The Andy Warhol Diaries

Chapter 18

And I talked to Henry Post. His leg's still in a cast, but the car insurance company got him a nurse to type for him, that's what they do. We talked about John Berendt getting fired from New York New York-Henry said he knew it was coming because they hired a girl three weeks before they fired him. Henry says there's a list of people who bought drugs at Studio 54, that that's what the prosecution is following.

Curley called and wanted to go to dinner but I was too tired and exhausted, still.

Monday, July 30, 1979 Got up early and watched the Today Show Today Show. It was so great, so good to see good American TV again. Then I walked around pa.s.sing out Interviews Interviews, and that was great to do again, too. I walked around midtown and then up toward the Pierre Hotel where the North American Watch Company was having Ronald Reagan speak at lunch. I was meeting Vincent there. I thought I was early so I stopped in Tiffany's. I thought they'd have c.o.c.ktails for an hour first and then start about 1:00, but it turned out they got right to it, so when I arrived at 12:5 5 Vincent was pacing and we went in. Barbara Sullivan from the watch company was sweet, she introduced me to Ronald Reagan as "Andy Warhol, the artist." But the photographers were behind us, so they didn't get any pictures. Right next to Ronald Reagan was Harry Platt, the president of Tiffany's, and so I told him that the reason I was late was because I was shopping at Tiffany's. And he loved that. I was on a diet, so I just had steaks. Art Buchwald gave a speech, and he's really funny, he should be on TV. And then Ronald Reagan gave a speech and the Republicans are going to play it cool and let the Democrats fight it out among themselves and then Teddy Kennedy will probably take over. Ronald Reagan looks absolutely great if he's sixty-nine. He called Governor Jerry Brown "flaky." What does "flaky" mean? Then they whisked him off the stage and he didn't mingle, and I think that's terrible.

I worked till about 7:30 and then dropped Rupert ($4). I called Barbara Allen and asked if she wanted to be my date, and she said she was free. So at 8:30 we cabbed to to Le Club ($4). When we walked in, Vitas wasn't so thrilled, he's been cold since the article on him in Le Club ($4). When we walked in, Vitas wasn't so thrilled, he's been cold since the article on him in Interview Interview came out because of the picture of him with no s.h.i.+rt with his arms around a guy. came out because of the picture of him with no s.h.i.+rt with his arms around a guy.

Barbara was wearing somebody's pajamas, but it looked good. She's moving to California, she said. She showed me a necklace from Cartier that Bill Paley gave her, a gold one, and she says all these guys like Gianni Agnelli and Bill Paley are in love with her.

Oh, and there are so many Arabs in London. If only we could get Arab portraits to do. They haven't really come to America yet, but they're all over England. And they're filthy rich-if only we could get started on that.

Tuesday, July 31, 1979 Ron Feldman added Harry Guggenheim's name to the list of Famous Jews he wants painted for the series. We discussed doing Woody Allen and Charlie Chaplin, but we didn't know if Chaplin really was Jewish.

I went home and then walked over to meet John Fairchild, Jr. at Le Relais. Ralph Lauren was there.

John's got an older girlfriend now. So does Robyn Geddes. Forty-year-olds who boss them around (dinner $190).

Wednesday, August 1, 1979 John Reinhold gave me a platinum loupe for an early birthday present. But I couldn't tell him it had the wrong date inscribed-instead of 8-6-79 it said 8-5. Last year he did the right date.

Thursday, August 2, 1979 I sent Rupert to UPI to look for photos for the Famous Jews series.

At home I started watching Brief Encounter Brief Encounter and at first I thought it was really good, but then I started thinking what a stupid story about a lady who would give herself a problem when she had a happy marriage, and it was just dumb and I hated it. And then Lisa Rance called and asked if I'd watched it and wasn't it beautiful so I told her off and hung up on her. and at first I thought it was really good, but then I started thinking what a stupid story about a lady who would give herself a problem when she had a happy marriage, and it was just dumb and I hated it. And then Lisa Rance called and asked if I'd watched it and wasn't it beautiful so I told her off and hung up on her.

Sat.u.r.day, August 4, 1979 Picked up Rupert down at his place on White Street. Rupert's trying to buy the building his loft is in. Actually it's two buildings-the one he's in and the one next to it. I guess Rupert has plenty of money or he wouldn't be thinking about buying buildings. His mother's from Palm Beach, but she just looks like a mother. When Rupert went in drag to a party once, he looked just like his mother. Rupert Jason Smith.

I went out and got cheese and candy for my birthday on Monday and then went back upstairs and worked with Rupert for about four hours. Then we cabbed down to Christopher Street ($2) and wandered around there seeing what's new.

