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THE NARRATIVE ARC
Debbie Harry’s Beagle ‘Ace’ Hung Out with My Mini-Dachsund ‘Elvis’
Musician-spotting on the mean streets of New York
I’ve spent nearly all of my adult life residing in the New York metropolitan area. It’s true that celebrity encounters can and do happen for the average Manhattanite when you least expect it. My own sightings run the gamut of a who’s who of entertainment and popular music.
It’s important to look at fandom from their perspective. As Bob Dylan, circa 1965, played by Timothée Chalamet, complains in A Complete Unknown, everyone always wants something from him. More recently, Taylor Swift needed to get a protective order against a stalker found hanging around the superstar’s downtown apartment in Tribeca.
As a professional writer interviewing famous people for almost a half century since my early twenties, I’m mindful everyone deserves privacy when they’re not promoting a project through a publicist. For example, I once saw Sinead O’Connor on the subway about 10 years ago. One of my biggest regrets was not thanking her for all the great music she gave us. That day she did seem a bit troubled and I didn’t want to call attention to her for the fear of causing a commotion. I’ll never know what would have transpired if I asked her for an interview.
