October 31, 2005
Nice day at home yesterday. Worked on new Honkytonk Sue illustrations for 2006. We’re trying to get ahead. Also worked on cleaning out boxes in the studio. Found great photo reference for Mickey Free that I had forgotten I have. Took the dogs on four bike rides. On every single ride they acted like they haven’t been on a ride in years.

Today is Halloween dress-up day at the True West offices. Robert Ray came dressed as Mike Melrose, Abby as a farmgirl, Sue Lambert as Zorra, Meghan as a She Devil, Joel as a doctor (“At home I’m a gynecologist,” Joel assures me). I came as a college graduate, complete with Tommy’s gown and a blank diploma. Fitting because I don’t have a degree. Yes, I quit college six units shy of a degree, but I have been planning to go back and finish for 36 years. And counting.

As I was cleaning my studio this past weekend I found Dale Carnagie’s book, “How to Win Friends and Influence People.” My book mark was on page 142. So typical. I’m so ADD I started the book, then went on to something else (just like college!). Made a vow to finish it this time. Read quite a bit on Saturday and Sunday. Great wisdom and insights. I think the strongest thing I realized is that I need to admit and own my mistakes more (see yesterday’s Email from Frank). I’ve made so many boneheaded mistakes running True West it’s amazing we are still standing. Still, with all the Monday morning quarterbacking going on right now I appreciate Bob and Trish Brink standing by me on the decision to go with the gay cover story. It’s situations like this where you really see who your allies are. This is not to say the people who don’t want the subject even mentioned in the magazine, are against me, although some definitely are. No, they have a very valid point. It’s distasteful to them and they don’t want the subject thrust in their face. I understand that and sympathize with their concerns. Even our newsstand consultants are against the cover, sending us an Email last week predicting dire newsstand results.

Still, the verdict on whether the issue is a success or not, is still out. The movie that is causing all the fuss and generated our coverage, Brokeback Mountain, will come out next month and I hope, by then, the context of our cover will make more sense to our old guard readers. We shall soon see.

And speaking of the movie and the star of it, Deena came out Friday night and we were watching tv when an ad for Jake Gyllenhaal’s new movie, Jarhead came on.

Deena: "I love Jake Gyllenhaal!"

Dad: "Really? Are you going to go see Brokeback Mountain when it comes out?”

Deena (looking at me with a sly look): “Yes, Dad, with you.”

Ha. Now I have to go. And I do have a problem with it (the trailer made me squirm like a castrated dog).

“People will have problems with it, but it’s kind of hard to disagree with what the movie is about. It’s a story about people struggling with how to love each other.”
—Jake Gyllenhaal