Monday, August 6, 1979 My birthday. When I got to the office I cut the cake right away, so that I wouldn't have to do it in front of everybody. It tasted awful. Brigid ordered it from the woman in New Jersey. I told her to be sure it was a wedding wedding cake. It was three tiers. In the end, though, it really wasn't big enough. People came in and out all day and ate the cake. I usually ignore my birthday and order everyone not to mention it, but this year I was in a party mood and didn't want to fight it. I actually arranged the party myself and invited people over. cake. It was three tiers. In the end, though, it really wasn't big enough. People came in and out all day and ate the cake. I usually ignore my birthday and order everyone not to mention it, but this year I was in a party mood and didn't want to fight it. I actually arranged the party myself and invited people over.

Jackie Curtis called me on the phone and Mary Woronov. Suzie Frankfurt came down and de Antonio came by, he looked a little skinnier.

Honey Berlin called and every time she finds out I'm a Leo she's surprised. Madeline Netter came by and was sweet and fun and then volunteered to help clean up and then we went over to 65 Irving. Fabrizzi gave us free birthday drinks. And then we cabbed to Brooklyn ($5) and had a steak dinner under the Williamsburg Bridge at Peter Luger's. Got home early.

Tuesday, August 7, 1979 Worked until 7:30. Halston was giving me a birthday party. He knew my birthday was the day before but I guess he just didn't want to have to do it on a Monday. It was nice, just for the kids from the office. Truman was there and D.D. Ryan told him that she liked the Siamese Twins interview he did with himself seven or eight years ago that was just like the one he did in this month's Interview Interview, and he got very embarra.s.sed and at first he denied he'd ever done one like it but then later he admitted that he had.

Ronnie came with a girl dressed as a nurse who's a bartender at the Mudd Club. Then out came the birthday cake which was a huge baked cookie, like a Famous Amos, only it looked like a big plop of s.h.i.+t, it was funny.

Halston didn't give me the kind of expensive presents he did last year, I guess he thought it was too hard to go through that and do it every year, so he broke the tradition and gave me twenty boxes. One had skates, another had a helmet, another had a radio, and then earphones, and then kneepads, and then gloves, and a How to Skate How to Skate book. And Victor had his own skates, too, so we went outside and skated in front of the house. It was fun. Jane Holzer and Bob Denison came late. Then we ordered limos to go to Studio 54. Oh, and Steve gave me a good present. A roll of 5,000 of the new free drink tickets he'd just had printed up for the new year. book. And Victor had his own skates, too, so we went outside and skated in front of the house. It was fun. Jane Holzer and Bob Denison came late. Then we ordered limos to go to Studio 54. Oh, and Steve gave me a good present. A roll of 5,000 of the new free drink tickets he'd just had printed up for the new year.

Wednesday, August 8, 1979 Commissioner Geldzahler called and said he was upset because Raymond was leaving town. Fred brought in the pictures of Liza and they were horrible. I mean, they were clear and sharp, but Liza's not fat and they made her look fat, and like a drag queen. The expressions were wrong, too. Richard Bernstein's going to have to do a big creative job on them for the Interview Interview cover. cover.

Later that night we cabbed to Studio 54 ($4). Steve was at the door and he said that Valerie and Robin Williams were inside and he brought me over to them. There've been stories in the papers that they were getting divorced, but Valerie said it wasn't true. Cheryl Tiegs came in with Peter Beard and I guess she wanted to have her picture taken with Robin but Valerie said no, no pictures. Valerie's very tough, she runs things, and then she turned to me and asked if I thought it was okay that she was that tough, if she should be. She said that Robin was invited to Fire Island for the weekend but she didn't want him to go. She said, "It would be too big a strain on both of us." So then I thought that maybe she's afraid he could be a fairy. She said she wanted them to go someplace like Nantucket instead.

I introduced her to a cute waiter named Robert who wasn't working, and she seemed sort of hot for him and they danced but then she got nervous-maybe she'd just wanted to get Robin jealous for a minute. He's still wearing the clothes we bought that day down in the Village. He's got such a funny-shaped body.

Steve was smoking a joint and when the person who gave it to him wanted it back, Steve started screaming.

Sunday, August 12, 1979 I'd taken the Popism Popism ma.n.u.script home with me to read and so I worked on that all afternoon and then called PH and discussed it. Went to church for a few minutes. The weather was awful, it was pouring. ma.n.u.script home with me to read and so I worked on that all afternoon and then called PH and discussed it. Went to church for a few minutes. The weather was awful, it was pouring.

Friday, August 17, 1979 Went to the Gulf + Western building for a meeting with Paramount Pictures to do the poster artwork for the movie The Serial The Serial. I didn't realize it was such a big meeting, I was fifteen minutes late and there were twenty people there. Fred was there with a hangover, really sick, so he was no help. The guy-his name was Cohen with a "K"-Kohen, he pointed out the window, he had a corner view, and said, "You've got to do a good job so I can keep the office." He kept saying, "I'll know it when I see it." It was so old-fas.h.i.+oned.

After we left the meeting Fred and I walked a lot because he felt so sick. We thought that it wasn't really a good thing to do, so he'll just tell them a really high price, and if they say okay then I'll do it.

