He Knew a Guy

Posted on by Mark Aldrich

He knew people. Had connections. A Brushes-With-Hollywood™ Tale.

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There is a big difference between living a life story about which people say, “That ought to be a movie,” and possessing a life story about which those same people will pay real money to buy the book or sit in a theater to view that movie.
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Today in History: June 7

Posted on by Mark Aldrich

Dorothy Parker died on this date in 1967. Because it is possible you have not heard her voice, here is a 1926 recording, found on “brainpickings,” of her reading “Inscription for the Ceiling of a Bedroom” (after the jump):

Daily dawns another day;
I must up, to make my way.
Though I dress and drink and eat,
Move my fingers and my feet,
Learn a little, here and there,
Weep and laugh and sweat and swear,
Hear a song, or watch a stage,
Leave some words upon a page,
Claim a foe, or hail a friend —
Bed awaits me at the end.
 
Though I go in pride and strength,
I’ll come back to bed at length.
Though I walk in blinded woe,
Back to bed I’m bound to go.
High my heart, or bowed my head,
All my days but lead to bed.
Up, and out, and on; and then
Ever back to bed again,
Summer, Winter, Spring, and Fall —
I’m a fool to rise at all!—”Inscription for the Ceiling of a Bedroom”

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Playful till the End

Posted on by Mark Aldrich

He may have been one of the top five most frequently photographed human beings. He certainly was that when he was active in his career.

The answer to the potential trivia question, “Who took the final formal photographs of Muhammad Ali?” is Zenon Texeira, a young British photographer who was sent by The Daily Mail to Ali’s home in Scottsdale, Arizona, in March. Ali and his family welcomed him into their home, and Ali sat for a 45-minute photo shoot.
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