Saturday, December 18, 2004

ORIGINAL ENTRY: Sunday, September 23, 1979

I went to church and then went home. I glued myself together and Curley picked me up and we went to 42nd Street to the WPIX radio station for the John Ogel Show. I'd invited Walter Steding to play his magic violin on the air, he was good and he sounded intelligent when he was interviewed.

Then Lou Reed rushed in and said how glad he was to see us. Lou told me one of his dacshunds had had an operation on his back. I told him to come down to the Mudd Club with us later because they were having a Dead Rock Stars Night, and he said he would go as himself, but I told him he looks to good for that now.

We stopped for dinner at One Fifth (Cab $3). When we walked in Jackie Curtis--he's back to dressing as a girl--was at the bar with, who else, Taylor Mead, who happened to be waiting for, who else, Viva. And then they were all on their way down to the Mudd Club. Had drinks ($45.14) and then it was 11:30 so we went to the Mudd Club, too ($3). They had a room where Janis Joplin was putting needles in her arm, and they had a Paul McCartney room--I guess because of the rumor that he died once--and they had Mama Cass choking to death with a plate of ham sandwiches in front of her and you could take the sandwiches and eat them. It was really sick. Vincent and Don Munroe were there videotaping.

Viva was reading poetry but I missed it, I didn't see her. Fracois de Menil was there the ex-Mr.Viva was there. They had girls in black crying, and then outside a hearse pulled up. I was really tired. Dropped everybody off (cab $15).

ORIGINAL ENTRY: Wednesday, September 19, 1979

Got up early because there was a big lunch down at the office, Brigid had invited Stanley Marcus from Neiman-Marcus. Cabbed to Union Square and walked to office (cab $3, kitchen supplies $125). The building had just finished painting the downstairs lobby. They made it Puerto Rican colors and you just hate to walk into it.

Mr. Marcus was a funny little man. I was trying to sneak some cole slaw and he caught me eating. We were expecting Fred back from Europe, but he never arrived. Rupert came by. Curley Heinz had called about it and said it was his favorite one.

I told Carole Rogers at Interview to try to register the word Out as the title for a magazine, and she said the only way to register it is to actually do up a dummy of a magazine with that name. Because I want to start another newspaper--one that's younger than Interview because Interview's so established now. Dropped Rupert ($4) and got into black tie and went to pick up Suzie Frankfurt and Bob.

We walked to the Pierre for the Gianni Versace fashion show. Gianni Versace was at our table, but not until after the show. And Carrie Donovan was there who always gave me my first jobs. André Leon Talleywas next to me and he's just such a camp. And that guy who doesn't like us from Women's Wear, what's his name? Michael Coady, he was at the table with his I guess girlfriend and this time he was nice, actually. And Ludovic who runs Regine's.

The fashion show had Joe MacDonald and European girls. It was funny fabrics--lace and suede and leather. The clothes he makes this year are very feminine, though, kind of draped and ugly. At the end he got emotional and (laughs) cried.

Ludovic invited us to Regine's, but we were going to first go to a party Nelson had invited us to for Michael O'Donohue who wrote Mondo Video, a movie that's coming out. I paid for a limo we got ($15) to Tango Palace on 47th and Broadway and the place looked like the old Factory with silver tinfoil on the walls. And the dime-a-dance girls now cost $20-a-second. A lady with breasts as big as Geri Miller's in Trash was there, vulgar, dancing. The party was disgusting, the creepiest kids came over and talked to me. A band called The Clits was playing. Richard Turley was there and he loved the place.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: Friday, August 31, 1979

The Interview arrived and it's the Liza cover, there's lots of smudges on it. I was disappointed because it didn't seem that thick. Only forty pages of ads, the issue was only eighty-eight pages. And Vogue this month is so fat it looks like a telephone book.

I had to meet my agent Joan Hyler at Elaine's so I could meet the guy who might get me a guest appearance on The Love Boat (cab $3). Elaine was there looking very slim. It was Joan Hyler, Bob Feiden, Steven Gaines, and this guy Tim from The Love Boat. At the next table was Jerzy Kosinski and his girlfriend Kiki with a Polish kid, an assistant cameraman who just defected and he was overwhelmed, it was his first day in New York and he was meeting me. Because he'd read the Philosophy book in Poland. He hadn't actually defected yet. You can't defect on a holiday, so he had to way until Tuesday.

Then we went over to Studio 54 and mark let us in, and I made Curley dance with Tim to show him a good time. We stayed until 5:00 and then I took the kids to a coffee shop and we had tea ($15) and the I got a cab. Steve Rubell was at Studio 54, sober, and he said wasn't it great what Barry was doing, and for a second I forgot Barry was doing it for Steve and so I started to say how horrible Barry was, but I caught myself. It's Steve's deal with the government--if he gives them names he'll get a better deal. So Barry's helping him give names.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: Monday, August 6, 1979

My birthday. When I got to the office I cut the cake right away, so that I wouldn't have to do it in front of everybody. It tasted awful. Brigid ordered it from the woman in New Jersey. I told her to be sure it was a wedding cake. It was three tiers. In the end, through, it really wasn't big enough. People came in and out all day and ate the cake. I usually ignore my birthday and order everyone not to mention it, but this year I was in a party mood and didn't want to fight it. I actually arranged the party myself and invited people over.

Jackie Curtis called me on the phone and Mary Woronov. Suzie Frankfurt came down and de Antonio came by, he looked a little skinnier.