Read in the Post Post that Truman lost round one of the court battle with Gore Vidal, the million-dollar lawsuit. The judge decided not to throw it out of court. that Truman lost round one of the court battle with Gore Vidal, the million-dollar lawsuit. The judge decided not to throw it out of court.

Monday, August 20, 1979 Cabbed to Irving Place, got out at Gramercy Park ($1.50). Saw a squirrel eating a nut. Went to 65 Irving and de Antonio and his wife were already there. We asked him to write for Interview Interview and he's going to find someone to interview. and he's going to find someone to interview.

While the lunch was going on, the owners of 65 Irving were interviewing for new waiters off in a corner. Left lunch about 4:15 (lunch $67).

Ran into Barry Friedman on the street and he gave me the cold shoulder, I don't know why. He was with a girl, and either he was drugged or wigged-out or gone up in the world, I don't know.

Tuesday, August 21, 1979 Worked until 7:30 (cab $4). Went home and did some drawings. Not one single person called. I guess everyone must be on vacation.

Sunday, August 26, 1979 Barry Landau called and said that The New York Times The New York Times had been over at his place asking him if he'd seen Hamilton Jordan in the bas.e.m.e.nt of Studio 54, and he said that he'd told them yes, that he couldn't lie. I went to church. had been over at his place asking him if he'd seen Hamilton Jordan in the bas.e.m.e.nt of Studio 54, and he said that he'd told them yes, that he couldn't lie. I went to church.

Monday, August 27, 1979 There was no lunch on, and I was being good and not eating, but then Fred wanted to try out the new thing in the McDonald's commercial-the beef and onion sandwich. It tasted like cardboard and it was in pieces like it had already been chewed. The onions were the only good thing, they were real. That was strange, having real onions and the rest of the stuff phony. The sauce was good, but it was really sweet.

There was a big thunderstorm in the afternoon.

Tuesday, August 28, 1979 On the front page of the Post Post was a big picture of Barry Landau saying that he saw Hamilton Jordan at Studio 54 asking where he could get c.o.ke. was a big picture of Barry Landau saying that he saw Hamilton Jordan at Studio 54 asking where he could get c.o.ke.

Wednesday, August 29, 1979 Got up and cabbed to Union Square ($3.50). Walked to the office. Fred had the papers and we were reading about Studio 54 and really laughing it up. Then the phone rang and it was the FBI and we stopped laughing. I wouldn't take the call, I had Fred talk to them, and they're coming to see me today. Then Halston called and said the FBI had just been to see him, too, but he said he wouldn't say over the phone what happened. It's funny, they're wasting their time on this stuff. Don't they have a Ten Most Wanted list anymore? I mean, they're trying to find Barry Landau who everybody else is trying not not to find! to find!

Rupert and I worked on the Ten Most Famous Jews series. I haven't been told for sure yet who'se in it. Sarah Bernhardt. Maybe Woody Allen. Charlie Chaplin, Freud, Modigliani, Martin Buber. Who is is Martin Buber? The Guggenheims. Oh, and Einstein. And Gertrude Stein. Kafka (photos for research $2.20). I think they were considering Bob Dylan but I read that he turned born-again Christian. Martin Buber? The Guggenheims. Oh, and Einstein. And Gertrude Stein. Kafka (photos for research $2.20). I think they were considering Bob Dylan but I read that he turned born-again Christian.

Thursday, August 30, 1979 Cabbed to Union Square ($3.60). Walked to the office. Made some phone calls, had a little lunch. There was a crowd of models there that Barry McKinley was taking photographs of, mostly male models, they were so good-looking. Why are there so many to choose from now? Because there's n.o.body in the army? Wouldn't it be great to do a whole movie of nothing but good-looking kids-the butcher, the baker-all models.

Friday, August 31, 1979 The Interview Interview arrived and it's the Liza cover, there's lots of smudges on it. I was disappointed because it didn't seem that thick. Only forty pages of ads, the issue was only eighty-eight pages. And arrived and it's the Liza cover, there's lots of smudges on it. I was disappointed because it didn't seem that thick. Only forty pages of ads, the issue was only eighty-eight pages. And Vogue Vogue this month is so fat it looks like a telephone book. this month is so fat it looks like a telephone book.

I had to meet my

Then we went to Studio 54 and Mark let us in, and I made Curley dance with Tim to show him a good time. We stayed until 5:00 and then I took the kids to a coffee shop and we had tea ($15) and then I got a cab. Steve Rubell was at Studio 54, sober, and he said wasn't it great what Barry was doing, and for a second I forgot Barry was doing it for Steve and so I started to say how horrible Barry was, but I caught myself. It's Steve's deal with the government-if he gives them names he'll get a better deal. So Barry's helping him give names.

Tuesday, September 4, 1979 Bruno Bischofberger still is after me to give him a lot of my early photos for his photography collection. When did I start taking Polaroids? 1965? Bruno wants me to paint the Statue of Liberty and I haven't decided yet if I'll do it. I tried to talk him out of the Statue of Liberty and get him interested in the Heart paintings that I've been doing.

