[AGL] Fletcher's scene at the first Raw Deal on Sabine St.

[Michael Eisenstadt]

to think of Fletcher is to think of Billy Lee Bramer,
Peggy Underwood, Brooks Holman, Stanley 
Walker, Dorothy Brown, Claudette, Bud Shrake, 
Gary Cartwright, Phyllis Cartwright and Libby.

I have been friends with Peggy Underwood,
Stanley Walker, Libby, and Claudette. Barely knew
Brooks Holman. Dorothy despises me, Shrake
I have never exchanged a word with. 

We often read about the literary-ness of the
Raw Deal. Here's a true story about literature
and the Raw Deal. One Friday I came in and
came upon the defrocked/disbarred Irish type 
doctor who had moved to Austin from 
California after losing his medical license and 
was frequenting the Raw Deal.

He said 'Do you know what today is?' I started
thinking furiously. It was June 21. 'Bloom's Day?'
I stuttered. He laughed and said not a one of
these fuckers [the literary heavy-hitters were
already there] knew that.

another Fletcher story. he told me and my 
roommate when he was dining chez nous a 
few years back about how he had gone to 
Castelli's art gallery in New York in the early 
sixties and showed him photos of his, 
Fletcher's, sculptures. Fletcher was an art 
student at UT. Castelli liked the sculpture (or
said he did) and told Fletcher to go back to 
Austin and do 30 more. It was at that 
moment that Fletcher realised he was not 
an artist. 

this is the kind of stuff to share at a memorial
but the visitation this weekend (Saturday?)
wont be anywhere i'm going to be volunteering
to talk about the departed. best say it here. 
visitation will be followed around 6 by free 
beer at Sholz's.