mystic, ct

photo © 2006 by k. all rights reserved; nothing may be reproduced without written consent of theeverlastingfunstopper

rest in peace, my old friend...

My friend Drew Goren took the photo above of his daughter, Nina, in 2004. Drew and I spent a few years working together at a magazine in New York City. He was one of the most gifted photographers I’ve ever known, and I picked his brain endlessly about his pictures – how he took them, what kind of film and exposure he used, how he got his pictures to look so amazing, and so forth. I learned more from Drew in a few short years than I had in an entire lifetime of trying to take a decent picture.

Most of all, Drew was a wonderful friend to me. He offered to send me on photo shoots in New York to build a portfolio and gain some confidence. He scanned over 40 of my slides so I could build this blog.

One time, Drew told me that the drug store, Walgreens, made an 800 speed color film that was amazing for portraits. I laughed -- are you serious? drug store film? A week later, a box of Walgreen’s 800 showed up in my mailbox. And, of course, he was right; my favorite picture of my son was taken with a roll of that film.

Drew and I talked endlessly about politics, photography, and music. We shared many beers, and a few good shots. We even yelled at each other a few times and laughed afterwards. I like to think that we were a good team -- friends that managed to do a few cool things for a less than perfect music magazine.

Drew passed away this week. He was just 33. He was an amazing soul, an inspirational father, and I will miss him greatly. Thank you for everything, my friend.

If you have some time, please visit his website: subwaysleeper.

we blew the windows out, didn't we?

photo © 2006 by k. all rights reserved; nothing may be reproduced without written consent of theeverlastingfunstopper

in philadelphia at night...

photo and words © 2006 by k. all rights reserved; nothing may be reproduced without written consent of theeverlastingfunstopper

last chance to breathe

This is my conscience streaming into binary existence
And so what? Think what you will, it’s still eating away
Or maybe festering, multiplying in its own pretentious way
The abused boy, still trembling under your fist
I felt it first, inside, and it hurt me
Your filthy mouth, wrapped around my tongue…
Licking, licking, coughing, licking, licking, coughing
You servant… your obligation…. your absence…
Sipping absinthe as if we were Van Gogh or his sane brother
Retching, loathing, disgust and discontent >>>>
My last chance to breathe, something profound
This stabbing ache, this retched beauty, caught beneath the tumbling winter waves,
I cannot accept this, the last thought, the last say… I don’t own it

photo and words © 2006 by k. all rights reserved; nothing may be reproduced without written consent of theeverlastingfunstopper