Ran into Diane Von Furstenberg who said she's not going to go to Studio 54 anymore because she thinks it's wrong of Steve to be naming names.

Wednesday, September 5, 1979 It was the beginning of hurricane weather outside, grey. I wandered around, pa.s.sed out Interviews Interviews-the Liza new ones-and thought about Montauk. They said this hurricane is traveling the path of the one in 1938, and that's when Montauk took a beating. I ran into Charles Evans and he gave me a ride, and we had a good talk about all the girls he knows.

Picked Bob up at 7:45 and went to the Magno screening room to see Yanks Yanks. I invited Curley and he and Bob loved the movie but I couldn't stand it. It was a forties movie, and if you want to see a forties movie they're on TV all the time and you can have great-looking people like Tyrone Power, not Richard Gere! The movie had no war and no bombing.

After the movie we went to a Claude Montana fas.h.i.+on show at Studio 54. It was just finis.h.i.+ng. Larissa said that Claude Montana was a genius and she asked me if I wanted to meet him. I'd seen the big photograph of him out in the front, this eight-foot figure, and she pulled over this little twerp of five feet with a mustache and American clothes and said it was him and that he was shy.

Thursday, September 6, 1979 I got up and David was around-Hurricane David. I guess it rained all night, that's what must have gotten me up in the middle of the night.

Went out and pa.s.sed out Interviews Interviews. On the street I ran into David Kennerly, the White House photographer, he was in town to promote a book, he said. Only I didn't recognize him at first, then finally he said something about the White House and it was able to dawn on me who he was.

Walked down a little ways and wandered into all the usual places. The hurricane never really happened. It stopped raining. The trees in the park were sort of down, but not much.

And the headlines are about David Kennedy going to Harlem to buy drugs. He's the crazy one who had the fight with Fred at Xenon. It was cute when he said to the police, "I'm David Kennedy, please don't tell my family, I just want to go to Hyannis."

Sat.u.r.day, September 8, 1979 Drove to Forest Hills. Had good seats. Went to the locker room. Billie Jean King said h.e.l.lo. Watched Martina Navratilova and Tracy Austin play, but I hate watching girls play, I hate the way they play, they just don't play that well, I can't stand it.

McEnroe and Connors played each other, and they're the same kind of people, the same type.

Tuesday, September 11, 1979 I was taking Marina Schiano to Charles Evans's dinner and I had to walk over to the armory to pick her up. She was at the antiques fair there with Jed. Admission was $3 5 which I stupidly paid because n.o.body told me that it was put on by the Folk Art Museum that I'm a trustee of. I met up with the guy who runs the museum, Bishop, who thinks my collection's no good. He's stupid. I hate all that American Primitive stuff now anyway, the jazzy painted stuff-it looks like junk -the toys and dolls and merry-go-rounds and Indian baskets.

At Charles Evans's dinner Bo Polk was there, and he knew every single girl in the room. He and Stephanie McLuhan are broken up, but she was there, too. Bo accused me of being the one who introduced him to Barry Landau, but really he knows I really warned him.

Sat.u.r.day, September 15, 1979-New York-Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania-New York Suzie Frankfurt picked us up in a limo that belonged to a decorating client of hers. A beautiful day. We went straight to the Brandywine River Museum and then someone there took us to Frolic Weymouth's house. He had a tent over the whole place and good chicken salad. All the right people were there. Lady Bird Johnson, Henry and s.h.i.+rlee Fonda, rich old ladies who look like bulldogs.

Then we went over to Jamie Wyeth's who spent the whole time giving an interview to WWD, and Phyllis was in the pool. I talked to s.h.i.+rlee Fonda. She said they sold their East Side New York house on 79th Street to David Brenner, but then he backed out at the last minute, he said that he was too famous to own a house. She said that if Henry Fonda could own a house, David Brenner could, too. But she's very happy because now they're renting the house for $5,000 a month and making more money that way. When she was cleaning the place out, she found a big gold cross worth about $20,000 behind the bookshelves and they're going to try to find out who it belonged to. She said that she wouldn't have felt right keeping it. I could see that Suzie really wanted it badly, she likes gold crosses.

We went back to Frolic's to change. The girls got into their ball gowns. Oh, and Henry Fonda has all his teeth. He was eating green apples. I'm sure they're his because they're sort of darkened.

Suzie was rolling a joint and it was embarra.s.sing. I had one of those peppermint drinks, mint julep, and I threw it out. Suzie forgot to feed the driver and that was terrible.

At the museum Frolic introduced me to Governor Scranton and his wife and some old ladies. Had a few drinks, pictures, dinner. Marina Schiano and Jed changed placecards so they'd be next to each other, they weren't happy. I was next to Nancy Hanks on one side and the sister of Henry Mcllhenny, Bonny Wintersteen, on the other side. Nancy Hanks is the head of the National Endowment for the Arts, I guess, she got Jamie on her advisory committee, The National Council on the Arts. Bonny Wintersteen was fascinating and fun. She's fat with grey hair pulled back very tight. She sold her ten most famous paintings to the j.a.panese a few years ago when they were going for very high prices, she said she got tired of people showing up at her house and demanding to see them.

