Medium Raw

LSD sure raised my consciousness a bit. There’s no doubt that it

made me think about the world from perspectives I might otherwise

never have visited. From that first barrel of “Purple Haze,” the

opening bars of “Court of the Crimson King,” I’m pretty sure I

achieved enlightenment of a sort. That and a few records are what I

got out of the ‘60s. So, maybe LSD is a good metaphor for Alice. I

may not want any now—but I’m glad she was around. And I may

even be slightly better for the experience.

I’m constantly having an argument with Alice in my head, an

ongoing conversation/disagreement—and she always wins. Just as

in life. When I met her for a panel discussion a while back, I was

loaded for bear. I’d reread her biographies, consulted

contemporaneous accounts, tracked down every silly thing she’s

ever said, briefed myself for a showdown.

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