I went to school with this guy and stumbled upon this little piece he did for "Fringe:"
http://www.fringereport.com/art0906larryheroldwriter.php. Herold was the first guy I met when I went to college. After mom and dad left after helping me move stuff into my dorm room, I strolled to the lobby of Kokernot Hall and there was this guy bouncing a basketball, no doubt to annoy the resident assistant. Struck up a conversation, him asking if I could play and me replying in a manner that inferred that I was better than I really was which wasn't very good, at all. Fortunately, no sexual advances followed and we left it at that and I wandered off to seek hideous dining hall chow or to lust after some girl named, Melonie or Darlene from Muleshoe or Dibol or some other garden spot. Saw Larry off and on through the years--he became mutual friends with several fellow fraternity brothers. Great guy. We didn't know it then, but there were a lot of talented guys like Larry going to school at that small university. Sometimes, that talent translates into outward symbols of success but as often as not, it doesn't. Still, what guys like Larry possess enriches those around him or at least puts him on the "highly tolerable with good bullshit" side of the ledger.
http://www.fringereport.com/art0906larryheroldwriter.php. Herold was the first guy I met when I went to college. After mom and dad left after helping me move stuff into my dorm room, I strolled to the lobby of Kokernot Hall and there was this guy bouncing a basketball, no doubt to annoy the resident assistant. Struck up a conversation, him asking if I could play and me replying in a manner that inferred that I was better than I really was which wasn't very good, at all. Fortunately, no sexual advances followed and we left it at that and I wandered off to seek hideous dining hall chow or to lust after some girl named, Melonie or Darlene from Muleshoe or Dibol or some other garden spot. Saw Larry off and on through the years--he became mutual friends with several fellow fraternity brothers. Great guy. We didn't know it then, but there were a lot of talented guys like Larry going to school at that small university. Sometimes, that talent translates into outward symbols of success but as often as not, it doesn't. Still, what guys like Larry possess enriches those around him or at least puts him on the "highly tolerable with good bullshit" side of the ledger.
2 comments:
Fucking greatness. Man, I'd love to have a frosty beverage or two w/ him again, shoot the breeze. Last place I saw him was a little dive called Stan's Blue Note.
I've heard nearly every one of those stories from "Lah-hald" (preferred VanderZee/Greenfield/Taras pronunciation). Oustanding to get to "hear" them again; thanks, Taras.
Regarding #5, I attended a reading of that play about four years ago at the Hyde Park Theatre there in Austin. I arrived early enough to visit with him and to meet his wife, the ticket collector for the evening. I believe our revered Salado establishment, The Mansion, was Larry's primary production sponsor for the event that night.
I also ran into a few of his old pals there, including Sue, Shotlander and Gorum; at least I think Ian was there--the mind might be playing tricks on me. Sadly, there was no Ron Maddox sighting.
As someone who grew up Baptist, witnessing "Preacherosity" was extremely entertaining. The added bonus of its Texas setting had to have helped provide flavor for the London audiences, but it just as easily could have been set in Virginia, the Carolinas, California--anywhere that there are Baptists.
There were strings of dialogue that had me wondering if some of his old dorm room conversations were utilized as source material. It also lead me to wonder whether or not any of said conversations ever reached the passionate levels of madness and rage that the infamous "Monkeys: reason or reflex?" debate had achieved in December 1980 at University Place Apartments.
If you were a fan of "Have Gun, Will Travel," then you would also have gotten a kick out of the introduction of the play's most fascinating character.
If I could reach Larry today, I'd throw either, "All the while...", or, "Two for dinner, gentlemen?" at him, his preferred greetings. On the latter one there: Larry would not allow himself to be seated at Waco's long departed Leslie's Chicken Shack until those words were spoken.
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