I met a lot of kids in black tie who said they met me twenty years ago at the University of Pennsylvania when Edie and I went there for my show. We left at about 10:30 and I fell asleep in the car.

Sunday, September 16, 1979 Went to Lester Persky's Yanks Yanks party at Trader Vic's. It turned out to be a really intimate dinner for only about fourteen people. Lester arrived with Richard Gere, and John Schlesinger arrived and Tommy Dean. Lester has a thin mustache now. Richard Gere asked me how Lester and I had met and I told him that we met in the gutter ten years ago, and this time Lester didn't like that, so it was my first party at Trader Vic's. It turned out to be a really intimate dinner for only about fourteen people. Lester arrived with Richard Gere, and John Schlesinger arrived and Tommy Dean. Lester has a thin mustache now. Richard Gere asked me how Lester and I had met and I told him that we met in the gutter ten years ago, and this time Lester didn't like that, so it was my first faux pas faux pas. Richard Gere said that ten years ago he came in on a bus from New Jersey and went to see our movie Bike Boy Bike Boy in the Village, and he said from then on he's been trying to be an actor-it took him eleven years, he said. He's big and good-looking. We were talking about girls and he was talking about meeting the most beautiful girl in Rome-Dalila DiLazzaro-at a party in Zeffirelli's backyard and I told him we discovered her-that Paul Morrissey had seen her doing a soap commercial on Italian TV and made her the star of in the Village, and he said from then on he's been trying to be an actor-it took him eleven years, he said. He's big and good-looking. We were talking about girls and he was talking about meeting the most beautiful girl in Rome-Dalila DiLazzaro-at a party in Zeffirelli's backyard and I told him we discovered her-that Paul Morrissey had seen her doing a soap commercial on Italian TV and made her the star of Frankenstein Frankenstein-and he was impressed. He's going to be in a new play called Bent Bent which is an English one about h.o.m.os in concentration camps. I asked him if he was Italian and he said no, that he was French and Irish. which is an English one about h.o.m.os in concentration camps. I asked him if he was Italian and he said no, that he was French and Irish.

Steve Rubell came later. When Steve's normal, he's so distant. Lester told funny stories. Then I made another faux pas faux pas, I said that it was so much fun there, n.o.body should leave. And Steve was sitting right there. And I wasn't even thinking about the party at 54, I was just wanting to make Lester spend more money entertaining us because he's always so cheap. John Schlesinger gave a speech.

Monday, September 17, 1979 Cab to Union Square ($4). There was a lunch for Jack Kroll from Newsweek Newsweek and I had invited two friends of his, too, one who made a movie that Jack liked called and I had invited two friends of his, too, one who made a movie that Jack liked called Anti-Clock Anti-Clock, and I didn't know if the girl was his girlfriend or if she did P.R. It's a small movie, an art movie. They told me, "It's your your kind of movie" kind of movie" (laughs) (laughs), so you can imagine what it's like.

Bob told me the reason he's after Newsweek Newsweek is so they'll do a cover story on me, but I don't want one. I mean, what're they going to say? Reporters will just rehash. "He lives on the Upper East Side with two dachshunds and he's a sometimes walking-stick for Paulette G.o.ddard." Well maybe they'll feel the same way I do, too, that it's too boring. I mean you have to do something different like get married and have a couple of kids or take a few drugs or lose a few hundred pounds or die, to be good copy. is so they'll do a cover story on me, but I don't want one. I mean, what're they going to say? Reporters will just rehash. "He lives on the Upper East Side with two dachshunds and he's a sometimes walking-stick for Paulette G.o.ddard." Well maybe they'll feel the same way I do, too, that it's too boring. I mean you have to do something different like get married and have a couple of kids or take a few drugs or lose a few hundred pounds or die, to be good copy.

Dropped Rupert and Bob ($4) and went home and got into black tie. Robyn's mother, Mrs. Amory, invited me to the Cancer dance. I invited Gael Malkenson. I went over to Gael's and she was in a bright green dress. We had a drink there. Her boyfriend is out of town. He works at a cheese company, and she's gotten fat because he brings home all this cheese. Cabbed to Lincoln Center ($2.50).

They had an orchestra and all the old bags were out on the floor doing the foxtrot, and there's always that one seventy-five or eighty-year-old lady who gets out there and is the first to start really jumping. These old bags still want men to go to bed with them. They look like the ladies at Bonnie & Clyde, that d.y.k.e bar downtown where every table it's women who look like anybody's mother.

The Gilmans were there, they're now best friends with Robyn's mother, they have a house next to her in Tuxedo Park. And I asked Sondra whatever happened to Adela Holzer, and she said, "My dear, you won't believe it, she's been staying with me at my house for eight months and she's going to come out of court victorious." That's a good friend, I guess. But then if she's such a good friend, why did she let her sit in jail for four days?

