company will stop the other card companies from putting them out, but I don"t know if that"s true.
Rauschenberg was the best in the show, somehow his stuff looks new. I don"t know why. And Jasper Johns"s stuff was good, too. The Segal looked good because it was big, but it was so ugly. The tires outside looked so terrific that you thought the rest of the show would be on that scale or something, but the Whitney is small. There"s some early stuff of mine, a lot of mine. Jean Michel had told me he thought my stuff looked the best, but you know ...
So then wandered the streets, went home and Jean Michel called. Now he has rooms in two two hotels. One at the Ritz Carlton and then he moved to the Mayfair Regent on 65th Street. I guess he was competing with me to live in the chic East 60s. I told him that the TV was terrible around here and he didn"t believe me, but when he got to the Mayfair and found out he couldn"t get the Showtime channel or anything like that he learned his lesson. Good TV means a lot. So he went back to the Ritz Carlton. He has a big Jacuzzi there. hotels. One at the Ritz Carlton and then he moved to the Mayfair Regent on 65th Street. I guess he was competing with me to live in the chic East 60s. I told him that the TV was terrible around here and he didn"t believe me, but when he got to the Mayfair and found out he couldn"t get the Showtime channel or anything like that he learned his lesson. Good TV means a lot. So he went back to the Ritz Carlton. He has a big Jacuzzi there.
Monday, September 24, 1984 In the morning I rushed to Dr. Li (cab $4). Took some blood tests and she threw it on my body, the blood. I"m now supposed to eat rice three times a day, but I"m cheating, I"m eating rice crackers crackers.
I have to go to Truman"s memorial. Afterwards there"s going to be a party at C.Z. Guest"s. Steve Rubell had the best line, he said to me, "You don"t go to mine, I won"t go to yours." That"s the best deal. Jay"s going-I guess he and Kate are back together.
I asked Paige if she wanted to go with me to Ahmet Ertegun"s party at the Carlyle (cab $3). Ahmet was at the door. Same usual people-Jerry Zipkin, Mica and Chessy. The lights were so low. Mrs. Buckley was there and Charlotte Curtis, and Charlotte screamed at me, "Oh your eyebrows are dyed!" So what could I say? "Yeah. They"re two-tone." Charlotte always looks so sour. But I do like her. She did those great columns in the sixties. Paige was the youngest one there.
Tuesday, September 25, 1984 I forgot that while I was at Dr. Linda Li"s Roberta Flack came in and she said, "Oh I saw you at St. Vincent"s church on Sunday." She said she was going to a Baptist church and just wandered into mine.
Wandered down Fifth Avenue.
Crazy Matty came by the office and Brigid got him to leave. He"s thin again but he"s okay, not more crazy than usual-just normally crazy. I don"t think he still has that girl living with him in his hotel room. Oh, but why is it that crazy people can get boyfriends and girlfriends and normal people can"t? Can you tell me?
I got invited to the Malcolm Forbes boat with Mrs. Marcos. I really want to get her portrai before, you know, something happens over there. Fred Leighton must be so glad when he hears she"s in town. She goes into his jewelry store and drops millions of bucks. Worked till 7:00.
Wednesday, September 26, 1984 I was picked up by Benjamin and we walked out and right into the arms of-Crazy Matty. We got a cab and he left and then two blocks later he came up to our cab that was waiting at the light and he opened the front door-I"d locked the back door-and he asked for money. So now he knows how to-extort.
Thursday, September 27, 1984 Talked to Keith Haring who said he was depressed so he went to the Whitney and that he saw the Pop Art show and saw my d.i.c.k Tracy and loved it and I said it"d just been sold for $500,000 and he said that wasn"t enough, that it was worth a million and that if he"d had a million he would have bought it. That was sweet of him to say. And it was sweet to hear. Si Newhouse bought it from Irving Blum.
Went to meet the Brants for dinner at Jams (cab $6). I told the guy we wanted to be downstairs, but he put us upstairs again, but then later I saw why-Robert Redford was right behind me, with maybe his wife and daughter, I think. I didn"t say anything because that"s not cool, but when I got home I happened to read an old Playboy Playboy interview with him and then I decided I interview with him and then I decided I should should have said h.e.l.lo because it turns out he"d tried to be a painter at one point, and he talked about how he was a magazine art director in the fifties in New York. I didn"t know any of that! So then he would know about me. have said h.e.l.lo because it turns out he"d tried to be a painter at one point, and he talked about how he was a magazine art director in the fifties in New York. I didn"t know any of that! So then he would know about me.
Did I tell the Diary, by the way, that Mery Griffin turned down our TV show? He did.
Sat.u.r.day, September 29, 1984 Talked to Keith and Jean Michel. Wanted Jean Michel to come over and paint, but he was giving his mother a birthday party so I went to meet him and met his mother. She"s a nice-looking lady, a little matronly, but she looked good. He sort of resents her, though-he said she"s been in and out of mental hospitals and he felt neglected. But he doesn"t have to be ashamed of her, she was really nice and everything. His father was a no-show. They"re divorced and the father is living with another woman. He"s an accountant.
And Jean Michel still keeps a room for $250 a day at the Ritz Carlton. And that fifty-foot concrete table that he had Freddy the architect do up special for the Great Jones place, it filled the whole room and Jean Michel just broke it up into pieces. And I found out from Robert Laughlin who"s next door to Freddy"s place that used to be Kenny Scharf"s, that when Freddy moved into Kenny"s apartment there were just Kenny Scharf paintings everywhere, all over the walls and Freddy painted them out! painted them out! He painted it all white! He didn"t even remove the doors that had paintings on them, which would"ve been so easy to save! He painted it all white! He didn"t even remove the doors that had paintings on them, which would"ve been so easy to save!
Monday, October 1, 1984 It was so cold out. And what do you do when these pushy old broads shove you out of the way and grab your taxi? Finally got a cab ($8) but the traffic was so slow.
Oh, and all afternoon we were waiting for Stuart Pivar to call because Michael Jackson was supposed to call him and come over to see Bouguereaus. But Stuart went out for a minute and missed the call, but he might come today. If this is real. Those Bouguereaus are now $2 million apiece and Stuart has about four. They went up so suddenly. It"s funny, they"re just the perfect paintings for Michael Jackson-like ten-year-old boys with fairy wings, around beautiful women. And Stuart Pivar is really into young bodies. That"s what he thinks keeps you young, is the hormones. He wants seventeen-year-olds, but he can"t get them.
Tuesday, October 2, 1984 Jean Michel came over to the office to paint but he fell asleep on the floor. He looked like a b.u.m lying there. But I woke him up and he did two masterpieces that were great.