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Notice how I notice all the sad things? I noticed this on Bleecker Street, just a few blocks from me. It’s sad for so many reasons:
1. Gary is dead.
2. I don’t know who he was and if you google him, he doesn’t come up.
3. Hudson Street Papers is long gone.
4. They call it a garden, but it’s a tiny patch of earth surrounding a tree, and while some people maintain these tiny, tiny patches of earth as gardens, no one is maintaing this one. There one was strewn with garbage.
5. The sign is starting to deteriorate.
6. We all must die.
7. And be forgotten.
8. And any signs of us will eventually deteriorate and disappear, too.
Hey, but at least he was loved when he was around and people cared enough to erect this sign. I was in the doctor’s office this morning, with a bunch of women, all of us waiting to have a “women’s” thing done, and I had a nice chat with a woman who was 93. Maybe we’ll all make it to 93!
I’m on vacation now! Maybe I’ll watch Big Brother feeds for a while. I’m a Big Brother fanatic.
Update: I got this email from a friend of Gary’s who gave me permission to post it. It makes me wish again that I had known Gary.
From: Nick Phillips
Date: Wed, 8 Jan 2014 19:11:57
Dear Stacy,
Came across your blog re Gary Brush garden memorial in NYC.
I was a great friend of Gary and his late partner Gary Nemkowich who was an ex of mine. I stayed in their apartment several times when in NY either performing with Bloolips or studying for my Doctorate in Musical Theatre. We played hard and shared some legendary Dynasty parties, memorable Hallowe’ens, long disco nights and so much love and laughter. Believe me, he would have been the first to appreciate the garden and yet also would share your more existential thoughts on our inevitable end. Thanks for noticing. I smiled so hard on seeing your blog and
my heart swelled with love and pride for his life. Thank you.
Dr Nick Phillips (name in Bloolips gay theatre troupe – Naughty Nickers. Won an OBIE in 1981!)
Gary Brush was apparently a co-owner of Hudson Street Papers
Found this online “CURRENTS; In the Village, Dedicated to the Holidays
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By ELAINE LOUIE
Published: November 4, 1993
HUDSON STREET HOLIDAYS, a store that sells only holiday tree ornaments, candles, wrapping papers and ribbons, is an ephemeral place. It opened last week at 555 Hudson Street (Perry Street) in Greenwich Village, and will close Dec. 31.
Two of the shop’s owners, Alesia Eutsler, right, and Gary Brush, also own Hudson Street Papers, a 280-square-foot gift and stationery store at 581 Hudson Street. “The thought of doing Christmas there one more year made us crazy,” Ms. Eutsler said. So they and a third partner, Ken O’Neill, rented the 350-square-foot space and stocked it with ornaments. Information: (212) 645-0528.”
Ozymandias writ small.
Jess, thank you so much for finding that!
And yeah, Henry. Exactly. Except maybe Gary didn’t huff and puff about himself that way. Maybe he knew it would all disappear in time. This may be just wishful thinking on the part of his friends.