The raffle was a trip to Milan. Why would someone want to go to Milan?

Gael and I spent the night talking about the magazine, and Robyn and I tried to get her to dish Bob, but she said she wouldn't talk about her boss, she just said she goes to the other side of the room when he screams.

Tuesday, September 18, 1979 Forgot that Halston was on the Donahue Show Donahue Show so I missed it. so I missed it.

Ronnie was working, getting ready for his two weeks off when he goes to California to visit Gigi.

Wednesday, September 19, 1979 Got up early because there was a big lunch down at the office, Brigid had invited Stanley Marcus from Neiman-Marcus. Cabbed to Union Square and walked to office (cab $3, kitchen supplies $125). The building had just finished painting the downstairs lobby. They made it Puerto Rican colors and you just hate to walk into it.

Mr. Marcus was a funny little man. I was trying to sneak some cole slaw and he caught me eating. We were expecting Fred back from Europe, but he never arrived. Rupert came by. Curley came and took the umbrella I'd borrowed from the Heinzes a few nights ago back to them. Jack Heinz had called about it and said it was his favorite one.

I told Carole Rogers at Interview Interview to try to register the word to try to register the word Out Out as the t.i.tle for a magazine, and she said the only way to register it is to actually do up a dummy of a magazine with that name. Because I want to start another newspaper-one that's as the t.i.tle for a magazine, and she said the only way to register it is to actually do up a dummy of a magazine with that name. Because I want to start another newspaper-one that's younger younger than than Interview Interview because because Interview's Interview's so established now. Dropped Rupert ($4) and got into black tie and went to pick up Suzie Frankfurt and Bob. so established now. Dropped Rupert ($4) and got into black tie and went to pick up Suzie Frankfurt and Bob.

We walked to the Pierre for the Gianni Versace fas.h.i.+on show. Gianni Versace was at our table, but not until after the show. And Carrie Donovan was there who always gave me my first jobs. Andre Leon Talley was next to me and he's just such a camp. And that guy who doesn't like us from Women's Wear Women's Wear, what's his name? Michael Coady, he was at the table with his I guess girlfriend and this time he was nice, actually. And Ludovic who runs Regine's.

The fas.h.i.+on show had Joe MacDonald and European girls. It was funny fabrics-lace and suede and leather. The clothes he makes this year are very feminine, though, kind of draped and ugly. At the end he got emotional and (laughs) (laughs) cried. cried.

Ludovic invited us to Regine's, but we were going to first go to a party Nelson had invited us to for Michael O'Donoghue who wrote Mondo Video Mondo Video, a movie that's coming out. I paid for a limo we got ($15) to Tango Palace on 47th and Broadway and the place looked like the old Factory with silver tinfoil on the walls. And the dime-a-dance girls now cost $20-a-second. A lady with b.r.e.a.s.t.s as big as Geri Miller's in Trash Trash was there, vulgar, dancing. The party was disgusting, the creepiest kids came over and talked to me. A band called The c.l.i.ts was playing. Richard Turley was there and he loved the place. was there, vulgar, dancing. The party was disgusting, the creepiest kids came over and talked to me. A band called The c.l.i.ts was playing. Richard Turley was there and he loved the place.

Thursday, September 20, 1979 I had to go to a screening of that movie Anti-Clock Anti-Clock that Jack Kroll's friends made, they were giving it just for me and I didn't want to go alone, so I invited John Reinhold and Curley, and Thomas Ammann because he's interested in art movies. We went to 48th and Broadway (cab $3). I was five minutes late and they'd started the movie. It was out of focus, it only went into focus about four times. It was a double screen, filmed in video and transferred onto film, it had a girl masturbating in a shower. Then the film looked like it broke and we didn't know if it had or if it was the end of the movie, and none of us dared to ask, so we just sat there in the dark, and then finally when a guy came out of the projection booth carrying the film, we knew it was really over. We didn't know what to say and the girl showing it wanted us to say something, so finally I said, "I liked it," and she was relieved. that Jack Kroll's friends made, they were giving it just for me and I didn't want to go alone, so I invited John Reinhold and Curley, and Thomas Ammann because he's interested in art movies. We went to 48th and Broadway (cab $3). I was five minutes late and they'd started the movie. It was out of focus, it only went into focus about four times. It was a double screen, filmed in video and transferred onto film, it had a girl masturbating in a shower. Then the film looked like it broke and we didn't know if it had or if it was the end of the movie, and none of us dared to ask, so we just sat there in the dark, and then finally when a guy came out of the projection booth carrying the film, we knew it was really over. We didn't know what to say and the girl showing it wanted us to say something, so finally I said, "I liked it," and she was relieved.

