Watercolor and gouache painting of original handmade book from 1969-70. Imagine you are an eighteen-year-old male college freshman and a package arrives in your campus mailbox. You open it and take out this little handmade book. Bound in purple velveteen, it has watercolor and ink illustrations on the cover and hand-lettering throughout. Taken completely taken by surprise, you realize immediately that you are the Philip in the title. Not only is the book an unexpected gift, but it is a story for and about you. Someone you know only slightly has a crush on you. You SO did NOT ask for this.
San Francisco, 1970s. I was sharing a house with Joan Browning and Joe Petrillo at the time. And friends with Betsy David. You gave me a copy of The Any Port Party, and also an outrageous broadsheet (well, printed on standard sized paper). I loved your work and thought you very attractive.
If someone had given me a book like this I would have had a panic attack. For some reason when I asked a girl out on a date I would produce laughter. King of the Nerds.
What an interesting story! Wasn't Philip the name of the little rosy cheeked blonde boy who was your first beau, in, maybe second grade? Oh the lengths we would go to reach through our vulnerability to connect, especially with the opposite sex!
No, that was Peter.... There was a Philip who lived behind us on Latimer, a wild boy, but his family moved while we were all still young....
Thank you. I am touched by the clarity and honesty of your reflection on time past.
Once I was the beneficiary of a miniature version of one of your literary gifts. Alas, I was too timid to follow up.
Context? Date and location? I am not sure I recall...
San Francisco, 1970s. I was sharing a house with Joan Browning and Joe Petrillo at the time. And friends with Betsy David. You gave me a copy of The Any Port Party, and also an outrageous broadsheet (well, printed on standard sized paper). I loved your work and thought you very attractive.
If someone had given me a book like this I would have had a panic attack. For some reason when I asked a girl out on a date I would produce laughter. King of the Nerds.
This is such a sweet, wonderful story (and handmade book). Thank you for sharing it!
What an interesting story! Wasn't Philip the name of the little rosy cheeked blonde boy who was your first beau, in, maybe second grade? Oh the lengths we would go to reach through our vulnerability to connect, especially with the opposite sex!