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« on: June 22, 2013, 03:58:53 AM »
Fans, this evening I went to the one remaining gay bookstore in the area to hear veteran gay author Felice Picano read from his new book. Felice's 1970s diaries were excerpted about 20 years ago in a book entitled The Violet Quill Reader. I remember what a surprise it was to learn that Joel Crothers was a good friend of Picano's (and, he revealed this evening, an occasional bedmate). I wish I had had a tape recorder with me this evening so I could simply transcribe Felice's words verbatim, but this was the gist of what he said.
During the Q&A, I explained my surprise when Joel turned up in the diaries. Felice said that Joel was an amazing man, not only because he was so handsome and gifted, but also, he was something of a super-intellect--he gave Joel's IQ and it was quite high (I can't recall the number Felice cited). He said that one morning he woke up in bed next to Joel and suddenly was seized with an urge to strangle him (very DS, isn't it?) because they were chatting and Joel "simply knew EVERYTHING." He also recalled helping Harvey Fierstein get the first production of "Torch Song Trilogy" (a play which won awards and subsequently became a film with Matthew Broderick) and persuading Joel to act in the original production (I believe at Off Broadway's La Mama theatre).
He said that Joel was so brilliant that he eventually became bored with everything. Joel was a huge star in the 1970s and 1980s on his various soap operas and Felice witnessed Joel being mobbed by women after a taping one afternoon, all seeking his autograph.
He said that Joel's work on DS could be considered "real acting" because the last thing Joel ever was was a "boy next door" type. He said that Joel came from "a family of over-achievers" and he was just following in the family tradition.
Despite Joel's brilliance, he was a very kind-hearted and loving man and was popular among his friends. He had a certain physical attribute that made him highly sought after among gay men but his friends cherished Joel because he was just such a nice person to be with.
I found this conversation quite fascinating since I have never read anything about who Joel was as a person. I hope you enjoy reading these notes.
Best, Gothick