Barney Rosset Remembered on the Days of the Dead celebrations

 

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The sad part of having older close friends such as author Budd Schulberg, fashion designer Pauline Trigere, and  publishing giant Barney Rosset among others, is  that I will lose them sooner rather  later. So, while I have them, I try to make the most of every moment, hear as many stories, ask as many questions and learn all I can about their lives and times.

To Mexicans, the holiday of Los Dias de los Muertos is neither ghoulish nor morbid.  It is a joyous celebration of memory and an opportunity to catch up on those who are dear to you as Barney  was to me.

I  met Barney nd his wife Astrid through his son Beckett who was a server at Zarela for a time and we immediately hit it off and the friendship was hatched. Barney had spent much time in Mexico and  loved  to tell the story of his first trip there when he drove all the way down to the Yucatan peninsula at age 16.  He enjoyed authentic  Mexican food and loved the food at Zarela and loved it when I asked him what he felt like eating.   His son Peter lives in Chiapas and is an advocate for the rights of indigenous people so there were lots of points in common including our love for the folk  art of Oaxaca (he collected elaborate alebrijes) and the magnificent textiles of Chiapas that I too collect.Besides he once published Octavio Paz and Elena Poniatowska, two famous Mexican writers who I admire.

Because,it is home altar, it will not be as elaborate as a traditional ofrenda with its marigold arches,  bunches of cockscombs, brand new pottery dishes of his favorite food but all the essential elements will be there including photographs, mementos, and other objects that tell the tale of his life.

The storm changed the way I could set up the altar:  no marigolds! No cockscombs! But all the other elements are there. 3 beautiful pictures, the Mexico issue of Evergreen Review published in 1959

(a collector’s item), a DVD of  Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, the rum and Coke he liked to drink, pan de muertos, some textiles from Chiapas he used to own and the Mexican paper skulls.  It looks wonderful and is meant as an homage.  I had Anglo guests last night and they would not even look at it1  We have such different attitudes about life and death.

This is a photo of Barney the last time I saw him. He was fascinated with my iphone!