20 things people may not know about me…

1.
I was born in Fort Dix, NJ, at the base hospital on March 3, 1960. This was the same day Elvis Presley was being mustered out of the service, and he was undergoing some sort of exit physical in the same building…so yes, dear friends, I was entering the building as Elvis was leaving the building.

2.
I spoke fluent Italian until I was 5 years old.

3.
Published my first poem when I was 9. “Highlights” magazine. I was hooked.

4.
I won a scholarship to college based on my writing skills. I never spent it all, since I dropped out halfway through my junior year.

5.
I was accepted at Harvard, Dartmouth, Brown, and UMass. I went to UMass. I heard the parties were better. This explains the previous entry.

6.
One of my earliest performance poetry experiences took place when I was asked to stall for time prior to a concert because the lead singer of the band was too fucked up to go on stage. The band was Flipper.

7.
I quit smoking when I was 22. I was smoking three and a half packs a day when I quit. That was 21 years ago.

8.
I saw the Ramones in the Seventies, dammit. Ditto Blondie, Devo, the Talking Heads, the Pretenders, the Clash, Elvis Costello, and way too many others both famous and infamous…I really miss that time.

9.
As a concert security goon — yes, you read that right, I was one of those guys whose job it was to start, um, stop fights and such — I met everyone from Frank Sinatra to REM to Sammy Hagar.

10.
I’ve been married for 19 years, and with my wife for over 22 years.

11.
I live on the street I grew up on, next door to my folks, in the house I grew up in.

12.
I am allergic to mosquitoes, although not as badly as I was when I was a kid.

13.
I collect: combat knives, guitars, Tarot card decks.

14.
I’ve seen a ghost. Yes, I’m positive. No, I won’t tell you about it.

15.
I put “poetry” down as my religion when it’s asked for on forms.

16.
I was a Boy Scout.

17.
I sang in barbershop quartets, madrigal choirs, and assorted other ensembles throughout and long past high school.

18.
I’ve had a recurring premonition that I would die at 7:19 PM on Dec. 19 of some unknown year since I was twelve years old. I do believe it will come true.

19.
I did way too much: cocaine, acid, and speed.

20.
I didn’t do enough: loving.