Crazy White Devilfor Robert Craig Knievel, Jr. (1938-2007)
Long before Christopher Reeveand R. Kelly, we believeda man could fly ifhe was daring enough,and crazy enough,to risk the inevitablecrash landing.
“America’s Legendary Daredevil”,Evel Knievel was both,a brazen boiler room brokerarguably a bit more crazythan daring, his biggest successesfailures, crash landings his specialty,his refusal to die his legacy,but “crazy [...]
I.
In 1978, my daily commute on the D trainfrom the not-quite-South Bronx of 170th Streetto the not-yet-Upper West Side of 96th, found me surrounded by men andwomen in suits with blue collars.
I woke up 90 minutes earlierthan my friends and would oftenfall asleep on a stranger’s shoulder,startle awake, embarrassedbut unmolested.
Contrary to popular belief,I felt safer [...]
ON THE 89th DAY, I QUIT
I do not believein fate or destinyor God’s willor man’s good intentions.
Give me the capricious gods instead,Dow Jones, Starbucks, Dick Cheneyso I at least know that where I stand onthis stacked deck is arbitrary.
I believe I am destinedfor greatness, if only I couldget out of my own wayand stop being [...]
