The Unknown Hipster

When The Selby called to ask whether he could photograph my place, it was a nice surprise, of course, but I  thought I should warn him :

-You know, it’s kind of small…

-Don’t tell me it’s smaller than Rockaway Taco ! Don’t be shy, I’m sure it’s wonderful!

But then I completely forgot all about it, and suddenly, on a stormy afternoon, it was Todd knocking on my door.

The bed was unmade since I was taking a little nap, and the kitchen was cluttered with the remains of yesterday’s spaghetti Bolognese (one day I’ll post my recipe, learned from an Italian grandmother). But what the hell, I thought, Todd is cool, he has done a lot of artists and bohemians.  I don’t think he was expecting my pad to be as slick as Pharrell Williams’ home.

Welcome to the secluded home of a poet !

But when he walked in, I could see disappointment and a little bit of anxiety on his face.

-What’s that funny smell…he said.

True, I just had a new goatskin shipped from Morocco for my tambourine, and since it’s 100% organic, it exudes a bit of an odor when the weather is hot and humid, but no big deal, one quickly gets used to it.

I used to grow pot on the fire escape, but the plants died while I was out at  Fashion Week last year. All I could offer him was a nice cup of Nescafé, straight out of the hot water tab.

Todd is a warm and sweet character, with a great sense of humor, and he knows immediately how to make you feel at ease in your own place. I was amazed, though, by his way of working. I was imagining him firing detail shots with the Eos. On the contrary, he was carefully looking at my stacks of cassettes tapes and my second-hand Beat Reader from The Strand.

I suggested that I play the guitar on my bed, thinking it would make a great wide angle panoramic shot for the opening.

Thanks, said Todd, but let me just do a quick close-up, and I’ll do a little water color from home. And he off, running down the stairs, forgetting to hand me his questionnaire.

Questionnaires, even from friends, are always a pain for me. I admire the spontaneity of most people when it comes to this. I studied the answers of my friends, Glenn, Andy, Xavier, and Pierre, how did they manage to do it ? Finally, it took me 4 weeks to fill it out. Hope it’s okay.