Lethal Dose

Today I had a great conversation w/Rod McKuen, who was drinking a diet red bull. He said to me, “Costco is my favorite place!”

I never thought I’d have the chance to tell McKuen (or Richard Hell for that matter, even though he lived in my NY neighborhood) this story … but I got my chance! “In high school, I used to turn in song lyrics to my creative writing class and see who’d get better grades. I turned in this song, ‘Blank Generation’ (he nodded and pointed - he knew it!) and my teacher said, “Donna! I’m impressed, you’ve taken Rod McKuen to a different level!’ and I had no idea who ‘Rod McKuen’ was!” He CRACKED up. “Beat Generation!” He laughed even more when I told him I was from Lowell, MA … for your beat studies, that’s Jack Kerouac’s hometown. And the high school where I turned in such a work of staggering genius was the same where Mr. K played on the football team.

Look! You can listen to Bob McFadden and Dor (guess who?) and watch the Brunswick 45 spin around:

and here’s Son of the Mummy: