with comments and corrections and photographs by Gerald Slota

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 narcissist

  1. a person who is overly self-involved, and often vain and selfish.

  2. Psychoanalysis. a person who suffers from narcissism, deriving erotic gratification from admiration of his or her own physical or mental attributes. <www.dictionary.com>

I am writing this as if these stories will disappear or evanesce into nothingness.  They gurgle up from a place in me that is both embarrassed and delighted.  My relationship with Gerald Slota over the past twenty plus years has been irreplaceable.  I need to leave some record of this history along with several pictures that have been out of sight. 


Gerald Slota is an artist for whom I have infinite regard.  He has an acute imagination and an awkward, uncanny approach to art making.   Like most artists, he craves approval yet manages to stagger forward with or without your blessing.  Most often he lives close to the edge and deals with it.


I have my own very deep craziness.  Gerald and I do some mute onanistic mirror dance.  There is safety there with recognition of each other and empathy.


It may be that the original Narcissus got a bad rap.  Wasn’t he just looking for himself?   We ought not to be critical of one another’s search for truth.  Admitted the degree of self absorption may have been mythic, but nevertheless.  


Here is a little book about Gerald and Bill: two narcissists walk into a bar… .   

WMH Halloween 2018