Friday, September 21, 1979 Got up and wandered around, pa.s.sing out Interviews Interviews. I went to Manolo Blahnik's new shoe store on 65th and Madison, next to Kron's, really beautiful, one-of-a-kind shoes. Went to Kron's ($58.68). It was raining so it was just impossible to get a taxi, everybody was waiting. But Gene Shalit came along in a car and said he'd drop me and I said that it was way way too out of his way, and he said that anything I wanted wasn't too much. His line is that he doesn't smoke or drink or take drugs-all he does is work. He said he got Meryl Streep for an interview and I asked him what his secret was, that we'd been trying to get her for our magazine, and he said he just got her by working hard. He said he picks up the phone himself, that he never has an a.s.sistant do it. He dropped me all the way downtown and I worked all afternoon, then dropped Rupert off (cab $4).

Then I got myself together, I was Sharon Hammond's date for a party for Alexis Smith at a restaurant called Dukes, before they took The Best Little Wh.o.r.ehouse in Texas The Best Little Wh.o.r.ehouse in Texas on the road. Sat between Mrs. Long and Twyla Tharp, and Twyla was saying that she was a has-been, that her movie career was over, that Lester and on the road. Sat between Mrs. Long and Twyla Tharp, and Twyla was saying that she was a has-been, that her movie career was over, that Lester and Hair Hair ruined it because they didn't use enough of her dancing, but I don't see how they could have used ruined it because they didn't use enough of her dancing, but I don't see how they could have used more more. She had her good-looking younger boyfriend who she's been living with for years with her. She tried to pretend that she didn't have anything to do with the Judson dancers-the dancers in Judson Church in the Village in the sixties-and when I would mention one of their names she wouldn't really say she knew them, she said she was just down in the bas.e.m.e.nt or something, but then after she'd had a few drinks, she began telling things about the dancers that she'd pretended she didn't know. And her boyfriend had even said to her, "Why are you pretending you had nothing to do with the Judson?" I guess she was just a dumb dancer who must have picked up what they were doing and just made it, somehow. I don't know how. She acts like she feels she's more important than them now. It was fun to talk to her.

Geoffrey Holder was there, and Geraldine Stutz, all the old-timers. It was a nice party. And then we went to New York/New York. Lester Persky was there and he was fun, and Jack Martin, I always have a great time with Jack Martin, he's so much fun. He said that the Marilyn portfolio that I gave Joyce Haber was getting mildewed in her bas.e.m.e.nt, and that once he was able to get Rona Barrett to give him the Marilyn poster I'd given her by saying, "Oh Rona, what do you have that stupid thing for?" and so she gave it to him. Jack knows about art, he has a few things. I gave Joyce the Marilyn portfolio after she wrote that big article on us in the L.A. Times L.A. Times in the late sixties and she'd just broken up with her husband, Doug Cramer, so I thought the portfolio would cheer her up and it was before I knew how much they'd be worth. They're so expensive now. in the late sixties and she'd just broken up with her husband, Doug Cramer, so I thought the portfolio would cheer her up and it was before I knew how much they'd be worth. They're so expensive now.

Sat.u.r.day, September 22, 1979 Down at the office. I went across the street to the farmer's market and got some things for the kitchen ($8). Interview Interview was working. was working.

Thomas Ammann picked me up in his limo and we went to Nippon to meet everybody. It was Wilson Kidde and Billy Kimball-he's a friend of Wilson's who goes to Harvard-John Reinhold, Robert Hayes, Curley, Keller Donovan the decorator, Rupert and his new friend-there were ten of us, all boys, so it was embarra.s.sing. I heard an older couple at the next table say (laughs) (laughs), "Oh it must be a prep school with their headmasters," because John and I looked the oldest and the kids were all in ties and jackets. We had a good time (dinner $300). Then we decided to go to Cowboys and after that we went to Rounds. A guy there said he met me in Tennessee and he asked if he could sit with us to see what New York was really like ($105). Joe MacDonald was there and said that Flamingo was reopening so we went, and the guy let us in free because I'd judged a male beauty contest there. Flamingo was great because it was brand-new, and then at 3:00 Thomas Ammann dropped me off.

Sunday, September 23, 1979 I went to church and then went home. I glued myself together and Curley picked me up and we went to 42nd Street to the WPIX radio station for the John Ogel Show John Ogel Show. I'd invited Walter Steding to play his magic violin on the air, he was good and he sounded intelligent when he was interviewed.

Then Lou Reed rushed in and said how glad he was to see us. Lou told me one of his dachshunds had had an operation on his back. I told him to come down to the Mudd Club with us later because they were having a Dead Rock Stars Night, and he said he would go as himself, but I told him he looks too good for that now.

We stopped for dinner at One Fifth (cab $3). When we walked in Jackie Curtis-he's back to dressing as a girl-was at the bar with, who else, Taylor Mead, who happened to be waiting for, who else, Viva. And then they were all on their way down to the Mudd Club. Had drinks ($45.14) and then it was 11:30 so we went to the Mudd Club, too (cab $3). They had a room where Janis Joplin was putting needles in her arm, and they had a Paul McCartney room-I guess because of the rumor that he died once-and they had Mama Ca.s.s choking to death with a plate of ham sandwiches in front of her and you could take the sandwiches and eat them. It was really sick. Vincent and Don Munroe were there videotaping.