Honey Berlin called an every time she finds out I'm out a Leo she's surprised. Madeline Netter came by and was sweet and fun and then volunteered to help clean up and then we went over to 65 Irving. Fabrizzi gave us free birthday drinks. And then we cabbed to Brooklyn ($5) and had a steak dinner under the Williamsburg Bridge at peter Luger's. Got home early.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: Friday, July 27, 1979--Paris--New York

I'd just gone to bed at 6:00 but at 7:30 Halston was knocking on my door. He hates being away from New York and he wanted to get back, but it was a horror trip getting up. And the hotel was just so beautiful, it had the geraniums in the window and red awnings. And Steve didn't want to get up and go, either, but after a half-hour of coaxing he did get up. We had to sit and eat breakfast but it was torture. Victor had his own room upstairs that he'd gotten after having an agitation, and he was cranky.

Halston really enjoys screaming. When he's paying he gets so grand and yells and tells everybody off about how rotten the service is for what he's paying, and when he pays the bill he makes you feel--well, he's like me, only worse. he tells you how he has to go back to New York to slave so hard so he can make money so you can go on spending it all, and oh, God!--he makes you so funny about it. But then it is just incredible what hotels cost now.

Finally Victor and everybody was in the car and we got to the Concorde on time, and Steve wasn't tipping the driver who hadn't even slept, he'd been out with us all night, so I gave him a fifty.

As soon as we got on the plane everyone fell asleep. The stewardess woke Halston up and he screamed at her that she better not wake him up again.

I wanted to get the Concorde silverware, and I wanted to wake Victor up and ask him to ask for food so I could get more settings--I'm working up to a twelve-piece setting--but I didn't wake him up so I only got one set. It was an easy flight. Then we went through customs and the customs guy used to be a cabdriver who had me in his cab once, so he sailed me right through. Got home and went to the office. Cab fares had gone up ($4).

It was a hot day and when I got to the office nobody was doing a thing. Brigid was waiting for the cake lady from New Jersey to deliver a cake for her mother's birthday, she was taking it out to the country for her later on.

David Whitney called and said I had to get some of the portraits to Paris, and I called Fred but I couldn't get him. Worked till about 7:30 with Rupert. Read my mail.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: Saturday, July 21, 1979--London

Got up early and checked in with the Halston crowd. Halston had a car and he decided to take us out sightseeing. Went to a couple of shirt stores with him. Then we wandered around, bought some film and tapes ($60). Then came back to the hotel and Fred wanted to go to the King's Road and I wanted to take Victor, but Halston didn't want to go with Fred.

We all went to Mr. Chow's for dinner. It was terrible food. Then we decided to do the discos. Halston was the most fun person on the trip. He would call up every place and say, "Hello, this is Steve Rubell, the owner of Studio 54. Can I get in free?" He was just camping the whole time--the tour guide. Bianca had to wear all her Halstons while he was in London, and she was unhappy because Mick had called her and had a fight about Jade. He said he can have more children and she can't, and she got insulted and said she could. They do use Jade as a prop, and the make each other really unhappy. He wanted jade to come over for his birthday, but Bianca didn't want to let her, she said it was bad publicity with the Pallenberg boyfriend's suicide.

Then we went to Tramps, stayed about half an hour, it was fun. Went to the Embassy. And at all the discos Steve takes on the role of being the host. The first thing he asks is "Would you like to have a vodka?" They wanted to go to more places but it was about 4:30 so we decided to get home.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: Friday, June 15, 1979

Some kid I met asked me if I could get him and his friend into Xenon that night and I said oh sure, that it was so easy. So when I got to the office I called Xenon. I told the girl who answered who I was and she said, "You don't sound like Andy Warhol." I said, "Well, it is." She said, "How do I know it's you?" And this went on and it turns out she was just setting me up, I guess, because she said, "I'll call you back to see if it's you." So the phone rang and I said, "Hello, this is really embarrassing, I mean..." And she said, "Well, we had eighteen Angela Lansburys call this week, so..." And I said, "Well, so what, I mean the place isn't that busy, and here I'm telling you about two cute kids who want to come and pay! And one even wants to be a member, so..." and then she said, "Just a minute, I'll have to call you back." So then in a few minutes she called back and said, "We decided over here that we don't want to ever see you again at Xenon." I said, "Whaaat?" She said, "We're all upset about what you did the other week." Meaning the party Interview gave at Studio 54 on the same night as the Xenon anniversary, which we didn't even know about until afterwards. I mean, I don't know if the girl's crazy and she was just embarrassed because she didn't believe who it was at first and had to prove something, or if she asked Howard Stein and he said that, because if Peppo Vanini were in the office I don't think he would be that mean, and besides, I think Peppo's over at Maria Narchios's wedding. But I mean, they're turning away $30. It was such a shock, and then I realized that I should never call places myself. But then it could have been worse, she could have said, "Fine, send your friends over," and then not let them in.

So I (laughs) called the kid up and said, "You won't believe this, but I can't get you in--they told me they never wanted to se me there again, either. I'm sorry." And he was embarrassed. I guess somebody else would made up some story, to save face, but I just told him.

Went to 55th and Broadway with John Fairchild, Jr. and Belle McIntyre. It's this brand-new roller skating place run by Negroes that nobody knows about yet, and it was great. They let us in free and gave us skates, which they don't usually do. It was great to skate, so much fun. I'm going to buy skates today.

Then we went to the Stage Delicatessen and had good Jewish Celebrity sandwiches. The "Diana Ross" was the worst, though--liver with jelly and peanut butter. Then we stood on the corner and John went to 54 with Curley and I dropped Belle (cab $4).