Date: Sun, 3 Feb 2013 02:07
Subject: You Rock, Frankie!
From: Zeke K.
To: Frankie S.
Today, Irene reminded me that you are leaving The City awhile, due to family crisis, probably a death. THIS REALLY SUCKS, FRANKIE, AND I AM /SO/ SORRY YOU MUST GO THROUGH THIS!
I do hope that you decide to draw some of my illustrations during this time…it will most likely be highly cathartic and healing under such duress. KEEP IN MIND that you are drawing for me, a gay activist of many years, who has suffered many losses (including death) of those he’s loved and struggled to fight to survive. At this point in my life, I am WAY BEYOND whatever lessons Death can teach us all. I therefore assure you, my new friend:
Take a deep breath, keep the faith, and please please please trust me when I say: MANY REWARDS await the stalwart pilgrim! But you must learn this for yourself, Little Grasshopper…no one can truly protect you from this most difficult passage. And if they could, you would thereby remain a chrysalis, never to know the breaking of your husk,
and spreading the wings of a butterfly.
All you’ll need beside your basic drawing tools, is access to a copy center, where you can make high quality photocopies, then send them off to me. Keep the originals! I would say, wait until you have 3 images done, before sending ’em off. Do it in batches of three, which will keep the postage expenses down. Save receipts, and I will gladly
reimburse you for any mailing expenses. You do not have to send them “overnight”…just “priority mail”.
If you can complete all 13 images by March 1, I will likely offer to pay you for seven more illustrations.
YOU ROCK, FRANKIE! Your illustrations that you’ve shown me thus far (albeit incomplete), have all been EXQUISITE, with much SPIRIT and ARTFUL DELIGHT shining through!
I wish you GREAT JOY and MINIMUM GRIEF, in spite of this difficult ordeal you are called to. And I consider it a TREMENDOUS HONOR if illustrating my ideas plays some significant role in easing your present difficulty.
Love ya Frankie,
Zeke
Date: Fri, 4 Feb 2013 02:16
Subject: I Got Your Back, Frankie!
From: Zeke K.
To: Frankie S.
Been doin’ some meditation on the many incredible challenges Athena has recently tossed at my stumbling feet. (FYI: I may be the sole remaining person on this planet, who holds Great Reverence for the gods and goddesses of Ancient Greece, and actively worships them.) Which great challenge also includes the conjunction of our two souls…or perhaps I should say “three” souls, when one considers your Greatest Advocate and Best Friend, Irene.
Your family crisis that you so nobly come home to, and face with great courage, may likely be a Tremendous Heartbreak, the likes of which you’ve never known. It is a crushing and deadly force which you cannot, nor should not avoid. Now, it is my great hope that your illustrating for me will be a positive interjection into a most painful passage. But that may not be enough (as my angelic companions have just suggested during this latest meditation).
Well, Dear Frankie, I surely know by now that Irene is your BFF…and that she is always there to lean on, and that you can call her whenever. But JUST IN CASE: please realize that I am ALSO here for ya, and you can lean on me too. So, if you need an extra fan cheering you on, know that I GOT YOUR BACK, TOO…and you can call me any time, day or night, if you need a kind shoulder to lean on. (This might be advantageous, in that maybe Irene needs a break, and I can be your main backup.)
I would even go so far as to say: your life, your soul, is worth infinitely more than even my illustrations. Therefore, I am MORE THAN WILLING to sacrifice these drawings if that’s what it takes to pull you through…unharmed and alive and sane, and all in one piece! If such an outcome occurs, please know with all my sincerity, that I wouldn’t even /dream/ of expecting any sort of reimbursement. What money I gave you is all yours, no strings attached.
For you see, Frankie, I act on the highest level possible, for every soul I have the great honor to meet. Sometimes I am asked by Fate to make some sort of sacrifice for that person…and sometimes, that is a financial sacrifice. So be it! It’s only money. And what’s that compared to any soul? Absolutely nada!
Though I know deep down, that your illustrations would be /perfect/ for my novel…which will go down in history as one of the greatest love stories ever told…and it’s very, very, very GAY!
But if Fate deems that the first edition of my book must be released w/o any illustrations, I presume that’s because the angels want me first to stand alone in This Great Victory. Still, it makes no sense to me, that my novel should ultimately /not/ feature your exquisite drawings that I’m /sure/ would grace My Incredible Tale with an Impassable Glory above and beyond the writing alone.
In case you didn’t bring my phone number with you while on your Family Odyssey, here it is again. I do have an answering machine, but no caller ID. It’s landline…so if I’m not home and you leave a msg., don’t forget to tell me the number you’re calling from, so I can call you back ASAP.
With great respect and appreciation,
Zeke
Date: Fri, 15 Feb 2013 08:28
Subject: You Rock, Frankie!
From: Frankie S.
To: Zeke K.
After a stormy delay, I have finally made it back to SF–albeit with some sort of stomach bug apparently. damn dirty airplanes.
Thank you for the kind and encouraging words; uncanny that you mention the chrysallis, as that is the very theme of a recent sculpture which i brought back with me.
I did take your illustrations along for the journey, and they were salve and salvation. got into some good grooves (particularly the angels, go figure.) for me, getting into art mode serves up the time-dissolving rest of distraction while keeping me utterly engaged. Not for the first time do I marvel at such a magical, near-contradictory phenomenon…and my dad really dug the illustrations too, which really made it for me. He’s the one who passed down all those art genes and creative inspiration after all.
How divine that our paths connected–I certainly feel blessed. It was a pleasure to finally meet you, and your ideas tickle me! it’s been a blast so far (yes, I even laugh out loud as i’m sketching sometimes) and i love the challenge of your diverse themes/subjects/and tones.
Anyways, yup, back on the west coast. and news from my other life, Sparky’s is no longer a 24-hr joint. LAME. so i’ve got a new schedule to adjust to–lucky for me, a mysterious benefactor left a new alarm clock on my doorstep!! I suppose YOU might know something about that?? That was so sweet! Such a thoughtful gift, and at the perfect time, i was quite moved. THANK YOU!!!
So, no time like the present to put that puppy to use–I’m BEAT! who’d athunk Sparky’s would be so damn busy on V-day?? DOUBLE LAME.
Date: Sat, 16 Feb 2013 14:28
Subject: You Rock, Frankie!
From: Zeke K.
To: Frankie S.
Fantastic letter, Frankie…thankyou. Haven’t been able to Internet-connect from home for two days now. So until this glitch clears up, and if you need to contact me ASAP, just use the phone. Otherwise, you must wait for me to access public wifi before you’ll get a response.
Oh, forgot to mention: Thalidomide Daddy does not reguire you to draw any seats. It’s almost perfect already, except for his position at the bar…and I might be wrong about this anywayz. Maybe send me the image to refresh my memory.
ZekeBlog 2.0 