Viva was reading poetry but I missed it, I didn't see her. Francois de Menil was there. The ex-Mr. Viva was there. They had girls in black crying, and then outside a hea.r.s.e pulled up. I was really tired. Dropped everybody off (cab $15).

Tuesday, October 9, 1979 Went to Union Square at 12:45 to meet the Newhouses, the mother and son, Si and Mitzi. They brought pictures of the husband who just died, but they weren't right so they're going to send down some more for a portrait. She might want her portrait done, too. n.o.body was around, so Victor served. She's a short little woman, she's eighty-two years old. I asked the son about Self Self magazine-he said they survey everything by computer every month, that's how they know what's happening. magazine-he said they survey everything by computer every month, that's how they know what's happening.

Had to go to Richard Weisman's party for Governor Brown that Catherine had arranged. Curley was with me, Fred had invited him. Bad traffic, Castro's in town (cab $3.50). Bo Polk was there, and he invited me to a George Bush party. Then Pat Hickey the hockey player arrived with his girlfriend and he looked like the Tareyton ad, his eye was all black. Governor Brown came and he gave a speech and I taped it and afterwards he asked what I taped it for and all the kids told him, "For nothing-he just throws the tapes in a box." He didn't say much, but when you give speeches all the time, what's left to talk about?

Stephanie was back with Bo Polk, Stephanie McLuhan, but I noticed she made a beeline for the governor when he arrived and kissed him, although she didn't know him. And then after the speech she got up and asked an involved question, I guess to show she was intelligent, but she was stupid and he was stupid. He came around afterwards to shake my hand and get my vote, he said something referring to the art thing, I guess-the legislation that would make artists get royalties or something when their paintings are resold-but it didn't make sense to me. Diane Von Furstenberg told him he'd gotten too skinny, that he'd lost his "love handles" and that she'd liked them. I wanted somebody to ask, "Is Jerry a fairy?" and Diane said no, that he wasn't, that Jerry's no fairy. Judith Hollander and Jed were there, they came by on their way to Tom Cas.h.i.+n's birthday party at "21." I just wanted to go home but Catherine wanted me to go to Elaine's with Rod and Judy Gilbert and Pat Hickey and his girlfriend.

Elaine was sitting at a table with five girls and one I think was Candy Bergen because later people said that it was but it didn't look like her and I looked at her and she looked at me and we didn't say anything. If it was her, she looks older. Pat Hickey took his girlfriend home and then came back because Catherine had been flirting with him all evening. Richard was trying to get me to drink tequila, and about 2:00 I left (cab $3).

Thursday, October 11, 1979 Got up and it was raining, cold again. Somebody ran into Truman in New Orleans, so evidently he didn't go to Nebraska. Maybe he just needed some money-he asked us for $6,000 to go to Nebraska to do a story for Interview Interview and we gave it to him. and we gave it to him.

I worked all afternoon in the back.

Fred was in one of those moods, mussing people's hair up, and he invited Curley to go to the Larry Rivers show at Marlborough with us.

Larry's show is like a retrospective of all his work. It's funny, it's like he ran out of ideas and decided to repaint everything. In the elevator I ran into the Greek woman whose portrait I just did, but I didn't recognize her. And I also ran into Rupert who said my Gem screens came out okay. At the opening a guy said, "I'm Larry's brother-in-law and I own the building your office is in," and he said that he'd just rented the ground floor to a discotheque but that we shouldn't worry, that it wouldn't interfere with us because it wouldn't be going on during our business hours. I told him thanks a lot. So, I mean, isn't that great? The Mafia discotheque fires will only burn the place to the ground after after office hours. Isn't that wonderful, a discotheque for a neighbor. office hours. Isn't that wonderful, a discotheque for a neighbor.

Then I went to dinner at the Gilmans' where I met a lawyer who's in New York to go to tax-shelter school.

Friday, October 12, 1979 It was raining, another awful day. Michael Zivian called in the morning and asked me to come up and sign some of my s.p.a.cefruits, so I walked up Madison to his place.

Henry Post called and I talked to him, but I was afraid he was taping me, so I didn't say anything. He'd sent me an article he wrote on Quaaludes for New York New York. He's still out to get Steve Rubell.

Sunday, October 14, 1979 I went to church and it was pretty out. Then met Bob at about 5:00 to go up to see the Dalai Lama at St. John the Divine Cathedral on 112th Street and Broadway. We picked Fred up and went uptown (cab $6). The Dalai Lama gave his speech, it was so boring, he had an interpreter but I don't know why because later he talked English very well. He was wearing an orange and red dress. Then there was a party in the back and everyone was standing around shaking hands. Bob said he wasn't impressed with the Dalai Lama because he wasn't as good as the pope.



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