The characters of Telegraph Avenue

This is another one of the “Telegraph Avenue characters” that used to drive me nuts, but who I also got a kick out of on another level.  He was a regular customer at my 25 Cent Books vending table.  And he was one of those guys that really played up the “evil queen” routine.  Swiveling his hips and doing a Mae West schtick.  Vamping and camping.  But funny.  Tongue firmly planted in cheek (I won’t say which cheek).

And he’d always talk dirty to me.  I mean, filthy.   Saying how much he wanted to fuck me.  “Honey, I would looove to lick your etc, etc.”   Mostly, I think he did it because he liked to embarrass straight guys and make them cringe.  He was mostly kidding (at least I hope he was).  I’d play along:  “Stop it!  You are sounding like a shameless hussy, you slut.”  But we had a lot of other stuff in common, too.  Like the Fab Mab punk rock days.  He was a bit of a lounge lizard.

Then he’d do his other routine.  “I just so hate black men!  They are so vile!  I just loathe them so much!!”  (like a lot of gay black guys, he took a lot of shit from straight black guys) . . .  I would chide him:  “You are so racist!”  Ha ha.

I used to hate it when he did all the dirty sex talk.  Coming on to me.  It was embarrassing.  But I was helpless to stop it.  Because I’m such an egomaniac.   The idea that somebody, anybody, might possibly find me attractive was something I didn’t want to discourage.  Ha ha.

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