- I studied Keats through an advanced English literature program before I got to college. I wasn't in love with his image or his poetry, but I was awestruck by his shorter works. Before that I equated the quality of writing to the quantity of work. I began experimenting with maximizing impact and minimizing the number of words used to do so. The experiment was something of a failure at the time. Instead of showcasing the power of word selection, in my opinion the poems came off as lackadaisical or the product of a short attention span. By the mid 90's, however, when I wanted max impact with few words the earlier experimentation helped me achieve that goal in a very big way.
- I wrote a large percentage of the short poetry of Roll Call while I was staying in the Pontalba in New Orleans. For those who do not know, the Pontalba are the oldest apartments in Louisiana. They overlook Jackson Square in the front, but go back a half block to the middle of the block they are located on. Inside each of the apartments of the Pontalba are private courtyards open to the air. The front has the famous wrought iron railings across large front porches, with French windows that open out onto them from the main sitting room. The rooms and quarters at the back are not as large. The servants' rooms are small, but the ohers are spacious and quite comfortable. The one I stayed in was furnished completely with antique French period pieces dating back to the period of the Pontalba's earliest days.
- I was there during the most horrific period of drug addiction I have ever subjectd myself to. In 1989 I was still doing crystal meth. I had discovered a source of real PG, which I constantly did with the meth. I was also taking LSD regularly, rolling on ecstasy whenever possible and smoking weed at all times, day and night. That was the spring when I stayed awake 7 days out of every 10. Thinking about it now causes me anxiety. It was horrible, what I did to myself.
- I wrote almost all of my short poetry in public. I spent night after night writing at Cafe du Monde, 100 yards from the apartment. I also wrote on the Riverwalk all day, many many times. Thousands of people stopped to read what I was writing.
- I was going insane on the inside, but the poetry just seemed to become more and more divinely inspired. That's what I think now. At the time I thought it was all garbage. I burned over 1000 pages because I was so twisted up inside.
- During the period in the Pontalba I was engaged to one of the most beautiful girls in the world. I never stopped loving her. My mind was messed up, but she could always find a way to reach me. She would take my hands in hers and get me to focus on her face, and then she would talk to me until I was okay again. I've never loved anyone in my life more completely. She used to go to The Crystal and Oz with me, and we would bring girls back to the apartment for sex. I never participated because I was in never never land, but I've never forgotten how incredibly hot it was. I miss her.
Some people still think this is akin to a personal Wikipedia for me. I write this for my entertainment, and for the entertainment of whoever may read it. It's just something I enjoy.
Repent or Die