Quentin: Not-so-Wilde about Oscar... Pissed-off priests... Wanting Joel Grey for ‘Naked Civil 2’... And doing TexasBy DANIEL KUSNER On Saturday, Oct. 2, 1993, Quentin Crisp and I finally shook hands. Quentin was in Austin to herald the documentary “Resident Alien.” In his “New York Diaries,” Quentin described his three-day stay in Texas’ capital, which was spent stuffing his face and — from his Four Seasons’ window — watching campus oarsmen sculling down the Colorado River amidst a landscape of “mostly parched grass and crumbling rock.” During his Texas trip, I was invited to a dinner party to honor Quentin. My date was actress, MTV goddess and Charlie Girl-spokesmodel Karen Duffy, whom Quentin worked with on the film “Naked in New York.” In May 1995, Vanity Fair published Christopher Hitchens’ article commemorating the 100th anniversary of “The Importance of Being Earnest.” That 1895 Valentine’s Day opening-night was both Oscar Wilde’s greatest triumph and ultimate disgrace: Thug-aristocrat the Marquess of Queensbury made an angry scene at the stage door — hoping to disrupt Wilde’s three-act masterpiece with a bouquet of vegetables. The play went off without a hitch. But the furious Queensbury departed, swearing vengeance on the man who was “corrupting” his son, Lord Alfred Douglas. So intense was Queensbury in his defamation campaign that Wilde was led into the greatest mistake of his life — a criminal libel suit to clear himself of Queensbury’s “gay” smear (also known in the London homosexual underworld as the vice of being too “earnest.”) During the trial, our rebellious playwright had the tables turned on him. Wilde was indicted not only for committing “the abominable crime of sodomy” but also for committing it with a member of the lower orders. During Sir Edward Carson’s cross-examination, Wilde was trapped by a question about kissing a servant boy while trying to defend “The love that dare not speak its name.” Wilde was sentenced to two years hard labor. At the finish of Hitchens’ brilliant article, I remembered that Quentin Crisp was also cross-examined — when he was brought to trial on a charge of solicitation. Quentin successfully defended himself. So on a weeknight after 8 p.m. — I had a whim. I phoned Quentin and recorded our discussion. QUENTIN CRISP: Oh, yes? KUSNER: Hey, Quentin. How are you doing? I’m calling from Texas. Fine. I’m all right, thank you. I hope I didn’t wake you or anything. No. Well, I’m just reading this article about Oscar Wilde in Vanity Fair. And I was wondering what you thought of Oscar. Well, I think he was a dead loss. A dead loss? How come? He never came to terms with how sordid his life was. How sordid was it? Very. He had affairs with Eastenders, whom he only met in Braille. He never knew what they looked like. He met them in darkened rooms in Oxford. And they were procured for him by Lord Alfred Douglas. He was an absolute loss. So he was taking advantage of young men from the lower classes? Yes. Hmmm. What do you think of the word “foppish?” Well, it does describe... See, Americans misunderstand dandyish-ness for effeminacy. They’re not the same thing at all. It’s like the Archie Bunker thing: He thinks that all Englishmen must be queer because they add curly brims to their boaters and fold umbrellas and so on. And, of course, they’re very dandyish. But they’re not effeminate at all. They would be horrified if you told them they were. And that, I think, is part of the trouble — that Mr. Wilde was, of course, deliberately on East Street and all that rubbish. He knew all that terrible verse. And it’s impossible to understand how he was bleating about love and dragging poor old Plato’s name into a case as sordid as that was. Do people ever compare your wit to Oscar’s? [Pained voice.] Yes, yes. I am told I am like Mr. Wilde. I couldn’t be less like him still. Yes, it’s true. And the way I speak is epigrammatic. Do you think your historical lives run parallel: his court case and your legal battle? Well, no. I mean, his was compounded by his trying to be funny in court. It was absolute nonsense. Who do you want to play you in the sequel to your life story? Besides John Hurt? Joel Grey. Hey, have you seen the movie “Priest?” Yes. What did you think of it? “Priest” was shocking. I don’t know quite why. I mean, it’s all right to have a priest who is gay. But whether one prelate says “piss off” to another is very unlikely, I think. And it does make it worse in a way that isn't necessary. But was it a good movie? It was quite a good movie. When did you get a chance to see “Priest?” I think I saw it on Monday of this week. Just recently. So, are you working on anything else? No. I’m behaving nicely. Are you reviewing more movies now? Yes, if I get the chance, I do movie reviews. Are you going to review “Priest?” Yes. Later on. I have to see a movie with my editor, and he then feeds me. And then we discover what I should say. And then I say it. That’s great. Well, I was just reading this article and thought, “I'd like to call Quentin and ask him about it.” So I did. Hey, do you remember your recent trip to Austin? Ah, yes. I had dinner with you that evening. I was with a young actress in a backyard. Do you remember? Oh, yes. And I interviewed you for my magazine here. That's right. So come to Texas for the next film fest. I doubt whether I will. But I go where my fare is paid. Well, I’ll put the word out for you. I’ll tell them to come and get you. All right. Well, good luck to you. Thanks for your time. You’re very kind. Good night. Good night.
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Vol. 3
May 1995
• PARTY GAL
Parker Posey • MANIC SUPERSTAR Sandra Bernhard • PC INSURGENT Camille Paglia • UK KWEEN'S WILDE ABOUT ATX Quentin Crisp |