Upward Unction

Upward Unction

You deserve bliss.

DB - The Vagabond

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Several people have asked to see the cartoon in my side bar up close and personal, and to hear the story of how it came about. So here it is.


It was while I was working for the radio station I mentioned in my last entry. One of our duties was to help raise money for the New York Philharmonic. We set up tables with microphones in the lobby of Alice Tully Hall, the orchestra's home. We set up an engineer with turntables, a bank of volunteers to answer the phones and chairs for an audience. We broadcast from there for 2 and a half days, non stop, 24 hours.
I had one all night shift, from midnight to 6, by myself. During it I raised 4 thousand dollars. I also had one 4 hour shift one afternoon where I got to interview various people who came by to help. I met with members of the orchestra, Zubin Mehta, the conductor at that time,. the pianist Earl Wild, the actor Tony Randall and Hugh Carey, who was then Governor of New York.
As with all telethons, there were premiums available for a certain amount of contribution. Unknown to us, someone drew caricatures of all the classical radio celebrities, and they were put up as premiums. For a certain pledge you have a drawing of your favorite personality
Well someone bought the whole batch and graciously gave each of us a Xerox copy of ourselves. And that's why I have it.
I'm not sure about this, but I heard that they are all in some museum somewhere in Florida.
I don't think it resembles me that much. I look blissful enough but I don't have fat cheeks (anywhere).