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He expressed his dislike for Jews, Poles, gypsies, homosexuals,
Russians, Mexicans and so on with a chuckle, usually, which left
me with room to assume he wasn't really very serious about it --
and that, of course, was the assumption I preferred to make, since
I really liked Slim a lot and Gary was his friend.
I think I first met Gary at Slim's one afternoon. Very quickly
the conversation got around to politics and we discovered that we
both hated Kennedy or something to that effect. Slim interjected:
"I
did itl I was a catalyst! I would not remember the incident
at all, but for Slim's comment. Had that been our only meeting, I
would quickly have forgotten Gary entirely.
By this time I had another close friend in the Quarter. Her name
was Ola Holcomb, She was also an aspiring writer. Ola and I formed
a very close non-sexual friendship in a short period of time and she
became a convert to my Ayn Rand philosophy.
I think Slim met Ola through me and Gary met her through Slim. By
sometime in May it looked as if Gary and Ola were going to hit it off
together, or so I reconstruct events, because Slim and Gary and Ola
all dropped by to visit us on the Memorial Day weekend, probably
Sunday afternoon. (I believe Ola was present on this occasion but am
not absolutely certain in any case, very soon after, if not by
then, she and Gary had a thing going.
I do remember a couple of things very clearly about this visit.
I recall Gary sitting there, sort of leaning back on a chair with
his hands behind his head, smiling and looking at the typewriter
sitting on the desk in the living room of the apartment. I also
recall Gary making some kind of remark about being or knowing a
"fence" for stolen goods. I think he mentioned a pawn shop on
Canal Street by name where the guy was willing to purchase things
that were stolen.
On Memorial Day the typewriter an Olympia (probably e Suice
a
grand) was stolen while Greg and I were out. It was our habit
to leave the door unlocked. We knew almost no one in the city at
this time. Our apartment was on the second or third floor.
It seemed at that time to both Greg and me that it was a very
logical possibility that Gary Kirstein had taken the typewriter.
In retrospect I believe strongly this is exactly what happened.
I believe that Gary mentioned the "fence" on the Canal Street for
two reasons. One, I think he knew the guy and if I had gone in there
looking for it, Gary would then know I suspected him. Two, I think
Gary wanted me to conclude that if he did steal the typewriter his
motives were economic, rather than political.
It is important to realize that I had already typed some of the
short-story versions of The Idle Varriors chapters on this type-
writer. These manuscripts I was to give away later, possibly to
Slim, after I reworked them into the novel manuscript.
In other words, it is probable that Gary Kirstein had in his
possession -- for an indefinte period -- one of the typewriters on
which portions of The Idle Warriors, which he probably also got hold
of, were typed.
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"ocrText": "He expressed his dislike for Jews, Poles, gypsies, homosexuals,\nRussians, Mexicans and so on with a chuckle, usually, which left\nme with room to assume he wasn't really very serious about it --\nand that, of course, was the assumption I preferred to make, since\nI really liked Slim a lot and Gary was his friend.\nI think I first met Gary at Slim's one afternoon. Very quickly\nthe conversation got around to politics and we discovered that we\nboth hated Kennedy or something to that effect. Slim interjected:\n\"I\ndid itl I was a catalyst! I would not remember the incident\nat all, but for Slim's comment. Had that been our only meeting, I\nwould quickly have forgotten Gary entirely.\nBy this time I had another close friend in the Quarter. Her name\nwas Ola Holcomb, She was also an aspiring writer. Ola and I formed\na very close non-sexual friendship in a short period of time and she\nbecame a convert to my Ayn Rand philosophy.\nI think Slim met Ola through me and Gary met her through Slim. By\nsometime in May it looked as if Gary and Ola were going to hit it off\ntogether, or so I reconstruct events, because Slim and Gary and Ola\nall dropped by to visit us on the Memorial Day weekend, probably\nSunday afternoon. (I believe Ola was present on this occasion but am\nnot absolutely certain in any case, very soon after, if not by\nthen, she and Gary had a thing going.\nI do remember a couple of things very clearly about this visit.\nI recall Gary sitting there, sort of leaning back on a chair with\nhis hands behind his head, smiling and looking at the typewriter\nsitting on the desk in the living room of the apartment. I also\nrecall Gary making some kind of remark about being or knowing a\n\"fence\" for stolen goods. I think he mentioned a pawn shop on\nCanal Street by name where the guy was willing to purchase things\nthat were stolen.\nOn Memorial Day the typewriter an Olympia (probably e Suice\na\ngrand) was stolen while Greg and I were out. It was our habit\nto leave the door unlocked. We knew almost no one in the city at\nthis time. Our apartment was on the second or third floor.\nIt seemed at that time to both Greg and me that it was a very\nlogical possibility that Gary Kirstein had taken the typewriter.\nIn retrospect I believe strongly this is exactly what happened.\nI believe that Gary mentioned the \"fence\" on the Canal Street for\ntwo reasons. One, I think he knew the guy and if I had gone in there\nlooking for it, Gary would then know I suspected him. Two, I think\nGary wanted me to conclude that if he did steal the typewriter his\nmotives were economic, rather than political.\nIt is important to realize that I had already typed some of the\nshort-story versions of The Idle Varriors chapters on this type-\nwriter. These manuscripts I was to give away later, possibly to\nSlim, after I reworked them into the novel manuscript.\nIn other words, it is probable that Gary Kirstein had in his\npossession -- for an indefinte period -- one of the typewriters on\nwhich portions of The Idle Warriors, which he probably also got hold\nof, were typed."
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